5 h. ago Ahead of US trade talks, China’s rare earth trade data from May sends a message

In a reflection of Beijing’s ability to quickly leverage its dominance over the critical-mineral supply chain, the value of rare earth elements exported by China last month plunged by nearly half compared with a year prior. The official data came as analysts have been saying that China’s export controls over large quantities of critical minerals are like the ultimate trump card in trade negotiations with the United States. The world’s second-largest economy exported rare earth elements worth...

Politics

13 h. ago China trade data for May misses expectations as export growth slows, imports dip

China’s export growth slowed last month amid lingering uncertainty over US tariffs, pointing to continued strain in the country’s manufacturing and trade sectors – and the slight uptick could also reflect front-loading by exporters anticipating future disruptions. China’s May exports were up by 4.8 per cent, year on year, to US$316.1 billion, customs data showed on Monday. The figure followed April’s 8.1 per cent growth and fell short of the estimate of a 6.28 per cent increase in a market...

Politics

13 h. ago US tariffs hit China’s exports in May, but June seen as ‘a better month’

China’s export growth slowed last month, weighed down by fewer US orders being made before the two countries came to a 90-day tariff truce. And while June’s prospects look poised to improve, China’s manufacturing and trade sectors remain under strain, according to economists, who also point to lingering uncertainties over American tariffs. China’s May exports were up by 4.8 per cent, year on year, to US$316.1 billion, customs data showed on Monday. The figure followed April’s 8.1 per cent growth...

Events

18 h. ago Kenneth Rogoff and Yu Yongding on Trump, the dollar and the rise of the yuan

Welcome to Open Dialogue, a new series from the Post where we bring together leading voices to discuss the stories and subjects occupying international headlines. In this inaugural edition, we invited prominent economists from both sides of the Pacific to reflect on the recent turmoil in global trade, the diminishing role of the US dollar and whether China’s yuan could – or should – take its place. Professor Kenneth Rogoff of Harvard University has repeatedly warned the US dollar is approaching...

Politics

18 h. ago Is the US dollar’s decline inevitable? Kenneth Rogoff and Yu Yongding weigh in

Welcome to Open Dialogue, a new series from the Post where we bring together leading voices to discuss the stories and subjects occupying international headlines. In this inaugural edition, we invited prominent economists from both sides of the Pacific to reflect on the recent turmoil in global trade, the diminishing role of the US dollar and whether China’s yuan could – or should – take its place. Professor Kenneth Rogoff of Harvard University has repeatedly warned the US dollar is approaching...

Politics

34 h. ago China signals readiness on rare earth talks, approves more exports

China has approved some qualified rare earth export applications and is ready to deepen dialogue with nations over export controls, the Ministry of Commerce said as the strategic resource continued to take centre stage in Beijing’s trade negotiations with the United States. “We’ve observed growing global demand for medium and heavy rare earths in civilian sectors such as robotics and new energy vehicles, as these industries continue to expand,” the ministry said in a statement posted on its...

Politics

4 d. ago China will drop the Great Firewall for some users, but only in southern Hainan

China’s southernmost province of Hainan is piloting a programme to grant select corporate users broad access to the global internet, a rare move in a country known for having some of the world’s most restrictive online censorship, as the island seeks to transform itself into a global free-trade port. Employees of companies registered and operating in Hainan can apply for the “Global Connect” mobile service through the Hainan International Data Comprehensive Service Centre (HIDCSC), according to...

Events

6 d. ago Trade war risks could push global shippers to Asia’s arbitration hubs: analysts

The terms “United States exclusion clause” and “China risk clause” were frequently heard at a recent shipping forum hosted by Zhejiang Seaport Group in the eastern city of Ningbo, as uncertainties at sea persist despite the trade war truce reached between the world’s two biggest economies. The event brought together global logistics sector representatives and maritime law experts to consider new contract clauses, strategies and arbitration options, as stakeholders fear that a return of Donald...

