US-China tech war

The United States should prepare for an “ascendant” Communist-led China, according to a report released by Rand Corporation, the US government-funded think tank. The compilers of China’s Grand Strategy: Trends, Trajectories and Long-Term Competition examined how successful the Chinese Communist Party was likely to be in achieving the goals it has set for the country by 2050. They considered four possible futures in which China is “triumphant” (having achieved all of its goals), “ascendant” (having achieved some), “stagnant” (having failed in its ambitions) or “imploding” (the regime is under threat). Compiled for the US military and published last week, the report concluded that “ascendant”

Americans’ negative views toward China have reached a “new historic high” amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report published by the Pew Research Center on Thursday. “Around three-quarters (73%) of Americans have an unfavorable view of China today – the most negative reading in the 15 years that Pew Research Center has been measuring these views,” wrote the authors of the report, Laura Silver, Kat Devlin and Christine Huang. “The percentage who say they have a very unfavorable view of China is also at a record high of 42%, having nearly doubled since the spring of 2019, when 23% said the same.” Pew’s survey is the latest piece of evidence in an impossible-to-miss trend: distrust

When senior Chinese and American diplomats met in Hawaii last month, for the first time in nearly a year, the stakes were unusually high amid fears their acrimonious tensions are drifting imperceptibly towards war. The secret meeting between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Yang Jiechi, the top diplomatic aide to Chinese President Xi Jinping, took place at Pearl Harbor. The military base was the scene of a pivotal moment for the US and world history when it was bombed by the Japanese nearly 80 years ago. The two superpowers are decoupling their economic and technological cooperation amid an unfolding new Cold War. Beijing and Washington have engaged in a global blame-game over the deadl

As US-China relations hit new lows, Washington is redoubling efforts to address a major Achilles’ heel: its dependence on Beijing for rare earth elements – essential materials in various hi-tech products from smartphones and electric car batteries to Javelin missiles and F-35 fighters. Republican senator Ted Cruz recently introduced a bill to spur US production of critical minerals, one of several bills before Congress prompted by rising concern that China could use this as leverage. “It’s making people in Washington wake up and say this is not sustainable,” said Martijn Rasser, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security. “If China really is willing to restrict exports, we’re in for

Once a flashpoint in US-China relations over the sale of synthetic opioids and their precursors, online drug vendors in China are pivoting to other white powdered substances: unproven treatments for Covid-19. Chemical vendors on social media and e-commerce platforms are responding to surging demand for antiviral medication like chloroquine and remdesivir. They are exploiting the wave of hope propelled by as-yet inconclusive trials and US President Donald Trump’s repeated promotions of the drugs.  Both drugs – long-time treatments of malaria that are yet to be clinically proven in the US as safe and effective on Covid-19 patients – are already being hoarded around the world and used for self-

The Trump administration is adopting increasingly aggressive tactics in its bid to counter Chinese theft of trade secrets with the arrest of a prominent Harvard professor and high-profile investigations into top universities. The move against one of the nation’s foremost scientists – Charles Lieber, chairman of the Harvard chemistry department – and the threat of criminal charges against Harvard, Yale and other prestigious universities over reporting violations has sent shock waves through the scientific establishment. Unlike many other recent cases involving scientists of Chinese descent, Lieber is Caucasian. He and leading universities are also being accused of failing to disclose ties to

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called China’s ruling party the “central threat of our times,” as he sought to convince allies to push back against Beijing’s growing influence. The top American diplomat made the declaration in London after the United Kingdom defied US pressure in approving limited use of Huawei equipment in its next-generation, or 5G, wireless network. The Trump administration has called on its European allies to join the United States in banning the Chinese telecoms giant, accusing the company of being a security threat. Western allies must “ensure that the next century is governed by … Western democratic principles,” Pompeo said during a joint appearance with British For

One encourages people on her social media profile to “send $$$ 4 nudez.” Others include a professional actress, a Vancouver artist and a young man whose fondness for starring in pornographic selfies had made his Twitter feed decidedly NSFW. What united them all on Monday was an apparent devotion to the cause of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, in her bid to avoid extradition to the United States on fraud charges. They and a couple dozen others stood outside the Supreme Court of British Columbia on the first day of Meng’s extradition hearing in Vancouver, holding signs demanding “Justice For Ms Meng” and other slogans.  They appeared in the background of reports by Chinese state broadcasters CC

China faces another embarrassment in its drive to build home-grown technology after one of the country’s leading research institutes suspended a senior computer scientist for making false claims. The prestigious Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing said it had suspended lab scientist Liu Lei after his false claim that a programming language he helped develop was made entirely in China. The school said it would investigate Liu. The scandal adds to a series of blows to China’s ambition to reduce its dependence on imported technology, including software and computer chips.  The prospect of state funding for domestic innovation has led to a number of ex

The phase one trade deal between China and the US, signed on January 15, signaled a truce in the trade war. This is a welcome development, not only for the two countries but also for the rest of the world. It is expected to usher in a period of relative calm and reduced uncertainty, which should increase both investment and consumption globally.  However, it is not a net win for either country, even though they are both better off with the truce. They have both suffered economic losses from the mutual tariffs. In fact, China’s estimated loss in gross domestic product is higher than that of the United States, in both absolute and relative terms. Unfortunately, the conclusion of the phase one