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WHO panel favors natural origin of COVID-19 virus but decries missing evidence: New report doesn't rule out that SARS-CoV-2 leaked from a lab in China, but says evidence for scenario remains "speculation" (LINK) 27 June 2025

— Panel dismissed theories, widely promoted by China, that imported frozen fish introduced it to that country. The report stresses that the panel "is not currently able to conclude exactly when, where and how SARS-CoV-2 first entered the human population".

China confirms details of U.S. trade deal, says it seeks to allow rare earth exports and easing of tech restrictions (LINK) 27 June 2025

US digs heels in over China's bid to host ITU's World Radiocommunication Conference in 2027: the other contender, Rwanda, withdrew last week (LINK) 23 June 2025

U.S.-China trade deal includes 55% tariff, Trump says. Deal also settles rare earths issues (LINK) 10 June 2025

China extends an olive branch to Western auto giants over rare earth shortage (LINK) 7 June 2025

— China's Ministry of Commerce on 7 June said it was willing to establish a so-called "green channel" for eligible export license applications to expedite the approval process to European Union firms. Beijing also granted rare earth licenses to suppliers of U.S. auto giants General Motors, Ford and Jeep-maker Stellantis, Reuters reported on 6 June.

Chinese nationals accused of smuggling into US 'biological pathogen' which damages a variety of crops and is toxic to humans and animals — (LINK) 3 June 2025

Trump says China has 'totally violated' agreement with US on tariffs (LINK) — ground.news: 6 media reports (LINK) 30 May 2025

— A 90-day tariff suspension was agreed on May 12, intended as a temporary truce after tariffs imposed earlier by both countries sparked economic tension.

China forms new Hong Kong-based International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) with over 30 developing countries (LINK) — ground.news: 44 media reports (LINK) 29 May 2025

Hong Kong pro-democracy and gay rights activist Jimmy Sham and 3 others released after 4 years in prison (LINK) — ground.news: 18 media reports (LINK) 30 May 2025

— Sham's activism made headlines during 2019 anti-government protests, when he was the convenor of a now-disbanded pro-democracy group that organized some of the biggest peaceful marches that year, including one that drew an estimated 2 million people.

— Sham was among 47 activists arrested in 2021 for their roles in an unofficial primary election. He was sentenced with 44 other activists last year after judges ruled that their plans to effect change through the primary would have undermined the government's authority and create a constitutional crisis. Only two of the original defendants were acquitted.

Trump administration pledges to 'aggressively revoke' US visas for Chinese students with "connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields" (LINK) 29 May 2025

G7 nations paper over differences on tariffs and Ukraine, agree to address 'imbalances', a swipe at China's trade practices (LINK) 22 May 2025

Only one country in the world produces all the food it needs, study finds: Guyana. China and Vietnam were close behind, being able to produced enough food in six out of seven food groups (LINK) 22 May 2025

'Rogue' communication devices found in Chinese solar inverters raises cybersecurity alarm (LINK) 14 May 2025

US imposes sanctions on over 20 companies it says helped send Iranian oil to China and used the proceeds to fund terrorist activities: sanctions target a network controlled by Sepehr Energy, the commercial affiliate of Iran's Armed Forces General Staff, which uses front companies to conceal oil shipments. (LINK) — ground.news: 38 media reports (LINK) — 13 May 2025

GD Culture Group, Chinese firm with zero revenue, bought up to $300 million of $Trump meme coin (LINK) 13 May 2025

Trump claims 'total reset' in US-China trade relations from continuing tariff talks in Geneva (LINK) 11 May 2025

President Trump has expressed a readiness to drastically cut U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, hinting at a potential 80% tariff as the new rate (LINK) 9 May 2025

China has cut interest rates and bank reserve requirements as part of a barrage of measures meant to counter the blow to its economy from U.S. (LINK) 7 May 2025

Top US officials will meet with Chinese delegation in Switzerland at weekend in first major talks of trade war (LINK) 7 May 2025

US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent tells Congress the Trump Admin has NOT held any negotiations with China over tariffs (LINK) 6 May 2025

China waives 125% tariffs on U.S. ethane imports to ease pressure on Chinese petrochemical firms, Reuters reports (LINK) — ground.news: 21 media reports (LINK) — 30 April 2025

— China initially imposed the tariff earlier in April as a countermeasure against U.S. tariffs announced by President Donald Trump. China accounts for about 50% of the United States' ethane export market, with all major Chinese importers relying on this feedstock for their chemical manufacturing.

China's factory activity drops to a near two-year low in April as trade tariffs bite (LINK) — ground.news: 143 media reports (LINK) — 30 April 2025

China amps up nuclear ambitions with 10 new reactor approvals (LINK) — ground.news: 20 media reports (LINK) — 28 April 2025

— China now leads the world in nuclear power scale with 102 reactors in operation, under construction, or approved, reaching 113 million kilowatts of capacity.

