Author: Media Library

The key distinction Europe must make on trade policies

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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. The writer is a senior fellow of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Europe is often portrayed as the great underperformer of the global economy, undermined by economic rigidity, high wages and an expansive social welfare system. For years critics have argued that these features must be reversed because they erode Europe’s competitiveness, pushing manufacturing activity towards more “nimble” economies that suppress wages, weaken labour protections, subsidise manufacturing and maintain…

Europe has no choice but to intervene on trade

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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. The writer is a senior fellow of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Europe is often portrayed as the great underperformer of the global economy, undermined by economic rigidity, high wages and an expansive social welfare system. For years critics have argued that these features must be reversed because they erode Europe’s competitiveness, pushing manufacturing activity towards more “nimble” economies that suppress wages, weaken labour protections, subsidise manufacturing and maintain…

Mexico’s China tariffs show the rise of Trump’s trade template

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Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free Your guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the world The writer is President Trump’s senior counsellor for trade and manufacturing Mexico’s decision last week to impose tariffs of up to 50 per cent on a wide swath of Chinese and other Asian imports is more than a neighbourhood scuffle. It is a major milestone in President Trump’s trade revolution — and in the postwar international trading system itself.  Now, one of America’s closest trading partners is openly…

Global brands seek PE partners to save their China businesses

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Trial $1 for 4 weeks Then $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel or change your plan anytime during your trial. Global news & analysis Expert opinion FT App on Android & iOS FT Edit: Access on iOS and web FirstFT: the day’s biggest stories 20+ curated newsletters Follow topics & set alerts with myFT FT Videos & Podcasts 20 monthly gift articles to share Lex: FT’s flagship investment column 15+ Premium newsletters by leading experts FT Digital Edition: our digitised print edition…

Taiwan moves to tighten conscription rules after high-profile draft dodging

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Taiwan has moved to tighten conscription rules after a string of high-profile cases involving celebrities and young men who falsified their medical records to evade mandatory military service. In addition, the proposed changes would also mandate alternative service for transgender and intersex people, a move that has sparked backlash from rights groups and other members of the public. The island’s defence ministry on Monday unveiled a draft amendment to its physical classification standards, overhauling eligibility for exemption, alternative service and regular service in what officials described as a bid to…

Is US ‘testing the waters’ with reported seizure of Chinese cargo bound for Iran?

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The reported US seizure of a ship allegedly carrying Chinese-made dual-use components to Iran might signal Washington was “testing the waters” on reviving an old tactic to pressure Beijing’s ties with its adversaries, but such moves risked breaching international law, analysts said. An American special operations team boarded a ship from China bound for Iran in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka last month, The Wall Street Journal reported last Friday. Citing sources, it said the operation aimed to block Tehran’s import of components for its military build-up. Operatives from…

Trump urges Xi Jinping to free HK pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai

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Donald Trump has said he wants Chinese leader Xi Jinping to release Jimmy Lai as he voiced sadness over the Hong Kong media mogul’s conviction on national security charges. “I feel so badly. I spoke to President Xi about it, and I asked to consider his release,” Trump told reporters on Monday, without specifying when he asked Xi. “He’s an older man, and he’s not well. So I did put that request out. We’ll see what happens.” The US president had said before he returned to the White House that…

Momentum for peaceful reunification across Taiwan Strait is growing

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Recent months have witnessed an important shift in the political landscape across the Taiwan Strait, one that deserves careful consideration from policymakers in Asia, Europe and the United States. Despite considerable global turbulence, years of rising tensions in Asia and external pressure, there are emerging signs of stabilisation and even fresh momentum for peaceful momentum towards unification between mainland China and Taiwan. Taiwan’s political environment has evolved significantly since its elections in January 2024. Contrary to predictions of heightened confrontation, the island experienced no major unrest or instability. Instead, the…

India’s investment inflows hit record but outflows are high too

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This article is an on-site version of the India Business Briefing newsletter. To receive it in your inbox regularly, sign up if you’re a premium subscriber, or upgrade your subscription here. Good morning. This is the last week of parliament’s winter session, another washout in which not much of merit was discussed, unless you count the 12-hour debate on the lyrics of the national song. Do you think our elected representatives are doing the best they can? Tell us in our poll below. In today’s newsletter, India looks set to open…

Investors bet on Chinese companies powering global AI build-out

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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. Shares in Chinese makers of batteries, transformers and other equipment vital for the global build-out of artificial intelligence have rocketed this year, as power-hungry data centres rush to secure alternatives to overstretched legacy grids. Profits at Chinese companies such as CATL, the world’s largest battery maker, and Sungrow, the world’s second-largest supplier of integrated energy storage systems after Tesla, have soared on the back of domestic and foreign demand. CATL’s…