Trump Announces Tariffs on China, Tech Crackdown Ahead of Key Trade Meeting

David J. Lynch
Washington Post
Trump slaps $50B tariffs as Commerce Secretary is due to arrive in Beijing on Saturday for talks.

U.S.and China Clash over 'Technology Transfer' at WTO

Tom Miles
Reuters
Chinese and U.S. envoys sparred over Trump’s claims that China steals American ideas.

Ivanka Trump Wins China Trademarks, Then Her Father Vows to Save ZTE

Sui-Lee Wee
New York Times
China awarded Ivanka Trump seven new trademarks in businesses including books and housewares.

China's Ant Financial Raises $10 Billion at $150 Billion Valuation: Sources

Kane Wu
Reuters
The capital-raising comes ahead of a widely expected initial public offering.

China’s ‘Digital City’ Showcases Xi’s Grand Ambition

Yizhen Jia and Gabriel Wildau
Financial Times
Transformation of rural backwater into the new Shenzhen is still some way off.

Viewpoint

05.23.18

Germany Needs China to Save the Global Order from Trump

Sebastian Heilmann from Mercator Institute for China Studies
The U.S. president’s attacks on multilateralism may push Chancellor Merkel into an unlikely alliance with Beijing. Germany and the EU have to test ways to work with China in the absence of transatlantic coordination. The goal must be to organize an...

US Seeks Greater Scrutiny of China Tech Investment

Shawn Donnan
Financial Times
Senate considers bill that may increase U.S. scrutiny of Chinese investments.

China Cuts Car Tariffs, in a Small Offering to U.S. on Trade

Keith Bradsher
New York Times
The small change is unlikely to motivate automakers to shift production.

Trump Retreated from China Tariffs Because of White House Discord, Sources Say

Saleha Mohsin, Justin Sink, Jenny...
Bloomberg
White House disagreement over trade strategy led Trump to retreat from tariffs.

In China, Photo of Trade Talks Embodies ‘Young’ Country Passing Aging U.S.

Raymond Zhong
New York Times
A distinct age gap between Chinese delegates and American lawmakers.

Railroaded: The Chinese High-Speed Train Network No One Else Really Wants

Trefor Moss
Wall Street Journal
Terrain is easy, negotiations hard, as construction begins on politically fraught route through Southeast Asia.

China Drops Sanctions Probe into US Sorghum Imports

BBC
BBC
China says it is dropping an anti-dumping probe into sorghum imports from the US, as the two sides discuss ways of easing trade tensions.

Trump Cedes Trade Leverage to China in His Quest for Kim Summit

Saleha Mohsin and Nick Wadhams
Bloomberg
North Korea may turn out to be Chinese President Xi Jinping’s greatest ally in negotiating a trade deal with President Donald Trump.

Railroaded: The Chinese High-Speed Train Network No One Else Really Wants

Trefor Moss
Wall Street Journal
Li Guanghe has built some of the most technically complex railroads in China.

At the Height of His Power, China’s Xi Jinping Moves to Embrace Marxism

Steven Jiang
CNN
Why is President Xi Jinping, the most powerful Chinese leader in decades, presiding over a wealthy and resurgent China, embracing the philosophical ideas of Karl Marx?

Conversation

05.18.18

Does China Have a Jobs Problem?

Geoffrey Crothall, Ivan Franceschini & more
In a surprise Sunday tweet, U.S. President Donald Trump said he supported helping the phone-maker ZTE, a Chinese tech giant which has been one of the hardest hit from U.S.-China trade tensions. “Too many jobs in China lost,” he wrote. Though Trump...

China Has Decided Russia Is Too Risky an Investment

Maximilian Hess
Foreign Policy
On May 4, the planned investment by the Chinese company CEFC China Energy into Russian state oil giant Rosneft fell apart, eight months after it was first announced.

In Silicon Valley, Chinese ‘Accelerators’ Aim to Bring Startups Home

Koh Gui Qing, Salvador Rodriguez
Reuters
Beijing’s unslakeable thirst for the latest technology has spurred a proliferation of “accelerators” in Silicon Valley that aim to identify promising startups and bring them to China.

From Folk Singer to International Finance Expert - Liao Min Is a New Face on China’s Trade Team in Washington

Orange Wang
South China Morning Post
On the official list of the Beijing delegation that arrived in Washington on Tuesday for trade talks, there is a new name.

US Team Divided as Trade Talks with China Begin

Shawn Donnan and Tom Mitchell
Financial Times
China and the US are set to begin a second round of high-level talks aimed at averting a trade war, amid signs of the Trump administration’s internal divide over how to deal with Beijing.

OneSpace Launches China’s First Private Rocket

Michelle Toh and Serenitie Wang
CNN
OneSpace, a startup based in Beijing, on Thursday became the country’s first private company to launch its own rocket.

Caixin Media

05.16.18

China Must Continue to Open up within World Economy

In the future, China must do more than simply open up the manufacturing sector and lift restrictions on foreign shareholders and the scope of business foreigners can conduct. China will also need to accelerate the opening-up of the service...

