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Jessica Sier

Yesterday

How China is embedding AI everywhere (even in nightclubs)

The country is embracing AI at breakneck speed – driven by state support, local models, and a hunger to scale up fast and beat the United States.

This Month

A Xpeng Mona M03 electric vehicle at a showroom at the company’s headquarters in Guangzhou.

China’s brutal EV price war is raising quality fears

An extreme discount war on electric vehicles has Beijing worried about a race to the bottom and damage to its international “Made in China” brand.

Australian exports to China are mostly tariff free.

Australian firms ‘copping flak’ for sticking with China

Australian executives in China say they have chosen the right side in Donald Trump’s tariff war against Beijing.

Australia’s Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles talks to the media during an interview in the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore.

Beijing lashes Australia over ‘China threat’ meeting with allies

China has condemned Australia and its allies for stoking regional tensions.

Prime Minister of Mongolia, Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai, has been ousted.

Fresh Mongolia turmoil raises stakes for Rio Tinto’s copper bet

The prime minister was forced to resign after losing a parliamentary no-confidence vote, raising questions about the $11 billion mine.

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Donald Trump has said he hoped to resolve the dispute in a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China warns Trump of ‘forceful measures’ over broken trade truce

China vowed to take strong measures to defend its interests after Washington tightened exports of chips, as trade tensions between the superpowers reignite.

Russian President Vladimir Putin with Mongolia’s Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh in  Ulaanbaatar last year. Khurelsukh is at odds with Mongolia’s government.

Rio Tinto finds its mega-mine stuck between two Mongolian strongmen

From accusations of corruption to warring political factions, the resources giant faces big headwinds building the world’s fifth-biggest copper mine.

China’s foreign ministry has told US defence secretary Peter Hegseth to stay out of its internal affairs regarding Taiwan.

China slams Hegseth’s claims of ‘imminent’ Taiwan invasion

Beijing says the US defence secretary’s comments that it is rehearsing for the real deal ‘ignored the calls of regional countries for peace and development’.

May

Andrew Leece - founder of Sharon Ai - stand to be big beneficiary of China/US semiconductor chip war.

How an obscure Aussie AI firm is cashing in on Trump’s chip wars

As the US-China computing battle intensifies, Sydney-based Sharon AI sees explosive demand from Asian firms scrambling for Nvidia’s GPUs.

CATL is off to the races in Hong Kong.

China’s battery giant eyes global domination in Trump era

CATL pulled off the world’s biggest stock listing so far this year. But the global maker of EV batteries has become caught in US-China tensions.

Japan’s tariff-hit car giants in fight of their lives

Donald Trump’s vehicle levies could slash an average 18 per cent off volume sales from Toyota, Nissan and Honda in their most important market.

Pipelines at a LNG terminal operated by Tokyo Gas in Sodegaura.

‘Major shift in our understanding’: Japan resells more Australian gas

Japan is reselling record volumes of Australian liquid natural gas to Asian trading partners, sparking concerns over domestic shortages.

Huawei chips have received another ban from the US.

China slams Trump’s new chip ban, reigniting trade tensions

Beijing has criticised Washington’s ban on Huawei semiconductors, deepening the tech war even as a temporary tariff truce was sealed this week.

The trade truce comes as Xi Jinping faces economic challenges at home.

Xi emerges stronger after US trade deal

The Chinese President has claimed a strategic victory, but simmering discontent at home and a sluggish economy could test his grip on power.

Yang Hengjun has written a heartfelt letter to the freshly re-elected Labor government.

Yang appeals to PM to intensify push to free him from Chinese prison

Jailed Australian writer Yang Hengjun is urging Anthony Albanese to use his re-election to intensify efforts to have him repatriated for urgent medical care.

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Even with the tariff reprieve, “markets appear stuck in wait-and-see mode”, according to Macquarie.

Wall St went nuts with the trade truce. China markets, not so much

The US and China both claimed victory with their 90-day trade war truce this week, but their respective share markets have diverged.

Anthony Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in 2024.

Xi Jinping congratulates Albanese, urges closer ties

The leader says he is prepared to “advance the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership in a steady fashion”.

Chinese President Xi Jinping believes he has more patience than Donald Trump.

Xi strikes a blow for old-school economic nationalism

While both governments hailed the temporary trade agreement as a win, the details point to a diplomatic victory for Beijing, at least in the short term.

US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, left, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

US and China agree to slash tariffs

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US would cut existing tariffs to 30 per cent for 90 days while China will lower duties on US goods to 10 per cent.

Top US and China delegations are meeting to try and de-escalate the trade war.

‘No quick cosmetic fix’ for China at US trade talks

China is looking for substantive progress at the negotiations in Geneva, contradicting Donald Trump’s claims of a “total reset” in trade relations.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/by/jessica-sier-j7ge4