Latest news with #ChinaUSrelations


Washington Post
22-07-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Trump says a China trip is 'not too distant' as trade tensions ease
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday said a trip to China might be 'not too distant,' raising prospects that the leaders of the world's two largest economies may meet soon to help reset relations after moving to climb down from a trade war . Trump made the remarks while hosting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House, where he praised the 'fantastic military relationship' with Manila as the U.S. looks to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region.


South China Morning Post
22-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Why I am hopeful about US-China ties despite Trump's tariff tangle
I recently travelled to Washington and New York, where I held in-depth discussions with a range of people from the strategic, academic and business communities on China-US relations . These conversations gave me a more nuanced understanding of both the current dynamics and the potential trajectory of bilateral ties in the next phase. A key takeaway is that while there is consensus within the Trump administration that the US is engaged in a strategic competition with China, its approach is highly personalised and transactional , without a long-term strategy. Different factions and voices within the US government are actively competing to shape the president's perceptions of China, resulting in a policymaking process marked by uncertainty. To many, the most pressing issue is the future of the economic relationship, especially how the tariff war might shape broader dynamics. Once seen as the ballast of the relationship, trade and economics have now become one of its most destabilising elements. US President Donald Trump regards tariffs as a long-term strategic tool. Still, Trump's tariff strategy cannot escape the constraints of domestic economic and political realities. US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has warned that Trump's policies could push up inflation risks. Once the inflationary impact of the tariffs begins to bite and voter dissatisfaction rises, Trump may be forced to adjust his trade stance. Meanwhile, China is playing a relatively proactive role in the ongoing talks. To some, China has figured out the key to dealing with Trump: rather than trying to interpret his inconsistent policies, it is more effective to analyse his behavioural patterns and political motives. The US wavers across multiple issues, from tariffs and fentanyl to export controls and tech restrictions. This multi-issue bundling offers Trump greater room to declare victory but also makes it harder for the two sides to forge a substantive agreement. 11:28 Unravelling China's role in the US fentanyl crisis Unravelling China's role in the US fentanyl crisis


Reuters
18-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
China wants to return US trade ties to a state of healthy development
BEIJING, July 18 (Reuters) - China wants to bring commercial ties with the United States back to a state of healthy and sustainable development, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said on Friday, calling on the U.S. to behave in a way that befits its major country status. China's trade has strong resilience and momentum, and the country will expand imports as well as exports in its next five-year plan, Wang said at a press conference. The country's policy support for exports has "bucked the trend" amid a complex external environment, Wang said. He characterised the ups and downs in China-U.S. trade relations as having taught both sides that they need each other. "A forced decoupling and severing of supply chains is impossible, and some trade between the two sides is difficult to replace, at least in the short term," he said. "Having weathered many storms, the two sides remain important economic and trade partners to each other," Wang said, adding that the two countries can manage tensions through "equal dialogue and consultations". U.S. President Donald Trump hiked tariffs on Chinese products to over 100% earlier this year, before walking back much of the hefty duties in a trade truce with Beijing reached in May. China has until August 12 to reach a deal with Washington to avoid Trump's reinstating additional import curbs imposed during tit-for-tat tariff exchanges in April and May. The current overall tariff level imposed by the U.S. on China is at a "still high" 53.6%, Wang told the press conference. "There are no winners in a trade war. China does not want a trade war, but it is not afraid of one," he reiterated. "Major countries should act like major countries. They must shoulder their responsibilities," he said, adding that China would not change its stance in protecting its national interests. ($1 = 7.1811 Chinese yuan renminbi)


Malay Mail
12-07-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
China urges US to adopt ‘rational and pragmatic' stance, calls for constructive ties in KL meeting
KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — China's Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, has called on the United States (US) to adopt an objective, rational and pragmatic stance towards China, urging both sides to chart a constructive path for their relationship in the new era. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang made the remarks during a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, held on the sidelines of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings yesterday. Both sides exchanged views on China-US relations and key shared concerns. Wang firmly outlined Beijing's core principles on advancing China-US relations, urging both sides to translate top-level consensus into concrete policies and actions. 'We hope the US adopts an objective, rational, and pragmatic approach toward China, shaping its China policy around peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit, and engaging with China on the principles of equality and respect, to jointly chart a constructive path for China-US relations in the new era,' it said. The statement noted that both sides agreed the meeting was positive, pragmatic, and constructive, and concurred to strengthen diplomatic channels and communication at all levels and sectors. It added that the meeting aimed to leverage diplomatic efforts in promoting bilateral relations, manage differences, and explore opportunities for expanded cooperation. Meanwhile, at the 15th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Wang outlined three key proposals, urging East Asian countries to return to dialogue, development, and openness. 'China backs this year's adoption of the summit's 20th anniversary declaration, which will set the direction for its future development,' he said. He also urged all parties to expand cooperation and openness amid the growing risk of unilateralism and protectionism. 'East Asia's success comes from open regionalism. We back ASEAN-led cooperation, defend multilateral trade, build a high-level regional free trade network, and promote regional integration,' he said, as quoted in the statement. — Bernama


