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Trade war escalation, semiconductor export controls, EV tariffs, and diplomatic maneuvering including the Trump-Xi summit
For half a century, workers in northern China have laid forearm-length sticks of straw in intersecting rows across shifting sand to form squares, then planted saplings at the center of each one. The technique, known as "straw…
2026-07-13 · 3 MIN READMicron Technology said it will expand U.S. investment to more than $250 billion by 2035, setting the stage for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's call for South Korean chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to increase domestic…
2026-07-10 · 3 MIN READAnalysts issued a range of assessments Friday on auto and transport companies, with Daiwa forecasting weak Chinese demand for automakers, Bernstein evaluating Apollo's takeover bid for easyJet, and Citi calling Stellantis's U.S. sales…
2026-07-10 · 3 MIN READBMW delivered about 1.16 million vehicles in the first half of 2026, a 4.2% decline from the same period a year earlier, as a sharp drop in sales in China dragged down otherwise positive results in Europe and the Americas, the German auto…
2026-07-10 · 3 MIN READChina's passenger car exports rose 80% in June from a year earlier to about 905,000 vehicles, driven by strong demand for electric vehicles, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Domestic passenger car…
2026-07-09 · 3 MIN READGeorgia Gov. Brian Kemp will meet Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung in Scotland this week to discuss future investment plans, Kemp's office said Tuesday.
2026-07-08 · 3 MIN READItalian energy company Eni has acquired a 25% stake in the Black Giant lithium project in northern Chile from U.S. startup Energy Exploration Technologies for $225 million, giving Eni rights to up to a quarter of future production and a…
2026-07-06 · 5 MIN READWindrose Technology, a Chinese-owned electric big rig startup that raised $400 million and pledged to challenge Tesla's Semi, faces a federal lawsuit, a Michigan labor-regulator order, and a missing $285,000 truck, the Wall Street Journal…
2026-07-06 · 4 MIN READAnalysts describe the global electric vehicle industry as entering a golden age powered by cheap Chinese cars that can be bought for as little as $10,000, but the United States risks falling behind as rising auto costs, consumer…
2026-07-04 · 5 MIN READChina and the European Union have agreed to hold ministerial-level trade talks once or twice a year, China's Commerce Ministry said Thursday, as the two sides work to increase and rebalance trade.
2026-07-02 · 3 MIN READThe House and Senate Armed Services committees have approved competing versions of the fiscal 2027 defense authorization bill that could determine how extensively South Korean shipbuilders can participate in U.S. naval construction…
2026-07-02 · 3 MIN READThe Wall Street Journal on Thursday published a photographic retrospective of America's 1976 Bicentennial celebrations, recalling how communities across the country marked the nation's 200th birthday with parades, tall ships, and a…
2026-07-02 · 3 MIN READSK Hynix is set to begin trading American depositary receipts on the Nasdaq on July 10 as it and Samsung Electronics proceed with a combined $523.7 billion domestic chip cluster plan, according to company disclosures and industry…
2026-07-05 · 4 MIN READInner Mongolia has become China's largest base for both renewable energy and coal production, according to energy experts who describe the region's strategy as an 'all-of-the-above' approach. The dual role reflects the pattern seen across…
2026-07-02 · 3 MIN READ
A 33-year-old graduate-school dropout and video blogger has prompted investigations into academic misconduct at Chinese universities, with Shanghai University removing a dean and firing a postdoctoral researcher after he alleged data…
2026-07-02 · 4 MIN READA fleet of nearly 400 Chinese fishing vessels is operating off Peru's southern coast and moving north toward the Galápagos Islands, raising concerns among researchers and conservation groups about overfishing, pollution and possible…
2026-07-01 · 3 MIN READSyngenta Group Chief Executive Jeff Rowe will step down on Aug. 1 and be replaced by Chief Operating Officer Hengde Qin, the Swiss-based pesticide and seed company said Wednesday. Rowe, a fifth-generation Illinois farmer, led the company…
2026-07-01 · 3 MIN READAlibaba Group Holding has sued the Pentagon seeking removal from a list of Chinese military-linked companies, as a new rule took effect Tuesday that prompted Washington lobbying firms to sever ties with the e-commerce giant and Tencent…
2026-06-30 · 3 MIN READLingling Wei, the chief China correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, published a personal essay Tuesday tracing her journey from a young Chinese journalist who wrote an angry email to an American professor after NATO bombed the Chinese…
2026-06-30 · 3 MIN READUS export controls on advanced artificial intelligence chips stalled sales of Nvidia's H200 chips in China, enabling domestic rival Huawei to gain ground in the market, the Associated Press reported.
2026-06-29 · 3 MIN READA federal judge in Manhattan on Monday sentenced U.S.-based China critic and tycoon Guo Wengui to 30 years in prison for racketeering and fraud, and ordered him to forfeit $889 million.
2026-06-29 · 3 MIN READThe European Investment Bank on Monday authorized a €3 billion ($3.42 billion) loan to Airbus, the largest corporate loan in the institution's history, as European Union policymakers seek to build out the bloc's technological capabilities…
2026-06-29 · 3 MIN READThe U.S. Navy has repeatedly requested additional repairs to a support ship undergoing maintenance at HJ Shipbuilding & Construction's Yeongdo shipyard in Busan, expanding the contract beyond its original scope, industry officials said…
2026-06-28 · 3 MIN READVolkswagen is reportedly planning to cut up to 100,000 jobs and close four German factories as part of a drastic cost-cutting overhaul, doubling its previous reduction targets, according to a report in Manager Magazin. The proposals, which…
2026-06-26 · 3 MIN READNissan's Americas division chief Christian Meunier said the automaker is seeing a sales turnaround and plans to revive its brand with bolder, edgier products built increasingly in the U.S. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal,…
2026-06-26 · 4 MIN READSouth Korean cable manufacturer LS Cable & System has begun constructing a vertical continuous vulcanization tower at its subsea cable plant in Chesapeake, Virginia, a facility the company says will be the world's tallest such structure at…
2026-06-25 · 3 MIN READSouth Korea's Hanwha Power has entered the U.S. combined-cycle power generation market for the first time, supplying fuel gas compressors to a new natural gas plant in Ohio and securing a nine-year maintenance agreement, the company said…
2026-06-25 · 3 MIN READThe U.S. Army has awarded long-term leases to four companies to build critical mineral processing plants on military bases, officials said Thursday, the latest push by the Trump administration to establish a domestic supply chain for…
2026-06-25 · 3 MIN READThe Commerce Department has denied Swedish electric-vehicle maker Polestar authorization to sell new cars in the United States starting with the 2027 model year, the company said Thursday, making it the first automaker forced out of the…
2026-06-25 · 3 MIN READThe United States exported more than $23 billion worth of plastic raw materials to China in 2025, driven by the shale gas boom along the Gulf Coast, creating a circular trade that environmental advocates say fuels plastic pollution and…
2026-06-25 · 3 MIN READThe OUT Museum, billed as the first museum of its kind dedicated to Chinese queer art, opened with a rainbow-ribbon cutting in late May in San Francisco’s Chinatown, the nation's oldest. The bilingual museum, founded by activist and artist…
2026-06-24 · 4 MIN READChina's LineShine supercomputer has claimed the No. 1 spot on the latest Top500 ranking, operating 22% faster than the U.S.-built El Capitan at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, according to the ranking published this week. Built by…
2026-06-24 · 5 MIN READGlobal aquaculture production reached a record high in 2024, with Chile maintaining its position as the leading supplier of salmon to the United States and one of the world's top exporting powers, according to a report from the Food and…
2026-06-24 · 3 MIN READSouth Korea's two largest instant-noodle makers posted sharply different first-quarter results across major overseas markets, with Samyang Foods reporting a 37% jump in U.S. sales driven by its spicy Buldak brand while Nongshim generated…
2026-06-23 · 3 MIN READMahjong is enjoying a widespread resurgence across the United States, pushing demand for the game to unprecedented levels. But halfway around the world, the hand-carving tradition that produces mahjong tiles in Hong Kong is quietly fading,…
2026-06-23 · 3 MIN READCalifornia-based athleisure brand Vuori is betting Chinese consumers will spend on its premium workout clothes as part of a global expansion plan that positions it to challenge Lululemon and Alo Yoga overseas, the company said Tuesday.
