Will China be a lower US defence priority? A new strategy report will soon tell

By Sylvie Zhuang in Beijing The Pentagon’s coming defence strategy report will contain major changes in the US’ plans to counter China’s military and economic strength, according to Chinese defence researchers. The new National Defence Strategy, a road map of defence priorities for each US president’s term, is expected to be released in the coming […]

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China’s Wingtech says Dutch court freezes control of Nexperia amid ‘national security’ dispute

By Finbarr Bermingham in Brussels In a move that could dent China’s relations with the European Union, Chinese technology company Wingtech said control of its Dutch subsidiary Nexperia has been effectively frozen, following an intervention by a government ministry and court in the Netherlands. In a corporate filing dated October 13, lodged with the Shanghai […]

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Japan’s Nobel wins shine light on worrying brain drain, especially to ‘generous’ China

By Julian Ryall Japan’s scientific community is celebrating two Nobel wins this week, but the accolades have also reignited concern over the country’s ability to retain its top researchers amid growing competition from overseas. The wins have renewed scrutiny of the country’s research system, with observers citing poor funding, job insecurity and rigid institutions as […]

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Trump cancels meeting with Xi amid rare earth trade clash

By Khushboo Razdan in Washington US President Donald Trump on Friday cancelled a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, accusing Beijing of “hostile” trade behaviour after it further expanded export controls on rare earth elements. In a social media post, Trump said he had been “surprised” by China’s move, which he claimed would “clog […]

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Why new EU steel tariffs to curb Chinese imports are giving carmakers a headache

By Xiaofei Xu in Paris A proposed increase to EU steel tariffs has already sown alarm among the continent’s car manufacturers, with stocks of major players plunging in the immediate aftermath of the announcement and industry insiders warning the measures could worsen cost pressures already weighing down growth in the sector. Following a Tuesday statement […]

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Japan’s Takaichi eyes expanding coalition

Japan’s incoming new prime minister Sanae Takaichi has approached an opposition party with a view to expanding the governing coalition to give it a working majority in parliament, reports said Tuesday. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its longstanding junior partner Komeito have been in a minority in the lower and upper chambers since recent […]

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China says US ambassador to Panama ‘spreading lies’ after ‘malign’ presence jibe

By Orange Wang Diplomatic tensions between China and the United States over Panama have flared up once again, with the Chinese embassy in the Central American country accusing Washington’s top envoy there of “spreading lies” to undermine Beijing’s regional ties. This comes after the US ambassador to Panama, Kevin Cabrera, said that Washington viewed China’s presence […]

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From heavy metal drummer to Japan’s first female PM in waiting: Who is Sanae Takaichi?

Sanae Takaichi came out top in a male-dominated race to lead Japan’s ruling party on Saturday, putting her on course to emulate her hero, former British leader Margaret Thatcher, and become her country’s first female prime minister. The fiscal dove’s surprise victory may jolt investor confidence in one of the world’s most indebted economies, while […]

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