Trading partners ponder the art of fobbing Trump off with a weak deal

This article is an on-site version of our Trade Secrets newsletter. Premium subscribers can sign up here to get the newsletter delivered every Monday. Standard subscribers can upgrade to Premium here, or explore all FT newsletters Welcome to Trade Secrets, those of you not enjoying an Easter Monday break. Today we examine what solid and lasting gains Donald Trump has got so far out of his strategy of negotiating deals with a tariff gun at his trading partners’ heads (none) and what he’s likely to get (probably not much). Also,…

China’s CATL claims to have overtaken BYD on 5-minute EV battery charging time

Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Electric vehicles myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. CATL has unveiled upgraded battery cells it claims can offer even faster charging for electric vehicles than its rival BYD, putting the two Chinese groups ahead in an industry-wide race to solve a major bottleneck for the shift away from petrol vehicles. The world’s biggest electric vehicle battery maker said on Monday that a new version of its flagship Shenxing battery cell can offer a 520km range from just five…

China weaning itself off US soybeans as decade-long outlook could hit American farmers

China is poised to grow more soybeans and improve the crop’s yield over the coming decade amid an accelerated self-sufficiency drive, and the nation’s more abundant domestic harvests are expected to hit American exporters and farmers who have long relied on China’s business. Advertisement While the nation of 1.4 billion people will continue seeing a “tight balance” between the supply and demand of food, agricultural authorities say China’s reliance on imports is set to decrease as it prioritises domestic production of soybeans, which represent the bulk of its agricultural imports.…

Malaysia may get Boeing 737 Max jets faster as China halts orders, but costs to surge

The return of Boeing 737 Max jets destined for the Chinese market may speed up plane deliveries to Malaysia Airlines, but analysts warn about expanding too quickly, noting how wider costs are poised to spike as parts become more expensive and consumers prepare to take fewer flights. Advertisement Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent company of Malaysia Airlines, is flying high. It recorded a profit for the third year in a row in 2024 – its longest gaining streak since a major restructuring a decade ago. And having had to…

Myanmar junta kills 50 civilians in 3-day countrywide air raids

Read RFA coverage of these topics in Burmese. A three-day onslaught of junta-launched airstrikes across four major areas spanning much of Myanmar’s central plains killed 50 people and injured nearly 80, sources told Radio Free Asia. Myanmar’s junta, which seized power in 2021, faces resistance from dozens of militias seeking autonomy. In response to insurgent attacks, the military has bombed villages suspected of sheltering rebels, often killing dozens of civilians. In the latest assaults, the junta killed 20 people in Singu township’s Kyi Tauk Pauk village and Thabeikkyin township’s Leik…

China accuses US of new pressure campaign on global trade

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Beijing accused the United States of “pressuring other countries” to curb trade, following media reports that the Trump administration will use tariff relief as leverage to push nations to scale back their economic ties with China. More than 70 countries have expressed interest in negotiating trade deals, according to the U.S., after U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month announced a 90-day pause on his “reciprocal” tariffs on imports from dozens of countries. “China firmly opposes any party striking a deal at the expense of China’s interests,”…

China, Philippines in Scarborough Shoal naval encounter ahead of US joint drills

Advertisement The People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command said on Sunday night that the BRP Apolinario Mabini, a Jacinto-class patrol vessel in the Philippine Navy, was challenged near Scarborough Shoal, which is claimed by Beijing and Manila, earlier that day. The shoal, which is known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines, has been in Beijing’s actual control since 2012. Command spokesman Senior Colonel Zhao Zhiwei said the Philippine frigate “illegally entered China’s territorial waters of Huangyan Island” without the approval of the Chinese government. “[We]…

China sanctions US Congress members, officials and others who ‘behaved badly’ on Hong Kong

China will impose sanctions on members of the United States Congress, officials and heads of non-governmental organisations “who have behaved badly” on Hong Kong-related issues. Advertisement “The United States has imposed unlawful, unilateral and indiscriminate sanctions against the offices of the Central Government of China in Hong Kong and six officials of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), thereby seriously interfering in the affairs of Hong Kong and China’s internal affairs, in grave violation of the principles of international law and the basic norms of international…

China pulls back from US private equity investments

Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Private equity myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. Chinese state-backed funds are cutting off new investment in US private equity, according to several people familiar with the situation, in the latest salvo of Donald Trump’s trade war. State-backed funds have been pulling back from investing in the funds of US-headquartered private capital firms in recent weeks, according to seven private equity executives with knowledge of the matter.  The moves come in response to pressure from the Chinese government,…

5 jobs for a jobseeker: in China, PhD graduates may have far more opportunities than US

Advertisement A survey published at the end of March found the supply of postdoctoral positions at Chinese universities “far exceeds” the number of young researchers looking for a job. The findings were reached after an analysis of more than 24,000 university job postings and a similarly sized sample of jobseekers from channels such as the Chinese Ministry of Education and online recruitment platforms. According to the statistics, for every five postdoctoral early career research vacancies, there was on average just one jobseeker. Of all recruitment groups, the study found the…