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Monthly Archives: September 2025 - 8. page

China Reportedly Bidding on Vietnam’s Largest Tungsten Mine

Taiwanese newspaper Commercial Times recently reported that Masan Group, the owner of the Vietnamese Nui Phao tungsten mine, is considering a sale of the asset. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that two Chinese buyers have recently contacted Masan Group, intending to use proxy bidding to avoid directly exposing their Chinese capital status.

Tungsten is a key strategic raw material for high-tech industries such as national defense, aerospace, semiconductors, and electronics. Data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows that China’s tungsten production accounted for 83 percent of the world’s total in 2024. The Vietnamese Nui Phao mine produces approximately 3,400 metric tons of tungsten annually, accounting for nearly all of Vietnam’s production, making Vietnam the world’s second-largest producer after China. Furthermore, the mine’s associated refinery has an annual production capacity of 6,500 metric tons, making it one of the largest tungsten processing facilities outside of China.

In April this year, China imposed export controls on tungsten and several rare earths in retaliation for the U.S.’s reciprocal tariff measures. U.S. diplomats and Western officials have recently visited the Nui Phao mine several times, not only showing support for Masan Group but also sending a signal of “preventing China from monopolizing the supply chain.”

Source: Commercial Times, August 28, 2025
https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20250828700148-439901

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Lianhe Zaobao: Mexico Plans to Raise Tariffs on China

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that according to people familiar with the matter, the Mexican government plans to raise import tariffs on Chinese goods in its proposed budget bill next month to protect domestic businesses and meet demands from U.S. President Donald Trump.

The proposed tariff increase, which covers Chinese goods such as cars, textiles and plastics, is intended to protect Mexican manufacturers from competition from subsidized Chinese products. Other Asian countries are also expected to face higher tariffs under this bill.

Since the beginning of the year, the U.S. Trump administration has been urging Mexico to follow the United States and raise tariffs on China. Mexican officials subsequently proposed the concept of a “Fortress North America” that would restrict goods from China while strengthening trade and manufacturing ties with Mexico and Canada.

The spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to media inquiries at a regular press conference, pointing out that Mexico is China’s second largest trading partner in Latin America, and China is Mexico’s third largest export destination. China “firmly opposes” any attempt to impose restrictions on China under any excuse by others, which undermines China’s legitimate rights and interests.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, August 28, 2025
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/world/story20250828-7424641

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Maduro Flaunts Xi’s Gifted Huawei Phone as China-Venezuela Ties Strengthen Amid U.S. Tensions

At Venezuela’s First Bolivarian Teachers’ Education Congress on August 14, President Nicolás Maduro showcased a new Huawei smartphone that he said was a personal gift from Xi Jinping. Maduro said he could use the phone for satellite communication with Xi and even greeted in Chinese in a mock phone call during his speech. CNN noted that while symbolic, the gesture highlights Maduro’s effort to emphasize close ties with China amid strained relations with the U.S.

A week later, on August 21, Maduro met with China’s ambassador to Venezuela, Lan Hu, and praised recent progress in bilateral cooperation, particularly in economic, technological, and artificial intelligence projects. He declared that China’s people-centered development model is shaping global trends.

On the same day, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning criticized the U.S. for deploying warships near Venezuela to stop drug trafficking, saying it violated the U.N. Charter, threatened Venezuela’s sovereignty, and undermined regional peace. She urged the U.S. to contribute positively to stability in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Source: Radio France International, August 24, 2025
https://www.rfi.fr/cn/美洲/20250824-美委关系紧张加剧-马杜罗秀习近平-亲赠-华为手机等对华示好

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend US-China Relations

DW Chinese: Beijing Refuses Trump’s Invitation to Participate in Nuclear Talks

Deutsche Welle Chinese Edition recently reported that U.S. President Trump once again proposed that China join the U.S.-Russia denuclearization negotiations, but was clearly rejected by Beijing.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said at a regular press conference that it is “neither reasonable nor realistic” to ask China to join the trilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations between China, the United States and Russia. He also said that “the nuclear forces of China and the United States are not at the same level at all, and the nuclear policies and strategic security environments of the two countries are completely different.” He stressed that China pursues a policy of no first use of nuclear weapons and adheres to a nuclear strategy of self-defense, and countries with the largest nuclear arsenals should earnestly fulfill their special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament.

In February this year, Trump proposed seeking negotiations with China and Russia on limiting their respective nuclear arsenals and proposed that the three countries agree to halve their military spending. During his first term, Trump failed to persuade China to participate in nuclear arms control negotiations. At the time, Russia and the United States were negotiating an extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

China currently possesses at least 600 nuclear warheads, and its nuclear arsenal is growing at the fastest pace in the world.

Source: DW Chinese, August 27, 2025
https://tinyurl.com/3ewszmvu

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend US-China Relations

China’s Energy Imports from US Nearing Zero

China’s imports of major energy resources from the United States have dropped to nearly zero during President Trump’s second term, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported last Thursday. In July, China’s combined imports of crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and coal from the US totaled less than one ton, marking the lowest level since December 2019.

According to data from China’s National Bureau of Statistics cited by research firm CEIC, China’s LNG imports from the US have been zero since March, while crude oil imports ceased in June and remained at zero in July. Coal imports, which previously reached approximately 1.35 million tons, plummeted to less than one ton after May.

This energy “de-Americanization” trend appears likely to persist long-term due to the current stalemate in US-China trade negotiations and China’s efforts to diversify energy import sources following the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict. China has strengthened its energy security by expanding supplier diversity.

This isn’t China’s first halt on US energy imports. During Trump’s first term, amid intense US-China tensions in late 2019, imports of these three major energy categories also dropped to zero. However, they recovered quickly after the two countries signed the Phase One trade agreement the following year.

Meanwhile, China’s domestic natural gas production reached 21.6 billion cubic meters in July, up 7.6 percent year-on-year. Pipeline gas imports from Russia and Central Asia totaled 5.2 million tons, increasing 4.8 percent. Russian crude oil imports to China surged 16.8% during the same period.

Experts suggest that China’s access to low-cost Russian crude oil and pipeline natural gas has reduced its appetite for purchasing higher-priced resources like LNG, contributing to suppressed LNG price growth across Asia.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), August 28, 2025
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202508280059.aspx

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations