logo
Xi Jinping losing his grip? Signs emerge of chaos in China's military and political circles

Xi Jinping losing his grip? Signs emerge of chaos in China's military and political circles

Economic Times2 days ago
President Xi Jinping's absence from the BRICS summit sparks speculation of internal turmoil in China, despite official claims of a scheduling conflict. Experts suggest Xi may be facing challenges to his leadership and control, while widening rifts within BRICS, fueled by trade disputes and China-India tensions, further complicate the situation. Premier Li Qiang is attending instead.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Xi Jinping Skips BRICS Summit for First Time
Experts See Signs of Turmoil at Home
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Premier Li Qiang Steps In
Widening Rifts Within BRICS
China-India Tensions Add Pressure
FAQs
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
For the first time since it was started, Chinese President Xi Jinping is not attending the BRICS summit , a move that's raising speculations that something must be going terribly wrong within China, as per a report.The official explanation from Beijing is simple, a 'scheduling conflict,' and that Xi had already met with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva earlier this year, but experts are convinced, as per Fox News.Xi's sudden absence from this week's gathering of major emerging economies in Brazil for BRICS is prompting questions about the stability of his leadership at home, according to the Fox News report.An expert on US-China relations, Gordon Chang said, "That doesn't make sense," adding, "There are many other countries at the BRICS summit, not just Brazil. To me, it's extremely significant that Xi Jinping is not going. It suggests turbulence at home — there are signs he's lost control of the military and that civilian rivals are reasserting power. This is a symptom of that," as quoted in the report.ALSO READ: Keir Starmer on the way out? This surprise contender could be the UK's next Prime Minister According to a Fox News report, Premier Li Qiang is attending the summit in Brazil instead of Xi, continuing a recent trend of Xi scaling back his appearances on the global stage.Bryan Burack of the Heritage Foundation also pointed out that Xi's absence might indicate deeper issues, saying, "It's another indication that BRICS is not going to be China's vassalization of the Global South," as quoted in the report.He explained that countries like Brazil and Indonesia have recently imposed tariffs on China over industrial overcapacity and dumping, which reflect widening rifts within the group. Burack pointed out that, "China is actively harming all those countries for the most part, maybe with some exceptions, through its malign trade policies and dumping and overcapacity," as quoted by Fox News.ALSO READ: Nvidia just dropped a game-changer — CEO Jensen Huang calls it a miracle for AI supercomputing While a few analysts have also cited rising China-India friction as a possible reason for Xi's decision to not attend the summit, according to the report.Burack pointed out that, "China has been at war with India for decades, essentially," adding, "These are fundamentally opposing interests. It's difficult to see China changing its behavior in the near term, and that will keep tensions high," as quoted by Fox News.According to the report, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is expected to take a leading role at the summit, which could have been another deterrent for Xi's attendance. The author of The Red Emperor, a biography of Xi, Michael Sheridan said, Xi, as the Red Emperor, does not want to be overshadowed,' as quoted in the Telegraph.Officially, due to a scheduling conflict and because he already met Brazil's president this year. But many experts suspect political turmoil at home.It's unclear, but experts suggest he may be facing internal challenges or strategic shifts.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How U.S. buyers of critical minerals bypass China's export ban
How U.S. buyers of critical minerals bypass China's export ban