China and Philippines unfurl competing flags on disputed South China Sea sandbars of Sandy Cay, reviving tensions (LINK) — ground.news: 28 media reports (LINK) — 28 April 2025

World's tallest abandoned skyscraper resumes construction: nearly 600m-tall Goldin Finance 117 in the Chinese port city of Tianjin was paused in 2015 because of financial difficulties. (LINK) — 25 April 2025

China has denied U.S. President Donald Trump's assertion that the two sides were involved in active negotiations over tariffs, saying that any suggestion of progress in this matter was as groundless as "trying to catch the wind" (LINK) — 24 April 2025

China to allow overseas investors access to more sectors (LINK) — ground.news: 19 media reports (LINK) — 24 April 2025

China warns countries against striking trade deals with US to curb trade with China: threatens "countermeasures" (LINK) — 21 April 2025

U.S. LNG expansion plans unravel as trade war escalates with China (LINK) — 18 April 2025

China hosts world's first half-marathon race between humans and robots: some 21 humanoid robots, sourced from Chinese manufacturers, raced alongside thousands of runners around the 21km course in Beijing (LINK)— ground.news: 151 media reports (LINK) — 18 April 2025

Trump administration announces fees on Chinese-built vessels at US ports (LINK) — 17 April 2025

Chinese police say NSA hacked networks of Asian Winter Games: three supposed NSA operatives named. — 15 April 2025 (LINK)

Markets pick up slightly after earlier falls amid increasing fears of recession while White House insists Trump's tariffs are 'proven economic formula'. — 11 April 2025 (LINK)

— Treasury bond yields rose on Friday, a sign of further instability in what's supposed to be a very safe financial asset to hold. The benchmark is the 10-year treasury bond, the yield of which rose to 4.6% today, over half a percentage point since last week. This is a big deal because the yield on treasury bonds are closely tied with the cost of other loans, like mortgages or car loans. So if the yield rises, loans like mortgages are likely to go up as well.

China raises tariffs on US to 125% but says they won't go higher. — (LINK)— ground.news: 303 media reports — 11 April 2025 (LINK)

Deal extension allows Trump ally Argentina to borrow another $5 billion from China — (LINK)— ground.news: 23 media reports — 10 April 2025 (LINK)

China to raise tariffs on US goods from 34% to 84% in response to Trump tariffs — (LINK) — ground.news: 501 media reports — 9 April 2025 (LINK)

China vows to "fight to the end" with retaliation over Trump's tariffs threat as trade war ramps up — 8 April 2025 (LINK)

Trump threatens new 50% tariffs on China if Beijing doesn't remove retaliatory duties (LINK) — ground.news: 390 media reports (LINK)

Nursing home fire kills at least 20 people in China, probe launched — (LINK) — ground.news: 34 media reports — 8 April 2025 (LINK)

China imposes a 34% tariff on imports of all U.S. products starting April 10 — 4 April 2025 (LINK)

Trump grants 75-day extension for TikTok sale as negotiations progress (LINK) — ground.news: 455 media reports (LINK) — 4 April 2025

China urges U.S. to 'immediately' cancel reciprocal tariffs, vows counter-measures: President Trump announced a total of 54% tariffs on China, including a new 34% levy on imports, effective April 9. (LINK) — ground.news: 41 media reports (LINK) — 3 April 2025

U.S. reaffirms commitment to Taiwan as Beijing conducts live fire drills in East China Sea — 1 April 2025 (LINK)

Crypto transactions link Chinese fentanyl suppliers to Mexican cartels: Chainalysis — 20 March 2025 (LINK)

US firm, asset management giant BlackRock, agrees to buy HongKong-owned Panama Canal ports at centre of Trump fury. — 4 March 2025 (LINK)

China suspends imports of US logs and soybeans from three firms. — 4 March 2025 (LINK)

China, Canada And Mexico retaliation as Trump's tariffs go into effect. — 3 March 2025 (LINK)

— Beijing announced 10-15% increases in import duties on several key American agricultural and food products and expanded export controls on 15 U.S. firms. China's finance ministry said an additional 15% tariff will be imposed on U.S. chicken, wheat, corn and cotton imports, while U.S. soybeans, sorghum, pork, beef, aquatic products, fruits and vegetables and dairy imports will face an additional 10% levy — both of which will go into effect on March 10. In a separate announcement, China's ministry of commerce announced it was expanding its export controls on dual use items — which can be used for both civilian and military purposes — to target several U.S. defence contractors, including Leidos, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems.

