Mao Ning

Money Moves

Active

China's trade surplus passed $1 trillion for a second straight year, reaching $1.04 trillion in the first 10 months of 2026. October exports rose 35.2% from a year earlier, led by AI hardware, while imports jumped 41.6%.

Updated Yesterday

Force in Play

Active

China imposed sanctions Monday on Paraguay's communications minister and Belize's foreign minister. Their assets in China are frozen, and they're barred from entering Hong Kong and Macau. Beijing said the ministers pushed their countries to keep diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which China claims as its territory.

Updated Oct 12

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Delivered official response to Iran tariffs

The legal foundation for Trump's tariff strategy collapsed on February 20 when the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that IEEPA does not authorize tariffs. The decision voided both the 25% Iran secondary levy and other emergency-based duties on China. Trump signed a 10% global replacement under Section 122 of the Trade Act within hours, dropping China's effective rate from 47% to about 35%.

Updated May 20

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Publicly criticizing Japan’s Taiwan stance and framing Chinese actions as lawful defense

On December 6, 2025, two Chinese J-15 carrier fighters from the Liaoning locked fire-control radar on Japanese F-15s over international waters southeast of Okinawa. Japan's defense minister Shinjiro Koizumi called the lock-ons "dangerous" and "extremely regrettable," and Tokyo lodged a formal protest.

Updated May 10