2026-06-23 · 3 MIN READA new book by Peterson Institute senior fellow Chad Bown and Financial Times columnist Soumaya Keynes argues that Western democracies must borrow key tools from China's economic playbook—industrial policy, strategic stockpiling, and export…
2026-06-23 · 5 MIN READNissan has reportedly shelved development of a fully electric version of its Qashqai, its top-selling model in Europe, as part of a sweeping cost-cutting program that has already eliminated seven factories and 20,000 jobs worldwide.
2026-06-23 · 3 MIN READPhilippine officials said Wednesday that China removed a temporary floating platform from Scarborough Shoal, a contested atoll in the South China Sea that Beijing has controlled since 2012, after the platform's appearance at the end of May…
2026-06-23 · 4 MIN READPresident Trump on Monday signed two executive orders that accelerate federal deployment of quantum computers and direct agencies to harden critical infrastructure against quantum-enabled hacking, setting earlier deadlines than previous…
2026-06-22 · 3 MIN READTA Securities on Monday downgraded Malaysia's automotive sector rating to underweight from neutral, citing softer consumer sentiment, moderating order backlogs, and intensifying competition from Chinese car brands.
2026-06-22 · 3 MIN READEuropean automakers are launching a new generation of smaller, cheaper electric vehicles designed for the narrow streets of the continent, signaling a shift away from the large SUVs that dominated the early EV market and a bid to fend off…
2026-06-21 · 3 MIN READYum! Brands has agreed to sell the Pizza Hut chain for a total of $2.7 billion, according to a Wall Street Journal report published June 20. The deal splits the brand: private-equity firm LongRange Capital will acquire the U.S. and…
2026-06-20 · 3 MIN READDragon boat races, lion dances, and other festivities marked the Dragon Boat Festival on Friday across mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, as communities honored a holiday that dates back more than 2,000 years.
2026-06-19 · 3 MIN READAmanda Lacaze, the chief executive who turned Australian mining company Lynas from a near-bankrupt venture into one of the few Western rare-earths processors operating at scale, is leaving the company at the end of June. The 66-year-old…
2026-06-18 · 4 MIN READPresident Donald Trump announced Thursday that Apple is partnering with Intel to design computer chips that will be manufactured in the United States, a move that aligns with the administration's push to bring semiconductor production back…
2026-06-18 · 3 MIN READGerman engineering firm Bosch has agreed to pay a $36 million fine to resolve federal allegations that it exported restricted products and software to China's Huawei Technologies, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. The resolution…
2026-06-18 · 3 MIN READThe State of Texas has opened a dedicated trade office in London, aiming to deepen economic ties with the United Kingdom as Texas promotes its own stock exchange as an alternative to New York.
2026-06-18 · 3 MIN READMyongji University economics professor Park Jung-ho said Wednesday that South Korean companies must redesign supply chain strategies around national and economic security rather than cost alone, as the United States and China intensify…
2026-06-17 · 3 MIN READChinese Communist Party enforcers punished nearly a million people in 2025, the highest annual figure on record, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of disciplinary data that shows Chinese leader Xi Jinping's anti-corruption…
2026-06-17 · 4 MIN READYum! Brands announced Tuesday it is selling its struggling Pizza Hut division in a deal valued at $2.7bn (£2bn). Private equity firm LongRange Capital will acquire the brand outside mainland China for $1.5bn, while Yum China Holdings will…
2026-06-16 · 3 MIN READHyosung Heavy Industries, a South Korean power equipment manufacturer, plans to begin production of extra-high-voltage gas circuit breakers in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, this October through a newly formed joint venture with a subsidiary of…
2026-06-14 · 3 MIN READChina said Friday it had detained an American citizen and Myanmar-born scholar-journalist Min Zin on suspicion of espionage and endangering national security, adding a new point of friction between the two countries weeks after a summit…
2026-06-12 · 3 MIN READThe Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory in China has released its first major results, offering some of the most precise measurements to date of how neutrinos change flavor as they travel through space. The findings were published…
2026-06-10 · 3 MIN READFBI agents seized 13 websites that officials said were part of a Chinese government effort to recruit American workers with security clearances, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. The websites posed as consulting firms advertising…
2026-06-10 · 3 MIN READChina's passenger car exports surged 73% year-on-year in May to approximately 809,000 vehicles, driven by soaring demand for electric vehicles amid higher fuel prices linked to the war in Iran, an industry group reported Wednesday.
2026-06-10 · 3 MIN READSamsung Heavy Industries held a formal signing ceremony in Washington for the Delfin floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) project, a $2.9 billion contract to build the first floating LNG production facility in U.S. history.
2026-06-10 · 3 MIN READTaiwan is reviewing plans to tighten export controls on advanced artificial intelligence chips bound for China, a move that would align the island's restrictions more closely with existing U.S. regulations and could draw sharp opposition…
2026-06-10 · 3 MIN READDeutsche Bank raised its recommendation on easyJet to hold from sell, saying the investment firm Castlelake’s existing 2.14% stake and commercial relationship with the discount carrier makes its takeover interest significant. Separately,…
2026-06-10 · 3 MIN READChina's exports rose 19.4% in May from a year earlier, its customs agency said Tuesday, accelerating from April's 14.1% gain as technology-related shipments remained strong despite the ongoing Iran war.
2026-06-09 · 3 MIN READSK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won called Tuesday for South Korea and Japan to create a common market modeled on the European Union, describing deeper economic integration as a survival strategy amid a fracturing global trade order and…
2026-06-09 · 3 MIN READWestern companies are pouring investment into Brazil's rare-earth mining sector, aiming to build processing capacity and reduce China's near-total control over the mineral supply chain used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and military…
2026-06-09 · 3 MIN READThe Pentagon added several major Chinese companies, including e-commerce giant Alibaba and electric vehicle maker BYD, to a list of firms it says have ties to the Chinese military. The companies deny the allegations.
2026-06-09 · 3 MIN READThe Pentagon on Monday added roughly two dozen Chinese companies — including e-commerce and cloud giant Alibaba, search and AI firm Baidu, and electric vehicle maker BYD — to its annual list of businesses the U.S. identifies as aiding…
2026-06-08 · 4 MIN READBolivia's deepening political crisis has exposed the risks of managing foreign investment through opaque agreements and weak oversight, with Chinese-linked infrastructure and mining projects facing complaints over delays, quality problems…
2026-06-08 · 3 MIN READAn American journalist who has lived in China since 2010 and worked for state media organizations there pleaded guilty in a U.S. court Thursday to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government, the Justice Department said.
2026-06-04 · 3 MIN READSecretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers Tuesday that South Korea's treatment of American companies, including regulatory actions against Meta and Coupang, has hampered Washington's ability to conclude a trade agreement with Seoul.
2026-06-04 · 3 MIN READChinese beef traders on Wednesday began purchasing Brazilian beef certified as free of illegal deforestation, under a landmark agreement that marks the first such certification for Brazil's beef industry. The Beef on Track certification,…
2026-06-03 · 4 MIN READNissan has signed a non-binding agreement to explore contract manufacturing vehicles for Chinese state-backed automaker Chery at its Sunderland plant, a move that would safeguard around 6,000 jobs and mark the first mass-market Chinese car…
2026-06-03 · 3 MIN READChinese intelligence operatives are using legitimate employment websites including LinkedIn, Indeed and Upwork to pose as recruiters and trick UK government and military staff into disclosing state secrets, MI5 warned Wednesday in a rare…
2026-06-03 · 3 MIN READWall Street Journal Chief China Correspondent Lingling Wei reported Tuesday that a technical paper behind Huawei Technologies Co.’s recent “Tau Law” announcement reveals the company acknowledges it cannot break through the U.S.-led…
2026-06-02 · 4 MIN READStephen Curry has signed an endorsement deal with Chinese sportswear company Li-Ning, the Golden State Warriors guard announced on his business website Thirty Ink. The 38-year-old NBA star is free to partner with a new retail brand after…
2026-06-02 · 3 MIN READMeituan, China's largest food-delivery platform, reported a net loss of 6.83 billion yuan ($1.01 billion) for the first quarter of 2026, marking its third consecutive quarterly loss as a price war with Alibaba Group and JD.com continues to…
2026-06-01 · 3 MIN READUSA Rare Earth announced Monday it plans to invest more than 175 million euros ($204.1 million) through 2030 to expand metal, alloy, and magnet production in France, part of a broader U.S. push to secure alternative sources of rare earth…
2026-06-01 · 3 MIN READSingapore-based GLP is planning to raise as much as $3 billion through an initial public offering in Hong Kong, with the listing targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026, according to people familiar with the matter.