China Gave Trump a List of Crazy Demands, and He Caved to One of Them

Josh Rogin
Washington Post
China’s list of economic and trade demands that suggest its negotiating position.

Trump, China, ZTE and the Art of the Deal

Stephen Collinson
CNN
ZTE case offers insight into Trump’s way of doing business.

China’s South-East Asia Push Threatened by New Malaysia Regime

Ben Bland
Financial Times
Status as Belt and Road posterchild at risk as Mahathir vows to review Chinese projects.

Warning Sounded over China's 'Debtbook Diplomacy'

Helen Davidson
Guardian
Academics identify 16 countries loaned billions that they can’t afford to repay.

China Welcomes Trump’s Help on ZTE as Trade Talks Loom

Keith Bradsher
New York Times
Both sides are using the Chinese telecom company as a pawn in a geopolitical game.

Why Is China Suddenly Seeking Filipino English Teachers?

Coco Liu
South China Morning Post
Beijing shifts its attitude towards workers from the Philippines.

Conversation

05.11.18

Do American Companies Need to Take a Stance on Taiwan?

J. Michael Cole, Frances Kitt & more
China’s airline regulator recently sent a letter to 36 international air carriers requiring them to remove from their websites references implying that Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau are not part of China. In a surprisingly direct May 5 statement, the...

China Draws Up a Shopping List of American Goods to Avoid Trade War

Lingling Wei and Bob Davis
Wall Street Journal
China likely will offer to import more U.S. goods during negotiations in Washington next week as the two sides see one of the best ways to avert an all-out trade war is for Beijing to buy American.

ZTE Is Now Center Stage in the US-China Trade Fight

Sherisse Pham
CNN
The smartphone and telecom equipment maker announced Wednesday that it has halted its main operations after the US government last month banned American companies from selling it vital components.

Hillary Clinton Says China’s Foreign Power Grab ‘a New Global Battle’

Ben Doherty and Eleanor Ainge Roy
Guardian
China’s attempt to gain political power and influence in foreign countries is “a new global battle”, Hillary Clinton has warned.

China Plans $47 Billion Fund to Boost Its Semiconductor Industry

Yoko Kubota
Wall Street Journal
In a move that could further heighten tensions with the U.S., China is poised to announce a new fund of about 300 billion yuan—$47.4 billion—to spur development of its semiconductor industry as it seeks to close the technology gap with the U.S. and...

No Matter What Trump Says on Iran, China Will Probably Ignore Him

Huileng Tan
CNBC
In a matter of hours, President Donald Trump is set to announce his decision on the Iran nuclear deal.

Conversation

05.07.18

Can China Afford to Play Hardball with the U.S.?

Zha Daojiong & William Foster
In the midst of roiling trade tensions between the United States and China, last week Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin led a delegation of Donald Trump’s top economic advisors to Beijing. Demands were made in both directions and talks were...

U.S.-China Trade Talks End with Strong Demands, but Few Signs of a Deal

Keith Bradsher
New York Times
The Beijing talks were unlikely to result in a comprehensive deal, but experts said they could still be a first step toward reaching some sort of accord.

U.S.-China Trade Talks End with Strong Demands, but Few Signs of a Deal

Keith Bradsher
New York Times
The Beijing talks were unlikely to result in a comprehensive deal, but experts said they could still be a first step toward reaching some sort of accord.

Behind Erik Prince’s China Venture

Marc Fisher, Ian Shapira and Emily...
Washington Post
The Blackwater founder has cut a lucrative security-training deal with Chinese insiders. But is it against U.S. interests?

Books

05.03.18

High-Speed Empire

Will Doig
Columbia Global Reports: The story of the world’s most audacious infrastructure project.Less than a decade ago, China did not have a single high-speed train in service. Today, it owns a network of 14,000 miles of high-speed rail, far more than the rest of the world combined. Now, China is pushing its tracks into Southeast Asia, reviving a century-old colonial fantasy of an imperial railroad stretching to Singapore, and kicking off a key piece of the One Belt One Road initiative, which has a price tag of U.S.$1 trillion and reaches inside the borders of more than 60 countries.The Pan-Asia Railway portion of One Belt One Road could transform Southeast Asia, bringing shiny Chinese cities, entire economies, and waves of migrants where none existed before. But if it doesn’t succeed, that would be a cautionary tale about whether a new superpower, with levels of global authority unimaginable just a decade ago, can pull entire regions into its orbit simply with tracks, sweat, and lots of money. Journalist Will Doig traveled to Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore to chronicle the dramatic transformations taking place—and to find out whether ordinary people have a voice in this moment of economic, political, and cultural collision.{chop}

US Trade Team Arrives in Beijing for Talks, and China Media Are Cautious

CNBC
State media said China will stand up to U.S. bullying if need be, but it was better to work things out at the negotiating table.

