US-China

  • World NewsChina investigating ministry member for alleged CIA espionage

    China investigating ministry member for alleged CIA espionage

    China’s state security ministry has launched an investigation into a 39 year old Chinese national, identified only by his surname Hao, over allegations of espionage on behalf of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Hao, who once held a position at a ministry, was reportedly recruited while studying in Japan. This development comes less than two weeks after another…

  • Business NewsTrade war triggers fear of new EV chip shortage from China export limit

    Trade war triggers fear of new EV chip shortage from China export limit

    Leading authorities in the industry fear another chip shortage could soon hit electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers. This comes as China limits the export of two significant metals, a move driven by the ongoing trade dispute between Washington and Beijing, as reported by the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI). As of August 1, China will impose trade restrictions on select products…

  • Politics NewsChina snubs US invitation for defence meeting in Singapore

    China snubs US invitation for defence meeting in Singapore

    China rejected a US proposal for a meeting in Singapore between Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu, according to the Pentagon. The refusal to engage in military-to-military discussions raised concerns but the US Department of Defence remains committed to pursuing open lines of communication with the People’s Liberation Army. Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said……

  • Politics NewsChina downplays Micron ban as individual case, not broader US firm targeting

    China downplays Micron ban as individual case, not broader US firm targeting

    China is attempting to mitigate the fallout from its recent decision to partially ban sales of US chipmaker Micron‘s products in the country on national security grounds. The ban has been challenged by Washington, which views it as a deliberate targeting of US businesses in response to export controls imposed on China. However, Chinese authorities, including the foreign ministry and…

  • World NewsChina commerce minister to meet US officials amid tense relations

    China commerce minister to meet US officials amid tense relations

    China‘s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao is set to visit the United States next week to meet with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, according to Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington. The visit comes as the US aims to engage with Beijing to repair strained relations. Liu announced the plans during an…

  • World NewsSouth East Asian leaders foreshadow a pivot to the US in the new administration

    South East Asian leaders foreshadow a pivot to the US in the new administration

    So what will the presidency of US President-elect Joe Biden mean for south east Asia? And how will it differ from the administration of President Trump? South east Asia already knows Joe Biden from his term as US vice president from 2008 – 2016, and his “Asia pivot” that provided high-level diplomacy and resources with strategic trade relationships. The Obama-era…

  • Covid-19 NewsPresident Trump claims China responsible for “mass worldwide killing”

    President Trump claims China responsible for “mass worldwide killing”

    In one of his notorious Twitter posts, US President Donald Trump once again raged against China over the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the globe, blaming Beijing for a “mass worldwide killing.” The early morning tweet yesterday, which referred to an unidentified “wacko in China”, is the latest heated rhetoric from Washington, where Trump is making attacks on Beijing a central narrative…

  • World NewsThe US and China sign Phase One of new trade agreement today

    The US and China sign Phase One of new trade agreement today

    The United States and China are poised to sign a trade truce today after a protracted trade spat that has impacted both countrys’ economies and shaken spread unease through world trade links. Both sides describe the result of the ‘Phase One’ agreement as ‘hard fought’. The signing signals a fragile truce and a prickly period of reconciliation between the world’s two…

  • Business NewsAmerican firms want to relocate to Thailand to counter US-China trade war

    American firms want to relocate to Thailand to counter US-China trade war

    PHOTO: “You’re all welcome!” – Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha at the ASEAN Business Summit – Bangkok Post US business leaders visiting Thailand are looking for opportunities, especially relocating their production bases, as they try to sort out heir businesses in the wake of the US-China trade war. The US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and executives of 16 American companies…

  • Economy NewsLocal investor sentiment dampened by Brexit woes and slump in Chinese economy

    Local investor sentiment dampened by Brexit woes and slump in Chinese economy

    The British pound fell today as investors fret over PM Boris Johnson’s chances of pushing his Brexit deal through the British parliament, while Asian markets were mostly down after data showed China’s economy expanded at its slowest pace in nearly three decades. The pound rallied almost to US$1.30 yesterday following news that negotiators had hammered out an agreement that would…

  • World NewsTrade talks resume between China and US but hopes fade

    Trade talks resume between China and US but hopes fade

    Expectations are low as trade talks between China and the US resume today. US President Donald Trump has taken an aggressive stance with China and says he will decide the outcome of the talks. “They want to make a deal. The question is do I want to make a deal.” With $250 billion worth of Chinese imports facing an increase…

  • World NewsUS will slap tariffs on EU following Airbus trade ruling

    US will slap tariffs on EU following Airbus trade ruling

    PHOTO: Airbus factory in Toulouse, France – Manatour.fr The US is making more trade waves, in addition to its long-running trade war with China. Now it’s taking on the largest trade bloc in the world – the European Union. Aircraft and agricultural items from Europe will now be subject to US tariffs in the latest round of a long legal…

  • Business NewsLarge Thai business feeling the effects of US-China trade war, rise of the baht

    Large Thai business feeling the effects of US-China trade war, rise of the baht

    So what do Thailand’s big banks say? The ongoing US-China trade war and the appreciation of the Thai baht against other currencies is now starting to impact larger corporates in Thailand. Wasin Saiyawan, senior executive vice president and chief of wholesale banking at Siam Commercial Bank says, that although large businesses are resilient to any impact and their ability to…

