How Trump Could Find Common Ground with China, Thanks to the Islamic State

Adam Taylor
Washington Post
Since the election of Donald Trump, the relationship between Washington and Beijing has appeared strained. Despite diplomatic efforts to bridge the gap, China and the United States are at loggerheads over a variety of issues, including trade and...

Trump’s Not Telling the Whole Story on Trade, China Claims

Fox News
Beijing fired back Wednesday at President Trump’s claim that the U.S. has “lost 60,000 factories” since China joined the World Trade Organization, with a top diplomat suggesting the president told only part of the story.

Russia, China Block U.N. Sanctions on Syria over Gas Attacks

Michelle Nichols
Reuters
Russia on Tuesday cast its seventh veto to protect the Syrian government from United Nations Security Council action, blocking a bid by Western powers to impose sanctions over accusations of chemical weapons attacks during the six-year Syrian...

Viewpoint

02.27.17

Back to the Jungle?

Zhang Boshu
The recent election of Donald J. Trump as the president of the United States is likely to have a profound effect on world history. The issue is not the controversies raised by Trump’s character, personality, abilities, and preferences, but rather...

How to Persuade China to Squeeze North Korea’s Lifeline

Patricia Kim
Foreign Policy
Beijing is reluctant to give Pyongyang a real ultimatum—but the U.S. can bring it round

Trump Accuses Chinese of Being ‘Grand Champions’ of Currency Manipulation

Newsweek
President Donald Trump declared China the “grand champions” of currency manipulation on Thursday, just hours after his new Treasury secretary pledged a more methodical approach to analyzing Beijing’s foreign exchange practices.

China and North Korea Reveal Sudden, and Deep, Cracks in Their Friendship

Jane Perlez
New York Times
For decades, North Korea could count on China as a loyal ally despite the erratic behavior of the ruling Kim dynasty. But by this week, things may have gone too far, with North Korea unleashing a tirade in which it deployed some of the most damning...

North Korea Mocks China for ‘Dancing to U.S. Tune’

Jonathan Cheng and Chun Han Wong
Wall Street Journal
North Korea appeared to lash out at Beijing in a state-media commentary published Thursday, aiming unusually pointed rhetoric at a powerful neighbor that Pyongyang has long relied on for economic and diplomatic support.

Mnuchin Says He Won’t Label China a Currency Manipulator...Yet

Kevin Cirilli and Saleha Mohsin
Bloomberg
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin signaled no urgency to designate China a currency manipulator, saying he wants to use a regular review of foreign-exchange markets to determine if the U.S.’s largest trading partner is cheating.

China to Suspend All Imports of Coal from North Korea

Reuters
China will suspend all imports of coal from North Korea starting Feb. 19, the country’s commerce ministry said in a notice posted on its website on Saturday, as part of its efforts to implement United Nations sanctions against the country.

South China Sea: U.S. Carrier Group Begins ‘Routine’ Patrols

BBC
U.S. aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson has started what it calls “routine operations” in the South China Sea, with a fleet of supporting warships.

China Moves to Keep Its Deadly Opioids out of U.S.

Brian Spegele
Wall Street Journal
China moved to stem its flow of deadly drugs to the U.S., adding four lethal heroin-like narcotics to a list of controlled substances after Washington had urged it to help combat a growing opioid epidemic.

China Warns U.S. against Fresh Naval Patrols in South China Sea

Reuters
China’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday warned Washington against challenging its sovereignty, responding to reports the United States was planning fresh naval patrols in the disputed South China Sea.

Viewpoint

02.13.17

The U.S. Should Not Demand In-Kind Reciprocity from China

James Zimmerman
In a well-drafted task force report issued this week by the Asia Society and the University of California San Diego, a group of scholars and former government officials recommend that the Trump administration take steps to make the U.S.-China...

China, Russia Condemn North Korea’s Missile Launch

Joshua Berlinger
CNN
China has voiced opposition to North Korea’s test of a reported new ballistic missile more than 24 hours after reports of the launch emerged. But the country shrugged off suggestions it should be doing more to intervene in the rogue state’s military...

Trump Will Honor ‘One China’ Policy

Paul Haenle & Evan Medeiros from Carnegie China
President Trump agreed to honor the U.S. “one China” policy in his first phone call with President Xi Jinping since taking office, providing the basis for bilateral relations to move forward. Shortly after the February 9 call, Paul Haenle spoke with...

U.S., China Coordinated Policy Reversal

Carol E. Lee and Te-ping Chen
Wall Street Journal
Trump pledges to honor longstanding policy not to recognize Taiwan diplomatically

Conversation

02.10.17

Did Xi Just Outmaneuver Trump?

M. Taylor Fravel, Isaac Stone Fish & more
On the evening of February 9, U.S. President Donald Trump had what the White House described in a terse readout as a “lengthy” and “cordial” telephone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping. That alone is newsworthy, as the...

Trump Pledges to Honor ‘One China’ Policy in Call with Xi

Eli Stokols
Politico
President Donald Trump backed down from a blustery threat in an effort to ease tensions with China during his first phone call with the country’s president on Thursday night.

