What Happened With China?

Every summary we've sent on China since January 1, 2025, newest first, each linked to its source. Each brief goes up here 14 days after our readers get it by text the morning it happens. Get today's brief here.

The Latest on China

Monday, September 28, 2026

Full Brief
  1. 1

    US & China agree to 8 measures during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit, including $30B reciprocal tariff reduction arrangement, AI dialogue to "exchange views on AI risks & benefits" & bilateral channel for "AI incidents"

Every Summary on China

September 20265 Summaries

  1. Monday, September 28, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      US & China agree to 8 measures during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit, including $30B reciprocal tariff reduction arrangement, AI dialogue to "exchange views on AI risks & benefits" & bilateral channel for "AI incidents"

  2. Thursday, September 24, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      Institute of International Finance: Global debt hits record $365T in Jan-Jun 2026 (+3% vs $355T by 2025 end); Debt across governments, businesses, banks & households in emerging economies rises to $110T (+6% vs $103.5T) led by China

    2. 4

      US & China extend May trade truce through Jan 10 (vs Nov 10 previous expiry) as officials seek "bigger deal"

  3. Monday, September 21, 2026Full Brief
    1. 5

      China imposes permanent 280K+ sq km restricted airspace zone around Beijing (barring most non-commercial flights) covering area with 100M people; Rule follows Jun light-aircraft crash into Beijing's tallest skyscraper

  4. Wednesday, September 2, 2026Full Brief
    1. 5

      Fast fashion giant Shein debuts on Hong Kong stock market at $26.5B valuation (-74% vs $100B 2022 peak) after previous listing attempts in NY & London failed to secure Chinese regulatory approval

August 20268 Summaries

  1. Friday, August 28, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      Vietnam surpasses Taiwan ($107B), Mexico ($103B) & China ($74B) as largest source of US goods trade deficit with $114B surplus in 1st half of 2026; US imports from Vietnam hit $123B (+40% year-over-year)

  2. Monday, August 24, 2026Full Brief
    1. 6

      TikTok US & China-based parent ByteDance reach $400M DOJ settlement over 2024 lawsuit alleging collection of personal data from children <13yo without parental consent

  3. Thursday, August 20, 2026Full Brief
    1. 5

      Pentagon orders 30 US universities to "audit academic, financial & research ties with 130 foreign institutions (including 88 in China); Schools given 2wks to report findings & actions to "maintain eligibility for future federal research funding"

  4. Friday, August 14, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      Counterpoint Research: Chinese memory chipmaker YMTC overtakes Japan's Kioxia as world's 3rd largest flash memory supplier after capturing 14% of shipments in Q2 2026; Korea's Samsung (25%) & SK Hynix (22%) maintain lead

  5. Thursday, August 13, 2026Full Brief
    1. 5

      German banking giant Deutsche Bank becomes 1st non-Chinese bank to directly process yuan payments between Europe & China, easing access to China's payment system for European banks & businesses

  6. Tuesday, August 11, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall in eastern China, forcing 1M+ evacuations; Strongest storm to hit China this year prompts 280K evacuations in Shanghai, China's financial hub

  7. Friday, August 7, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      China announces export controls on drones to US & bans dealings with 6 US companies, organizations, citing "no choice but to take necessary countermeasures" after US restrictions on Chinese drones & 43 firms

  8. Monday, August 3, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      US adds 43 Chinese companies to import ban list over alleged "forced labor" involving China's predominantly Muslim Uyghur minority, bringing total to 187 firms across electronics, food, metals & battery supply chains

July 20264 Summaries

  1. Monday, July 27, 2026Full Brief
    1. 5

      China memory chipmaker CXMT raises $8.6B in Asia's largest 2026 stock market debut, becoming mainland China's most valuable listed company at ~$520B; CXMT held 7.7% of global phone & server memory chip market in 2025

  2. Tuesday, July 21, 2026Full Brief
    1. 5

      India launches 1st privately developed orbital rocket, becoming 3rd country after US & China to achieve milestone; Government targets $44B space economy by 2033

  3. Friday, July 17, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      DHS limits foreign student & exchange visitor stays to 4yrs, journalist visas to 240 days & Chinese journalist visas to 90 days, replacing eligibility-based stays with fixed terms to "enable periodic vetting to strengthen national security"

  4. Thursday, July 16, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      China's economy grows +4.3% annually in Q2 (slowest pace since Q4 2022) as weak domestic demand (retail sales +1.3%) contrasts with strong export growth (+13.4%)

June 20264 Summaries

  1. Wednesday, June 24, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      Chinese supercomputer LineShine becomes world's fastest, giving China top supercomputer ranking for 1st time since 2017; System achieves 2.2 exaflops (>2 quintillion calculations/sec)

  2. Wednesday, June 17, 2026Full Brief
    1. 5

      Chinese AI company DeepSeek raises $7.4B at $50B+ valuation in 1st funding round, becoming China's most valuable AI startup

  3. Tuesday, June 9, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons: Nuclear weapons spending by 9 nuclear-armed nations hits record $119B in 2025 (+19% vs $100B in 2024); US leads at $69B followed by China ($14B), UK ($13B) & Russia ($10B)

