The country's latest five-year plan, announced in March, aims to achieve a major leap in China's international influence. Chinaâs leaders see the broader effort as crucial to counter Western biases and to win the âbattle for global public opinionâ and âsafeguard national interestsâ
Ding Xuexiang defended Chinaâs manufacturing machine against accusations of overcapacity. China posted a record-breaking trade surplus of nearly US$1.2 trillion in 2025. In the first five months of this year, the country's trade surplus reached US$451.7 billion.
Stratechery Plus offers full access to the Stratechery newsletter, podcast, and other content. It costs $15 per month or $150 per year. It's free for students. It auto-renews monthly/annually, but can be cancelled at any time.
Taiwanâs National Security Bureau (NSB) established a âContact Portal for Chinese Citizensâ on June 14. It invites people inside China and overseas to submit political, military, economic, and social intelligence concerning China. NSB released a promotional video titled âChangeâ to encourage defections from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
In the 1980s the Chinese Communist Party (CCPCCP) was divided between conservatives and reformers. Deng Xiaoping was a reformist and Chen Yun a conservative. Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang were general secretaries of the party and the administration. Deng wanted to reshape the leadership and the bureaucracy of the CCP after the Cultural Revolution.
In 2024, for the first time ever, China's foreign direct investment recorded a net negative. Multinational firms that invested heavily in China have found their futures held hostage by U.S. tariffs, great power competition, and even a potential future conflict. They are trying to diversify away from China by finding alternative production bases in other parts of Asia. Southeast Asia is one of the most attractive destinations.
The Commerce Ministry blocks Chinese companies from exporting "dual-use" items to 10 U.S. military-related companies. The companies include military drone makers and some involved in rare earth mining. Government entities are also prohibited from buying products from 46 American companies.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Taiwanâs first direct presidential election. President Lai Ching-te attended an international press reception June 18 in Taipei City. He expressed hope that the international community would more deeply understand the free, resolute and prosperous Taiwan.
China's exports of green-energy and battery products to the United States have accelerated amid demand in America's fast-expanding AI sector. Exports of unassembled photovoltaic cells surged 346% year on year to US$39.96 million, while shipment volumes jumped 357%. Lithium-ion batteries and lead-acid batteries also posted solid growth. The data comes after May's summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump.
Hong Kong has signed six agreements with Fujian to step up collaboration in finance, trade, tourism and education. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu encourages businesses from the province to list on the city's bourse for overseas expansion. The two sides finalised 28 collaborative projects across 11 areas at the fifth Hong Kong-Fujian Cooperation Conference on Monday.