2026-06-01 · 3 MIN READSouth Korea's exports grew at the fastest pace in more than four decades in May, reaching a record $87.75 billion as surging demand for artificial intelligence chips outweighed global geopolitical headwinds, preliminary trade ministry data…
2026-06-01 · 3 MIN READAn explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in China's Shanxi province killed 82 people on May 22, ending a decade of safety improvements and marking China's deadliest coal mining disaster in more than 15 years.
2026-05-31 · 3 MIN READThe European Union fined Chinese online retailer Temu €200 million ($232 million) on Thursday after an investigation found the platform exposed consumers to illegal and hazardous products, the Associated Press reported.
2026-05-28 · 3 MIN READIndonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto announced a new regulation that will centralize export control for coal, palm oil and iron alloys under a newly registered state-owned enterprise starting in stages this year. The move, Prabowo said,…
2026-05-23 · 3 MIN READWindrose's CEO wants two fired workers to help locate his $285,000 rig — before he pays them the $91,000 he already owes.
Beijing expelled *New York Times* correspondent Vivian Wang, and the US responded by revoking the visa of a Xinhua journalist in a direct reciprocal act following Wang's expulsion.
Everlane said it is being acquired by Shein, the fast-fashion giant founded in China, in a deal announced to employees by Everlane CEO Alfred Chang. Analysts said the acquisition could help Everlane financially as sales slow and debt rises, but warned the association may be jarring for core Everlane customers.
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto announced a regulation that will shift exports of coal, palm oil and iron alloys to a new state-owned enterprise starting this year, with global supply-chain implications. The plan, presented to parliament Wednesday, requires private firms to hand over import and export transactions to the entity from June to August, with full management expected by September.
Everlane, the San Francisco-based retailer known for ethically sourced apparel, is being acquired by Shein, the fast-fashion giant founded in China. CEO Alfred Chang confirmed the deal in a letter to employees, according to The Associated Press.
Shein, the Chinese fast-fashion behemoth known for ultra-low prices and rapid turnover of styles, is acquiring Everlane, the San Francisco-based retailer built on promises of ethical sourcing and sustainability, according to a letter from Everlane’s CEO obtained by The Associated Press. The deal marries two brands that represent opposite ends of the apparel industry’s values spectrum.
The Indonesian government announced Wednesday that a newly created state-owned enterprise will take over all exports of coal, palm oil and iron alloys by September, a sudden move analysts described as a hostile takeover of major commodity industries set to ripple across global supply chains.
Samsung Electronics’ labor union in South Korea said Wednesday it will delay a planned 18-day strike after reaching a last-minute, government-mediated wage deal with management. Union leader Choi Seung-ho said union members will vote on the tentative agreement from May 22 to May 27.
Samsung Electronics’ labor union said it will postpone a planned strike after reaching a last-minute, government-mediated wage deal with management that will be voted on later this month. Union leader Choi Seung-ho said the strike, previously expected to start Thursday, would be delayed as the tentative agreement put forward by both sides is submitted to union members for a vote from May 22 to May 27.
Japan's last two giant pandas left Tokyo's Ueno Zoo on Tuesday, ending 50 years of panda presence in the country and marking a symbolic loss amid deteriorating diplomatic relations between Japan and China. The twins, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei—born at the zoo in 2021—returned to China as strained ties between Tokyo and Beijing reach their lowest point in years.
The Boeing Co. secured a 200-aircraft order from China, reopening a market that was once central to its growth, President Donald Trump and the company announced Friday following Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Boeing confirmed the order but did not specify the aircraft models or delivery timeline. Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, said China also reserved the right to buy up to 750 Boeing planes and that General Electric would supply hundreds of engines, though GE did not immediately comment.
A Hong Kong court on Monday heard closing arguments in the national security trial of two former organizers of the city's annual vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, a case that has drawn attention to the erosion of civil liberties under Beijing-imposed legislation.
CHENG LEI, a 50-year-old Chinese-born Australian television journalist, spent 1,154 days in Chinese custody — much of it in a shared cell under constant surveillance — before being deported in October 2023. Now, in a new memoir and an upcoming stage production, “1154 Days,” she is offering a rare, firsthand account of the pressure tactics, isolation, and psychological toll of China’s secretive prison system, and how she rebuilt her life through writing, stand-up comedy, and a return to journalism.
President Donald Trump said on May 15 that Boeing will make its first major sale to China in nearly a decade after his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The companies said China agreed to buy 200 aircraft, and Trump said China reserved the right to buy as many as 750, while Boeing later confirmed the 200-plane order.
A 21-year-old welding student from Dexter, Michigan, has been selected to represent the United States at WorldSkills in China, becoming the first woman to do so. Mikala Sposito earned the spot by winning the USA Weld Trials in Alabama, and she plans to continue building her training through competitions leading up to the event in September.
China has agreed to ramp up purchases of U.S. agricultural products such as beef and poultry following President Donald Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing, the White House announced. The agreements call for China to buy about $17 billion per year in U.S. farm goods during 2026 and at that level for 2027 and 2028, and to restore access for U.S. beef and resume poultry imports from bird-flu-free U.S. states.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visited Beijing’s Nanluoguxiang neighborhood on Thursday, sampling local street food including a bowl of zhajiangmian noodles and a fermented soybean drink that drew a pained reaction captured on Chinese social media.
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg met with President Irfaan Ali and other top Guyanese officials this week to explore U.S. investment in the South American nation's bauxite reserves, as the Trump administration intensifies its focus on Latin America's energy and mineral resources. The visit, announced Friday, comes amid an oil boom that has elevated Guyana's geopolitical importance and as U.S. officials express concerns about Chinese companies securing lucrative state contracts.
U.S. Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg met with Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali and other senior officials in Georgetown to discuss business opportunities tied to the South American country’s bauxite and other natural resources, according to the Associated Press. The visit comes as the Trump administration looks to Latin America for energy and minerals amid global supply pressures.
Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, was seen on a food tour in Beijing trying the city’s zhajiangmian noodles, which are topped with thick soybean-paste sauce. Huang was later filmed tasting a fermented soybean drink that made him wince, with videos spreading on Weibo on Friday afternoon.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he raised with Chinese President Xi Jinping the cases of a detained pastor, Ezra Jin Mingri, and imprisoned Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai. Trump said Xi told him he would “strongly consider” Jin but that Lai’s case is a “tough one.”
Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meet in Beijing this week, seeking to stabilize economic ties after a 2025 tariff war that sharply reduced bilateral trade and forced global supply chains to reconfigure.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the leaders expected to discuss the war in Iran, trade tensions and U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan. The visit comes as Trump faces domestic headwinds from the Iran conflict and its economic fallout, and as China signals a firm stance on Taiwan.
As President Donald Trump prepares for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, the nearly 50-year history of American presidents misstating the carefully crafted language of U.S. Taiwan policy illustrates how even small verbal missteps can trigger diplomatic alarm bells.
Ancient teeth are giving researchers genetic clues about Homo erectus and possible interbreeding with Denisovans, according to a new study that analyzed enamel proteins from six people. The work, described by an outside expert as using “new methods,” points to two mutations found in 400,000-year-old H. erectus teeth recovered across China.
Donald Trump llegó a Beijing el miércoles para conversaciones con el presidente chino Xi Jinping sobre la guerra en Irán, el comercio y las ventas de armas de Estados Unidos a Taiwán, según la Casa Blanca y reportes de AP. El encuentro central está previsto para el jueves con conversaciones bilaterales y un banquete formal.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for talks with China’s President Xi Jinping on the Iran war, trade and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, the Associated Press reported. The summit’s main bilateral talks are set for Thursday, after a Chinese welcome that included a military honor guard and youth greeters waving flags.
President Donald Trump landed in Beijing on Wednesday for a closely watched summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with trade, the war with Iran, and a stalled $11 billion arms package for Taiwan topping the agenda.
President Donald Trump departed for Beijing on Tuesday for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, downplaying differences over the U.S. and Israeli war in Iran that has raged for more than two months and closed the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking to reporters before his flight, Trump said he did not think the United States needed China's help with Iran and described Xi as having been 'relatively good' on the issue, a marked shift from weeks of administration pressure on Beijing to use its economic leverage over Tehran.
President Donald Trump departs Tuesday for a summit in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with both sides signaling a desire to extend a fragile trade truce and keep the world’s two largest economies talking. The talks are expected to yield only modest policy announcements — likely a renewal of the October cease-fire and Chinese commitments to buy American soybeans, beef, and Boeing aircraft — but the summit’s primary goal is stability, not sweeping change, according to U.S. officials and analysts.
Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump are preparing for a highly anticipated summit, with both nations signaling they want to keep recent stability intact, but analysts see little chance of resolving longstanding disputes over trade, technology, Taiwan and Iran, according to a preview published by The Associated Press.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday downplayed differences with China’s Xi Jinping over the U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran as he traveled to Beijing for a high-stakes summit. Trump said he planned “a long talk” about Iran with Xi, then added that “Iran is one of [the issues] … not” because he said the conflict was “under control,” even as his administration has moved to sanction China-linked Iran support.
President Donald Trump plans to fly to Beijing for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week, aiming to keep the U.S.-China economic relationship steady while limiting prospects for new, sweeping policy announcements. Trump has said the United States is “making a lot of money” from trade with China, and the meeting is expected to focus on extending a trade truce reached last October. Officials also have teed up discussion of a new government-to-government Board of Trade to manage economic issues and reduce the chances of tariff escalation.
President Donald Trump traveled to Beijing for meetings with Xi Jinping this week, and a delegation of U.S. technology, aerospace and finance executives joined him aboard Air Force One, the White House said. The group included Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, among others.
President Xi Jinping and Donald Trump are preparing to meet in Beijing for talks that both sides say will keep U.S.-China relations broadly stable, even as major flashpoints remain on the agenda. The discussions are expected to touch trade, technology and chip restrictions, Taiwan, and the war in Iran, with China seen by some as a possible mediator.
China's exports surged 14.1% in April from a year earlier, official data showed Saturday, significantly beating analyst estimates and accelerating from a modest 2.5% expansion in March, as a planned summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing next week looms over trade relations.
China’s passenger car exports surged nearly 85% from a year earlier in April to about 796,000 vehicles, while domestic sales fell for a sixth straight month, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers reported Monday. The simultaneous export boom and domestic contraction highlight the diverging pressures on the world’s largest auto market, as anemic consumer demand at home pushes Chinese carmakers to expand aggressively overseas.
Myanmar miners have discovered an 11,000-carat ruby near Mogok, a gem-mining hub in the country’s upper Mandalay region, according to state media reported May 8. The ruby, described as the second-largest ever found by weight in Myanmar, was unearthed in mid-April shortly after the traditional New Year festival, and was later examined by President Min Aung Hlaing at his office in Naypyitaw.
China’s exports rose 14.1% in April from a year earlier, the Chinese government said Saturday, a surge that comes days before a planned meeting next week between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. The data beat analysts’ estimates and marked a significant improvement from March’s 2.5% year-on-year growth, as trade tensions and higher U.S. tariffs continue to weigh on relations.
China’s exports of passenger cars surged in April as carmakers pushed further into overseas markets while domestic sales continued to fall, an industry group said Monday. Exports rose nearly 85% from a year earlier to about 796,000 vehicles, with new energy passenger vehicle exports up more than 120% to roughly 420,000 units, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The April export gain comes as passenger car sales at home fell 25.5% to 1.3 million vehicles for the sixth straight month of year-on-year declines, CAAM data showed.
Miners in Myanmar have unearthed an 11,000-carat ruby near Mogok, a conflict-battered hub responsible for most of the world's supply, with the massive gem presented to President Min Aung Hlaing, state media reported Friday.
Pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai’s family is looking to President Donald Trump’s expected trip to Beijing to press for his release, after Lai was sentenced to 20 years under Hong Kong’s national security law. Lai’s son said the family hopes Trump can help secure his father’s freedom as Trump prepares to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week.
President Donald Trump will travel to Beijing this week for a state visit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the White House said Sunday, a trip that comes amid heightened tensions from the Iran war and lingering trade disputes from his first term. The visit, scheduled to include a welcome ceremony, a tour of the Temple of Heaven, and a state banquet, is Trump’s first foreign trip since the outbreak of hostilities with Iran and marks a potential test of the personal bond Trump has frequently touted with Xi.
Tesla issued two separate recalls on May 8, 2026 covering more than 200,000 vehicles, including 173 Cybertrucks with a wheel-stud defect that could lead to loss of control, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported.
President Donald Trump will travel to Beijing this week to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with White House officials saying the two sides plan to discuss a new Board of Trade and cooperation on sectors including energy, aerospace and agriculture. The trip comes as a war involving Iran threatens to add friction to U.S.-China diplomacy and trade negotiations.
Tesla is recalling 173 Cybertrucks for a wheel-related issue that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says could lead to wheel-stud separation, raising the risk of a crash. The automaker is also recalling more than 200,000 other electric vehicles after a software issue can temporarily disable the rearview camera image.
A U.K. border official and a former Hong Kong police officer were convicted Thursday in London of spying for China by carrying out what prosecutors described as “shadow policing” operations in Britain. Peter Wai and Bill Yuen, both dual Chinese and British nationals, were found guilty of violating the U.K. National Security Act by assisting a foreign spy service.
Authorities in Norway arrested a Chinese citizen on espionage allegations on Thursday in an operation linked to an alleged plan to set up a receiver for sensitive satellite data, Norway’s domestic intelligence service said.
Two engines were shut off and a cockpit struggle appeared to occur before a 2022 China Eastern Airlines jet crashed into a mountainside, newly released National Transportation Safety Board data suggests. The findings, released May 1 after a public records request, draw on the Boeing 737-800’s flight data recorder and include a description of events before power was lost on the recording.
U.S. prosecutors say Lu Jianwang operated a secret Chinese police outpost in New York City to silence and intimidate pro-democracy dissidents. His trial in Brooklyn federal court began Wednesday after authorities arrested him in April 2023, more than three years after prosecutors say they first uncovered the operation.
U.S. prosecutors say Lu Jianwang ran a secret Chinese police outpost in Manhattan’s Chinatown to silence and harass pro-democracy dissidents in the United States, and he violated federal foreign-agent registration requirements. His lawyer said the site was a community center where members of the Chinese diaspora renewed driver’s licenses during COVID-era travel restrictions and played ping-pong and mahjong. Lu, 64, went on trial Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court, more than three years after U.S. authorities arrested him.
Fenglin, a Taiwanese town of about 10,000 residents, is drawing tourists by hosting snail races that celebrate a slower, more sustainable pace of life. The town has been known for years for quality-of-life efforts that include joining the Cittaslow network and, after an April 2024 earthquake hurt regional travel, launching the races as a draw for visitors.
Li Chuanliang, a former vice mayor from northeastern China, says he has been stalked across three continents and his family detained after he reported his boss’s corruption and fled to the United States. The Chinese government’s pursuit, aided by surveillance software from IBM, Oracle and Microsoft, is part of a broader campaign to hunt dissidents and wayward officials abroad, an Associated Press investigation has found.
The Associated Press won the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting on Monday for a global investigation that revealed how U.S. technology companies helped build China’s mass surveillance apparatus and how American agencies secretly tracked drivers using license plate data.
U.S. technology companies largely designed and built China’s digital surveillance state, providing the essential systems that enabled a brutal mass detention campaign against the native Uyghur population in Xinjiang, an Associated Press investigation has found. The investigation, based on tens of thousands of pages of leaked internal documents, emails, and procurement records, reveals how IBM, Cisco, Oracle, Dell, Intel, Nvidia and other firms sold billions of dollars of hardware, software, and predictive policing tools to Chinese police and government agencies despite repeated warnings that the technology was being used to crush dissent, persecute religious groups, and target ethnic minorities.
A three-year Associated Press investigation has found that American technology companies, especially IBM, played a far greater role in designing and building China’s surveillance state than previously known, enabling the mass tracking and detention of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang. The investigation, based on over 100 interviews and tens of thousands of leaked documents, reveals that Chinese police and state-owned defense contractors worked directly with U.S. firms to create the world’s largest and most sophisticated digital surveillance apparatus.
Retired Chinese official Li Chuanliang fled to the United States after criticizing leaders and alleging Beijing continued to hunt him abroad with surveillance. An Associated Press investigation said Li’s communications were monitored, his assets were seized, and more than 40 associates and relatives—including his pregnant daughter—were identified and detained with help from facial recognition and other tools.
The Associated Press on Monday won a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting for an investigation into the expansion of government surveillance efforts in China and the role U.S. tech companies played in building the system. The Pulitzer board recognized AP journalists Dake Kang, Garance Burke, Byron Tau and Aniruddha Ghosal, along with contributor Yael Grauer, for what it called “an astonishing global investigation into state-of-the-art tools of mass surveillance.”
