US ‘gold card' fails to lure rich Chinese, Shenzhen exports decline: SCMP daily highlights
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Three months after he first floated the idea, Trump's gold card scheme appears to have fallen flat with China's wealthy, who were expected to be one of the biggest sources of demand for the controversial new visa.
China's top exporting city saw its levels fall in April despite stronger-than-expected national growth, suggesting traders are not yet out of the woods amid tumultuous tariff tensions with the US.
China has long been a key export market for US farmers, with America exporting more than US$12.8 billion of soybeans to the country last year. Photo: AP
China's imports of American soybeans and pork plunged to zero in early May and have yet to recover despite the US-China tariff truce, suggesting the trade war may have done lasting damage to a key US export trade.
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South China Morning Post
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Samsung nears wide-ranging deal with Perplexity for AI features
Samsung Electronics is nearing a wide-ranging deal to invest in Perplexity AI and put search technology from the artificial intelligence start-up at the forefront of the South Korean company's devices. The two companies are in talks to preload Perplexity's app and assistant on upcoming Samsung devices and integrate the start-up's search features into the Samsung web browser, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The firms have also discussed weaving Perplexity's technology into Samsung's Bixby virtual assistant, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. Samsung is planning to announce the Perplexity integrations as early as this year, the people said, with the goal of including the service as a default assistant option in the Galaxy S26 phone line that is slated to launch in the first half of 2026. However, the specific details haven't been finalised and could still change. The tech giant is also expected to be one of the biggest investors in a new round of funding for Perplexity, the people said. The start-up is in advanced discussions to raise US$500 million at a US$14 billion valuation, Bloomberg News has reported. Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge on display at its store in Seoul, South Korea, May 13, 2025. Photo: Reuters The broad tie-up may help Samsung reduce its reliance on Alphabet's Google and pave the way for it to work with a mix of AI developers, similar to Apple's strategy for its devices and services. For Perplexity, the arrangement would mark its biggest mobile partnership to date and follows a recent integration deal with Motorola.
Asia Times
35 minutes ago
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Why Japan should decline Trump's F-47 offer
Trump's surprise F-47 fighter pitch to Japan exposes the deep tensions between alliance loyalty and Tokyo's growing pursuit of strategic autonomy in a world of contested tech, arms sales and sovereignty. Last month, Asahi Shimbun reported that US President Donald Trump pitched Boeing's F-47 sixth-generation fighter jet and the C-17 transport aircraft to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during an unexpected phone call. Trump, who reportedly praised US military aircraft, casually asked Ishiba whether Japan was interested in acquiring US-made fighters, noting that the F-47—believed to be named in honor of Trump as the 47th US president—would replace the F-22. Officials say the topic arose because Ishiba had previously shown interest in the C-17, prompting speculation that Trump viewed Japan as a potential defense customer. Despite Trump's remarks, Japan remained cautious, citing challenges in pilot training and maintenance as key challenges. Japan is concurrently developing a fighter jet with the UK and Italy, complicating procurement decisions. The call, which took place before Japan's trade negotiator left for the US, defied concerns that Trump would pressure Japan on tariffs. Instead, Trump appeared eager to discuss his Middle East trip and reinforce personal ties with Ishiba. Some analysts have suggested Trump sought a receptive audience amid criticism of his regional strategy. The two leaders agreed to meet during the upcoming G-7 summit in Canada, where discussions on trade and security could further clarify Japan's defense priorities. Trump's F-47 pitch underscores Japan's dilemma: whether to invest in a high-tech, alliance-dependent jet that risks eroding its strategic autonomy or hold out for sovereign capabilities that may arrive too late. In a 2025 Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) report, Sadamasa Oue argues that Japan must acquire sixth-generation fighters in line with its shift from anti-airspace intrusion measures to offensive counter-air operations alongside potential adversaries such as China, which is developing next-generation fighters, including the J-36 and J-50. Sixth-generation fighter capabilities broadly feature extreme stealth, flight efficiency from subsonic to multi-Mach speeds, 'smart skins' with radar, extremely sensitive sensors, optionally manned capability and directed-energy weapons. However, Brandon Weichert argues in a May 2024 article for 1945 that the advent of autonomous systems could make another expensive manned warplane system, such as the F-47, wasteful. Weichert contends that as drone technology advances, it gradually takes on the characteristics and capabilities of manned systems. He says that the current crop of fifth-generation aircraft, such as the F-35 that Japan already operates, continues to be upgraded to keep pace with evolving threats from near-peer adversaries. In line with that, Breaking Defense reported last month that a 'fifth-generation plus' F-35 could have optionally manned capability as part of upgrades that aim to bring the aircraft to '80% sixth-generation capability' at 'half the price.' Trump's F-47 pitch highlights Japan's struggle to balance its reliance on alliances with the need for strategic independence, especially