Forbes
07-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How The U.S. Can Reduce Dependence On China's Rare Earth Minerals
American leaders in Washington cannot continue to rely on Beijing for materials while the Chinese are emerging as a military rival. The only way out of a potentially dangerous situation, from an American perspective, is to drastically reduce dependency on China, especially when it comes to the critical minerals sector. China's commerce ministry issued a statement on July 4 saying that Beijing and Washington have accelerated efforts toward the agreement reached during the June 9-10 trade talks in London, all while warning the Trump administration against undermining their "hard-won" consensus. American and Chinese officials agreed upon a framework to implement the Geneva agreement in early May, expediting rare earth shipments to the United States. In a reference to its own rare earth export curbs, the Chinese commerce ministry said that the Chinese government "is currently reviewing and approving eligible export license applications for controlled items." Confirming reports that the United States resumed exports of chip design software, ethane and jet engines, the statement added that the White House had also undertaken reciprocal steps "to lift a series of restrictive measures against China and has informed China about the relevant situation.' This diplomacy underscores how China has been able to effectively counter U.S. restrictions on semiconductor sales and technology transfers. The Trump administration's negotiations with the government of President Xi Jinping are a necessary short-term step to avoid disruptions to the American economy and its military superiority. But it must be treated as an extremely temporary measure because the deal struck last month perpetuates U.S. dependence on China for critical minerals. Over the past couple of years there has been a massive surge in high-frequency Chinese air and naval exercises, especially incursions into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone. Such incursions surged with nearly 450 flights recorded in mid‑2024 and continuing activity into the current year includes live-fire drills, amphibious landings, rocket force launches, and aircraft carrier operations encircling the island nation. Last summer, the Chinese navy held wargames with their Russian counterparts in the waters off the Aleutian Islands. Then this June, for the first time, both of China's two carrier strike groups operated together entering the second-island chain near Japan. Earlier this year, in February, a People's Liberation Army task group carried out live-fire navy drills in Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone in the Sea of Tasman. U.S.-Chinese diplomacy can help manage tensions, but it is extremely unlikely that Beijing will give up its strategic military plans. While the U.S. remains a superior military force, the United States remains vulnerable due to economic dependence on Chinese rare earth mineral supply chains. The American strategy has been to place restrictions on semiconductor exports as part of a broader effort to curb access to advanced technologies, along with discouraging investments. More recently, tariffs have become yet another element of trade restrictions. Washington has also been actively promoting India as a strategic alternative to China's global-scale manufacturing prowess with the aim of diversifying supply chains, de-risking economic dependence, and countering Beijing's industrial dominance. Considering that Beijing has had a major head start in the strategic field of rare earth minerals, the United States will have to work hard on multiple fronts to alter the current reality that the People's Republic controls 60–90% of global refining and processing capacity for critical minerals and raw ores mined elsewhere (e.g., Australia), which also have to be sent to China for processing. Current efforts are scattered across several different arenas: extraction and refining, public investment and market incentivization, supply chains involving allied and partner nations, technological innovation, downstream industrial strategy, trade policy and strategic reserve, and transparency and market reforms. The Trump administration will need to weave these various lines of efforts into a grand strategy on critical minerals security. One key strategic ally in this endeavor is Kazakhstan, which can become a reliable source of 17 of the 30 minerals critical for the U.S. economy. Astana can also serve as a geopolitical partner in the forging of non-Chinese supply chains.. Most importantly, Kazakhstan, while maintaining relations with its neighbors Russia and China, has a demonstrated desire to work with the United States and its western allies. The Eurasian landmass is thus a major battleground in great power competition, particularly between the United States and China. Beijing's objective is to maintain close economic relations with Washington while at the same time it grows its military power to undermine the U.S. global position. America cannot accept this situation. And the key to dealing with it entails making critical minerals security a top national priority.