In 2020, only a tiny fraction of Americans got news from TikTok. These days, that number has soared to one in five. For young adults, those figures are much higher, with almost half of adults under 30 getting news there, according to the Pew Research Center. But who will own that hugely influential purveyor of information? As with so much of American media – from television networks to some of the largest newspapers – the answer is shaping up to be as simple and short as a TikTok video: the…
Month: September 2025
EU said to be preparing to hit China with 20 new anti-dumping probes
The European Union is planning to sharply ramp up its trade defences against China in the coming weeks, as it looks to protect its industries from cut-price competition and industrial spillovers in the world’s second-largest economy, a former top official has said. Advertisement Speaking at an event on Thursday, former trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said there were “preparations for another 20 anti-dumping investigations in a variety of fields going on”. “So I think they will be opened consecutively in the coming weeks,” said the former Swedish official, at an event…
US magnet start-up targets China’s grip on rare earths
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. A company backed by Stellantis and General Motors is launching an initiative to manufacture magnets without rare-earths elements, in an effort to help the US sidestep China’s dominance over critical minerals. If successful, the company, Niron Magnetics, would be the first to manufacture magnets without relying on rare earths that have been a crucial industry component for more than half a century. Niron is building a 1,500-tonne factory in Sartell,…
Trump has the megaphone but WTO deal shows multilateralism not dead
As US President Donald Trump lambasted attendees at the UN General Assembly this week for failing to stop wars and curb illegal immigration, for championing the climate “hoax”, and even for its faulty escalators and teleprompters, his disdain for all things multilateral was on full display. But to the many who believe – or fear – that multilateralism is in full retreat, the past few weeks have nevertheless provided a smidgen of comfort. Advertisement In February, Trump promised to undertake within six months an audit into the value of (and…
Before US port fee hits China vessels, carriers are dodging the blow: experts
Less than three weeks before the US port fee targeting China-built or China-operated vessels is scheduled to take effect, some major carriers have begun adjusting their vessel deployment to avoid or absorb the extra cost rather than resorting to imposing a surcharge on clients – at least initially. Advertisement “On the transpacific, there are early signs of a reduction in the deployment of Chinese-built vessels,” shipping consultancy Sea Intelligence said in a report last week. After tracking vessel deployment in 2025, the consultancy said that, for the Asia-North America west…
Super Typhoon Ragasa: workers move to restore communications in southern China
Workers in Guangdong province in southern China are still trying to restore communication networks and transport to several islands on Friday after the area was battered by Super Typhoon Ragasa. Advertisement Ragasa made landfall in Yangjiang, western Guangdong, around 5pm on Wednesday, bringing torrential rain and strong winds that caused flooding and transport disruptions across cities in the province. The storm’s record strength delivered sustained wind speeds of up to 265km/h (165 mph) on Monday, making it the world’s most powerful typhoon so far this year. 14 dead, over 100…
US and Chinese officials agree to keep talking ahead of possible Trump-Xi summit
Senior officials from the United States and China agreed to step up communications to help manage their differences following a meeting in New York on Thursday. Advertisement Chinese foreign vice-minister Ma Zhaoxu told US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau that the Taiwan question was “purely China’s internal affair”, while the American called for concrete efforts to tackle the fentanyl crisis and repatriate undocumented Chinese nationals. “China urges the US to adhere to the one-China policy, honour its political commitments, and take real action to uphold peace and stability across…
Trump’s dealmaking can’t compare to China’s single-minded planning
China’s leaders are hard at work putting the finishing touches on the country’s 15th five-year plan. Meanwhile, since the beginning of his second term, US President Donald Trump has issued 205 executive orders and signed only a handful of bills into law. The comparison is striking: while China has a strategic planning process, the United States has neither a plan nor a strategy. Advertisement The planning exercise is a foundational pillar of the People’s Republic of China. The first plan ran from 1953 until 1957 and was strongly influenced by…
China launches sweeping probe into Mexican tariffs as trade war widens
Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Chinese trade myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. China has launched a sweeping probe into Mexico’s imposition of tariffs and other trade restrictions on its exports, as the global fallout from US President Donald Trump’s trade war widens. The investigation, which was accompanied by an anti-dumping probe into Mexican pecan nut exports to China, marked one of Beijing’s most significant actions to deter third countries from co-operating with Washington’s efforts to curb Chinese trade. China’s commerce ministry said…
South China Sea tensions downplayed as Manila warmly farewells Beijing envoy
Beijing and Manila struck a rare conciliatory tone, downplaying their simmering maritime tensions in the South China Sea during a farewell meeting on Thursday between President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and outgoing Chinese envoy Huang Xilian. Advertisement The South China Sea issues “are not the sum total” of relations between the two neighbours, the Philippine leader told Huang, according to a statement from the Presidential Communications Office. Chinese ambassador Huang Xilian and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in Manila on Thursday. Photo: Handout “Let us not allow these differences to define…