An Associated Press investigation says U.S. technology helped lay the foundation for China’s surveillance systems used to police dissidents, minorities and “key persons,” including in Xinjiang. AP reports that internal documents and other records show American companies designed and marketed tools that Chinese officials used to track people’s communications and movements, detain them and restrict their travel.
The Associated Press investigated how U.S. government policies across administrations have helped American companies sell surveillance-related technology to China, even as U.S. lawmakers sought to close loopholes they said let China work around export limits. AP reported that lawmakers tried four times since September to restrict a “cloud services” workaround in which Chinese firms rent advanced chips via U.S. cloud providers, but the proposals failed each time, including last month.
The U.S. government, across five presidential administrations, has repeatedly allowed and actively helped American technology firms sell advanced equipment to Chinese police, government agencies, and surveillance companies, an Associated Press investigation has found. The report documents decades of failed congressional attempts to close loopholes, direct government promotion of security exports, and recent profit-sharing deals between the Trump administration and chipmakers, even as U.S. sanctions targeted Chinese human rights abusers.
In Zambia, Access Now said it canceled RightsCon 2026, an international human-rights and technology summit scheduled to open next week, after it was told the Zambian government faced pressure from China to exclude Taiwanese civil-society participants. Access Now said it pushed back on any move to bar Taiwanese delegates and described the government’s request as linked to “moderating specific topics” and excluding at-risk communities from both in-person and online participation.
China’s factory activity expanded for a second straight month in April, according to an official survey published Thursday, as higher energy prices tied to the Iran war did not derail industrial activity. The National Bureau of Statistics said the manufacturing purchasing managers index slipped slightly but remained above the 50-point mark that signals expansion.
The U.S. State Department accused China of violating Panama’s sovereignty in a dispute involving ships at Panama Canal-related ports, prompting a sharp response from China that criticized the Trump administration as hypocritical. The latest exchanges come after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio alleged that China was “bullying” Panama-flagged vessels and after Panama took control of two ports earlier this year.
China’s factory activity expanded for a second straight month in April, an official survey showed. The government’s manufacturing purchasing managers index edged down to 50.3 from 50.4 in March, staying above 50, as higher energy prices tied to the Iran war did not derail industrial activity.
China’s Defense Ministry said Thursday it conducted naval and air combat readiness patrols around Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, days after the Philippines and the United States began annual drills. The Philippines accused China of using force to prevent access by fishermen and the coast guard to Huangyan Dao, a shoal it says has been under Philippine control until 2012.
Beijing will ban the sale and use of drones within city limits starting May 1, according to ordinances approved by the city government in late March. The rules include exceptions for universities, research institutions and public safety operations, but require permission from police, and impose potential fines and confiscation for violations.
China’s top economic planning agency said it is prohibiting a foreign acquisition of the AI startup Manus, dealing a blow to Meta’s plans to expand its AI agent offerings. The decision was made through China’s Office of the Working Mechanism for Security Review of Foreign Investment in accordance with Chinese laws, the agency said. The move comes as U.S. tech firms face tighter scrutiny abroad amid intensifying U.S.-China technology competition.
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi visited Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw and met with Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of the military-backed government, as part of a regional tour aimed at strengthening Beijing’s political, security and strategic ties in Southeast Asia.
Atlanta will again receive giant pandas as China announced it will send two animals to Zoo Atlanta, a move announced in Beijing as the Trump visit to China approaches. The China Wildlife Conservation Association said the male Ping Ping and female Fu Shuang will kick off a decade-long conservation partnership, with Zoo Atlanta saying it is ready after facility upgrades.
MilanDesignWeek kicked off in Milan with artists and designers converging at venues across the city, despite economic worries and travel disruptions linked to wars in the Middle East. The Milan Furniture Fair opened Tuesday at Fiera Milano Rho, bringing 1,900 exhibitors from 32 countries alongside hundreds of off-site events during Fuorisalone.
Chinese automakers are showcasing new models and technologies in Beijing as global competition heats up and they seek overseas growth. The biennial show, which opened to media on Friday, runs through May 3 and features more than 1,450 vehicles, including 181 global debuts.
China’s top automakers are displaying the latest vehicle models and technologies, from intelligent driving to ultrafast charging, at the Beijing auto show that opened for media on Friday. More than 1,450 vehicles, including 181 global debuts, are on display as Chinese automakers compete with global rivals in overseas markets.
The Trump administration has vowed to crack down on foreign companies it says are exploiting U.S. artificial intelligence models by “distilling” capabilities, a move that singles out China amid intensifying U.S.-China competition in AI. In a memo, Michael Kratsios, the president’s chief science and technology adviser, said the White House will work with U.S. AI companies to identify such activity, build defenses and punish offenders.
China’s top automakers are showcasing new models and technologies, from intelligent driving to ultrafast charging, at the Beijing auto show as competition with global rivals intensifies. The biennial event opened to media on Friday and runs until May 3, with more than 1,450 vehicles displayed, including 181 global debuts.
A college student from China, Tianrui Liang, was arrested April 7 at a New York airport while trying to leave the United States for Glasgow, Scotland, the FBI said. Federal prosecutors charge that Liang illegally took photos of U.S. military aircraft at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska during a road trip that included stops at other bases.
The United States is investing $50 million in an experimental South African project designed to extract rare earth elements from mining waste, a central element of the Trump administration's strategy to reduce American reliance on Chinese supplies of minerals critical for defense systems, electronics, and electric vehicles.
China's foreign ministry and embassy urged citizens traveling to the United States to avoid Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Thursday, citing what Chinese officials described as a pattern of continual harassment by U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel. The advisory followed the denial of entry to about 20 Chinese scholars who arrived at the airport with valid visas to attend an academic conference.
The Associated Press reports that Donald Trump’s family business has expanded abroad and into cryptocurrency ventures during his second term, raising conflict-of-interest questions about whether policy decisions could benefit the Trump Organization and its investors. The AP describes deals involving government-linked entities in Qatar, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia, as well as sales and investments tied to World Liberty Financial, Binance and other crypto projects.
China’s exports rose 2.5% in March from a year earlier, a sharp slowdown from January and February as uncertainty linked to the Iran war weighs on energy prices and global demand, data released by China’s customs agency showed Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. Imports surged 27.8% as China’s trade pattern shifts amid tensions with the United States and planning for a delayed China-U.S. summit meeting in May.
Chinese passenger-car exports accelerated in March, an industry group said, with exports rising 82.4% year-on-year to about 748,000 vehicles. Exports of “new energy” passenger vehicles, including battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, jumped more than 140% to 363,000 units, while domestic passenger-car sales fell for a fifth straight month.
Chinese car exports accelerated in March, with an industry association reporting passenger-car shipments rose 82.4% year-on-year to about 748,000 vehicles. New energy passenger-vehicle exports, including battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, surged more than 140% to 363,000 units, as analysts said higher fuel prices tied to the Iran war could push some drivers toward EVs.
A subsidiary of a Hong Kong conglomerate has started arbitration against Maersk, accusing the Danish shipping and ports group of aligning with Panama in a scheme over the takeover of port operations on the Panama Canal. The claim was filed after Panama seized control of the Balboa and Cristobal ports following a Supreme Court ruling that found a concession allowing the Hong Kong operator unconstitutional, and after the government later moved to have Maersk and MSC take over the operations.
DATONG, China — As China shifts its power generation away from coal and toward renewables, miners in coal-rich Shanxi are confronting uncertainty about what comes next. Some have found new work by leaning into a fast-growing tourism economy tied to the nearby Yungang Grottoes, while others say they lack the skills, earnings stability, and support needed to make a transition.
China’s Communist Party disciplinary body said Friday it has placed former Xinjiang party chief Ma Xingrui under investigation over suspected violations of discipline and law, according to a statement. Ma served as party secretary of Xinjiang from 2021 to 2025 and previously held senior posts in national and provincial governments.
A newly described trove of more than 700 fossils from China’s Yunnan province offers researchers a first detailed look at when Earth shifted from simple, two-dimensional marine life to the complex animals that later dominated the planet. The fossils date to about 539 million years ago, and a study published in Science suggests they include remnants of animals with three-dimensional bodies, symmetry, and behaviors long thought to appear later in the Cambrian period.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused China of “bullying” by detaining or impeding dozens of Panama-flagged ships for inspections in Chinese ports, after Panama seized control of key canal terminals this year. Panama says the detentions reflect routine maritime safety practices, while China denies the allegations and says it will protect Chinese companies’ rights.