The Hindu

time21 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

How U.S. buyers of critical minerals bypass China's export ban

Unusually large quantities of antimony— a metal used in batteries, chips and flame retardants— have poured into the United States from Thailand and Mexico since China barred U.S. shipments last year, according to customs and shipping records, which show at least one Chinese-owned company is involved in the trade. China dominates the supply of antimony as well as gallium and germanium, used in telecommunications, semiconductors and military technology. Beijing banned exports of these minerals to the U.S. on December 3 following Washington's crackdown on China's chip sector. The resulting shift in trade flows underscores the scramble for critical minerals and China's struggle to enforce its curbs as it vies with the U.S. for economic, military and technological supremacy. Specifically, trade data illustrate a re-routing of U.S. shipments via third countries— an issue Chinese officials have acknowledged. Three industry experts corroborated that assessment, including two executives at two U.S. companies who told Reuters they had obtained restricted minerals from China in recent months. The U.S. imported 3,834 metric tons of antimony oxides from Thailand and Mexico between December and April, U.S. customs data show. That was more than almost the previous three years combined. Thailand and Mexico, meanwhile, shot into the top three export markets for Chinese antimony this year, according to Chinese customs data through May. Neither made the top 10 in 2023, the last full year before Beijing restricted exports. Thailand and Mexico each have a single antimony smelter, according to consultancy RFC Ambrian, and the latter's only reopened in April. Neither country mines meaningful quantities of the metal. U.S. imports of antimony, gallium and germanium this year are on track to equal or exceed levels before the ban, albeit at higher prices. Ram Ben Tzion, co-founder and CEO of digital shipment-vetting platform Publican, said that while there was clear evidence of transshipment, trade data didn't enable the identification of companies involved. "It's a pattern that we're seeing and that pattern is consistent," he told Reuters. Chinese companies, he added, were "super creative in bypassing regulations." China's Commerce Ministry said in May that unspecified overseas entities had "colluded with domestic lawbreakers" to evade its export restrictions, and that stopping such activity was essential to national security. It didn't respond to Reuters questions about the shift in trade flows since December. The U.S. Commerce Department, Thailand's Commerce Ministry and Mexico's Economy Ministry didn't respond to similar questions. U.S. law doesn't bar American buyers from purchasing Chinese-origin antimony, gallium or germanium. Chinese firms can ship the minerals to countries other than the U.S. if they have a license. Levi Parker, CEO and founder of U.S.-based Gallant Metals, told Reuters how he obtains about 200 kg of gallium a month from China, without identifying the parties involved due to the potential repercussions. First, buying agents in China obtain material from producers. Then, a shipping company routes the packages, re-labelled variously as iron, zinc or art supplies, via another Asian country, he said. The workarounds aren't perfect, nor cheap, Mr. Parker said. He said he would like to import 500 kg regularly but big shipments risked drawing scrutiny, and Chinese logistics firms were "very careful" because of the risks. Brisk trade Thai Unipet Industries, a Thailand-based subsidiary of Chinese antimony producer Youngsun Chemicals, has been doing brisk trade with the U.S. in recent months, previously unreported shipping records reviewed by Reuters show. Unipet shipped at least 3,366 tons of antimony products from Thailand to the U.S. between December and May, according to 36 bills of lading recorded by trade platforms ImportYeti and Export Genius. That was around 27 times the volume Unipet shipped in the same period a year earlier. The records list the cargo, parties involved, and ports of origin and receipt, but not necessarily the origin of the raw material. They don't indicate specific evidence of transshipment. Thai Unipet couldn't be reached for comment. When Reuters called a number listed for the company on one of the shipping records, a person who answered said the number didn't belong to Unipet. Reuters mailed questions to Unipet's registered address but received no response. Unipet's parent, Youngsun Chemicals, didn't respond to questions about the U.S. shipments. The buyer of Unipet's U.S. shipments was Texas-based Youngsun & Essen, which before Beijing's ban imported most of its antimony trioxide from Youngsun Chemicals. Neither Youngsun & Essen nor its president, Jimmy Song, responded to questions about the imports. China launched a campaign in May against the transshipment and smuggling of critical minerals. Offenders can face fines and bans on future exports. Serious cases can also be treated as smuggling, and result in jail terms of more than five years, James Hsiao, a Hong Kong-based partner at law firm White & Case, told Reuters. The laws apply to Chinese firms even where transactions take place abroad, he said. In cases of transshipment, Chinese authorities can prosecute sellers that fail to conduct sufficient due diligence to determine the end user, Mr. Hsiao added. Yet for anyone willing to take the risk, big profits are available overseas, where shortages have sent prices for gallium, germanium and antimony to records. The three minerals were already subject to export licensing controls when China banned exports to the U.S. China's exports of antimony and germanium are still below levels hit before the restrictions, according to Chinese customs data. Beijing now faces a challenge to ensure its export-control regime has teeth, said Ben Tzion. "While having all these policies in place, their enforcement is a completely different scenario," he said.

Can China compete against US in AI talent war with homegrown minds?
Can China compete against US in AI talent war with homegrown minds?

Business Standard

time28 minutes ago

  • Business Standard

Can China compete against US in AI talent war with homegrown minds?

