Day: September 16, 2025

EU companies suffer renewed China rare earth licence delays

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. European companies are reporting renewed delays obtaining Chinese rare earth export licences, less than two months after EU leaders won commitments to address the issue during a visit to Beijing. The EU Chamber of Commerce in China said on Wednesday that member companies had sought its help with more than 140 applications for rare earth export licences since the controls were introduced in April, of which only about one quarter…

Trump celebrates TikTok deal as Beijing suggests US app would use China’s algorithm

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Donald Trump has claimed his administration has reached a deal with China to keep TikTok operating in the US, amid uncertainty over what shape the final agreement will take, with suggestions from the Chinese side that Beijing would retain control of the algorithm that powers the site’s video feed. “We have a deal on TikTok … We have a group of very big companies that want to buy it,” Trump said on Tuesday, without providing further details. The deal, which was negotiated in Madrid between US treasury secretary Scott Bessent…

Why Hong Kong should seek to co-host China’s global AI centre

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Hong Kong is emerging as a possible contender to host China’s proposed World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation, potentially challenging Beijing’s early preference for Shanghai. We believe the choice of Hong Kong, with its evolving role in the international technological arena, could reflect a nuanced strategy on Beijing’s part to navigate escalating US-China tech tensions. Advertisement The initiative was first proposed by Chinese Premier Li Qiang in July. Hosting such a centre carries both symbolic and strategic weight: it will position the host city at the heart of China’s AI diplomacy…

Why were China’s generals missing in action during the Victory Day parade?

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When China held its first Victory Day military parade in 2015, more than 50 generals joined troops to march down Changan Avenue in central Beijing. Advertisement The generals of all stripes led dozens of formations past the Tiananmen rostrum, saluting President Xi Jinping and other leaders as the official announcer read out each commander’s name. By taking the unprecedented steps, the senior commanders were setting an example for the soldiers, a spokesman for the parade organisers said at the time. The generals were also out in force for the National…

China trials its first advanced tools for AI chipmaking

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Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Artificial intelligence myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. China’s leading chip producer is running trials on the country’s first domestically produced advanced chipmaking equipment in an effort to challenge western rivals in producing artificial intelligence processors. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) is testing a deep-ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machine made by Yuliangsheng, a Shanghai-based start-up, said two people with knowledge of the development. The ability to produce advanced DUV machines would represent a big victory in China’s ability to…

Anthony Albanese fails to seal defence treaty between Australia and PNG

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Anthony Albanese’s strategy of pushing back against China in the Pacific has been dealt another blow, with a major defence treaty with Papua New Guinea delayed amid concerns about sovereignty. A deal was expected with the former Australian colony this week but the prime minister is set to leave Port Moresby without signing the so-called Pukpuk mutual defence treaty with his counterpart, James Marape, on Wednesday. Albanese downplayed the delay earlier this week, suggesting cabinet deliberations had been held up due to commemorations of PNG’s independence. Instead the two governments…

‘Everyone should be worried’: life in the crosshairs of China’s ‘Guam killer’ missiles

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Like most people living in Guam, Jacqueline Guzman is used to hearing about the threat from China. The US territory of about 170,000 people lies in the Pacific Ocean and despite growing geopolitical tensions in the region, the cost of living rather than military aggression is front of mind for many residents. Guzman says she is worried “about paying bills” and has trust in the US government to protect her. But that certainty shifted slightly this month when the threat catapulted into the headlines, as Beijing used a military parade…

Global AI war will be won in the key arena of education and training

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In the global race for artificial intelligence (AI), nations rightly chase cutting-edge technologies, big data and data centres heavy with graphics processing units (GPUs). But thought leaders including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and institutions from the Federation of American Scientists to China’s Ministry of Education are urging investment in educator training and AI literacy for all citizens. They argue for a more human-centred AI strategy. Advertisement Having taught AI and data analytics in China, I have seen the payoff: graduates join internet giants, leading electric-vehicle makers and the finance industry.…

China Eastern to open Shanghai-Buenos Aires route amid Latin America push

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China is poised to launch a new air route between Shanghai and Argentina that will traverse 20,000km (12,000 miles) and span 25 hours, as the country’s trade and political ties with far-flung Latin America call for faster, more direct flights that skip stopovers in the United States or Europe. Advertisement China Eastern Airlines has announced that an inaugural flight from Shanghai to Buenos Aires will take off on December 4, to cut travel time between China’s largest city and the Argentine capital by as much as five hours. With only…

Announcing canal revamp, Panama dodges questions about Chinese ownership

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Panamanian authorities on Tuesday announced an US$8.5 billion plan to modernise and expand the Panama Canal over the next decade, while sidestepping questions on whether Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison or others seen as having links to China could join future projects amid US concerns about Beijing’s influence over the waterway. Advertisement Hutchison Ports, a unit of CK Hutchison, has managed terminals in Balboa and Colon – on opposite ends of the trade channel – since the 1990s. Its role has drawn sharp criticism in Washington, where lawmakers and members of…