Tag: China

China’s Closing Window: Strategic Compression and the Risk of Crisis
2Oct mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China

China’s Closing Window: Strategic Compression and the Risk of Crisis

When Beijing dispatched a relatively unknown rear admiral from its National Defense University to the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue, bypassing its own defense minister and forfeiting its plenary address, it did more than snub Asia’s premier security forum. It signaled a regime shifting from dialogue to confrontation. China has traditionally used the Singapore gathering to engage regional counterparts and frame its strategic intentions. By refusing the platform at a moment of rising tensions, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) revealed its preference for manufacturing crisis rather than managing competition. This posture reflects more than diplomatic pique. It is the manifestation of what can be called strategic compression,[1] a condition in which a state’s decision space narro...
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Decoding China’s silence on Trump’s financial pressure play
21Jul mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China

Decoding China’s silence on Trump’s financial pressure play

Beijing’s non-response to new US legislation that could freeze or seize its dollar assets doesn’t mean China isn’t hedging its bets On July 5, 2025, President Donald Trump signed into law what he dubbed the “Big & Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping legislative package aimed at confronting what he called “China’s financial warfare against America,” a signature political flourish attached to what may become a turning point in the US-China financial relations. While the bill does not directly authorize the freezing of Chinese assets, it coincides with broader legislative momentum in Washington, such as the Chinese Currency Accountability Act of 2025 and the China Financial Threat Mitigation Act of 2025. These efforts empower the US Treasury to seize or freeze Chinese foreign e...
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<strong>In crisis, Xi Jinping falls back on Deng Xiaoping’s model of economic growth</strong>
25Jun mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China

In crisis, Xi Jinping falls back on Deng Xiaoping’s model of economic growth

In the face of plummeting growth rates, President of China Xi Jinping seems to have abandoned his “dual circulation” strategy of boosting domestic consumption demand to revive the economy and fallen back on the model of former supreme leader Deng Xiaoping of export-driven growth. According to a Xinhua report from Tianjin in northern China in late October last year, Xi had emphasized on the importance of state-level Economic and Technological Development Zones of China. Describing these development zones as important for Chinese advancement of reform and opening up of the economy, he emphasized for stimulation in innovation in these zones. The Economic and Technological Development Zones (ETDZ) of China are comparable with export processing zones in other countries. These designa...
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<strong>China’s Electric Vehicle Mirage: Beneath the Shine, a Crisis of Safety and Trust</strong>
23Jun mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Asia, China

China’s Electric Vehicle Mirage: Beneath the Shine, a Crisis of Safety and Trust

In the global rush toward electrification, China has positioned itself as a leader—touting breakthrough innovation, soaring EV exports, and world-class manufacturing capacity. Yet beneath this polished narrative lies a growing unease. Over recent months, a troubling pattern has emerged: mounting cases of mechanical failures, safety hazards, and consumer dissatisfaction surrounding Chinese-manufactured electric vehicles. These incidents not only challenge the supposed quality of China’s EV industry but expose deeper systemic problems rooted in design, regulation, and market pressures. Chinese electric vehicles, often showcased as cutting-edge alternatives to their Western counterparts, are increasingly falling short of their promises. In one viral incident from March 2025, a Beijing...
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<strong>China Moves in: Indonesia’s EV Strategy Shakes Up Global Battery Politics</strong>
4Jun mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Asia, China

China Moves in: Indonesia’s EV Strategy Shakes Up Global Battery Politics

Indonesia’s flagship electric vehicle (EV) battery consortium has come under the spotlight of the global community following the removal of South Korea’s LG Energy Solution and the potential entry of Beijing-backed Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt. The development has intensified geopolitical and economic concerns about Beijing’s growing dominance in the global EV supply chain. In fact, Huayou had already expressed its interest in the Titan project as early as last year, and it already had “the technology.” The intention was clear: China has been increasing its influence in neighbouring Indonesia’s burgeoning EV supply chain. The $9.8 billion electric vehicle (EV) battery project, also known as the Titan Project, is part of Indonesia’s plan to climb the value chain in battery manufacturing. ...
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<strong>Global Trade Shift: China Seeks Allies amid U.S. Tariffs</strong>
3Jun mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Asia, China, USA

