Chinese state-owned enterprises placed orders for about 260,000 tonnes of US soybeans on September 21, a concrete trade gesture timed to signal goodwill ahead of the September 24 Xi-Trump summit in Washington.
Tag: China
Posted inGeopolitics
Bessent Calls Pre-Summit Talks Successful as Xi Prepares Washington Visit
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described his September 20 meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng as successful, with the US-China trade board operationalised ahead of the September 24 Xi-Trump summit.
Posted inGeopolitics
Trump Signs Graham Act, Giving Washington 100% Tariff Power Over Russia’s Oil Buyers
President Trump has signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, authorising tariffs up to 100 per cent on goods from countries buying Russian crude and extending the Iran Sanctions Act for five more years.
Posted inGeopolitics
Bessent and Greer Fly to New York With Rare Earth Warning Ahead of Xi-Trump Summit
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York on Sunday, with Washington warning that China’s rare earth compliance is ‘not up to par.’
Posted inTech
UBTECH Opens China’s First Humanoid Robot Factory, Building One Every Ten Minutes
Chinese robotics firm UBTECH launched a 14,000-square-metre facility in Liuzhou capable of producing 10,000 humanoid robots annually, as China accounts for 97% of global humanoid shipments in the first half of 2026.
Posted inEconomy
China’s Factory Output Beats August Forecasts but Consumer Spending Falters
China’s industrial output rose 5.2% in August, topping forecasts, but retail sales grew just 0.4%, missing estimates and deepening concerns about weak domestic demand.
Posted inGeopolitics
China Threatens to Cancel the September 24 Xi-Trump Summit Over $14 Billion Taiwan Arms Deal
Beijing has warned Washington that the September 24 White House summit will be cancelled if Trump approves a $14 billion arms package for Taiwan, confronting him with a stark choice ten days before US midterms.
Posted inGeopolitics
Xi Removes China’s Second-Highest Soldier as Military Purge Reaches the CMC
Zhang Youxia, China’s most senior uniformed officer and CMC vice-chairman, has been placed under investigation in an expanding anti-corruption sweep that has now removed more than 100 senior PLA officers since 2022.
Posted inGeopolitics
Trump and Xi Set September 24 Summit in Washington Amid Trade and Iran Agenda
Xi Jinping is set to visit Washington around September 24, coinciding with the UN General Assembly, for what would be the leaders’ second in-person meeting of 2026 following their May summit in Beijing.
Posted inGeopolitics
China’s Rare Earth Firms Halt US Shipments as Xi’s Washington Visit Approaches
Chinese rare earth suppliers have refused to ship yttrium, terbium, and gallium to US companies since early August, keeping prices near record highs and complicating diplomacy ahead of Xi Jinping’s September 24 Washington visit.