    2. 3

      Pentagon adds Chinese tech giants Alibaba, Baidu & EV maker BYD to list of 188 "Chinese military companies operating in US" alleging firms provide "commercial support to China's military"

May 20268 Summaries

  1. Thursday, May 28, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      China industrial profits rise 24.7% in Apr (vs 15.8% in Mar) fastest growth since Nov 2023, driven by AI-chip, electronics & mining sectors

  2. Wednesday, May 27, 2026Full Brief
    1. 6

      US, India, Japan & Australia launch "Quad" critical minerals & Indo-Pacific energy security initiatives amid concerns over "coercive" actions in South China Sea & disruptions to Red Sea/Strait of Hormuz shipping

  3. Tuesday, May 26, 2026Full Brief
    1. 6

      China launches 3 astronauts into space 7mos after previous crewed mission, advancing Beijing's plans for Moon landing by 2030

  4. Thursday, May 21, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      China & Russia sign 40+ agreements "deepening AI, energy & trade cooperation" amid push for "multipolar world opposed to unilateralism & hegemony"

  5. Tuesday, May 19, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      US & China establish new trade & investment boards during Trump's China visit as Beijing commits to buying 200 Boeing aircraft & $17B annually in US farm exports; Trump & President Xi agree Iran "cannot have nuclear weapon" & reaffirm N Korea denuclearization

  6. Monday, May 18, 2026Full Brief
    1. 6

      Solomon Islands elects (26-22) 57yo opposition leader Matthew Wale as PM after predecessor Jeremiah Manele's government collapses in no-confidence vote amid debate over China relations

  7. Wednesday, May 13, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      DOJ charges Arcadia, CA Mayor Eileen Wang with "acting as illegal agent of China" after allegedly "coordinating with Chinese officials to distribute pro-Beijing propaganda in US"; Wang resigns & agrees to plead guilty

  8. Tuesday, May 5, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      China blocks US sanctions on 5 Chinese refiners allegedly linked to Iran oil trades to protect "sovereignty & security"; Claims measures "violate international law & lack UN authorization"

April 20267 Summaries

  1. Tuesday, April 28, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      International Energy Agency report: Electric car sales hit record 21M in 2025 (+20% vs ~17.5M in 2024), accounting for 25% of cars sold globally; China surpasses 50% EV share for 1st time

  2. Friday, April 24, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      US Energy Information Administration report: China holds world's largest strategic oil reserves at ~1.4B barrels in 2025, followed by US (~413M) & Japan (~263M); Top 10 countries account for ~70% of global inventories

  3. Friday, April 17, 2026Full Brief
    1. 6

      Pew Research: Share of Americans with positive views of China rises to 27% (vs 21% in 2025) with 73% holding "unfavorable" views (vs 79%); Americans calling China "enemy" fall to 28% (vs 33% in 2025)

  4. Thursday, April 16, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      Stanford University report: Global corporate AI investment hits $582B in 2025 (+130% vs $252B in 2024) with US leading at $286B (+2.2K% vs China's $12B); Generative AI reaches 53% global adoption in 3yrs

  5. Wednesday, April 15, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      Chinese President Xi outlines 4-point Middle East peace framework calling for "peaceful coexistence, national sovereignty, development-security balance & UN-centered system"; Says China will play "constructive role" in region

  6. Wednesday, April 1, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      Pakistan & China unveil "5-Point Initiative" peace plan for Middle East conflict calling for "immediate cessation of hostilities, UN-led multilateralism & restored shipping through Strait of Hormuz"

    2. 4

      China launches World Data Organization with 200+ members across 40+ countries spanning firms, universities & institutions to "advance data governance & digital economy cooperation"

March 20265 Summaries

  1. Monday, March 16, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      China approves world's 1st commercially available brain-computer implant designed to restore hand movement in paralyzed patients

    2. 5

      Gallup poll: Record-low share of Americans view Canada (80%) & Great Britain (76%) favorably; Japan (85%) & Italy (84%) rank highest; China (34%) & Russia (17%); North Korea & Iran lowest at 13%

  2. Friday, March 13, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      US launches probe into alleged "manufacturing overcapacity" across 16 trade partners including China, EU, Japan & India to "assess whether policies burden/restrict US commerce"

  3. Wednesday, March 11, 2026Full Brief
    1. 6

      China-North Korea passenger train services resume for 1st time since 2020 COVID border closures

  4. Friday, March 6, 2026Full Brief
    1. 5

      China sets 2026 economy growth (measured by GDP) target at 4.5-5%, lowest since 1991; Beijing also targets 5.5% urban unemployment, 12M+ new jobs & 2% inflation

February 20268 Summaries

  1. Thursday, February 26, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      NBCUniversal report: Milan Cortina Winter Olympics averaged 23.5M viewers (+96% vs 2022 Beijing), highest Winter Games audience since 2014 Sochi; 215M+ Americans reached as streaming hit record 16.7B mins (+140% vs all prior Winter Games combined)

  2. Wednesday, February 18, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      Peru's Congress ousts (75-24) interim President Jose Jeri, removing leader 4mo after taking office over undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessmen; Impeachment marks 2nd presidential ouster in <6mo & 6th departure before term's end within past decade

