SCMP China·Tuesday, December 23, 2025

SCMP China - Tuesday, December 23, 2025

10 stories~15 min

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Stories Covered

US labels Chinese chips an economic threat, but delays tariff impact until 2027

In a new trade move against China’s semiconductor industry, the US Trade Representative Office said it had determined that Beijing’s drive for dominance in the sector is “unreasonable and discriminatory” and poses a direct threat to US commerce. In a formal notice of action filed with the Federal Register, the agency said the US is implementing a tariff action on a wide range of Chinese semiconductors, with an initial rate of 0 per cent. The rate is set to rise in 18 months, on June 23, 2027, to

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‘Bad policy’: China’s drone makers to shrug off US ban, analysts say

Though it did not come as a surprise, the US’ formal ban on the sale of new drones produced by China marks a “milestone” in the two countries’ strategic competition and technological decoupling, analysts said, with their rivalry continuing across numerous fields despite the temporary trade truce agreed between their leaders in October. Washington’s telecommunications regulator said on Monday that it is adding all foreign producers of drones and critical components – including those made by...

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China’s reusable rocket ambitions suffer setback, US blacklists DJI: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Second reusable rocket recovery failure in a month puts China 10 years behind US The Long March 12A, China’s first state-owned reusable rocket, made its debut launch on Tuesday morning but the recovery of the first stage was a failure. 2. ‘Urgent’: has mainland China changed tone for Taiwan peaceful reunification? Analysts examine Taiwan-related policy...

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Russian ally Belarus is courting both the US and China

As Russia remains bogged down in Ukraine, Belarus – the Kremlin’s only ally in Europe – seeks to improve relations with the United States. Unwilling to remain completely dependent on its giant neighbour, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko seems to be attempting to revive his well-known “multi-vector” foreign policy, balancing between Moscow, the West and China. But will he succeed? As the year nears its end, the 71-year-old Belarusian strongman has made several “humanitarian” gestures...

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China probes museum art theft claims that ‘make the Louvre thieves look dumb’

Chinese authorities are investigating reports that cultural treasures from a leading state-run museum were secretly sold on the market by museum staff in an alleged scam that has been described as making the Louvre thieves look “dumb”. The scandal first came to light when a 16th-century painting that had been donated by the family of an art collector appeared for auction earlier this year. A former director of the museum has since come under scrutiny after a former underling claimed that he had.

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China vows city-specific fixes to clear housing glut, stabilise property sector

China has pledged to empower local governments with city-specific measures to clear housing gluts and optimise supply next year, ramping up efforts to stabilise a real estate market that remains a persistent drag on the world’s second-largest economy. “Municipal governments should fully utilise their autonomy in regulating the property market, adjusting and optimising policies as appropriate,” said Ni Hong, the minister of housing and urban-rural development, at a two-day work conference that...

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Taiwan ramps up security measures for coming holidays after deadly stabbings

Taiwan has bolstered security ahead of the coming holidays to pre-empt potential copycat attacks following a deadly mass stabbing that has left the island on edge. The island’s Ministry of the Interior and National Police Agency (NPA) ordered tighter deployments at transport hubs and major events, increased monitoring of online threats and accelerated reviews of police resources and command procedures. Announced in separate statements on Tuesday, the measures came after last week’s violence...

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‘Saturation attacks’: drone swarms key for wartime victory, Chinese military paper says

The key to achieving wartime victory through expendable drones lies in “saturation attacks based on numerical superiority”, the official paper of the People’s Liberation Army has said as the Chinese military speeds up its development of unmanned systems. In a commentary on Tuesday titled “Exploring the Winning Formula for Unmanned Attrition Warfare”, the PLA Daily said that it would be imperative to “flexibly deploy low-cost unmanned systems to continuously deplete the opponent’s high-value...

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Nvidia aims to start H200 AI chip shipments to China by mid-February, sources say

Nvidia has told Chinese clients it aims to start shipping its H200 artificial intelligence chips to China before the Lunar New Year holiday in mid-February, according to three people familiar with the matter. The US chip designer plans to fulfil initial orders from existing stock, with shipments expected to total 5,000 to 10,000 chip modules – equivalent to about 40,000 to 80,000 H200 AI chips, the ⁠first and second sources said. Nvidia has also told Chinese clients that it plans to add new...

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As Germany’s trade deficit with China nears new high, analysts warn of backlash

Germany’s trade deficit with China is on track to hit a record high in 2025 amid shrinking demand for German goods – a trend that appears unlikely to be reversed in the short term and which could trigger a protectionist backlash, according to analysts. China, already Germany’s biggest import partner, is set to increase its total exports to Germany by 7.2 per cent, with the value reaching €168 billion (US$197 billion), according to a forecast last week by Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI), an...

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