The latest eye-watering artificial intelligence outlays aren't going toward high-end chips or data-center buildouts, but individuals. The competition for AI talent prompted Meta Platforms Inc. to reportedly offer sign-on bonuses of $100 million to lure senior staff from rivals. It feels 'as if someone has broken into our home and stolen something,' OpenAI's chief research officer said of the aggressive poaching in a memo to staff obtained by Wired. The latest victim: Apple Inc., which just lost top executive Ruoming Pang to Meta. It's telling that so many of the superstar players US tech titans are boasting about adding to their rosters are of Chinese origin. Including Pang, eight out of the 12 new recruits to the Meta Superintelligence Labs team graduated from universities on the mainland before pursuing careers abroad. It means that a key driver of the global AI race is an intense scramble for the people building it: Chinese talent. But American business leaders shouldn't assume that the big paychecks alone will win an international talent contest. Researchers at Harvard University last month said that the number of high-impact scientific publications shows that China dominates in 'raw human capital for AI.' This helps drive indigenous research despite US advantages in computing power and investment. Top workers may still be keen on making money overseas, but that doesn't mean a lot of them won't stay at home. Separate researchers at Stanford University in May analyzed data on the more than 200 authors listed on DeepSeek's technical papers. The firm's success story is 'fundamentally, one of homegrown talent,' they found. Half of DeepSeek's team never left China for education or work, and those who did ultimately returned to pursue AI development. This has policy implications for the US. China looks at international experience less as a brain drain and more as a way for researchers to acquire knowledge before returning home, the Stanford paper said. The US 'may be mistakenly assuming it has a permanent talent lead.' It aligns with other data that suggests America has been losing its allure as a destination for top-tier AI researchers. Only 42 per cent of these individuals worked in the US in 2022, compared to 59 per cent in 2019. During that same period, China was closing the gap fast, rising to 28 per cent from 11 per cent. The Chinese government, meanwhile, has been funding AI labs and research at universities as part of industrial policy. It's not clear how well this investment has paid off, but it has helped incubate talent who went on to support breakthroughs at private companies. One of DeepSeek's keystone papers, for example, was co-authored by scholars at Tsinghua University, Peking University and Nanjing University. In this way, China has been building up an ecosystem of innovation that doesn't center around poaching individual star players. Domestic firms are less able to spend so lavishly to attract top talent. US private investment in AI was nearly 12 times the amount in China, according to one analysis. Earlier this year, state-backed news outlet the Global Times reported on the 'high-paying job offers' from DeepSeek, which could amount to annual income of some 1.54 million yuan per year (just under $215,000). It's a significant sum in urban China, but hardly the instant millionaire-minting figures being tossed around in Silicon Valley. DeepSeek is nonetheless in the midst of a recruiting blitz — one that's trying to attract overseas Chinese AI researchers to come back home. It has posted a spate of roles on LinkedIn, a platform that's not used domestically. As my colleague Dave Lee has written, this is about more than just money, but instead convincing workers that their contribution 'will matter most in the history books.' DeepSeek may be hoping that this pitch will work on homesick Chinese talent. Ultimately, just under half of the world's top-tier AI researchers come from China, compared to 18 per cent from the US. Many may be seeking opportunities abroad, but Beijing is pulling all its levers to convince at least some to stay at a time when America isn't signaling a warm welcome. Mind boggling sign-on bonuses from Silicon Valley may be enough to win a cross-border battle for talent, but time will tell if it's enough to win the war.

Trump slaps 50% tariffs on Brazil over Bolsonaro trial; Lula responds
Trump slaps 50% tariffs on Brazil over Bolsonaro trial; Lula responds

Fibre2Fashion

time41 minutes ago

  • Fibre2Fashion

Trump slaps 50% tariffs on Brazil over Bolsonaro trial; Lula responds

US President Donald Trump has imposed sweeping new tariffs on Brazil, citing grievances over the treatment of President Jair Bolsonaro and alleged censorship actions by Brazil's Supreme Court. In a sharply worded letter addressed to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Trump announced that, effective August 1, 2025, all Brazilian exports to the US would face a flat 50 per cent tariff—separate from existing sectoral tariffs. Trump called Bolsonaro a 'Highly Respected Leader' and condemned the ongoing legal proceedings against him as 'a Witch Hunt', demanding the trial end immediately. He also accused Brazil of undermining free elections and targeting free speech, pointing to secret censorship orders allegedly sent by the Brazilian Supreme Court to US-based social media platforms. Trump has announced a 50 per cent tariff on all Brazilian exports to the US from August 1, 2025, citing the trial of President Jair Bolsonaro and alleged censorship by Brazil's Supreme Court. In response, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended Brazil's sovereignty and judicial independence, calling the claims false and warning of reciprocal measures if tariffs are unilaterally imposed. 'These censorship orders threaten platforms with millions in fines and eviction from the Brazilian market,' Trump wrote. 'We must move away from a trade relationship that has long been unfair and non-reciprocal.' Trump clarified that the tariffs would not apply to Brazilian companies that establish production operations within the US. In a firm response, President Lula reaffirmed Brazil's sovereignty and judicial independence. 'Brazil will not accept any form of tutelage,' he stated. 'The judicial proceedings fall exclusively under the jurisdiction of Brazil's institutions.' Lula rejected Trump's claims of a trade imbalance, noting that US government data reflects a $410 billion surplus in its trade with Brazil over the past 15 years. He also defended Brazil's digital regulation efforts, stressing that freedom of expression must not be conflated with hate speech or illegal content. Lula concluded by warning that any unilateral US tariff hikes would be met under Brazil's Economic Reciprocity Law, asserting that 'sovereignty, respect, and the unwavering defense of the interests of the Brazilian people' will guide its international stance. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store