  3. Monday, February 16, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      China removes tariffs for 53 African nations (vs previously 33) "to increase China-Africa trade" which reached $222B in early 2025; Eswatini exempt for "maintaining diplomatic relations with Taiwan"

  4. Thursday, February 12, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      NATO launches "Arctic Sentry" multi-domain security initiative to "ensure collective security" amid "Russia's increasing military activity & China's growing interest in region"

  5. Wednesday, February 11, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      Taiwan's exports surge to record $65.8B (+70% year-over-year vs $38.7B in 2025), fastest monthly pace in 16yrs, driven by AI chip demands; Shipments to US jump +152%, China +50%

  6. Tuesday, February 10, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      Hong Kong court sentences ex-media tycoon & China critic Jimmy Lai to 20yrs in jail for "seditious publications & collusion with foreign forces"; Court says Lai "mastermind seeking foreign sanctions against China & CCP downfall"

  7. Wednesday, February 4, 2026Full Brief
    1. 5

      China's Industry & IT Ministry (MIIT) report: China's shipbuilding industry maintains world's largest market share for 16th consecutive year in 2025, reaching 54M deadweight tonnes output (+11% year-over-year), 56% of global total

  8. Monday, February 2, 2026Full Brief
    1. 5

      World Steel Association report: Global crude steel production falls to 1.85B tons in 2025 (-2% vs 1.89B in 2024), led by China dropping -4.4%; US output rises +3.1%, overtaking Japan (-4%) for 1st time in 26yrs

January 202611 Summaries

  1. Monday, January 26, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      TikTok establishes independent US joint venture "to meet US regulatory requirements"; Investment firms Silver Lake, Oracle & MGX (15% stake each) lead US investor group, with Chinese parent ByteDance retaining 20%

  2. Friday, January 23, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      US withdraws from World Health Organization, citing WHO's "delayed COVID-19 pandemic declaration, praise for China's underreporting, lack of reforms & inability to resist political influence"

  3. Thursday, January 22, 2026Full Brief
    1. 5

      UK approves China's "mega-embassy" plans for central London; 20K sqm facility (largest in Europe) will consolidate Chinese diplomatic presence from 7 sites

  4. Tuesday, January 20, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      China's birth rate hits record low at 5.6 per 1K people in 2025 (-17% vs 6.8 in 2024); Fertility rate falls to ~1 birth per woman (vs 2.1 replacement rate) amid high child-rearing costs & lifestyle preferences

  5. Thursday, January 15, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      China's trade surplus (when country exports more goods than imports) surges to record $1.2T in 2025 (+20% vs $992B in 2024) as exports rise +5.5%, offsetting -20% fall in US exports by increasing sales to Africa, SE Asia, EU & Latin America

    2. 5

      US approves Nvidia H200 chip exports to China, requiring shipments not exceed 50% of domestic US sales; Trump admin reverses initial restriction shifting from "presumption of denial to case-by-case review"

  6. Wednesday, January 14, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      Carbon Brief data: Coal power generation falls in China & India in 2025 for 1st time in 52yrs; China's coal output drops -1.6% & India's -3% from record clean-energy additions & milder weather

  7. Thursday, January 8, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      China launches antidumping probe into Japanese semiconductor chemical imports day after banning "dual-use" exports (products or materials serving both civilian & military use), escalating trade tensions over Japanese PM Takaichi's Taiwan remarks

  8. Tuesday, January 6, 2026Full Brief
    1. 5

      Chinese automaker BYD overtakes Tesla as world's biggest electric vehicle maker after selling 2.3M units in 2025 vs Tesla's 1.6M (Tesla's 2nd consecutive annual sales decline)

  9. Monday, January 5, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      Thailand & Cambodia sign new China-mediated ceasefire, ending weeks of border fighting over territorial claims; Clashes since Dec 7 kill 26 Thai soldiers & 30 Cambodian civilians, displacing hundreds of thousands

    2. 5

      China holds largest military drills to date around Taiwan simulating seizure & blockade "as warning against Taiwan Independence separatist forces," days after US announces record $11B weapons package to Taiwan

December 20258 Summaries

  1. Wednesday, December 24, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      FCC bans new foreign-made drones including Chinese brands DJI (world's largest drone maker) & Autel, citing "unacceptable risks" to national security; Decision excludes models already approved & currently in use in US

    2. 6

      US pushes tariff increase on Chinese semiconductors to Jun 2027 (specific rate to be determined at least 1mo in advance) with initial tariff rate set at 0 for 18mos, citing China's "unfair trade practices"

  2. Friday, December 19, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      US announces record $11B arms package to Taiwan including missiles, artillery & drones; China condemns move as threat to sovereignty & regional stability

  3. Tuesday, December 16, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      Hong Kong's biggest pro-democracy party votes to disband after 30yrs+ of activism amid alleged pressure from China

  4. Thursday, December 11, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      EU agrees on 90% greenhouse gas emissions cut by 2040 to achieve climate neutrality by 2050; EU accounts for 6% of global total emissions in 2024, 4th behind China, US & India

  5. Tuesday, December 9, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump unveils $12B farm aid package, including $11B in payments to row-crop farmers & $1B for specialty crops to "help offset low prices, inflation & reduced exports to China"

    2. 2

      China's trade surplus (when country exports more goods than imports) hits $1T for 1st time as overall exports rise +5.9% in Nov, offsetting -29% drop in US exports by increasing sales to Europe, Africa, Latin America & Asia

  6. Monday, December 8, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      Trump unveils 2025 National Security Strategy prioritizing Western Hemisphere dominance, drug & migration control, pushing for energy independence while rejecting climate goals, urging Europe to resolve Ukraine war & maintaining tough China stance deterring conflict over Taiwan

November 20256 Summaries

  1. Tuesday, November 18, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      UN Security Council approves (13-0, China & Russia abstain) Trump's Gaza peace plan, authorizing creation of International Stabilization Force (peacekeepers to demilitarize Gaza) & Board of Peace (transitional administration for Gaza reconstruction)

  2. Monday, November 17, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      DOJ creates "Scam Center Strike Force" targeting Chinese-run "pig butchering" crypto scams operating from Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Burma) defrauding Americans of ~$10B/yr

  3. Wednesday, November 12, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      Guinea inaugurates $23B China-backed Simandou iron ore mine (world's largest mining project) with 404 miles of railway & port infrastructure capable of exporting 120M tonnes of iron ore annually

  4. Tuesday, November 11, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      China suspends port fees on US-linked vessels for 1yr after US pauses sanctions on China's shipping & shipbuilding sectors, following Trump-Xi agreements in Oct

  5. Monday, November 10, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      China suspends export ban (imposed Dec 2024) on semiconductor metals (including gallium, germanium & antimony) to US until Nov 2026 following Trump-Xi agreement to reduce tariffs & pause trade measures for 1yr

  6. Thursday, November 6, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      China will lift retaliatory tariffs on US imports starting Nov 10 after Trump-Xi meeting, but keeps 13% duty on soybeans, leaving US exports more costly vs cheaper Brazilian suppliers

October 202512 Summaries

  1. Friday, October 31, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump & Chinese President Xi meet for 1st time in 6yrs, agree to reduce China tariffs to 47% (-18% vs previous 57%) as Beijing pledges fentanyl crackdown, soybean purchases & 1yr pause on rare earth export curbs

  2. Wednesday, October 29, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      US & Japan sign rare earths & nuclear power deal covering next-gen nuclear reactors, mineral projects to boost US supply chains, cutting China reliance ahead of Trump-Xi talks

    2. 2

      China & ASEAN sign expanded free trade pact adding cooperation on e-commerce, clean energy & supply chains; China claims ASEAN's top partner for 16yrs, with trade hitting $982B in 2024 (vs $236B in 2010)

  3. Tuesday, October 28, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      US signs trade & critical minerals deals with Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia & Vietnam at ASEAN summit; Countries pay 19-20% tariffs on most exports to US while eliminating tariffs on US goods (Thailand removes 99%); All 4 pledge greater market access amid China's rare earth export curbs

  4. Thursday, October 23, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Gold prices plunge -6% to $4.1K/oz in largest sell-off in 10yrs+ after hitting record high $4.3K on Mon, as investors take profits amid renewed US-China trade optimism & stronger dollar, ending 2025's 50%+ gold rally

    2. 3

      China overtakes US as Germany's top trading partner as Trump tariffs cut German exports by -7% in 1st 8mo of 2025 (-24% year-over-year); US ended China's 8yr streak in 2024 but Trump tariffs reversed shift

  5. Wednesday, October 22, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      US & Australia sign $8.5B critical minerals deal for lithium, silicon & rare earths as China alternative after Beijing tightened export controls on rare earth magnets

  6. Tuesday, October 21, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      China's economy (measured by GDP) grows +4.8% year-over-year in Q3 (slowest in 1yr) as fixed-asset investment (real estate, infrastructure & manufacturing) contracts -0.5% for 1st time since 2020

  7. Friday, October 17, 2025Full Brief
    1. 6

      Pew Research: Global concern about AI outweighs excitement (34% vs 16%), with half of US, Italy, Australia & Brazil adults mainly concerned; 53% trust EU to regulate AI vs US (37%) & China (27%)

  8. Monday, October 13, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      China imposes retaliatory port fees of $56/ton per voyage on American-owned ships docking in country, mirroring US's port fees on Chinese vessels ahead of Trump-Xi trade talks

  9. Friday, October 10, 2025Full Brief
    1. 6

      China expands export rules for chip & defense users ahead of Trump-Xi meeting; Foreign firms now need export licenses, deepening world's top rare earths producer's tech split with US allies

  10. Wednesday, October 8, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      Ember research: Renewable energy surpasses coal as world's largest electricity source for 1st time; Solar & wind met 100% of new power demand in early 2025, led by China & India

September 202512 Summaries

  1. Tuesday, September 30, 2025Full Brief
    1. 6

      China opens Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, world's highest at 2K ft & longest in a mountainous region spanning 4.6K ft across, surpassing its 2016 Duge Bridge (1.9K ft)

  2. Friday, September 26, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump signs order allowing formation of US-led investor group to buy TikTok from Chinese parent ByteDance with 80% American ownership, requiring algorithm to be "retrained" using only US data

    2. 3

      China sets its 1st emission cut target at UN climate summit, pledging 10% reduction by 2035; World's largest carbon polluter also commits to sixfold increase in renewable energy

  3. Thursday, September 25, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Supertyphoon Ragasa, 2025's most powerful tropical cyclone with 162+ mph winds, strikes southern China forcing 2M+ evacuations after leaving 17 dead & 17 missing in Taiwan

  4. Thursday, September 18, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      China bans its tech firms from purchasing Nvidia's AI chips, ordering companies like Alibaba, DeepSeek & Tencent to cancel existing orders amid efforts to reduce reliance on US technology

  5. Wednesday, September 17, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      Trump signs executive order extending TikTok shutdown deadline to Dec 16 (4th extension) after framework deal with China reached in Madrid talks

  6. Tuesday, September 16, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      US & China reach framework deal to transition TikTok ownership toward US control; Trump & Chinese President Xi will finalize on Fri, agreeing on algorithm use & data security partnership

  7. Tuesday, September 9, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      China's exports to US plunge 33% in Aug as overall shipments grow 4.4% (lowest growth since Feb); Imports rise 1.3% (vs 3% forecast) with US still top single-country market despite tariff pressure

  8. Monday, September 8, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      White House moves to allow US to label countries "State Sponsors of Wrongful Detention" with penalties including sanctions, export & visa bans; Officials say China, Iran & Afghanistan will be reviewed for designation

  9. Thursday, September 4, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      China stages largest-ever military parade for 80th WWII anniversary with President Xi featuring Putin, N Korean leader Kim & 24 other world leaders; Showcases hypersonic missiles & advanced drones as Xi warns of "peace or war" choice

  10. Wednesday, September 3, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Russia & China sign binding memorandum on Power of Siberia 2 pipeline to supply 50 billion cubic meters of gas annually to China for 30yrs, as Moscow seeks to replace over 120 bcm in lost European sales amid sanctions & cutoffs

  11. Tuesday, September 2, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      US revokes chipmakers Samsung & SK Hynix's authorizations to buy US semiconductor equipment for China operations; Government plans to grant licenses to operate existing facilities but prohibit expansions

August 20255 Summaries

  1. Thursday, August 28, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      AI chipmaker Nvidia reports $46.7B in Q2 revenue (+56% vs 2024) as data center demand soars; Company gains $180M from releasing inventory to non-Chinese buyers after ending China sales

    2. 6

      Reuters/Ipsos poll: 62% of Americans support sanctioning Russia's trading partners to pressure Moscow towards Ukraine ceasefire as Trump weighs tariffs on China, Turkey & UAE after imposing 25% on India for Russian oil purchases

  2. Tuesday, August 12, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump extends China tariff truce 90 days to Nov 10 (2nd delay) to continue negotiations, preventing tariffs from rising to 145% on Chinese imports to US (vs 30% current) & 125% on US exports to China (vs 10%)

    2. 4

      Hardware tech firms Nvidia & AMD agree to pay US 15% of China chip revenue in exchange for export licenses allowing sales of previously banned AI chips over security concerns

  3. Friday, August 8, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      China's global trade surplus hits $684B year-to-date in Jul (+33% vs 2024) as exports to Southeast Asia surge (+17%) due to front-loading for transshipment (shipping to US via other countries with lower tariffs) ahead of Aug 12 US trade deal deadline, making up for declining exports to US (-22%)

July 202513 Summaries

  1. Thursday, July 31, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Pew Research: International adoptions to US drop 94% to 1.3K in 2023 (vs 23K peak in 2004) as top international adoptee origins China, Russia, Ethiopia, S Korea & Guatemala gradually restricted foreign adoption; Decline also attributed to adoption cost surge to $40K in 2023 (vs $6K in 2008) & 1993 Hague Convention emphasis on keeping children in native countries

  2. Wednesday, July 30, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Canalys research: India overtakes China as top smartphone exporter to US with 44% share (vs 13% 2024) as manufacturing volume surges 240% in 2025; China's share drops to 25% (vs 61% 2024); Shift driven by Apple accelerating iPhone production in India amid tariff uncertainty

  3. Monday, July 28, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      Thailand & Cambodia agree to ceasefire talks on Mon (mediated by US, China, ASEAN) after Trump threatens to halt trade deals over their 4-day border conflict (35+ dead, 218K+ evacuated)

  4. Thursday, July 24, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      Chinese technology company Alibaba launches Qwen3-Coder, open-source agentic AI that deploys (vs suggests) code on its own; Claims parity with US models GPT4/Claude & outperformance vs domestic competitors DeepSeek, Moonshot K2

  5. Tuesday, July 22, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      China begins $170B construction of world's largest hydropower dam (300B kWh/yr); India & Bangladesh concerned over Chinese control of shared transborder river

  6. Monday, July 21, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      Pew Research: Attitudes toward China improve in 15 of 25 countries surveyed with 36% holding favorable views, marking 1st upturn since 25% in 2020; 41% see China as world's top economy yet nearly all prioritize economic ties with US vs China