China plans to end value-added tax rebates on solar panel exports and phase out incentives for battery storage equipment, changes expected to affect solar installation costs in Africa, where projects rely heavily on Chinese technology. The policy is due to take effect April 1 for panels and beginning next year for batteries, according to the report. Analysts and industry leaders in Kenya and elsewhere said prices could rise gradually and could add friction to efforts to expand renewables to close electricity gaps.
A senior executive at Super Micro Computer and two associates were charged in federal court with conspiring to smuggle U.S.-assembled servers with advanced Nvidia chips to China. Prosecutors said the men used fabricated documents, staged equipment to pass audits and a pass-through company to conceal who the true customers were. The case highlights how U.S. export controls on high-end AI hardware remain central to tensions between the United States and China.
The Associated Press reports that a Chinese national and a Kenyan man were charged in Nairobi, Kenya, after authorities found them in possession of hundreds of live ants stored in specialized tubes. The men, identified as Zhang Kequn and Charles Mwangi, also face a conspiracy charge.
The White House wants to build an underground visitor screening center on the grounds, a step in President Donald Trump’s plan to overhaul parts of the area around the White House. Plans for a 33,000-square-foot facility were included in a preliminary agenda for an April meeting of a federal commission that approves construction on federal land in Washington.
A Chinese counterespionage thriller called “Scare Out” has received backing from the Ministry of State Security, marking the first time the agency has endorsed a motion picture, Associated Press reported. Directed by Zhang Yimou, the film opened in Chinese theaters on Feb. 17, Chinese New Year’s Day, and depicts a mole inside China’s intelligence service leaking secrets about a new fighter jet.
Representatives from Beijing and Washington began economic and trade talks in Paris on Sunday, setting the stage for President Donald Trump’s state visit to China to meet Xi Jinping in about two weeks. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent led the U.S. team, while Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng headed the Chinese delegation.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Paris on Sunday and Monday for a new round of trade talks, the Treasury Department said. The talks are expected to help prepare for President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing, which the White House has said will begin March 31.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Paris Sunday and Monday for trade talks, the Treasury Department said Thursday. The discussions prepare for President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing starting March 31, though Beijing has not confirmed the trip. "Thanks to the bonds of mutual respect between President Trump and President Xi, the trade and economic dialogue between the United States and China is moving forward," Bessent said.
Powerus, a new drone maker partly owned by President Donald Trump’s sons, is seeking Pentagon contracts after the Trump administration banned importing armed drones from China, the Associated Press reported. The company said it has no conflict in bidding for federal money while the family benefits from its ownership, while a government ethics expert said the arrangement could create pressure on contract awards.
China adopted a sweeping law on Thursday aimed at strengthening “ethnic unity,” according to officials who presented it to China’s legislature. Critics say it will further erode minority groups’ rights by accelerating assimilation efforts, including by requiring Mandarin Chinese to be taught in compulsory education nationwide.
China’s leadership used the National People’s Congress to endorse a five-year plan focused on advanced technology and a “force for stability” message, even as the world’s attention centers on the Iran war. At the closing session, lawmakers also approved three laws, including one governing ethnic minorities, and set an economic growth target for 2026 of 4.5% to 5%. (All figures and statements below are as described in the underlying reporting.)
Eileen Gu, 22, a freestyle skier born in San Francisco, competed for China at last month's 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and won gold. Alysa Liu, 20, a figure skater born in California, competed for the United States and became the first American woman to win Olympic figure skating gold in 24 years. Both were born to Chinese immigrants and raised in single-parent households. The countries they chose to represent have turned their parallel triumphs into a flashpoint for debate stretching from Washington to Beijing.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Sunday that Beijing hopes 2026 will be a "landmark year" for its relationship with the United States, striking a conciliatory tone at an annual press briefing on the sidelines of China's ceremonial legislature that customarily sets the country's diplomatic agenda for the year. Wang said President Donald Trump is expected to visit Beijing for a summit with China's President Xi Jinping at the end of March, and that the groundwork is already being laid, though he did not formally confirm the visit.
Olympic champion Eileen Gu served as grand marshal of San Francisco's annual Chinese New Year parade Saturday evening, drawing loud cheers from thousands of revelers as the city rang in the Year of the Fire Horse. Gu, who won two silver medals and one gold at the 2025 Milan-Cortina Winter Games — a haul the Associated Press reported made her the most decorated freestyle skier in Olympic history — appeared midway through the procession in a red dress, riding in a flower-adorned red convertible, the color a symbol of good fortune in Chinese tradition.
President Donald Trump’s administration has taken steps across Latin America meant to reduce China’s influence, including travel bans on three Chilean officials and pressure on Peru about a China-built port, according to the Associated Press. The actions come as Trump hosts Latin American leaders at a weekend summit dubbed the “Shield of Americas” near Miami, framed by the White House as a response to what it says is China’s growing foothold in the region.
The Trump administration imposed travel restrictions on three Chilean officials over a proposed fiber optic submarine cable project with Chinese involvement and warned Peru against ceding control of a Chinese-built deepwater port, escalating a broad push to reduce Beijing's economic and strategic footprint across Latin America. Panama, under pressure from President Trump, seized two canal-adjacent ports that had been operated by a Hong Kong company. The moves came days before Trump planned to host Latin American leaders at his golf complex near Miami for a summit the administration called the "Shield of the Americas."
Hong Kong pro-democracy ex-publisher Jimmy Lai will not appeal his national security conviction or his 20-year prison sentence, his legal team said on March 6. His lawyers said they have “clear and definitive instructions not to lodge an appeal against conviction or sentence.” The decision follows his December conviction for conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and for publishing seditious articles.
In Kunshan, China, AutoFlight on Thursday demonstrated its Matrix, a 10-passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, after moving the 5-ton eVTOL from a hangar to a helipad. The company’s senior vice president said AutoFlight aims to obtain a type certificate from regulators by 2027, while noting that additional approvals would still be needed for passenger operations.
Demand for minerals used in technology and the energy transition could triple by 2030 and quadruple by 2040, the United Nations political chief Rosemary DiCarlo told the U.N. Security Council. DiCarlo said trade in raw and semi-processed minerals reached about $2.5 trillion in 2023.
China's ceremonial legislature, the National People’s Congress, will meet in Beijing on Thursday as part of the annual “Two Sessions,” where it is set to unveil policy direction and economic goals for the coming years, state media and officials said. The meeting will also ratify laws and other measures determined by Communist Party leadership, though the vote is routinely almost unanimous.
Rosemead, Calif., is drawing Lunar New Year crowds to a Buddhist temple exhibit of what it calls “10,000 Buddha Relics,” featuring tooth and finger bone relics and colorful pearl-like shariras believed to be tied to Shakyamuni Buddha. Temple founder Master YongHua said the relics’ larger-than-life size comes from items he described as having “grown” and that he has seen them multiply, levitate and produce cures. Other Buddhist teachers say relic veneration should not distract believers from the path to liberation.
Panama’s government has occupied two ports at either end of the Panama Canal, stepping in after the country’s Supreme Court ruled a concession for the Hong Kong-linked operator was unconstitutional, as the dispute draws in the United States and China. President José Raúl Mulino told China to “be careful” and said Panama “need[s] us more than we need them.” The U.S. and China have disputed the implications of the concessions and the court case, with Washington warning a Chinese operator was unacceptable and Beijing saying Panama was bowing to “hegemonic powers.”
Defense lawyers said China’s government intervened to help get charges dropped against three Chinese scientists at the University of Michigan who were accused of helping a colleague smuggle biological materials into the United States. A federal judge dismissed the case on Feb. 5 at the Justice Department’s request, lawyers said.
The World Trade Center’s final office tower will begin construction this spring and become American Express’s new headquarters, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the company said Wednesday, marking a milestone nearly 25 years after the Sept. 11 attacks destroyed the site. The 55-story 2 World Trade Center building will be built at the northeastern corner of the World Trade Center redevelopment, and the credit-card company plans to occupy the entire tower.
The parent company of Spirit Airlines said it expects to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the late spring or early summer after reaching a preliminary deal with lenders and secured creditors. The airline’s CEO, Dave Davis, said the agreement would help the company finalize changes to its fleet, route network and cost structure as it plans to emerge smaller and “leaner.”
The U.S. ambassador to Chile on Monday defended visa restrictions imposed on three high-ranking Chilean officials, characterizing them as a "sovereign decision" in response to activities the United States says threatened regional security. Ambassador Brandon Judd's defense came after the Trump administration announced the travel bans, citing the officials' alleged involvement in a proposed submarine fiber optic cable project linking Chile with China. The restrictions have sparked a sharp rebuke from Chile's left-wing government.
