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Flagship Chinese companies, spanning sectors from tech to retail, are increasingly shunning the United States and expanding in less-developed markets such as Southeast Asia, where they can leverage historic low-cost advantages and build out supply chains, a Goldman Sachs strategist said. Chinese exports to non-US markets have grown at a compound annual rate of about 7.5 per cent since 2018, according to a research note by the investment bank. In contrast, exports to the US have declined by 0.6...

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The European Union is ready to retaliate against China’s export restrictions on rare earths, commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a hardline speech on Saturday. “In the short term, we are focusing on finding solutions with our Chinese counterparts. But we are ready to use all of the instruments in our toolbox to respond if needed. And we will work with our G7 partners on a coordinated response,” von der Leyen told the Berlin Global Dialogue conference. She also announced a new plan to...

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Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a wreath on Friday to mourn Chen-ning Yang, a Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist who died in Beijing last Saturday at the age of 103. Cai Qi, the president’s chief of staff, was also among the Communist Party dignitaries to offer floral tributes for the funeral held at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in western Beijing, where many of the country’s leaders are interred. The farewell ceremony began at around 9am on Friday, with the late professor...

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Beijing’s top envoy in Washington has emphasised the need for “shared prosperity”, framing a possible summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next week in South Korea as an opportunity for cooperation rather than confrontation. Speaking at an event on Friday, China’s ambassador to the United States, Xie Feng, said that China and the US, as the world’s two largest economies, should improve communication and manage their differences. “In this chaotic world, we...

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China’s sanctions on Hanwha Ocean will drive up the firm’s costs in the medium term but may also end up boosting South Korean ties with the US over the long term as Washington seeks to expand naval shipbuilding capacity, analysts said. Last week, the Chinese commerce ministry announced it had imposed sanctions on five US-based affiliates of Hanwha Ocean, one of South Korea’s largest shipbuilding companies. The ministry alleged that Hanwha had supported Washington’s investigation into Chinese...

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Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have started a new round of trade talks in Kuala Lumpur, paving the way for a possible meeting between the presidents of the world’s two largest economies. The two sides are expected to discuss issues crucial to China-US economic and trade relations, China’s Ministry of Commerce confirmed on Thursday. The meeting in the Malaysian capital marks the fifth face-to-face meeting between He and Bessent since US President Donald...

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For the first time in more than a decade, Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit South Korea next week, travelling to the historic city of Gyeongju for talks with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung as well as to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit. While the trip carries limited expectations for immediate breakthroughs, it is seen as a carefully calibrated step towards resetting strained China-South Korea ties, according to experts. Xi’s last visit in 2014, at the...

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A bipartisan group of 38 US senators is urging President Donald Trump to use his expected summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week to secure the release of former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, the latest in the US Congress’s efforts to get human rights on the agenda of the high-stakes meeting. In a letter released on Friday, the lawmakers described Lai as a political prisoner and said the case for his release was “more dire than ever” due to his worsening health. “At 78...

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At a conference in December, Wang Xingxing – the robotics guru who founded China’s industry-leading Unitree Robotics – had a sharp critique. “China is at a disadvantage in terms of talent reserves because its education system has decided that knowledge learned in school is often outdated, whereas overseas students study the world’s most cutting-edge technologies,” he told the audience. “The education system fundamentally shapes future development potential and opportunities,” Wang said, adding...

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In a move that piles up further US leverage in advance of next week’s planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the US Trade Representative announced an investigation on Friday into Beijing’s compliance with the Phase One Trade Agreement. The latest tit-for-tat salvo comes as the two economic giants amass threats that, if carried through, could cripple the global economy. “The initiation of this investigation underscores the Trump administration’s...

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As the presidents of China and the United States prepare to meet in South Korea next week, observers remain sceptical of breakthroughs but see potential for incremental steps towards mutual de-escalation of US-China tensions. Without confirming a bilateral meeting with Donald Trump, China’s foreign ministry said on Friday that Xi Jinping would visit South Korea from October 30 to November 1 for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Gyeongju. The White House, however, announced...

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Beijing has formally designated October 25 as the day to commemorate Taiwan’s restoration, as it again asserts its sovereignty over the self-ruled island. The National People’s Congress Standing Committee, the country’s top legislative body, ratified the decision on Friday. State news agency Xinhua reported that commemorative events would be held on Saturday, the 80th anniversary of the surrender of the Japanese forces in Taiwan to the then ruling Kuomintang (KMT). The surrender ended Japan’s...