  7. Thursday, July 17, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      Hardware tech firm Nvidia wins Trump admin approval to resume H20 AI chip sales to China; Apr restriction would have cost company $5.5B

  8. Wednesday, July 16, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      Primary measure of inflation (Consumer Price Index) rises to 2.7% annually in Jun (vs 2.4% May) as Trump's tariffs impact prices; Yale Budget Lab: Americans face 19% avg tariff rate (highest since 1933) including 30% on China, 50% on steel/aluminum, 25% on auto/parts & 10% universal tariff

    2. 5

      China's economy grows 5.2% in Q2 (vs 4.7% 2024 & 5.1% forecast) despite Trump's threatened 145% tariffs (starting Aug 12) & real estate market decline (new home prices fall at fastest pace in 8mo); Manufacturing up 6.4% (vs 4.8% 2024)

  9. Tuesday, July 15, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      US, Australia, Japan & 16 other nations contribute 35K+ troops to joint military drills in Indo-Pacific to prepare for possible war with China amid Taiwan tensions

  10. Tuesday, July 8, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Trump threatens additional 10% tariff on any nation aligning with "anti-American policies of BRICS," 10-member emerging markets coalition (including Russia & China) that convened this week

  11. Monday, July 7, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      On 90th birthday, Dalai Lama (Tibetan Buddhism leader in self-exile in India) announces his succession will be chosen by his inner circle in direct challenge to China's ambition to control succession & keep it in China; Some followers worry China will name rival leader, causing further schism in Buddhism (which now has 3 branches)

  12. Wednesday, July 2, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      China's communist party turns 104yo, claims to pass 100M members (despite slowed 1% growth for 3rd year), maintains 10% acceptance rate

June 20253 Summaries

  1. Thursday, June 19, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      UBS: Global wealth grew +4.6% in 2024 & +11% in Americas; US accounts for 40% of global millionaires (more than West Europe & China combined) with +1K new millionaires per day in 2024

  2. Tuesday, June 17, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      China will remove all tariffs on 53 (of 54) African countries to boost trade; Africa-China trade grew in recent years but skewed in China's favor ($62B export surplus in 2024)

  3. Thursday, June 12, 2025Full Brief
    1. 6

      US & China agree to trade framework; Trump claims US gets rare earth minerals & keeps 55% tariffs & China 10%; Deal pending presidents' reviews

May 202512 Summaries

  1. Friday, May 30, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      Trump publicly accuses China of violating preliminary May 12 trade deal that temporarily lowered tariffs for 90 days

  2. Thursday, May 29, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      State Sec Rubio vows to "aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students"; China sent 277K students to US in 2024 (2nd to India); Rubio already revoked thousands of international students' visas over protesting Israel's Gaza offensive

  3. Wednesday, May 28, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Germany overtakes Japan as world's largest creditor 1st time in 34yrs despite Japan's foreign assets peaking for 7th year; China ranks 3rd

  4. Tuesday, May 27, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      JATO research: Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD overtakes Tesla in European EV sales for 1st time in Apr; BYD's sales volume up +359% annually vs Tesla -49%

  5. Friday, May 23, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      DHS revoked Harvard's ability to enroll international students (27% of student body, 1/5 Chinese) claiming university "fosters violence, antisemitism, & coordination with Chinese Communist Party"; 7K students must transfer or lose visa; Harvard sued, citing unconstitutionality & Boston federal judge immediately granted temporary block (all today)

  6. Wednesday, May 21, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Chinese electric vehicle battery maker CATL makes world's largest 2025 IPO ($4.6B) on Hong Kong stock exchange with European expansion plan; American investors excluded & company blacklisted by Pentagon per ongoing tensions

    2. 6

      China lowers benchmark interest rates by -0.1% to lowest since 2019 (1yr loan prime rate to 3% & 5yr to 3.5%) to boost growth, per market expectations

  7. Thursday, May 15, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      IEA: 25%+ of car sales in 2025 will be electric vehicles, as EVs on course to exceed 40% of cars by 2040; China drives both EV adoption (50% of cars sold domestically) & production (70% of global production)

  8. Monday, May 12, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      China & US agree to each cut tariffs by 115%, pause for 90 days & continue trade war de-escalation talks; US' tariffs on China now 30% & China's tariffs on US 10%; Both markets & currencies surge

  9. Friday, May 9, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Russia marks 80th WWII anniversary via its traditional military parade, drawing 20+ world leaders including China, Brazil & Venezuela despite global isolation for its invasion of Ukraine; China & Russia publicly reinforce partnership

    2. 3

      US & China start 1st talks in trade war in Switzerland this weekend; Trump proposes de-escalating China's tariff from 145% to 80% (vs China's 125% retaliatory tariff); China is world's largest exporter & 2nd largest economy

  10. Monday, May 5, 2025Full Brief
    1. 6

      Trump ends "de minimis" duty exemption for imports <$800 (4M daily shipments) on Fri, disrupting Chinese ecommerce giants Temu & Shein that rely on it

April 202521 Summaries

  1. Monday, April 28, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Stockholm Peace Institute research: 2024 global military spend increases for 10th yr to $2.7T (+9.4% vs 2023) with Europe & Mid East driving surge; US, China, Russia, Germany & India account for 60% of total

