Trump says tariffs on China will be at 55pc
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese vice premier He Lifeng meet in London, Britain June 9, 2025. (Reuters)
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South China Morning Post
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- South China Morning Post
Huawei chief spells out China hi-tech resilience
The way Ren Zhengfei tells it, Huawei Technologies, the telecoms behemoth he founded, is just one of many hi-tech firms in China. He apparently feels puzzled that the United States keeps targeting his company when its products and computer chips, as well as those of China's other advanced producers, are a generation behind their American counterparts. Advertisement That may be true, but no one should take what he said at face value. His remarks appeared on the front page of People's Daily during two days of intense high-stakes trade talks between Beijing and Washington in London. Two sticking points have been China's restrictions on the exports of rare earths, and America's new curbs on the sale of jet engines and chip-design technologies to China. With Huawei being one of the most important companies behind the nation's drive to become technologically self-sufficient, Ren's interview in Chinese was not only aimed at a domestic audience first and foremost, but also America. We may be behind, he admitted, but were catching up, through perseverance, determination and ingenuity. The most advanced chips may be denied us, but through clever mathematical and computing techniques, Chinese engineers could deliver chips almost as powerful as anybody else. While appearing humble, he was telling the world and the US that Huawei is here to stay, no matter what is thrown at it. There is no better example of Deng Xiaoping's famous dictum: hide your strength, bide your time. In the intensifying trade and tech war between two of the world's largest economies, Huawei has been in the eye of the storm. Last month, the US Department of Commerce tried to declare that the use of Huawei's Ascend chips 'anywhere in the world' would be a violation of American export controls. Beijing responded angrily, and the department climbed down, saying it was an advisory, not an order. Now, subject to final approvals, the two sides may have reached a truce, including apparently relaxing some export curbs on rare earth and chip technologies. Advertisement This will not be the end of their tech war. But China is in a good position with companies like Huawei as one of its trump cards.
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Pentagon chief assures lawmakers on review of US-Britain-Australia pact as China looms
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress on Thursday he would involve lawmakers in a 30-day assessment of the Aukus alliance , a day after the future of the three-country security pact was thrown into question by reports that the Pentagon was putting it under review 'Congress will be involved,' Hegseth said in response to a question from US congressman Joe Courtney, a Connecticut Democrat, who also raised concern about the time frame allocated for analysing the pact between Australia Britain and the US. 'A 30-day review on a project that really took years to develop?' Courtney asked during a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee, while noting that China's dislike of Aukus was the alliance's 'ultimate sort of endorsement'. Asked about Aukus in Beijing on Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China opposed 'manufacturing bloc confrontation and anything that amplifies the risk of nuclear proliferation and exacerbates [an] arms race'. Play
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump cannot hope to solve a China ‘problem' he has misdiagnosed
Amid a US-China trade truce, negotiators in London reached a 'framework' agreement to activate the Geneva deal, raising hopes for an immediate alleviation of the trade conflict, including potentially a US commitment to revoke some of its tech embargoes in return for China's relaxation of rare earth export restrictions. The full details of the London agreement are expected to be available after both US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping have approved it. The two-day London negotiations had swiftly followed Trump's call with Xi last Thursday, more than four months into his second term. Both sides had continued to cross swords over trade after their officials met in Geneva last month. Critically, China unprecedentedly tightened its rare earth exports , displaying its ability to retaliate. The pain inflicted on US car manufacturers and defence companies was obviously the most pressing reason for Trump to talk to Xi, as the trade tussle was rapidly escalating into a crisis of global supply chains. The London talks may have de-escalated tensions but I see little room for optimism – unless they also spark a reorientation of Washington's trade and foreign policy thinking.
