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In China, consumerism appears to outweigh nationalism regardless of how testy relations have become in recent diplomatic spats with countries like Japan and the United States. It has been common practice for the ruling Communist Party to whip up nationalist sentiment and deploy propaganda condemning countries deemed to be violating China's stance on territorial issues as Taiwan and Tibet. At times, Beijing targets companies that make ideological missteps in their maps or advertising. In the past, friction with Japan and the United States has led to calls for mass boycotts, protests in the streets or even vandalism on embassies or restaurants. These days, pure nationalism appears not to resonate so much with Chinese consumers accustomed to making their own personal consumption choices. "Chinese consumers, especially urban middle-class and younger demographics, are not making everyday purchasing decisions based on nationalism," said Jacob Cooke, CEO of Beijing-based consultancy WPIC .
Faced with new global challenges, the leaders of China and Canada pledged Friday to improve relations between their two nations after years of acrimony. Xi Jinping told visiting Prime Minister Mark Carney that he is willing to continue working to improve ties, noting that talks have been underway on restoring and restarting cooperation since the two held an initial meeting in October on the sidelines of a regional economic conference in South Korea. It can be said that our meeting last year opened a new chapter in turning ChinaCanada relations toward improvement, China's top leader said. Carney, the first Canadian prime minister to visit China in eight years, said better relations would help improve a global governance system that he described as under great strain. He called for a new relationship adapted to new global realities and cooperation in agriculture, energy and finance. Those new realities reflect in large part the so-called America-first approach of US President Donald
China on Friday announced strong countermeasures against several US defence companies and senior executives in response to Washington's recent decision to approve large-scale arms sales to Taiwan, Global Times reported.The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it will impose sanctions on 20 US defence-related companies and 10 senior executives who have been involved in supplying weapons to Taiwan in recent years. The action has been taken under China's Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law and will come into effect immediately.According to the ministry, the targeted companies include Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, L3Harris Maritime Services, Boeing in St. Louis, Gibbs & Cox, Advanced Acoustic Concepts, VSE Corporation, Sierra Technical Services, Red Cat Holdings, Teal Drones, ReconCraft, High Point Aerotechnologies, Epirus, Dedrone Holdings, Area-I, Blue Force Technologies, Dive Technologies, Vantor, Intelligent Epitaxy Technology, Rhombus Power and Lazarus Enterprises.Under the sanctions, .
Graphite mines in the United States largely closed down seven decades ago. Mining the ubiquitous mineral found in everything from nuclear reactors to pencils seemed to make little sense when it could be imported inexpensively from other nations, especially China. That view is changing now. Demand for graphite, a key material in the lithium-ion batteries that power everything from phones to electric cars, is surging as trade tensions with China persist. With federal officials concerned about the steady supply of a number of critical minerals, several companies have plans to mine graphite. In New York, Titan Mining Corp has mined a limited amount of ore from a deposit in snowy woods about 40 km from the Canadian border, aiming for commercial sales by 2028. Company officials believe the geopolitical winds are at their backs to sell graphite concentrate for high-tech, industrial and military uses. That could include heat-resistant coatings in factories, anodes in large lithium-ion ...
President Donald Trump is planning a USD 12 billion farm aid package, according to a White House official a boost to farmers who have struggled to sell their crops while getting hit by rising costs after the president raised tariffs on China as part of a broader trade war. According to the official, who was granted anonymity to speak ahead of a planned announcement, Trump will unveil the plan Monday afternoon at a White House roundtable with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, lawmakers and farmers who raise cattle and grow corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, rice, wheat, and potatoes. Farmers have backed Trump politically, but his aggressive trade policies and frequently changing tariff rates have come under increasing scrutiny because of the impact on the agricultural sector and because of broader consumer worries. The aid is the administration's latest effort to defend Trump's economic stewardship and answer voter angst about rising costs even a