    2. 3

      IMF & BEA research: California overtakes Japan ($4T nominal GDP) to become 4th largest global economy ($4.1T) behind US ($29T), China ($18T) & Germany ($4.7T)

    3. 8

      Apple shifts nearly all US iPhone manufacturing from China to India by 2026 to avoid tariff

  2. Friday, April 25, 2025Full Brief
    1. 6

      China exempts some US imports from its 125% tariff & asks its domestic industries to identify which goods they need levy-free in trade war de-escalation; US & China have not begun talks

  3. Wednesday, April 23, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      US stocks close higher on Tue (S&P +2.5%, Nasdaq +2.7%, Dow +2.7%) after Treasury Sec Bessent signaled trade talks with China will lead to deescalation; Talks have not yet started

  4. Monday, April 21, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      China successfully tests & begins production of non-nuclear hydrogen bomb, destructive military innovation with expanded damage control

    2. 7

      China launches world's 1st thorium nuclear reactor in Gobi Desert (safer & non-military nuclear energy alternative to uranium)

  5. Thursday, April 17, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      Chinese bargain ecommerce retailers Temu & Shein will raise US prices after US closed trade loopholes & raised tariffs on China

  6. Wednesday, April 16, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      US claims China faces up to 245% in tariffs due to its retaliations; China signals it won't "pay attention" to further tariff changes since US exports have already been priced out of Chinese markets per final 125% tariff

    2. 3

      China halts orders from US-based plane manufacturer Boeing in escalating trade war

  7. Tuesday, April 15, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      China halts rare earths & magnets exports critical to auto, defense, aerospace & semiconductor industries worldwide; China produces 90%+ of world's rare earths

  8. Friday, April 11, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      China raises US tariff from 84% to 125% in response to US's 145% tariff; President Xi to start Southeast Asia tour to consolidate ties with neighbors Vietnam, Malaysia & Cambodia

  9. Thursday, April 10, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump freezes reciprocal tariffs for 90 days except China (keeping universal 10% tariffs) but raises China's reciprocal tariffs to 125% in escalating tit-for-tat

  10. Wednesday, April 9, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      China threatens 84% tariff on US (up from earlier 34%) after US's 115% China tariff (up from 65%, includes 1st term tariffs) takes effect Tue night

    2. 6

      Ember research: Renewable energy was 40% of global power generated in 2024, driven by record growth in solar; Over half of solar growth is in China

  11. Tuesday, April 8, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump threatens additional 50% tariff on China (bringing total to 115% from 65% in previous measures) if it doesn't lift its 34% retaliatory tariff on US in 1 day; China vows to "fight to the end"

  12. Monday, April 7, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Global markets continued to fall after Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs: Pan-European Stoxx 600 down 5.2%, Japan's Nikkei 225 down 8% & Chinese CSI 300 down 7% this morning; US stock markets see worst weekly declines in 5yrs: S&P 500 (-9.1%) & Nasdaq Comp (-10%, in "bear" market)

    2. 3

      Trump extends TikTok sale deadline by another 75 days (Jun 19), as China hardens deal approval under tariff escalation

  13. Friday, April 4, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      China matches Trump's 34% tariff on imports from US

  14. Thursday, April 3, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump declares baseline 10% tariff on all imports into US by Apr 5 & higher additional tariff on 60 "worst trade offenders" by Apr 9: EU (20%), India (26%), China (65%, multiple combined tariffs since Trump's 1st term)

    2. 5

      Forbes research: 2024 sets new wealth records with 3K billionaires collectively worth $16T; US has most (902), followed by China (516)

March 202515 Summaries

  1. Monday, March 31, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes Mandalay (Myanmar's 2nd most populous city), leaving 1.7K+ dead & 3.5K+ injured with damage reaching China & Thailand's Bangkok (600mi from epicenter); Aid complicated by infrastructural damage & civil war between pro-democratic rebels & ruling military junta (which kept bombing after earthquake)

  2. Thursday, March 27, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      IRENA Research: 93% of new electricity brought onto grid in 2024 is renewable; 64% of that new renewable energy is produced by China; Renewable energy is now 46% of global power

  3. Wednesday, March 26, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      Electric car sales up 25% in 2024, topping 20% of global car sales; China accounted for 66%+ of global electric sales with BYD reaching $100B+ revenue, surpassing Tesla

    2. 7

      Trump bars exports to 80 foreign firms (50 are Chinese), citing risk of their military use of US technology

  4. Tuesday, March 25, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      Trump announces 25% tariff on all goods from countries buying oil or gas from Venezuela starting in Apr, increasing pressure over country's alleged Tren de Aragua gang infiltration into US; While China buys 68% of Venezuela's oil, US is also a buyer

  5. Friday, March 21, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Trump invokes wartime powers in executive order boosting domestic mineral mining (like gold, copper, uranium) to reduce China reliance

  6. Wednesday, March 19, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD unveils charging technology capable of fully recharging batteries (250-mile range) in 5-8 minutes

  7. Tuesday, March 18, 2025Full Brief
    1. 7

      Staple fashion retailer Forever 21 shuts down in 2nd bankruptcy (1st in 2019) over declining in-person shopping & rising Chinese ecommerce competition (Shein & Temu)

