US-China Relations - 5. page

The Seventh China-U.S. Sister Cities Conference was held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, from October 25 to 27, co-hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Zhejiang Provincial Government.

Under the theme “Closer Cooperation, Sustainable Future,” the event brought together over 180 representatives from various sectors across 36 counties and cities in 28 U.S. states, along with delegates from 26 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities. It marked the largest and highest-level local exchange between China and the United States in recent years.

Participants engaged in in-depth discussions and shared insights on topics including education, innovation, and sustainable development. They highlighted the important role of sister city partnerships in deepening mutual understanding and enhancing the well-being of both peoples.

At the conclusion of the conference, attendees issued the “Hangzhou Consensus,” calling on people from all sectors of Chinese and American society to actively support and participate in sister city cooperation amid ongoing global challenges. The document emphasizes the importance of advancing collaboration in areas such as culture, education, and youth exchanges, reflecting a shared commitment to fostering stable, healthy, and sustainable China-U.S. relations.

The conference underscored that local-level engagement remains a crucial channel for maintaining and strengthening ties between the two nations, even amid broader diplomatic complexities.

Source: People’s Daily, October 28, 2025
https://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/pc/content/202510/28/content_30111830.html

Primary Taiwanese news agency Central News Agency (CNA) recently reported that, amid the U.S.-China trade war, China has halted its soybean purchases from the U.S. and is shifting to Brazil and other countries. However, the China Soybean Industry Association (CSIA) stated that the high premium on Brazilian soybeans has deterred Chinese buyers.

CSIA stated that China purchased a large volume of Argentine soybeans at the end of September, mainly for shipment in November. China currently still needs to purchase about 8 million to 9 million tons of soybeans for shipment from December to January next year. Due to the ongoing trade tensions between China and the United States, Chinese buyers have not yet placed any orders for new U.S. beans.

Currently, Brazilian soybeans are quoted at ports at a premium of US$2.8 to US$2.9 per bushel over the November soybeans on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). This is much higher than the US$1.7 premium for U.S. soybeans. For most of the second half of this year, China’s soybean crushing margins have been in negative territory, which has also made Chinese oil mills less willing to buy. Due to high prices, Chinese buyers have little incentive to purchase Brazilion soybeans for December and January next year.

Some industry insiders believe that Chinese buyers haven’t completely given up on U.S. soybean supplies. As Trump-Xi meeting is expected to take place in South Korea very soon, if the U.S. and China can reach a trade agreement, Chinese oil mills may shift to purchasing U.S. soybeans between December and January next year, since U.S. soybean prices are significantly more attractive than South American competitors’.

Source: CNA, October 25, 2025
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202510250157.aspx

On October 21, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Rob Wagner, President of the Oregon State Senate, in Beijing, highlighting the importance of strengthening relations between China and the United States at both the national and local levels.

During the meeting, Han pointed out that President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump had engaged in three phone conversations earlier this year, reaching a series of significant agreements. He emphasized that China and the United States share extensive common interests and vast potential for cooperation, and that the two countries should aim to become partners and friends. Han expressed his hope that the U.S. would work alongside China in a shared direction, seeking mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation to chart a path for positive interaction between two major nations in the new era, ultimately benefiting both countries and the world.

Han also noted Oregon’s long-standing friendly relationship with China, encouraging Wagner and other state legislators to continue promoting communication and exchanges between the two sides. He underscored the importance of deepening people-to-people ties and playing a leading role in fostering U.S.-China subnational cooperation.

In response, Wagner congratulated China on the upcoming Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. He also highlighted the significance of local-level U.S.-China cooperation, emphasizing that the Oregon State Legislature has passed resolutions to further strengthen friendly exchanges and collaboration with Chinese provinces and cities. This, he said, reflects Oregon’s commitment to maintaining positive relations with China, even in the face of broader geopolitical challenges.

The meeting underscored the mutual recognition that subnational diplomacy remains a crucial channel for maintaining stable and constructive bilateral relations.

Source: People’s Daily, October 22, 2025
https://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/pc/content/202510/22/content_30110613.html

China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) has announced the uncovering of what it described as a major cyberattack, alleging that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) infiltrated the National Time Service Center in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. The center, which operates China’s official timekeeping system, is responsible for maintaining critical infrastructure. According to the MSS, a successful breach could trigger widespread disruption—including network failures, financial system instability, power outages, transportation paralysis, and even space launch failures—potentially undermining global time synchronization.

The ministry claimed that its investigation uncovered a systematic and escalating pattern of NSA cyber operations beginning in March 2022. Initially, the agency allegedly exploited vulnerabilities in a foreign smartphone brand’s messaging service to compromise the mobile devices of multiple employees at the center and extract sensitive data. By April 2023, the NSA purportedly used stolen login credentials to infiltrate the center’s computer systems and gather intelligence on its network infrastructure. In August 2023, the MSS alleged, the NSA deployed a new cyber warfare platform equipped with 42 specialized attack tools to launch intensive strikes against the center’s internal systems.

The MSS further asserted that the U.S. has used technical outposts in the Philippines, Japan, and Taiwan as cover to disguise its cyber operations, deflect responsibility, and frame other actors. Chinese officials labeled the United States the world’s leading “hacker empire” and “the greatest source of instability in cyberspace.”

According to the statement, Chinese security agencies have thwarted the alleged cyberattacks and implemented comprehensive countermeasures to safeguard Beijing Time’s integrity. The MSS added that it is providing counterintelligence guidance and conducting security inspections across government departments, public institutions, and key enterprises to strengthen cyber defense nationwide.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), October 19, 2025
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202510190099.aspx