Trump, Changing Course on Taiwan, Gives China an Upper Hand

Jane Perlez
New York Times
By backing down in a telephone call with China’s president on his promise to review the status of Taiwan, President Trump may have averted a confrontation with America’s most powerful rival.

Xi, Trump Agree to Boost Win-Win Cooperation, Develop Constructive China-U.S. Ties

Xinhua
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump pledged Friday to boost win-win cooperation in a variety of areas and develop a constructive China-U.S. relationship.

Trump Tells Xi Jinping U.S. Will Honor ‘One China’ Policy

Mark Landler and Michael Forsythe
New York Times
President Trump told President Xi Jinping of China on Thursday evening that the United States would honor the “One China” policy, reversing his earlier expressions of doubt about the longtime diplomatic understanding

Call Me, Maybe? Trump Reaches out to China’s President in a Letter

Simon Denyer
Washington Post
The letter wishing China a “prosperous Year of the Rooster” came 11 days after China celebrated its Lunar New Year’s festival. President Trump has yet to speak to Xi Jinping since his inauguration, even though he has spoken directly or met at least...

How Trump Could Already Be Affecting Monetary Policy in China

Silvia Amaro
CNBC
Chinese officials might be trying to drain liquidity from their economy but the central bank remains fearful of raising interest rates too quickly, according to one strategist who suggests President Donald Trump might be indirectly influencing...

Viewpoint

02.07.17

Can the New U.S. Ambassador to China See Xi Jinping for Who He Really Is?

Jeffrey Wasserstrom
When the Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds confirmation hearings on Terry Branstad’s nomination to be Ambassador to China, the Iowa Governor is sure to be asked about the positions of the president who nominated him. I hope, though, that...

Reports

02.07.17

U.S. Policy Toward China

Orville Schell and Susan L. Shirk
Asia Society
The Task Force on U.S.-China Policy generated the following report and set of recommendations to assist the 45th U.S. presidential administration in formulating a China strategy that will protect and further U.S. national interests. This report...

China Protests U.S. Sanctions on Iran, but Sees ‘Clouds of War’ Dispersing over South China Sea

Simon Denyer
Washington Post
China said Monday it had lodged a formal protest with the United States over a decision to impose new sanctions targeting Iran, which affected a handful of Chinese companies and individuals.

U.S.-China War Would Be a Disaster for the World, Says Communist Party

Tom Phillips
Guardian
Editorial says two countries should strive to avoid conflict in first statement since Donald Trump’s election win

Donald Trump Hasn’t Spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping since Taking Office

Zheping Huang
Quartz
Two weeks into his presidency, Donald Trump has spoken with 18 foreign heads-of-state, either by phone or in person. Xi Jinping’s name is conspicuously missing.

It Won’t Be Easy for Donald Trump to Bully China

Clay Chandler
Fortune
Trump’s screeds against China—for cheapening its currency, stoking its export machine and “stealing” American jobs—were a centerpiece of his campaign. And yet, as Trump himself probably knows, China won’t be easy to bully.

Ivanka Trump Effect: New Year Wishes from President’s Daughter Welcomed in China

Benjamin Haas
Guardian
Beijing media says visit to embassy in U.S. could help ‘balance president’s harsh posture’ but relationship with Washington remains strained

Mexico Blowback Should Dissuade Trump from Taking on China

Komal Sri-Kumar
Bloomberg
Even though Trump chose the U.S.’s southern neighbor as his first target in the tariff war, China casts a much longer shadow over the U.S. economy.

Features

02.04.17

Why’s Beijing So Worried About Western Values Infecting China’s Youth?

Eric Fish
In early December, Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered the country’s universities to “adhere to the correct political orientation.” Speaking at a conference on ideology and politics in China’s colleges, he stressed that schools must uphold the...

Viewpoint

02.02.17

The Art of a China Deal

James McGregor
By his own admission, President Donald J. Trump is a brilliant businessman, a master negotiator, an exceptional deal maker, somebody who always wins. When it comes to China, he is prepared to do just that—win. “I’ve read hundreds of books about...

Trump, Tillerson and the South China Sea: What’s at Stake

Katie Hunt
CNN
Rex Tillerson, who was sworn in as U.S. Secretary of State Wednesday, takes responsibility for U.S. policy in one of the world’s biggest flashpoints: the South China Sea.

Trump’s Defense Chief Heads to Asia, Eying China, North Korea Threat

Phil Stewart and Nobuhiro Kubo
Reuters
President Donald Trump’s defense secretary is expected to underscore U.S. security commitments to key allies South Korea and Japan on his debut trip to Asia this week as concerns mount over North Korea’s missile program and tensions with China.

Yuan’s Gain Has Surprised Trump, Incoming Ambassador Branstad Says

Mario Parker
Bloomberg
Donald Trump probably hasn’t followed through on campaign pledges to label China a currency manipulator because the yuan’s been stronger than he anticipated, the U.S. President’s pick as ambassador to China said Tuesday.

Make China Great Again

David Leonhardt
New York Times
America’s rivals and enemies have enjoyed a very good 10 days.

