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Haining Gao
Production Executive, SCMP Plus
Haining joined the Post in early 2024 as a production executive on the SCMP Plus team. His interests lie in AI development and US-China relations. Before joining SCMP, he was a research assistant at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He holds a degree in international relations from New York University.
Haining joined the Post in early 2024 as a production executive on the SCMP Plus team. His interests lie in AI development and US-China relations. Before joining SCMP, he was a research assistant at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He holds a degree in international relations from New York University.
Areas of Expertise:
US-China relations, artificial Intelligence, diplomacyLanguages Spoken:
English, German, Mandarin
The two countries issued a statement following this week’s meeting in Beijing between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The country’s industrial strategy has shifted from targeting specific sectors towards covering all layers of production.
China and Japan have forged strong economic ties, despite having regular diplomatic rows over disputed territories and the legacy of the Second World War. The latest escalation occurred in November after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that Japan’s military forces could be deployed in the event of conflict in the Strait of Taiwan.
First-quarter GDP grew 5 per cent as strong manufacturing and exports masked weak domestic spending and a March slowdown.
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The war on Iran that has shut the Strait of Hormuz highlights China’s reliance on foreign energy supplies and shows why geopolitical risk is spurring its efforts to lower that dependence even as its economy grows.
China’s renewables drive depends on connecting power-hungry provinces in the south and east with generating regions thousands of kilometres away in the north and west.
Exports from China slowed while imports surged in the first full month of trade data following the outbreak of the US war against Iran on February 28.
China and Pakistan launched an initiative to restore stability in the Middle East.
Southeast Asia has become the biggest destination for Chinese companies going global, driven by geographical proximity, regional manufacturing skills and free-trade agreements.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has announced fresh probes of major economies under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
China’s 15th five-year plan introduces 20 detailed social and economic development targets.
Chinese firms are investing in overseas factories and marketing to develop global brands. Domestic price wars are pushing more companies to go global – “chuhai” in Chinese – in search of new growth opportunities.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer issued a statement elaborating on Trump’s decision to impose a new global tariff following Supreme Court’s ruling.
China is investing billions of dollars in Latin America, seeking access to raw materials and huge markets in an area traditionally seen in the US as “America’s backyard”.
China’s State Council released a five-part white paper about Hong Kong and national security.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is boosting the nation’s defence capabilities ahead of the 2027 centenary of the People’s Liberation Army. He has overseen improvements in hardware, including the expansion of the nuclear weapons programme, and tightened his control through high-level purges of generals.
China is likely to set its economic growth target in a range of 4.5 to 5 per cent after meeting its 2025 goal of “around 5 per cent” thanks to domestic subsidies and strong exports.
This week: China and Canada to cut tariffs, Taiwan agrees chips and tariff deal with US, China trade surplus hits record, and PBOC cuts relending rates. Next week, China economic growth may hit post-Covid low, Trump attends Davos, DeepSeek reaches first anniversary, and more.
China posted its first trade surplus above US$1 trillion in 2025 as exporters reshaped operations to weather the US trade war and imports stagnated amid lower oil prices.
The European Commission published guidance for carmakers that want to set a minimum price for China-made battery electric vehicles instead of paying tariffs.
US actions in Venezuela highlight China’s dependence on foreign oil and show why geopolitical risks are spurring its efforts to lower energy imports even as its economy grows.
In 2025, graft-busters launched corruption investigations against 65 senior Chinese officials, including eight of ministerial-level.
As the year comes to a close, SCMP Plus looks back on how the US-China trade war played out.
China has suspended export controls on critical minerals introduced in October and eased the licensing process for others following the Trump-Xi summit in South Korea.
Chinese firms are investing in overseas factories and marketing to develop global brands. Domestic price wars are pushing more companies to go global – “chuhai” in Chinese – in search of new growth opportunities.
China and Japan have built deep economic links, while also still having regular diplomatic rows. The latest blow-up came after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in November that the nation’s military forces could potentially be deployed in the event of a Taiwan conflict.
Since presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met on October 30, US-China trade relations have improved with a tariff rollback, soybean purchases resuming and new curbs put on shipments of fentanyl precursors.
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil met Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng at the fourth China-Germany high-level financial dialogue in Beijing. Below is the joint statement released by the German Ministry of Finance.