  8. Tuesday, March 11, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      Chinese startup Butterfly Effect launches Manus, 1st fully autonomous AGI agent performing multiple tasks without human guidance

  9. Monday, March 10, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      Study shows 36 fossil fuel companies account for 50% of global CO2 emissions; 25 are state-owned & 10 are Chinese (top polluting country)

    2. 7

      China's consumer price index turns negative for 1st time in 13mo, signaling deflation amid domestic consumption struggles; Parliament since set lowest inflation target in 2+ decades (~2% vs 3%+ in prior years)

  10. Thursday, March 6, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      Best Buy & Target CEOs warn of immediate price hikes due to Mexico & China tariffs; Target relies on Mexican produce in winter; Best Buy sources most products from Mexico & China

    2. 6

      China reiterates 2025 GDP growth target of ~5% while bracing for uncertainty "unseen in century"; US grew 2.8% in 2024

  11. Wednesday, March 5, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      US resumes 25% tariffs on Canada & Mexico, levies 20% tariff on China; Canada retaliates with 25% & China with 10-15% on select goods; Mexico vows retaliations on Sun

  12. Tuesday, March 4, 2025Full Brief
    1. 7

      50%+ of world's adults (25yo+) estimated to be overweight or obese by 2050; China, India, US will continue having largest overweight populations

February 20257 Summaries

  1. Friday, February 28, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump resumes 25% tariffs on Canada & Mexico on Mar 4, following month pause; Threatens to double 10% tariff recently levied on Chinese imports; Vows forthcoming 25% tariff on EU

  2. Friday, February 14, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      TikTok returns to US Google & Apple stores; Per Trump's ban enforcement extension, Chinese parent company ByteDance has 50 days left to sell TikTok

  3. Thursday, February 13, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Defense Sec Pete Hegseth shifts US policy to no longer prioritize EU & Ukraine security; Pushes EU to drive support & defense guarantees for Ukraine; Claims Ukraine's NATO membership & restored borders are "unrealistic" & "illusionary"; US policy now focuses on securing US borders & deterring war with China

  4. Friday, February 7, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      Trump sanctions ICC officials including possible asset freezes & travel bans, alleging illegitimate targeting of US & Israel; US, Israel, Russia, China, India not members of ICC

  5. Thursday, February 6, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      USPS announced that it will stop accepting inbound packages from China & Hong Kong on Tue but removed ban shortly by Wed without explanation

  6. Tuesday, February 4, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Trump's new 10% tariffs on China begin today; China responds with 15% tariffs on US coal & gas, 10% on oil & agricultural equipment, investigates Google for antitrust violations

  7. Monday, February 3, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump signs 25% tariffs on Mexico & Canada (10% on Canada's oil) & 10% on China imports into effect tonight; These 3 are US's largest trading partners, accounting for 40%+ of imports last year

January 202512 Summaries

  1. Wednesday, January 29, 2025Full Brief
    1. 10

      Lunar New Year today starts Year of the Wood Snake; China anticipates 9B trips in world's largest annual human migration

  2. Tuesday, January 28, 2025Full Brief
    1. 7

      China & India resume direct flights 5yr after suspension due to Covid & series of deadly border conflicts

  3. Monday, January 27, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Chinese startup DeepSeek releases advanced AI reasoning model R1 outperforming ChatGPT; R1 took 60 days to build, <$6M to train (<10% of US spend), & costs 98% less than US rivals to operate; DeepSeek topped Apple Store charts & published its code online for free

  4. Wednesday, January 22, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump weighs 10% tariff on all Chinese goods & 25% on Mexico & Canada to take effect Feb 1; US consumers may face higher prices on staples like gas, cars, food, & alcohol as retailers unlikely to handle entire added cost

  5. Monday, January 20, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      TikTok was disabled for all 170M US users Sat night but restored by Sun afternoon after Trump vowed to sign 90 day ban extension after taking office & stating 50% US ownership would meet requirement of bipartisan law previously requiring its full divestment from Chinese parent ByteDance

  6. Friday, January 17, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Supreme Court unanimously upheld law requiring TikTok be divested from Chinese parent ByteDance by Jan 19 or face US ban; Trump weighs executive order once in office to delay ruling

    2. 2

      China's economy measured by GDP grew 5% in 2024 meeting its growth target but showing a continuous decline since peak growth in 2007

  7. Monday, January 13, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      China's trade surplus reached record $1T in 2024 with $361B as US consumption; Total export rose 11% in December while import grew 1%; Export to Southeast Asia is surging, making up for declining export to US

  8. Tuesday, January 7, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      7.1 earthquake hits high-altitude China region Tibet killing 126+, injuring 188+

  9. Monday, January 6, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      Taiwan government faced 2.4M daily telecom & defense cyberattacks from China in 2024, double of 2023

  10. Wednesday, January 1, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      China sends team to Vanuatu to assist recovery following recent earthquake, marking 1st time it deployed help there in a move to strengthen ties in Pacific region

    2. 4

      Worldwide GDP forecasted to expand 2.7% in 2025; US to grow 2.5%, Euro 0.8%, China 4.5%

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