China's economy grew 5% from a year earlier in the first quarter of this year, up from 4.5% in the October-December quarter. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the economy grew 1.3%, the fastest pace in a year. Industrial output rose 5.7% in March year-over-year, better than market expectations.
Xi Jinping and Cheng Li-wun met in Beijing last Friday. It was the first meeting of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Kuomintang (KMT) leaders in a decade. The meeting took place on April 10, 2026, the 47th anniversary of the U.S. signing of the Taiwan Relations Act. Beijing's main goal for the Trump-Xi summit would be to sustain the fragile stability in China-U.S relations after both countries agreed on a truce in their trade war. A grand deal over Taiwan or a fundamental shift of Washington’s One China policy is unlikely.
Wang Yi met with Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Beijing today. Wang's mom is ill so he missed this week's Sharp China newsletter. Today's newsletter is a bit thin as it's a slow day near the end of a long week.
Trump-Xi summit is shaped by uncertainty, not strategy. Direct trade between China and the United States has continued its shrinking trend. Chinese-American playwright Alex Lin is telling a new wave of stories about diaspora in the U.S. from her plays.
Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim received a delegation from the Council on Foreign Relations at the Presidential Office April 15 in Taipei City. She stressed the government's commitment to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan's gross domestic product surged 8.68 percent in 2025, an impressive achievement among developed countries.
In the ongoing war with Iran, the Strait of Hormuz is squeezing the global economy, Iran’s nuclear ambitions remain at the center of high-stakes negotiations, and China is preparing an invasion of Taiwan. Eyck Freymann is the author of a new book, Defending Taiwan, and he offers a sweeping examination of this looming conflict and what the U.S. must do to prevent it.
Wang Yi visited North Korea on April 10. It was his first visit to Pyongyang in more than six years. He was there to strengthen high-level exchanges and expand practical cooperation. China is positioning itself as a potential diplomatic intermediary. The Iran conflict has created a strategic opening by drawing U.S. attention and resources away from Asia.
Hundreds queued to install a new artificial-intelligence agent called OpenClaw in Shenzen on March 1st. The number of Chinese users of the technology is outpacing that of America or anywhere else. Most of the users are pensioners or students.
Unlimited access to FT.com is available for four weeks for $1, then $75 per month for the next 75 per cent of unlimited access. You can cancel anytime during the trial period. . "You can get unlimited access to quality FT journalism on any device.
China has told Iran that the Strait of Hormuz must be reopened. International leaders have been visiting Beijing almost daily. Presenter: James Bays, guests: Doug Bandow, Shaun Rein, Nader Habibi and Nader Bandow.