Global Trade Shift: China Seeks Allies amid U.S. Tariffs

Chinese President Xi Jinping's diplomatic visit to Vietnam has drawn global attention, particularly in light of the 145% tariff imposed by the United States on Chinese exports. This move has intensified trade tensions between the two economic giants, prompting China to seek stronger alliances with Southeast Asian nations. During his visit, Xi urged Vietnam to stand against unilateral trade restrictions, emphasizing the need for stable global supply chains and economic cooperation. China has been actively working to expand its trade partnerships with countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia, aiming to mitigate the impact of U.S. tariffs. However, despite these efforts, no single country can fully replace the trade volume China previously had with the U.S., which played a cruci...
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<strong>China’s EV Expansion Faces Roadblocks in Brazil amid Tariff Calls on BYD</strong>
2Jun mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Asia, China

China’s EV Expansion Faces Roadblocks in Brazil amid Tariff Calls on BYD

China’s EV expansion in Brazil is facing mounting challenges as domestic automakers push for higher tariffs to counter the influx of low-cost Chinese vehicles. BYD, which has captured 47% of Brazil’s EV market, has stockpiled over 70,000 unsold vehicles in ports, anticipating tariff hikes. Brazil reinstated import duties in January 2024, starting at 10% and rising to 35% by mid-2026. Despite BYD’s dominance, local manufacturers, including Volkswagen and Toyota, are ramping up EV production. With Chinese automakers controlling 90% of Brazil’s EV market, policymakers face pressure to accelerate tariff increases. The outcome could reshape global trade policies. BYD has rapidly expanded its presence in Brazil since entering the market in 2021, leveraging aggressive pricing strategies t...
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<strong>WHY USA’s TARIFFS ON CHINA MAKE SENSE?</strong>
16May mmBy Michael SmithNo Comments
China, USA, World

WHY USA’s TARIFFS ON CHINA MAKE SENSE?

China’s economic ascent has been propelled not by a level playing field but by comprehensive state intervention that skews markets in favor of domestic champions. In April 2025, data from China’s General Administration of Customs revealed a 21 percent year-on-year drop in Chinese exports to the United States—an abrupt decline directly linked to U.S. tariffs soaring as high as 145 percent—while Beijing sought to reroute shipments to other global markets. The United States Trade Representative’s 2024 Report to Congress documents China’s chronic non-compliance with WTO obligations, highlighting opaque procurement rules, forced technology transfers, and hidden subsidies to state-owned enterprises that produce goods at below-cost prices to undercut foreign competitors. These tactics inflat...
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<strong>How China is dismantling luxury brand market</strong>
6May mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China, Market

How China is dismantling luxury brand market

Some Chinese factories and its workers have recently uploaded few videos online claiming that 80% of the global luxury brands are developed in-house in China with “Made in Italy” and “Made in France” labels. China is misusing its social media platforms to create a sense of doubt in the mind of the global buyers regarding the authenticity of luxury brands such as Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Hermes and etc. and by doing so they are quietly dismantling the luxury brand market. For example, as per few videos by TikTok user ‘senbags2’ a Chinese worker claims that they are the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of luxury handbags from Gucci, Prada, and Louis Vuitton while boasting about its craftsmanship and supply chain. Many such ‘misleading’ short videos are doing round in the social...
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<strong>China’s Economic Brinkmanship:  China’s Stock Market Pays the Price</strong>
6May mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China, Market

China’s Economic Brinkmanship:  China’s Stock Market Pays the Price

China is feeling the heat from the tariff war, yet Xi Jinping remains unwilling to act first. The nation’s stock market is reeling, and the Communist Party’s rigid stance risks deepening the economic downturn. Early stimulus efforts offered little relief, and Beijing hesitates to roll out new measures, betting that Washington will yield. But as global markets tremble and political tensions rise, the stakes grow higher. Will China hold its ground, gambling on resilience, or accept that compromise is necessary? The CCP’s unwavering approach could come at a steep cost—financial instability. The world watches as Beijing weighs its next move. On April 28th, China’s stock market endured a significant downturn, amplifying concerns about economic instability. The Shanghai Composite Index s...
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