A U.S. State Department official disclosed declassified details Monday of what the U.S. says was a Chinese underground nuclear test six years ago, presenting seismic data collected from an international monitoring station to support the allegation. The disclosure, made in Geneva before a U.N.-backed arms-control body, came as the last nuclear-limits agreement between Washington and Moscow expired, ending restrictions on the world's two largest nuclear arsenals and raising concerns about a potential new arms race.
Panama's government seized two major ports at the Panama Canal on Monday following a Supreme Court ruling that declared a decades-old concession unconstitutional, the Hong Kong-based operator said. The Panama Maritime Authority occupied the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals, which control access to one of the world's most critical shipping routes, after government officials arrived and threatened criminal prosecution if the company did not comply. The move is the culmination of a broader dispute over control of the canal that has become entangled in U.S.-China rivalry. The operator, CK Hutchison, was in the process of selling the ports to a consortium including U.S. investment firm BlackRock when China intervened to block the deal.
Upscale Chinese American restaurants are pitching high-end tasting menus and open-kitchen technique to challenge a long-running view that Chinese food should be cheap. In San Francisco and New York, chefs and owners said they are trying to persuade diners that Chinese cuisine and the work behind it belong in the same fine-dining conversation as French and Japanese offerings.
Nigeria’s Saglev says it has started assembling 18-seater electric passenger vans in Nigeria using Chinese-made kits, and aims to scale output for West African markets. In Kenya, Rideence Africa has signed a deal to begin local assembly of electric taxis and minibuses using kits supplied by Chinese and other firms.
The United States plans to deploy additional high-tech missile systems in the Philippines to deter aggression in the South China Sea, where the treaty allies on Tuesday condemned what they called China’s “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive activities.” U.S. and Philippine officials held annual talks in Manila and issued a joint statement outlining defense and security steps for this year, including efforts “to increase deployments of U.S. cutting-edge missile and unmanned systems to the Philippines.”
Lunar New Year celebrations ushered in the Year of the Horse on Tuesday, with traditional prayers, fireworks and street festivities held across parts of Asia and beyond, including in Beijing, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The holiday also appeared on China’s television stage, where humanoid robots took part in the CCTV Spring Festival gala, alongside performances and scenes of visitors drawing incense and making wishes.
China will allow British and Canadian citizens to enter without a visa starting Tuesday, expanding a program that Beijing says is intended to boost tourism and business, the Associated Press reported. The change raises the number of countries with visa-free access to 79, and it follows recent visits by Britain’s and Canada’s prime ministers to Beijing.
China’s Lunar New Year holiday travel period, known as “chunyun,” begins Feb. 17, with the government estimating record demand of 9.5 billion trips during the 40-day stretch around the festival. The expected movement includes 540 million trips by train and 95 million by air, as workers across the country head home for what many describe as the year’s most important family gathering.
British and Canadian citizens will be able to enter China without a visa starting Tuesday, China said, in an expansion of a program that now covers 79 countries. The change is intended to boost tourism and business travel and follows visits to Beijing last month by Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Africa was the world’s fastest-growing solar market in 2025, a new industry report says, driven by imports of Chinese-made solar panels even as global solar growth slowed. The report estimates Africa’s solar installed capacity rose 17% last year, while global capacity rose 23% to 618 gigawatts.
President Donald Trump has invited Latin American leaders to a summit in Florida on March 7, a White House official confirmed Thursday, as the administration highlights what it calls Chinese influence in the region. The summit is planned ahead of Trump’s expected trip to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the coming weeks.
Taiwan’s economy is benefiting from an AI-driven surge in chip demand and a U.S. tariff cut, but economists and executives warn about bubble risk and geopolitical threats. The growth is concentrated in tech and manufacturing, while other sectors and many residents say they are falling behind.
Taiwan’s AI-driven chip economy is expanding rapidly as the island deepens ties with global tech firms and seeks relief from U.S. tariffs. But economists and company executives warn the growth’s dependence on AI demand and geopolitical tensions with China could amplify risks if the cycle cools.
A Dutch court ordered a formal investigation into chipmaker Nexperia and upheld an order suspending its Chinese CEO, citing doubts about the company’s policies and conduct, according to the written decision released Wednesday. The move adds to a dispute that drew rare government intervention last year amid concerns that governance problems could disrupt technology used in European industry.
Chinese consumers increasingly base everyday shopping decisions on personal preferences and value, rather than nationalism, even as tensions with countries such as Japan and the United States flare in diplomatic spats. An Associated Press report in Hong Kong found examples including crowded openings for a Japanese sushi chain in mainland China and continued interest in Hollywood animation and U.S. fashion.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Yaoning “Mike” Sun, a California man, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government while working as a campaign adviser for a local politician. Sun pleaded guilty last year under an agreement with prosecutors, according to court records.
Hong Kong’s former Apple Daily publisher Jimmy Lai was sentenced Monday to 20 years in prison under a Beijing-imposed national security law, a move former staff and readers described as a deep blow to the city’s press freedom. Lai, 78, and six other former Apple Daily journalists received prison terms ranging from six years and nine months to 10 years.
Jimmy Lai’s children said Monday that a possible April visit by President Donald Trump to Beijing could be “crucial” in securing the release of their 78-year-old father. Lai, a former Hong Kong media executive and China critic, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after convictions under a Beijing-imposed national security law.
China’s solar and wind expansion accelerated in 2025, but it also approved and brought online far more large coal-fired power projects than in the prior decade, according to a research report cited by Associated Press. The report, based on data from air-pollution and energy-tracking groups, raised concern that the world’s biggest carbon emitter may not cut enough emissions fast enough as it rolls out cleaner energy.
Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy former Hong Kong media tycoon and founder of Apple Daily, was sentenced to 20 years in prison Monday in a China-imposed national security case, court proceedings showed. The 78-year-old was convicted of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and of publishing seditious articles. U.S., U.K. and rights advocates criticized the sentence as politically motivated or tantamount to a life term.
Jimmy Lai, the founder of Apple Daily, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong on Monday after prosecutors convicted him of conspiring to commit sedition and colluding with foreign forces. Lai, a long outspoken critic of China’s ruling Communist Party, has been in custody since December 2020, following the government’s 2020 national security crackdown.
China opened many more coal power plants in 2025 than in recent years, even as solar and wind growth accelerated, according to a report released this week. The report found more than 50 large coal units commissioned last year and said China added 78 gigawatts of new coal capacity, raising questions about how quickly the world’s biggest emitter can cut emissions.
The Trump administration said it wants to form a critical minerals trading bloc with allies and partners, using tariffs to help maintain minimum prices and secure access to materials that China controls. Vice President JD Vance made the case at a meeting hosted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio with officials from several dozen European, Asian and African nations on Feb. 4 in Washington.
The Trump administration plans to deploy nearly $12 billion to create a strategic reserve of rare earth elements aimed at reducing U.S. vulnerability to China’s rare-earth leverage in trade talks. President Donald Trump announced the effort on Monday, calling it “Project Vault” and saying he expects the government to make a profit from the loan used to start the reserve.
Japan said it has successfully drilled and retrieved deep-sea sediment containing rare earth minerals from the seabed near Minamitorishima, as it seeks to reduce reliance on China. The retrieval test by the research vessel Chikyu was conducted at nearly 6,000 meters (19,700 feet), Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.
Pokémon Company canceló un evento de cartas programado para el sábado en el santuario japonés de Yasukuni, tras la reacción de China y la intensa polémica en torno al lugar. La empresa se disculpó después de que el anuncio del torneo apareciera en su sitio web, aunque dijo que el encuentro había sido organizado de forma privada por un jugador certificado.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing to seek a closer “strategic partnership” and improve bilateral ties after years of strain. The leaders said their governments would focus on climate change and global stability, even as the challenges posed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s approach to the post–Cold War order weighed on their agenda.
Taiwan’s economy expanded 8.6% in 2025, the fastest pace in 15 years, as exports benefited from an artificial-intelligence boom and rising shipments to the United States, Taiwan’s statistics agency said in an advanced estimate. The growth figure came in on Friday and exceeded economists’ forecasts.
Keir Starmer said the U.K. does not have to choose between relations with the United States and China as he began a four-day visit to Beijing aimed at repairing ties and expanding opportunities for British companies. The trip comes as both governments emphasize “seeking common ground while managing differences,” amid concerns over Chinese espionage, Hong Kong’s national security crackdown, and disputes involving U.S. President Donald Trump.