Events

6 d. ago Trump set out to change global trade, but succeeded only in killing it

On the cusp of invading Greece with his army, the Persian Emperor Xerxes was confronted by his chief counsel, Artabanus, who cautioned against unforeseen threats and logistical difficulties in his campaign. However, Xerxes shunned any operational hand-wringing, according to historian John Lewis Gaddis’ book On Grand Strategy, arguing that “big things are won by big dangers”. More than 2,000 years after Xerxes’ ill-fated campaign, which helped to unify once-disparate Greek city states into a...

Politics

9 d. ago Trade war elephant in the showroom at Computex Taipei, Asia’s biggest tech expo

There was an elephant in the showroom at this year’s Computex Taipei tech expo. Loud speakers boomed the guttural sounds of action games loud enough to be heard across dozens of booths, where blazing white lights glinted off the thin black edges of new microprocessors on display. Some of the show’s 86,521 prospective buyers tried out AI-enabled laptops with 3D displays – visible without special glasses – screening a country lane in Japan one moment, a complicated colon surgery the next. And...

Events

1 week ago US tariffs to stay in place, China graduate jobs dwindle: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. US appeal court allows Donald Trump’s tariffs to stay in effect A US federal appeal court has temporarily halted a lower-court ruling against President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” reciprocal tariffs, as well as a separate set of fentanyl-related levies on China, Mexico and Canada, the latest in a string of twists that leave the state of global trade...

Politics

1 week ago Can Asean become a top economy despite Trump’s tariffs and internal hurdles?

Members of the Asean bloc have laid out an ambitious plan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2045, but analysts warn the region must first overcome deep-rooted trade barriers, domestic implementation woes and a shifting global trade order. Released on Tuesday during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur, the five-year strategy to achieve the economic goal aims to boost regional integration and better address complex issues. “Carrying on with business as...

Politics

1 week ago China Airlines Launches Digital Booking on WebCargo by Freightos®, Digitalizing Key Global Trade Lanes

China Airlines Launches Digital Booking on WebCargo by Freightos®, Digitalizing Key Global Trade Lanes  PR Newswire

Transport

1 week ago China’s quiet inroads on its digital currency for global trade

China’s quiet inroads on its digital currency for global trade  Hinrich Foundation

Politics

1 week ago China’s Li Qiang calls for ‘vibrant economic circle’ with Asean, Gulf states

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday urged Asean and Gulf state leaders to increase cooperation with Beijing, his call coming at a time when China is seeking to strengthen global economic ties amid intractable trade tensions with the US. Addressing the inaugural summit involving China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Li said that the three sides could create a “vibrant economic circle” through deeper exchanges to benefit each nation as well as...

Economics

1 week ago China and EU to Hold Fresh Trade Talks Amid Global Headwinds

China and EU to Hold Fresh Trade Talks Amid Global Headwinds  TradingView

Politics

1 week ago Li Qiang’s Indonesia visit highlights rapid change in world order

The United States’ global tariff war has done no harm to trade and cooperation between other countries. It has prompted and energised them to nurture and develop their own relations. The uncertainty that has riled markets and troubled business has therefore had a silver lining. There is no better example in this part of the world than China – the world’s second-largest economy – and Indonesia, the biggest economy in Southeast Asia, which is also China’s biggest market. Premier Li Qiang has just...

Politics

1 week ago The Rise of the Renminbi: China's Strategic Move to Dethrone the U.S. Dollar in Global Trade

The Rise of the Renminbi: China's Strategic Move to Dethrone the U.S. Dollar in Global Trade  Modern Diplomacy

Politics

2 w. ago How Chinese firms are using the trade war to fuel global growth

How Chinese firms are using the trade war to fuel global growth  South China Morning Post

Events

2 w. ago Global leaders unite at Beijing summit to shape digitally driven, sustainable trade future

Global leaders unite at Beijing summit to shape digitally driven, sustainable trade future  The News International

Politics