For China, a Rethink on Donald Trump

Andrew Browne
Wall Street Journal
Beijing initially welcomed a tough negotiator—then came the Mexico episode

U.S.-China War Increasingly a ‘Reality,’ Chinese Army Official Says

Evelyn Cheng
CNBC
China is preparing for a potential military clash with the United States, according to an article on the Chinese army’s website.

Donald Trump Is Handing China the World

David Axe
Daily Beast
While Trump focuses on building up the U.S. Navy to counter China, Beijing is gobbling up the other segments of global relations that used to be dominated by the U.S.

Conversation

01.27.17

TPP is Dead, Now What?

David Dollar, Charlene Barshefsky & more
On Monday, on his first full working day as president, Donald Trump officially withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a 12-nation trade pact that did not include China and did not have the votes to...

If the U.S. Ever Went to War with China, It Would Be a Trump Distraction Technique

Guardian
There is no indication that the U.S. president wants a war. But, if he did get into one, it would be to direct attention away from his incompetence.

As Trump Stresses ‘America First,’ China Plays the World Leader

Ben Blanchard
Reuters
China is calmly mapping out global leadership aspirations from trade to climate change, drawing distinctions between President Xi Jinping’s steady hand and new U.S. President Donald Trump

Look out China, Mexico, Japan and Germany: How Trade Shapes Trump’s Worldview

Simon Denyer
Washington Post
In a nutshell, John Robb argues that trade—rather than national security—dominates Trump’s foreign policy thinking, inverting decades of U.S. practice.

China Commissions 31st Stealth Warship

Hindu
Chinese media have said the U.S. has to wage a war with China if America blocks it from accessing the artificial islands it has built in the contested South China Sea.

Is Trump Ready for War in the South China Sea, or Is His Team Just Not Being Clear?

Simon Denyer
Washington Post
Was this a prelude to a major escalation in the South China Sea, or is the Trump administration having trouble articulating its foreign policy?

Donald Trump Could Be Starting a New Cold War With China. But He Has Little Chance of Winning

Charlie Campbell
Time
The new U.S. administration has been testing Beijing with provocative stances on trade, Taiwan and the South China Sea. But starting up a Cold War with China is a highly risky strategy

China Urges Trump Administration to Grasp Importance of ‘One China’

Reuters
The new U.S. administration must fully understand the importance of the “One China” policy and appreciate that the issue of Taiwan is highly sensitive for the Beijing government, China said on Monday.

Forget Xi’s ‘Defense’ of Globalization. China Just Fortified the Great Firewall.

Emily Rauhala
Washington Post
Over the weekend, China announced a new, year-long crackdown on “unauthorized Internet connections.”

Diplomat Says China Would Assume World Leadership If Needed

Reuters
China does not want world leadership but could be forced to assume that role if others step back from that position, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Monday

Can Donald Trump Break Beijing’s ‘One China’ Obsession?

Chow Chung-yan
South China Morning Post
Through force and diplomacy, many renowned figures have tried to divide the country, and all have failed. Still, the new U.S. president seems to want the issue back on the table and, if so, he has a steep, historic hill to climb

How China’s Liberals Are Feeling the Trump Effect

Wang Lixiong
Washington Post
With the presidential election of Donald Trump, a man whose grasp of both democratic concepts and ethical norms is questionable, we have been forced to ask some hard new questions

Trump Inauguration: Taiwan Delegation Could ‘Disturb Sino-U.S. Relations’

Benjamin Haas
Guardian
Taiwanese delegation will attend new president’s swearing-in, prompting Beijing to warn it could ‘disturb or undermine Sino-U.S. relations’

Media

01.19.17

The U.S. Media’s Unfortunate Obsession with One Beijing Rag

David Wertime
On January 11, during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson raised eyebrows in Washington when he said, “We’re going to have to send China a clear signal that first the...

U.S. Commerce Nominee Ross Calls China ‘Most Protectionist’ Country

David Lawder
Reuters
Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for commerce secretary, voiced sharp criticism of China’s trade practices on Wednesday

China Is America’s “Vendor,” and Needs to Treat Its Biggest Customer Better, Trump’s Commerce Pick Says

Heather Timmons
Quartz
China loomed large in the US senate’s confirmation hearing today of Wilbur Ross for commerce secretary.

Donald Trump and China’s Year of the Hawk

Melinda Liu
Politico
A brash new U.S. president is on a collision course with a Chinese leader bent on consolidating power.

Viewpoint

01.19.17

Do We Want to Live in China’s World?

Robert Daly
Each weekday morning, I cross D.C.’s National Mall and pass a sign on Constitution Avenue bearing an epigram by the U.S. architect Daniel Burnham: Make No Little Plans. And every morning, these words make me think not of Burnham’s 20th century...

Conversation

01.18.17

U.S.-China Flashpoints in the Age of Trump

Zha Daojiong, Isaac Stone Fish & more
Over the past year, Donald Trump has vowed to “utterly destroy” ISIS, considered lifting sanctions on Russia, promised to cancel the Paris climate agreement and “dismantle” the Iran nuclear deal. But many of his most inflammatory statements are...