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In the face of an increasingly turbulent world, China will employ “strategic proactiveness” as it addresses growing risks and challenges, senior officials said at a Friday press conference detailing the country’s priorities under its next five-year plan. The world’s second-largest economy will shift more attention to the development of its domestic market amid global uncertainty, focusing on the production of tangible goods and technological advancements to ensure growth “remains within a...

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1. Trump to meet Xi in South Korea next Thursday as part of key Asia trip US President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 30 in South Korea, the White House confirmed.
2. Does Switzerland beat China in innovation? Ranking raises questions about bias China topped the world in knowledge and technology outputs this year in a leading...

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One of China’s largest producers of rare earth elements has pledged to “strictly enforce government guidance” on export controls, a show of support from a major industry player as US officials harshly criticise Beijing’s recent expansion of licensing requirements for the crucial minerals. The statement from China Rare Earth Group – a conglomerate of state metals firms formed in 2021 – serves as a reaffirmation of Beijing’s resolve in consolidating its oversight of the rare earths trade, despite...

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Following a reshuffle at a Communist Party conclave that endorsed continuing China’s military anti-corruption drive, the mouthpiece of the People’s Liberation Army said on Friday that political loyalty and fighting corruption were crucial for winning wars. At the fourth plenum of the party’s Central Committee, which concluded on Thursday, the military’s anti-corruption chief Zhang Shengmin was promoted to vice-chair of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) headed by President Xi...

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Scientists have confirmed that a large crater in China’s southern Guangdong province formed as a result of an asteroid impact around 10,000 years ago, at a time when human civilisation was undergoing rapid development. The Jinlin crater, located near the city of Zhaoqing, is just the fifth confirmed impact crater in China and the first one to be identified in the country’s southern region. Through analysis of the tilted bowl-shaped crater on a hillside with a diameter of about 900 metres (2,952...

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During the preparatory period for China’s next five-year plan, President Xi Jinping stressed the country needed to stick to its strategy of “focusing on doing its own work” and seizing the initiative amid an uncertain external environment, according to a report by the state-run news agency Xinhua. The comments, which Xi originally made during a symposium in August, were published on Friday, the day after the conclusion of the fourth plenum of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, where...

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China can learn from the United States when it comes to applying civilian innovations to the military, a Chinese geopolitical expert has said. In an article last week, Gu Jianyi, a researcher at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said China could consider developing a new industrial ecosystem inspired by successful US firms such as SpaceX, Palantir and Anduril. Such an ecosystem would be defined by Silicon Valley-style innovation, software-centric design, agile development and civil-military...

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Chinese Premier Li Qiang will arrive in Singapore on Saturday for a two-day visit that the foreign ministry said aimed to deepen cooperation and reaffirm a shared commitment to multilateralism. The ministry confirmed the trip on Friday, saying it came at a pivotal moment as the two countries marked 35 years of diplomatic ties. “China hopes to work with Singapore through the visit to … deepen cooperation in various fields, have close communication and cooperation on international and regional...

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China and the United States should refrain from weaponising more aspects of their relationship, a Chinese scholar has urged, as the world’s two largest economies prepare to hold a fresh round of negotiations to cool down a recent flare-up in tensions. “It’s very important that the two sides need to have some kind of self-restraint,” said Da Wei, director of Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy, at the Bund Summit in Shanghai on Thursday. “Stop trying to find new...

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China’s passenger jet manufacturer will make its Dubai Airshow debut next month, when it is likely to scout for buyers of its small C909 and narrowbody C919 aircraft in the Middle East. The air show’s website lists Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) among its 1,500 exhibitors, and analysts said the Shanghai-based, state-owned planemaker’s participation at the event from November 17 to 21 would mark a first for the company. Comac has been looking for overseas buyers of its older,...

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China has developed a flexible, durable aircraft coating that absorbs radar waves, potentially closing a critical technological gap and redefining the future of aerial stealth. A study published on October 14 in Advanced Materials details a scalable, flexible and ultra-thin (0.1 mm) metasurface capable of withstanding temperatures up to 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 degrees Fahrenheit). The material features tunable impedance, making it suitable for aerospace electromagnetic wave absorption. It...

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Nexperia’s Chinese subsidiary has publicly rejected a decision by the Dutch headquarters to remove John Chang as vice-president of global sales and marketing, declaring the dismissal legally ineffective in China and escalating a conflict that has garnered international attention. Nexperia China, the chipmaker’s primary entity in the country, said the dismissal “shall not have legal effect within the jurisdiction of China”, claiming it violated local company and labour laws, according to a...

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