  • World NewsUS trying to make ‘meaningful progress’ in US-China trade negotiations

    US trying to make ‘meaningful progress’ in US-China trade negotiations

    PHOTO: CNBC by Heather Scott US trade negotiators want to make “meaningful progress” in upcoming talks with China, according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, one day after conciliatory gestures by both sides boosted hopes of an eventual resolution. The slugfest between the world’s two largest economies has cast a shadow over global economic growth with both Chinese and US economies…

  • Economy NewsThailand’s gold and jewellery exports rise nearly 30%

    Thailand’s gold and jewellery exports rise nearly 30%

    The export value of gems and jewellery grew by 29.3% in the past seven months despite unfavourable trading terms with the rising baht. The Gem and Jewellery Institute of Thailand director, Duangkamol Jiambutr, puts the value of exports from January to July at US$9 billion or approx. 280 billion baht, a 29.3% increase year on year. Gold exports led the climb,…

  • Economy NewsThai economic committee warns about stagnant growth in second half of 2019

    Thai economic committee warns about stagnant growth in second half of 2019

    The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking says they’re concerned by threats to the performance of the Thai economy in the second half of this year. The office says the lack of stimulating factors and the project of an ever-stronger baht will stifle economic expansion and the economy will fail to reach targets. The JSCCIB President Preedee Daochai…

  • Business NewsWorld economy wakes up to a day when the US has imposed new tariffs on China

    World economy wakes up to a day when the US has imposed new tariffs on China

    The US has rolled out new tariffs on Chinese products yesterday but some economists say the latest gamble is likely to backfire and hurt the US economy. Meanwhile they predict the ramping up of the tariff ti-for-tat will not tarnish China’s resilience or dampen development in the long run. Yesterday the US administration imposed 15% additional tariffs on about half…

  • Business NewsBaht to climb higher against USD, more pressure on exports

    Baht to climb higher against USD, more pressure on exports

    The Thai baht is set to soar further as one side effect of the latest escalation of the China-US trade war. Economists say the latest tit-for-tat trade sanctions will hasten foreign capital inflows into Thailand’s “safe haven” bond market while the US Federal Reserves may again cut interest rates, adding more fuel to the situation. Meanwhile the Thai export situation…

  • Business NewsCurrencies and stock exchanges flutter as the dust settles on the latest threats in the US-China trade spat

    Currencies and stock exchanges flutter as the dust settles on the latest threats in the US-China trade spat

    Central banks in India, Thailand and New Zealand cut interest rates this week in an attempt to fend off any harm from the spiralling US-China trade war. The escalation of the trade war, sparked by fresh US tariff threats by US President Trump over the weekend, is seen as the reason for the policy shift. On Monday, the People’s Bank…

  • World NewsUPS says Thailand and Indonesia cargo traffic are winners in trade war

    UPS says Thailand and Indonesia cargo traffic are winners in trade war

    Supply chains are quickly adapting to the US-China trade war and Thailand, Indonesia and Japan are the biggest growth markets in Asia for UPS, according to the American international package delivery and global logistics service. UPS’s COO Jim Barber says there is no question that cargo volume from China to the US has significantly decreased but, with some manufacturers moving…

  • Business News“Very dangerous” Huawei could be part of a US-China trade deal

    “Very dangerous” Huawei could be part of a US-China trade deal

    President Donald Trump has reiterated his complaints against China’s Huawei Technologies but conceded that they could be resolved as part of a negotiated US-China trade deal. Without providing evidence, he went on to call the Chinese telecommunications giant “very dangerous.” The US has virtually banned firms from conducting business with Huawei, the world’s largest telecom manufacturer, citing unspecified national security…

  • Technology NewsUS temporarily ease restrictions on Huawei

    US temporarily ease restrictions on Huawei

    PHOTO: Huawei’s founder Ren Zhengfei and Chinese President Xi Jinping – SCMP The US has temporarily eased some of the restrictions on China’s Huawei, the world’s largest phone and telecom equipment maker, to minimise disruption to its customers. But Huawei’s founder, Ren Zhengfei, says it means little because the company was well prepared for any US restrictions to their trading. The…

  • Business NewsExport growth expected to be the lowest in four years

    Export growth expected to be the lowest in four years

    Export growth for Thailand this year is is now being pegged at less that 1%, the lowest growth in four years. Mr. Ath Pisarnwanich, director of the International Trade Study Centre at the University of Thai Chambers of Commerce is saying the low growth is a result of both the escalating US-China trade war and the Vietnam-EU free trade agreement. The…

  • Business NewsUrgent meetings to consider impact of US-China trade war on Thai exports

    Urgent meetings to consider impact of US-China trade war on Thai exports

    The Thai government is reacting quickly to perceived threats to the Thai export business by the ongoing US-China trade wars which have been ramped up in the past week by, firstly, US President Donald Trump rising the tariffs on a raft of additional Chinese items. Then China announced yesterday that it will impose tariffs on US$60 billion of US goods from June…

  • Thailand NewsHow Thailand became a casualty in the US-China trade war

    How Thailand became a casualty in the US-China trade war

    from South China Morning Post and AFP About one third of all the rubber in the world comes from Thai forests, many in the southern regions. But a sudden drop in Chinese demand has compounded a longer term global oversupply crisis to push prices off a cliff. Countries like Vietnam are benefiting as manufacturers migrate from China to avoid punishing tariffs…