Patricia M. Thornton

Trump’s tariffs are sending African countries into China’s hands | CNN Africa is adjusting to the new reality of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, with countries on the continent facing some of the highest export charges.

CNN: #Trump ’s tariffs drive African countries into #China ’s hands
Four African nations - #Libya, #SouthAfrica, #Algeria & #Tunisia - face charges on exports ranging from 25% to 30%. America’s failure to negotiate a deal with Africa is “an open goal for China.” edition.cnn.com/2025/08/02/a...

China proposes global body to govern artificial intelligence Premier Li Qiang warns ‘bottlenecks’ in chip supplies are hindering innovation

FT: #China has unveiled a sweeping plan to expand its role in #AI governance, inc. the creation of a global co-operation organisation, as Beijing vies with Washington for technological leadership.
www.ft.com/content/de06...

Trump’s order to end ‘de minimis’ tariff break expands from China to the world Duty-free exemption on small packages worth $800 or less fuelled China’s dominance in the industry – but the model is now under threat.

SCMP": #Trump’s order to end ‘de minimis’ tariff break expands from #China to rest of the world
Duty-free exemption on small packages worth $800 or less fuelled China’s dominance in the industry – but the model is now under threat
sc.mp/akxmu?utm_so...

Great new must-read from The China Journal: Disappearing Research: Academic Control & Self- #Censorship in #China
Self-censorship restricts #academicfreedom w/in China & hinders Beijing's access to information, impacting effectiveness of its policymaking. www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...

Donald Trump blocks Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te from New York stopover Move comes as US and China hold trade talks and seek to stabilise relations

FT: #Trump blocks Taiwan’s democratically elected President Lai Ching-te from New York stopover
Move comes as US & #China hold trade talks and seek to stabilise relations #台灣 www.ft.com/content/2157...

An emboldened China eyes more concessions from US at Stockholm trade talks | CNN Business For the third time in as many months, US and Chinese officials will meet in Europe for trade talks — and this time, Beijing is arriving at the negotiating table more emboldened than ever.

CNN: An emboldened #China eyes more concessions from US at Stockholm trade talks. Beijing's grip on #rareearths has #Trump rolling back export curbs, inc. a stunning reversal of the ban on sales of key #Nvidia #AI chip. edition.cnn.com/2025/07/27/b...

China, EU need to make the right choice as ‘2 big guys’ on world stage: Xi Relationship is at an ‘inflection point’, von der Leyen tells Chinese leader as 25th China-EU summit begins in Beijing.

SCMP: Xi tells visiting #EU leaders that Europe should make “the right strategic choice” & enhance cooperation w/ #China for global “stability,” during mtg with European Council President Antonio Costa & European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Beijing sc.mp/p784l?utm_so...

Taiwan is paralyzed by political gridlock. A mass recall vote could break the statemate | CNN A democratic check or an abuse of power? Mass recall vote in Taiwan polarizes island after months of paralysis.

CNN: #Taiwan is paralyzed by political gridlock. A mass recall of ‘pro-#China’ KMT lawmakers could break that #台灣 edition.cnn.com/2025/07/23/a...

How open-source AI is helping China win hearts and market share China’s free-for-all AI models, developed by firms like DeepSeek and Alibaba, present a viable alternative to US closed-source systems.

SCMP: On July 9, 2024, US's #OpenAI blocked developers in #China from using its closed-source #ChatGPT models. But w/the launch of #DeepSeek’s #OpenAI, the #open-source mvmt started by Chinese firms sent shock waves through Silicon Valley & Wall St, winning hearts & minds sc.mp/p11mt?utm_so...

Chinese scientists develop low-cost cell therapy for cancer, asthma A team of Chinese medical experts say they can produce anti-cancer cells directly inside the human body using gene therapy tools.

SCMP: Scientists in #China develop low-cost cell therapy for cancer, asthma
A team of Chinese medical experts say they can produce anti-cancer cells directly inside the human body using gene therapy tools.
sc.mp/0xz32?utm_so...

BREAKING: Hakeem Jeffries has now been speaking for 8 hours straight against the Big Beautiful Bill. He just got a standing ovation for this:

"It's extraordinary to me, Mr. Speaker, you got folks in this town talkin' about 'drainin' the swamp!' Guess what? You ARE the swamp! YOU are the swamp!"

Never before in the history of this nation has such a large redistribution of income been directed upward, for no reason at all

The Fantasy of a Grand Bargain Between America and China Why deadlock is more likely than détente.

Peter Trubowitz and I published this article, "The Fantasy of a Grand Bargain between #America and #China", yesterday in @foreignaffairs.com.

Below is a summary in a brief 🧵...

www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

Exclusive | China tells EU it does not want to see Russia lose its war in Ukraine: sources Wang Yi speaks of concern that US could shift whole focus in China’s direction in talks with top EU diplomat Beijing.

SCMP: #China'sForeign Minister Wang Yi told Kaja Kallas, the #EU ’s top diplomat, that Beijing does not want to see #Russia lose in #Ukraine bec. it fears the US would then shift its whole focus to Beijing
www.scmp.com/news/china/d...

More than 16 million Americans are at risk of losing their health care because Republicans in Congress are rushing to pass a bill that would cut federal funding for Medicaid and weaken the Affordable Care Act.

