China

China recently pledged to expand military support to Somalia in its fight against al-Shabaab militants. Beijing has promised equipment, training and closer security cooperation with Mogadishu. This marks a shift from China’s traditionally cautious and small presence in the country. Brendon J Cannon has researched how external powers – including China – engage with sub-Saharan […] The post In jab at Taiwan, China ramps up military support for Somalia appeared first on Asia Times.

The global geoeconomic volatility wrought by the second Donald Trump US presidency and hostilities in the Middle East make the shift in China’s Africa strategy even more important for China and for Africa. China’s Africa strategy started to shift in 2019, towards investment. It is anchored in Hunan Province. The “Hunan Model” emerged because the […] The post Iran war is turbocharging China’s Africa pivot appeared first on Asia Times.

TOKYO — On top of the tariffs, wars and inflation upending the global economy, US chieftains are grappling with a new question: which tech companies might get “BYD-ed” next? The reference here is to the Chinese electric-vehicle juggernaut that’s zoomed past Elon Musk’s Tesla and its peers to become No. 1 globally. The idea that […] The post China Shock 2.0 jolts global economy as Trump does Xi’s work appeared first on Asia Times.

The United States has threatened to impose sanctions on Chinese banks if they are found to be involved in handling money from Iran’s oil trade payments, marking a sharp escalation in efforts to tighten financial pressure on Tehran. The warning came after the US military began blocking ships linked to Iranian trade from docking at […] The post Hong Kong banks dependent on SWIFT are warned of new US sanctions appeared first on Asia Times.

TOKYO – Amid all the smoke surrounding a Chinese slowdown, economists are getting a view of some serious fire this week. Case in point: exports grew just 2.5% year-on-year in March, a rate markedly below the previous few months. It’s the clearest indication that fallout from the Iran war, and its impact on energy prices […] The post Iran war putting China’s economy in a tight spot appeared first on Asia Times.

China has urged the United States and Iran to return to the negotiating table after Washington launched an operation to close the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and threatened to impose 50% tariffs on countries providing weapons to Tehran. US President Donald Trump, on April 12, threatened to impose a 50% tariff on China following reports that […] The post US Hormuz blockade, tariffs jolt China appeared first on Asia Times.

China has staked roughly US$145 billion in investments and construction contracts across the Middle East, while Iranian oil alone accounts for 13–14% of its imports. Yet Beijing maintains no permanent military presence in the volatile region, with its only overseas base in Djibouti, thousands of miles away. The result is a structural mismatch at the […] The post China’s Middle East billions still woefully reliant on US gunboats appeared first on Asia Times.

TOKYO — As US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and military adventurism chip away at the dollar’s credibility, the privilege may be all China’s. The reference here is to the phrase coined by France’s finance minister in the 1960s, Valery Giscard d'Estaing, to criticize the dollar’s dominant role in the global economy. America’s “exorbitant privilege” enables it to sell 10-year US debt at 4.1% yields, even as the national debt nears US$40 trillion. Trump’s trade war, regime-change gamble in Venezuela and joining hands with Israel to attack Iran also give investors valid reasons to worry about the stability of US assets. So do Trump’s attacks on the Federal Reserve, the most globally respected US institution. The post Trump turning China’s yuan into world’s next safe haven appeared first on Asia Times.

China is moving to resume large-scale purchases of United States liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil, as supply disruptions in the Middle East and tightening fuel markets across Asia force Beijing to recalibrate its energy strategy. Some observers view the move as a significant concession by Beijing, or even a strategic reward to Washington, […] The post China imports US oil for Asian fuel markets amid Hormuz crisis appeared first on Asia Times.