China just notched a historic milestone: a trade surplus exceeding US$1 trillion in 2025, with exports up 5.4 % despite the trade war with the United States. Yet China’s export story isn’t just about volume — it’s about a striking shift toward high-value, high-tech dominance. Car exports surged past 6.5 million units, up from 5.86 million in 2024, with EVs grabbing big market share from Japanese and European competitors. Semiconductor exports jumped 24.7 % and shipbuilding exports rose 26.8 %. On paper, this looks like a sophisticated trade machine. But this dazzling global triumph carries a hidden twist — it is quietly tightening the strategic noose around...

TOKYO — Donald Trump’s planned visit to Beijing next month, the first by a US president since 2017, is losing significance by the day. Ten days ago, high drama surrounded Trump’s March 31-April 2 trip. Chinese leader Xi Jinping, after all, has been stringing along the Trump 2.0 White House since April 2025, winning trade-negotiation delays after delays. Beijing was Trump’s chance for an art-of-the-deal victory. Now that the Supreme Court has clipped Trump’s wings, ruling his tariffs illegal, Trump’s tete-a-tete appears more pomp than circumstance. In fact, one could almost see Trump World angling to scrap the trip altogether — opting to wait until Xi’s planned...

China just notched a historic milestone: a trade surplus exceeding US$1 trillion in 2025, with exports up 5.4 % despite the trade war...

TOKYO — Donald Trump’s planned visit to Beijing next month, the first by a US president since 2017, is losing significance by the...