US, China announce a trade agreement — again. Here's what it means The U.S. and China have reached an agreement — again — to deescalate trade tensions. China is making it easier for U.S. companies crucial magnets and rare earths materials.

AP: The US & #China have reached an agreement — again — to deescalate trade tensions, but “Silence regarding the terms suggests that there is less substance to the deal than the #Trump Administration implies"
apnews.com/article/trum...

Exclusive | China Is Tracking Down Its Rare-Earth Experts—and Taking Away Passports Beijing has told rare-earth companies to hand over lists of employees with technical expertise, aiming to ensure they don’t divulge trade secrets to foreigners.

WSJ: #China has told companies in its rare-earth industry to give the government lists of employees with technical expertise, aiming to ensure they don’t divulge trade secrets to foreigners.
www.wsj.com/world/china-...

The Trump Phone no longer promises it’s made in America American ‘design,’ built… where?

The Verge: The #Trump #smartphone no longer promises it’s made in America. Now the T1 Phone is ‘designed with American values in mind,’ which is… different.

www.theverge.com/gadgets/6930...

安徽农妇多次上访涉近3万元 强拿硬要还是政府救助？ 法院一审认为，黎家立多次以访施压，强拿硬要钱款29200元，以寻衅滋事罪判处有期徒刑二年六个月。黎家立称只想拿到属于自己的种粮补贴，“从来没有要过不该我得的钱”。该案已发回重审

川观新闻: State Council Taiwan Affairs Office lambasts #Taiwan 's Lai Ching-teh's June 22 speech as having "split & distorted history" by denying that Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times, & that its indigenous peoples migrated from #China #台灣 国务院台办发言人陈斌华答记者问 cbgc.scol.com.cn/news/6438942

China has millions of single men - could dating camp help them find love? The film The Dating Game explores how a dating coach tries to help China's single men find love.

BBC: #China has 30 million more men than women-- how can dating camp help them find love?
"This is a generation in which a lot of these surplus men are defined as failures because of their economic status.They're seen as the bottom of society, the working class"
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

China criticises UK warship HMS Spey sailing in Taiwan Strait China said the HMS Spey's transit

BBC: #China's military says a British warship's recent passage through the #Taiwan Strait a disruptive act of "intentional provocation" that "undermines peace & stability"
HMS Spey's Wed. patrol was part of a long-planned deployment in accordance w/internat'l law.
#台灣 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Regime change in Iran is 'unacceptable', says the Kremlin Russia has deepened its ties with Iran since invading Ukraine, and the two countries signed a strategic partnership in January.

The Guardian: US weighs in with concerns over #China’s proposed ‘super-embassy’ in #London
White House flags potential Chinese access to ‘sensitive communications of one of our closest allies’

Taiwan chip tycoon warns China has 'Trojan horse' that must be voted out UMC founder Robert Tsao aims to recall opposition KMT lawmakers, bolster defense

Nikkei Asia Review: United Microelectronics Corp (UMC) founder Robert Tsao wants to vote out #KMT legislators for #Taiwan 's survival & security. "Beijing wants to use the KMT to annex Taiwan. Communist #China has cultivated this Trojan horse for 20 years" #台灣 asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Pic...

Does that mean that the new US$499 #Trump Mobile T1 #smartphone will be subject to the same 30%+ tariff applied to other goods made in #China ? Which would bring the US$499 phone up to at least US$648.70, at least until Trump finishes Making America Great Again?
🤔

"Eventually, all the phones can be built in the United States of America,” Eric #Trump told right-wing podcaster Ben Shapiro. “We have to bring manufacturing back to America. So, our ethos is, ‘Built for America by Americans. Do it cheaper. Do it better.’” But until then, do it in #China ?

Trump’s New ‘All-American’ Smartphone Is Made in China Trump Mobile is off to a rocky start.

Ooops! Daily Beast reporting that #Trump’s New ‘All-American’ Smartphone *Is* Made in #China www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump...?

Where is Trump’s ‘all-American’ phone made? Analysts point to Asia China, the world’s largest smartphone market since 2011, is also the hub of global manufacturing, accounting for anything from 60 to 80 per cent of production.

SCMP: The search is on to identify the actual manufacturer behind the US$499 "made in America" #Trump Mobile T1 #smartphone w/AMOLED screen. #China manufactures 60%-80% of the world's smarthphones & there are no AMOLED producers anywhere outside Asia, so...watch this space sc.mp/20get?utm_so...

‘We are not involved’: US distances itself from Israeli strikes on Tehran; warns Iran against retaliation - Times of India US News: The United States says it was not involved in Israel's recent strikes on Iran. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iran against attacking America

I also archived Rubio's June 13th forceful denial of US involvement in the attacks on #Iran ("‘We are not involved’: US distances itself from Israeli strike" ) (archive.ph/33uW5) because I'm an equal opportunity archiver now.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/...

CCTV news report as of 25-6-18 01:11, but now archived at archive.ph/U5kNA in the event that the above disappears from public view

#China 's state-run CCTV is reporting that, as per Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard, " #Iran has achieved complete control over #Israel 's airspace, & residents there are completely helpless in the face of Iranian missile attacks." 伊朗完全控制了以色列的领空，而那里的居民在伊朗导弹袭击面前完全无助” weibo.com/1371701597/5...