
Why ‘Western hegemony is over', learning lessons from Ukraine war: SCMP daily highlights
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The appearance of President Xi Jinping's chief of staff at the Beidaihe resort on Sunday indicates that senior Chinese leaders have started their annual summer break.
USA Rare Earth is receiving a surge in investment as America rushes to reduce its reliance on Chinese rare earth magnets.
Illustration: Henry Wong
The American economist sees China as key to the global energy transition to zero-carbon energy, especially in markets outside US and Europe.
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South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump tariff threats loom over China's Russian oil purchases, following his move on India
Even in the face of threats by US President Donald Trump to levy tariffs on countries that import Russian goods, analysts expect that China 'will not stop' buying oil from its northern neighbour, given their mutually beneficial relationship of energy cooperation. Oil from Russia will continue to flow south over the long run because 'China's strategic goals require a stable and secure supply of critical resources such as oil', said Matt Gertken, chief geopolitical strategist at BCA Research in Canada. His comments came with Trump sharpening his threat of sanctions on Russia if it fails to engage in a ceasefire in Ukraine, where Moscow has waged war for the last three and a half years. Previously, both the United States and the European Union announced blanket sanctions on Russia, and they also tried to cut off its lifelines by threatening secondary sanctions on those helping it. 'The US said at the time that it would implement those [tariff] threats by August 7-9 if trade with Russia was not curtailed by then, and affirmed that China would be a target,' Gertken added. 'The US has already taken action on India, so China is next in line.' Russia is China's top source of crude imports, supplying a record high 108.5 million tonnes, or 19.6 per cent of its total imports, last year. Guo Jiakun, spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a press conference last week that 'China will take energy supply measures … based on national interests', while 'tariff wars have no winners'.


South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
‘China is next in line': after India, Trump tariff threats loom over Russian oil purchases
Even in the face of threats by US President Donald Trump to levy tariffs on countries that import Russian goods, analysts expect that China 'will not stop' buying oil from its northern neighbour, given their mutually beneficial relationship of energy cooperation. Advertisement Oil from Russia will continue to flow south over the long run because 'China's strategic goals require a stable and secure supply of critical resources such as oil', said Matt Gertken, chief geopolitical strategist at BCA Research in Canada. His comments came with Trump sharpening his threat of sanctions on Russia if it fails to engage in a ceasefire in Ukraine, where Moscow has waged war for the last three and a half years. Previously, both the United States and the European Union announced blanket sanctions on Russia, and they also tried to cut off its lifelines by threatening secondary sanctions on those helping it. 'The US said at the time that it would implement those [tariff] threats by August 7-9 if trade with Russia was not curtailed by then, and affirmed that China would be a target,' Gertken added. 'The US has already taken action on India, so China is next in line.' Advertisement Russia is China's top source of crude imports, supplying a record high 108.5 million tonnes, or 19.6 per cent of its total imports, last year. Guo Jiakun, spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a press conference last week that 'China will take energy supply measures … based on national interests', while 'tariff wars have no winners'.


South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump says US-China deal ‘very close', links agreement to Xi Jinping meeting
US President Donald Trump said he was 'getting very close to a deal' with China to extend the trade truce that saw the two countries agree to reduce tit-for-tat tariff hikes and ease export restrictions on rare earth magnets and certain technologies. 'It's not imperative, but I think we're going to make a good deal,' Trump said in an interview with CNBC, adding that the US was 'getting along with China very well'. Still, Trump downplayed the notion that he was eager for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying he would only want to see his Chinese counterpart as part of an effort to conclude trade negotiations. 'I'll end up having a meeting before the end of the year, most likely, if we make a deal,' Trump said. 'If we don't make a deal, I'm not going to have a meeting.' 'It's a 19-hour flight – it's a long flight, but at some point in the not too distant future, I will,' Trump added. A preliminary deal between the US and China is set to expire on August 12. That initial truce eased worries of a tariff war that threatened to choke off bilateral trade between the world's two largest economies and also gave the countries more time to discuss other unresolved issues such as duties tied to fentanyl trafficking. Last week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met in Stockholm – the third round of trade talks between the US and Beijing in less than three months.