The U.S. Commerce Department announced Monday a $1.6 billion investment in USA Rare Earth, an Oklahoma-based company, providing funding and financing to advance rare earth mining operations in Texas and build a magnet manufacturing facility in Oklahoma. The Commerce Department will receive equity stake and future purchase rights as part of the agreement. The investment is part of a broader Trump administration effort to reduce American dependence on China, which processes more than 90% of the world's critical minerals.
Southwest Airlines is ending the open-seating system that has distinguished the airline for more than 50 years. Starting Tuesday, January 27, the Dallas-based carrier will move to assigned seats and offer passengers the option to pay for preferred locations or extra-legroom seats. The shift comes as Southwest faces investor pressure to increase profitability.
The USS Cincinnati arrived at Ream Naval Base in Cambodia on Saturday, according to the U.S. Navy, marking the first time a U.S. Navy warship has docked at the facility since China-funded renovations were completed. The ship is scheduled to visit Jan. 24-28 and conduct meetings with leaders while its crew takes part in activities in the nearby city of Sihanoukville.
The Trump administration released a new National Defense Strategy on January 24 that represents a fundamental reorientation of U.S. military priorities away from NATO and Europe toward confronting China in the Indo-Pacific region. The strategy, the first comprehensive Pentagon planning document since the Biden administration issued its own in 2022, signals that allied nations must assume greater responsibility for their own defense. It calls for NATO allies to raise defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product and reflects a systematic shift in how the United States views commitments across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Western Hemisphere. The changes span every major geographic theater of U.S. military operations and represent a substantial reordering of defense policy priorities that will shape military posture, resource allocation, and alliance relationships for years to come.
The USS Cincinnati, a U.S. Navy warship, arrived at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base on Saturday, marking the first visit by an American military vessel to the facility since its Chinese-funded renovation was completed early last year. The visit signals warming military ties between the United States and Cambodia after years of tension.
TikTok finalized a deal on January 23 to form a new American entity with major investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati firm MGX, clearing away the threat of a ban that had loomed for years over the platform used by more than 200 million Americans. The new structure preserves user access while establishing safeguards over data protection, algorithm security, content moderation and software integrity.
TikTok has finalized a deal to keep operating in the United States under new ownership led by Oracle, Silver Lake, and the Emirati investment firm MGX. The arrangement, announced January 23, resolves years of uncertainty about the platform's future following a 2024 law requiring ByteDance, TikTok's China-based parent company, to divest its stake or face a ban. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January 2025 that extended TikTok's operating deadline while his administration negotiated the terms.
China’s economy expanded at a 5% annual pace in 2025, buoyed by strong exports even after the United States raised tariffs under President Donald Trump. Growth slowed to a 4.5% rate in the last quarter, the government said Monday.
Canadian leader Mark Carney met China’s Xi Jinping in Beijing this week as Canada sought to re-establish ties with China after nearly a decade of stalled relations. The agreements were framed as preliminary, but the visit underscored the influence of Donald Trump and the uncertainty surrounding Washington’s priorities.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers proposed creating a new agency with $2.5 billion to spur production of rare earths and other critical minerals, aimed at reducing dependence on China. The proposal was introduced by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, and Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, as the Trump administration takes steps that it says are meant to loosen China’s grip on the market.
U.S. businesses operating in China worry more about China’s slowing economy than about U.S.-China trade tensions, according to a survey released by the American Chamber of Commerce in China. The survey found 64% of 368 responding companies ranked slowing growth as their No. 1 worry, while 58% cited trade tensions as a key challenge.
The United States and Taiwan agreed on Thursday to a trade deal that cuts tariffs on Taiwanese goods while Taiwan’s technology companies plan $250 billion in new U.S. investment. The agreement comes as President Donald Trump has pursued new tariff arrangements and as Taiwan-based chipmaker TSMC has outlined sharply higher spending for 2026.
A bipartisan pair of U.S. senators on Thursday introduced legislation to create a new independent agency funded with $2.5 billion to stockpile rare earth elements and other critical minerals, stabilize prices, and encourage domestic and allied production. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., sponsored the Senate bill; Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., introduced the House companion. The move comes as the Pentagon has separately committed billions of dollars in equity stakes and partnerships to reduce American dependence on China, which processes more than 90 percent of the world's critical minerals and has used that leverage to extract trade concessions from Washington.
U.S. regulators have cleared Nvidia to export its H200 artificial intelligence chips to Chinese buyers, according to new rules from the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security. The approvals come with conditions, including limits on military use of the chips and restrictions tied to how much of Nvidia’s supply can go to China.
China’s auto exports rose 21% in 2025, driven by shipments of electric vehicles and other “new energy” cars, an industry association said Wednesday. The association pointed to slowing domestic demand as China’s automakers compete in an overcrowded home market.
A federal judge in San Diego sentenced a former U.S. Navy sailor to more than 16 years in prison Monday for selling technical manuals and operational intelligence about military ships to a Chinese intelligence officer, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Jinchao Wei, 25, who served as an engineer aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex, received a 200-month sentence after a federal jury convicted him in August of six crimes, including espionage.
The Trump administration has cleared Nvidia to sell its H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, but only with new export conditions, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security said. The rules require a third-party review before exports and limit how much China can import relative to what the company sells to U.S. customers. The decision follows Trump’s earlier signal that licenses would go to “approved customers.”
China’s auto exports surged 21% in 2025 as Chinese manufacturers shipped more electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids overseas, an industry association said Wednesday. The same group said domestic passenger-car demand slowed amid weaker sales late in the year and changes to government trade-in subsidies.
A federal judge in San Diego sentenced former U.S. Navy sailor Jinchao Wei to 200 months in prison after a jury convicted him of six crimes, including espionage, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said Wei, a petty officer second class and engineer for the amphibious assault ship USS Essex, sold technical and operating manuals and other ship-related information to an intelligence officer working for China.
China and the European Union agreed on Monday on steps aimed at resolving their dispute over imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles, the European Commission said. The EU released a guidance document for Chinese EV makers on submitting price offers for battery electric vehicles, which could influence how the bloc applies its anti-subsidy tariffs. The two sides have traded tariffs and counter-tariffs since the EU’s 2024 anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese EVs.
Tesla said it delivered 1.64 million vehicles in 2025, down 9% from the year before, as the company lost its title as the world’s bestselling electric-vehicle maker to China’s BYD. The Associated Press reported the sales decline runs for a second straight year, with Tesla pointing to expiring U.S. tax credits and heavier competition overseas.
President Donald Trump has ordered the unraveling of a $2.9 million computer chip deal after concluding that the current owner, HieFo Corp., could pose U.S. security risks if it retained control of the technology, according to an executive order. The order requires HieFo to divest the technology within 180 days, citing “credible evidence” that the company is controlled by a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, the Associated Press reported.
Tesla said Friday it delivered 1.64 million vehicles in 2025, down 9% from a year earlier, as the company lost its spot as the world’s best-selling electric-vehicle maker to China’s BYD. The sales decline marks the second straight year of falling deliveries, a period that includes the expiration of a U.S. tax credit for EV buyers and intensifying competition overseas. Tesla stock fell 2.6% to $438.07.
President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the unraveling of a $2.9 million computer chips deal involving Emcore and HieFo, saying the current owner poses U.S. security risks. The executive order gives HieFo 180 days to divest the technology, citing “credible evidence” the company is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China.
Tesla said it delivered 1.64 million vehicles in 2025, down 9% from a year earlier, as it lost the title of the world’s top electric-vehicle maker to China’s BYD. The company also reported weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter sales, while analysts pointed to expiring U.S. tax credits for EV buyers and intensifying overseas competition.
TikTok has signed binding agreements with Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX to form a new U.S. joint venture, according to an internal memo seen by The Associated Press. CEO Shou Zi Chew told employees the deal is expected to close on Jan. 22 and that the U.S. venture will have protections for Americans’ data and U.S. national security.
In China, some economic indicators point to resilience, including strong exports and momentum in artificial-intelligence and other advanced industries. But many ordinary people and small business owners say the property slump is dragging down consumer confidence and job and income prospects, particularly in large cities such as Beijing. Economists also warn that official growth figures may overstate how fast the economy is actually slowing, as analysts look to 2026 and beyond for a weaker consumption-and-investment outlook.
Chinese households and small business owners say weak property prices and uncertainty about jobs and incomes have made everyday life feel harder, even as exports and technology sectors project strength. The Associated Press reports that by late 2025, many residents described tightening budgets while economists said China’s growth may lag behind official figures. The picture has also unfolded against a partial truce after President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping moved to avert a wider trade fight.