as delays in its Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) raise concerns about the UK and Italy's commitment to the trilateral project. The Japan Times reported last month that Japan is growing increasingly doubtful that the GCAP program will meet its 2035 target date and could be pushed into the 2040s due to a perceived lack of urgency from the UK and Italy. However, the US has a checkered record of sharing sensitive fighter technology with Japan. Mario Daniels points out in a July 2024 article published in the peer-reviewed History and Technology journal that during the FSX jet fighter controversy in the 1980s and 1990s, the US withheld advanced fighter jet technology from Japan due to fears that sharing dual-use technology would erode its economic and military superiority. Daniels says at the time, US officials increasingly viewed Japan as a formidable high-tech competitor whose access to US aerospace know-how could empower its civilian aircraft industry to rival Boeing. As a result, he notes that the US initially imposed export controls, which were originally devised for the Soviet bloc, against Japan. He says these controls black-boxed critical systems, such as software, radar, and composite materials, to prevent irreversible technological transfer and preserve US strategic advantage. Further, Christopher Hughes points out in a March 2025 article in the peer-reviewed Defense Studies journal that as Japan moves up the defense production ladder into more sensitive technologies that could compete with the US, the latter could increase demands on the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) to buy its equipment to strengthen interoperability and alleviate trade frictions. Hughes pointed out that Trump was transactional in managing the US-Japan alliance, insisting that Japan purchase possibly overpriced US equipment in politically motivated deals for security guarantees, even if that hardware may not align with Japan's defense requirements. Japan's changing arms export policies may also play into US concerns about getting outcompeted by Japan in weapon sales. In March 2024, the Associated Press (AP) reported that Japan's cabinet approved a plan to sell future GCAP next-generation fighter jets co-developed with the UK and Italy to other countries. 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South China Morning Post
37 minutes ago
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In-form sprinter Colourful King set to relish extra distance at Happy Valley
David Eustace believes the step up in distance could be the key to Colourful King's chances in the Class Two Wan Chai Gap Handicap (1,200m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. The Blue Point gelding has stuck to the minimum 1,000m trip in four Hong Kong starts, building on a promising Sha Tin debut with a pair of city circuit wins. He quickened up smartly in a pair of Class Three races, winning the latter Hong Kong China Rugby Club Handicap by an impressive two lengths. After travelling well in midfield, Colourful King sprinted powerfully to mow down the long-time leader Youthful Spirits and was going away at the line. Big win, Colourful King! 🚀@EustaceRacing's talented sprinter explodes to consecutive victories under @Atzenijockey in the Hong Kong China Rugby Cup at Happy Valley... 🏆#HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 9, 2025 That would suggest Wednesday's extra 200m would be ideal, despite Eustace have reservations about it previously. 'I think the distance will be fine – we probably wouldn't have said that a couple of starts back, but I thought his last run showed he would appreciate it and his trial was similar,' said Eustace. Colourful King will take on the likes of last-start winners Horsepower, Kaholo Angel, Stellar Express and Harmony N Blessed in a fiercely competitive feature contest to round off the card. The three-year-old won two 1,000m races pre-import and Eustace thinks the best is yet to come ahead of his fifth local start. HK Racing News Get updates direct to your inbox Sign up Best Bets Racing News By registering you agree to our T&Cs & Privacy Policy Error: Please enter a valid email. The email address is already in use. Please login to subscribe. Error, please try again later. THANK YOU You are one the list. Colourful King wins a barrier trial at Sha Tin last month. 'He's relaxing better all the time and has a good draw [barrier four], but it's a tough race. He's trained on well so I'm hopeful,' Eustace said. Eustace has seven chances on the Valley programme, with his other big chance being Midori Fuji in the Class Four Shouson Hill Handicap (1,650m). He is yet to salute in eight local starts but has gone agonizingly close at the course and distance in his past two starts, losing out by a short head on both occasions. Eustace also has high hopes for Saturday's impressive Class Four Tin Sam Handicap (1,400m) winner Dazzling Fit, who doubled his career tally in style at Sha Tin. The son of Ribchester was settled in midfield by Luke Ferraris, sauntering into contention as the field turned into the home straight. It briefly looked as though the pair were running into traffic problems, but Ferraris angled out at the 400m and when he asked for maximum effort, the response was immediate with a sharp turn of foot carrying Dazzling Fit to the front 150m from home. While he still looks green, Dazzling Fit has plenty of scope for further improvement and Eustace believes he will be a horse to watch as a four-year-old – though he may not be done racing this season. 'It was good to see him do it again, he was carrying weight in a Class Four as a three-year so it was a good effort,' said Eustace. 'He put them away nicely and has pulled up great. I'm not honestly sure if he will run again this season – I'm leaning that way and he's come through that race as well as he could have done. 'I hope he's an exciting one for next season.' Eustace – who was Australia's leading trainer in partnership with Ciaron Maher in 2022-23 – has enjoyed a successful first season of training in Hong Kong with 29 winners.