Taiwan Says China Dangled $3 Billion to Grab Ally Dominican Republic

Jess Macy Yu, Ben Blanchard
Reuters
China offered the Dominican Republic a $3.1 billion package of investments and loans to get them to sever ties with Taiwan, a Taiwan official said on Tuesday, after the Caribbean nation switched allegiance to China in a diplomatic blow to the self-...

The U.S. and China Are Finally Having It Out

Thomas L. Friedman
New York Times
With the arrival in Beijing this week of America’s top trade negotiators, you might think that the U.S. and China are about to enter high-level talks to avoid a trade war and that this is a story for the business pages. Think again.

Chinese State Media Has a Message for the US Ahead of Trade Talks in Beijing

Yen Nee Lee
CNBC
Ahead of a meeting between officials from the world’s two largest economies to iron out their trade tensions, state-owned Chinese media has one message for the American delegates: Don’t expect China to give into all of your demand.

Trump Is Breaking the WTO. Will China Want to Save It?

Rachel Brewster
Washington Post
A U.S. trade team is in China this week to discuss the countries’ trade disputes and the U.S. threat of $150 billion in sanctions.

China Is Weakening Its Currency before U.S. Trade Talks Begin

Bloomberg News
Bloomberg
China weakened its daily currency fixing by more than traders and analysts had expected before high-ranking U.S. officials arrive in the country to discuss trade issues.

The Rise of Populism and Implications for China

Paul Haenle & Thomas Carothers from Carnegie China
The rise of populism in Europe and the United States has had a pronounced impact on domestic politics and foreign policy, as seen in Brexit and the election of Donald Trump. In China, leaders are unsettled by the nationalist and anti-globalization...

What Happened to China’s Only Bitcoin ATM after Its Crackdown on Crypto

Zheping Huang
Quartz
Four years ago, China got its first bitcoin ATM.

U.S. Considers Tightening Grip on China Ties to Corporate America

Koh Gui Qing
Reuters
Any broad effort to sever relationships between Chinese and American tech companies - even temporarily - could have dramatic effects across the industry.

China Tells Donald Trump: We Can Help Make America’s Infrastructure Great Again

Catherine Wong
South China Morning Post
China has offered to take part in US President Donald Trump’s US$1.5 trillion plan to repair and upgrade America’s infrastructure, saying it would complement Beijing’s own Belt and Road Initiative.

Exclusive: Chip Wars - China Closing in on Second $19 Billion Semiconductor Fund: Sources

Kane Wu, Julie Zhu, Cate Cadell
Reuters
China’s state-backed semiconductor fund is near to closing a 120 billion yuan ($18.98 billion) investment round for a second fund to support the domestic chip sector and help cut reliance on imports amid a bruising trade standoff with the United...

How Africa Benefits from China’s Rapidly Aging Population

Eric Olander, Cobus van Staden & more
China’s rapidly aging population presents a huge challenge for the country as it needs to find new ways to pay for rising healthcare and social welfare benefits. And that’s where Africa may be able to help. Home to one of the youngest populations on...

China Is Fueling a New ‘Resource Curse’ — and Riots around the World

Renard Sexton
Washington Post
During the past 15 years, China’s demand for primary commodities has triggered a dramatic increase in natural resource extraction in the developing world.

US-China Trade War: Not about Trade, Not about Trump. Here’s What It Is About

Tom Holland
South China Morning Post
Perhaps we should stop talking about US President Donald Trump’s US-China trade war.

The Corrections Needed in the U.S.-China Relationship

Paul Haenle & Stephen Hadley from Carnegie China
Stephen Hadley, former national security advisor to President George W. Bush, argues that the United States took false comfort in China’s hide-and-bide strategy and failed to recognize that China would increasingly assert itself as it became more...

US Grain Ships Diverted at Sea Hours after China Imposes Grain Tariff

Lily Kuo
Guardian
Five ships carrying tonnes of sorghum change course after Beijing imposes rule requiring 178% deposit.

China Refuses to Recycle More of the World’s Trash

Daniel Shane
CNN
For decades, other countries shipped containers full of scrap and waste to China for recycling. 

China Envoy Says China Will Retaliate If U.S. Insists on Trade War: Xinhua

Reuters
China’s ambassador to the United States urged the United States to abandon a cold war and zero-sum mentality.

Viewpoint

04.19.18

Trump’s Incredibly Risky Taiwan Policy

J. Stapleton Roy
So-called friends of Taiwan in the United States are putting the island at risk as never before. The Taiwan Travel Act, passed unanimously by both houses of Congress, and signed by President Trump on March 16, 2018 without reservations, could...

China’s Economic Numbers Have a Credibility Problem

Enda Curran
Bloomberg
China’s gross domestic product grew 6.8 percent in the first quarter, smack on its pace in the preceding quarter, which was unchanged from the quarter before that.

China’s Children Are Its Secret Weapon in the Global AI Arms Race

Alex Beard
Wired
China wants to be the world leader in artificial intelligence by 2030. To get there, it’s reinventing the way children are taught.