US intel shows Russia and China are attempting to recruit disgruntled federal employees, sources say. — 28 February 2025 (LINK)

Hong Kong to slash 10,000 civil service jobs, push AI in bid to reverse deficit. — 26 February 2025 (LINK) — ground.news: 16 media reports (LINK)

Hong Kong's largest pro-democracy party takes initial step toward disbanding. — 20 February 2025 (LINK) — ground.news: 12 media reports (LINK)

China's holdings of US Treasuries fall to lowest level since 2009. — 19 February 2025 (LINK limited)

— Analysts say the change partly reflects China's desire to diversify its foreign reserves by buying assets such as gold. But they add that Beijing is seeking to disguise the true extent of its Treasury holdings by shifting them to custodian accounts registered elsewhere.

China urged the United States to "correct its mistakes" after the U.S. State Department removed previous wording on its website about not supporting Taiwan independence, which it said was part of a routine update. — 17 February 2025 (LINK)

— The fact sheet on Taiwan, updated last week, retains Washington's opposition to unilateral change from either Taiwan or from China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own. But as well as dropping the phrase "we do not support Taiwan independence", the page added a reference to Taiwan's cooperation with a Pentagon technology and semiconductor development project and says the U.S. will support Taiwan's membership in international organisations "where applicable".

Council on Foreign Relations: Southeast Asia: Trump's commitment to tariffs and unwillingness to foster trade stability in Asia might lead Asian countries, as well as Australia, New Zealand, and many developing regions, to increasingly rely on Chinese goods and technology — well beyond auto manufacturing. — 14 February 2025 (LINK)

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei denied entry to Switzerland due to lack of visa. — 11 February 2025 (LINK)

— Ai Weiwei, 67, was imprisoned in China in 2011 and banned from traveling after making statements critical of the government. He was eventually released and left the country.

China imposes up to 15% tariffs on select U.S. imports in response to Trump's tariffs. — 4 February 2025 (LINK) — ground.news: 452 media reports (LINK)

— China imposed tariffs on a range of products, including liquefied natural gas, coal, farm machinery and other imports from the United States. Peking slapped an additional 10 percent tariff on crude oil, agricultural equipment, larger cars and pickup trucks, as well as an additional 15 percent tariff on coal and natural gas. China slapped an additional 10 percent tariff on crude oil, agricultural equipment, larger cars and pickup trucks, as well as an additional 15 percent tariff on coal and natural gas. It also announced new restrictions on exports of tungsten, tellurium, molybdenum, and other metals used in cutting-edge technology products, citing "national security and interests." The government also put PVH — the American retailer that owns the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands — on its "unreliable entities" list — (LINK)

— China has revived antitrust investigations into Google and Nvidia, while considering a new probe against Intel.

Ex-senior U.S. Federal Reserve advisor charged with economic espionage to benefit China. — 31 January 2025 (LINK)

Italy blocks access to the Chinese AI application DeepSeek to protect users' data. — 31 January 2025 (LINK) — ground.news: 92 media reports (LINK)

— This block means that DeepSeek will not be available on app stores in Italy. However, the ban could be bypassed online through use of virtual private networks.

Alibaba's Qwen 2.5 is better than DeepSeek's R1 but underperformed in creative writing tasks if compared to other AI models. — 31 January 2025 (LINK)

South China Sea: Philippines arrests five more Chinese for 'spying' on Philippine Navy assets in Palawan. — 30 January 2025 (LINK) — ground.news: 16 media reports (LINK)

DeepSeek and ChatGPT answer sensitive questions about China differently. — 28 January 2025 (LINK)

— For example: What does Winnie the Pooh mean in China? For many Chinese, the Winnie the Pooh character is a playful taunt of President Xi Jinping. ChatGPT got that idea right. DeepSeek's chatbot said the bear is a beloved cartoon character that is adored by countless children and families in China, symbolizing joy and friendship. Then, abruptly, it said the Chinese government is "dedicated to providing a wholesome cyberspace for its citizens." It added that all online content is managed following Chinese laws and socialist core values, with the aim of protecting national security and social stability.

DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng puts focus on Chinese innovation. — 28 January 2025 (LINK)

— Under Liang's leadership, DeepSeek deliberately avoided app-building. Instead, it concentrated research talent and resources on creating a model that could match, or better OpenAI, and it hopes in the future to continue focusing on cutting-edge models that will be used by other companies to build consumer and enterprise-facing AI products.

New Trump CIA chief declassifies COVID 'lab leak' assessment but the agency says it only has "low confidence" in this theory. — 25 January 2025 (LINK)

China gives government workers first big pay bump in a decade to boost economy. — 3 January 2025 (LINK) — ground.news: 17 media reports (LINK)