NewzIntel.com

Category: China

  • MIL-OSI China: Tokyo stocks end mixed amid uncertainty over US reciprocal tariffs

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Tokyo stocks closed mixed on Wednesday amid a cautious mood before the U.S. announcement of reciprocal tariffs.

    Japan’s benchmark Nikkei stock index, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average, ended up 101.39 points, or 0.28 percent, from Tuesday at 35,725.87.

    The broader Topix index, meanwhile, finished 11.44 points, or 0.43 percent, lower at 2,650.29.

    On the stock market, heavyweight semiconductor-related issues supported the benchmark Nikkei following rises by their U.S. counterparts on the Nasdaq index.

    Investors remained cautious over an additional 25 percent tariff set to be imposed as planned on Thursday on all cars made outside the United States, analysts said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump signs executive order on ‘reciprocal tariffs’ amid widespread opposition

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Amid widespread opposition, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order on the so-called “reciprocal tariffs,” imposing a 10-percent “minimum baseline tariff” and higher rates on certain trading partners.

    All imports would be subject to 10 percent additional tariffs, except as otherwise provided, the executive order said. This will take effect on April 5.

    Trump will impose an “individualized reciprocal higher tariff” on the countries and regions with which the United States “has the largest trade deficits,” according to a White House document. This will take effect on April 9.

    In his speech at the White House Rose Garden, Trump presented a chart on “reciprocal tariffs.” The chart shows that different countries and regions face different tariff rates.

    For example, China will face a 34-percent tariff, the European Union 20 percent, Vietnam 46 percent, Japan 24 percent, India 26 percent, South Korea 25 percent, Thailand 36 percent, Switzerland 31 percent, Indonesia 32 percent, Malaysia 24 percent, and Cambodia 49 percent.

    Some goods will not be subject to the reciprocal tariff, including steel and aluminum, as well autos and auto parts already subject to Section 232 tariffs, copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and lumber, the White House noted.

    Despite Trump’s claim that higher tariffs will help bring in revenue for the government and revitalize U.S. manufacturing, economists have warned that such measures will push up prices for U.S. consumers and businesses, disrupt global trade, and hurt global economy. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: African fashion brands debut at Shanghai Fashion Week, eyeing Chinese market

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    South African designer Jessica Jane (R) and her husband, Wandile Molebatsi, co-founders of South African fashion brand Molebatsi, display their collections at the trade exhibition MODE during Shanghai Fashion Week in east China’s Shanghai, March 25, 2025. [PhotoXinhua]

    At the ongoing 2025 Autumn/Winter Shanghai Fashion Week, 22 African fashion brands made their debut, aiming to break into the Chinese and broader Asian markets while highlighting the appeal of China’s burgeoning “debut economy.”

    Models walked the runway in Shanghai, presenting the latest collections from African designer brands, from handmade weaving to natural dyeing and environmentally friendly techniques.

    Themed “Innovascape,” the fashion extravaganza took place from March 25 to April 1, showcasing nearly 100 runway shows and about 1,000 brands in exhibitions.

    Hannah Ryder, CEO of Development Reimagined, brought 22 African designer brands from 12 countries to Shanghai Fashion Week, giving them the opportunity to connect with global buyers and retailers at the trade exhibition MODE.

    “This is the first time that African designers have come to China as a group, and I think our main message for the Chinese market is that African fashion brands are ready to enter China,” said Ryder, noting that African designer brands have immense potential in terms of creativity and sustainability and can offer something truly unique to the Chinese market.

    “Shanghai Fashion Week is one of the top fashion weeks in the world,” Ryder said, adding that this is not only an opportunity to showcase African creativity and culture but also an excellent chance to establish connections and expand business cooperation with the Chinese fashion industry, and even the rest of Asia, including Southeast Asia, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

    She noted that while African clothing is often associated with beautiful patterns and vibrant colors, African designer brands feature a much more diverse range of design languages and aesthetics.

    Ryder explained that while some of the brands have already entered the European market, they are still new to China and will use the exhibition and runway shows to introduce themselves, alongside launching select new collections on Chinese e-commerce platforms as a “test drive.”

    A Chinese-style buckle and double-breasted design, featuring cuffs inspired by Hanfu yet reimagined with African geometric patterns, is paired with fabric adorned with scenes of local South African tribes. This striking ensemble is one of the latest creations from the South African fashion brand Molebatsi.

    South African designer Jessica Jane and her husband, Wandile Molebatsi, co-founded the brand. In 2023, Jane made a special trip to central China’s Hunan Province to attend the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, followed by a visit to Beijing.

    During her 10-day trip to China, Jane saw traditional Chinese clothing, such as Hanfu and horse-faced skirts, for the first time. “China’s long history and traditional culture fascinated me,” she said. After the trip, she began brainstorming ways to combine elements of traditional Chinese clothing with traditional African clothing, ultimately bringing the new products back to China.

    “It’s an incredibly exciting opportunity because there are so many collaborations and mutually beneficial relationships between Africa and China,” said Wandile Molebatsi. “There’s a huge amount of opportunity for Africans here in China, and it’s very exciting.”

    Aristide Loua, from Cote d’Ivoire, is new to the Chinese market. Through pre-promotion activities at Shanghai Fashion Week, he received cooperation invitations and engaged in in-depth negotiations with numerous buyers. “I will formulate a plan for entering the Chinese market based on their feedback,” Loua said.

    “As we witness African designers showcasing their work at one of the world’s most influential fashion weeks, we are taking an essential step toward a more inclusive and diverse global fashion industry. Through continued collaboration, investment, and market access, African brands can carve out their space in the Chinese market — not as a niche, but as a mainstream force,” said Phuti Tsipa, Consul General of South Africa in Shanghai.

    Raphael Deray, a buyer from Printemps in Paris, went straight from the airport to the MODE exhibition to meet with designers from China, Africa, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and other places.

    “My expectations are quite high to find good designers and good products during Shanghai Fashion Week because I know China has a lot of potential. It is a big market for fashion,” Raphael Deray said.

    “As a trendsetter in the Asian fashion industry, Shanghai Fashion Week is an amplifier of innovative fashion. We will create a gateway for international brands to engage with the Chinese market through a more open and inclusive approach and foster a new fashion ecosystem that spans from Chinese design to global resonance,” said Tong Jisheng, director of the Shanghai Fashion Week organizing committee.

    Recently, the “debut economy” has emerged as a key driver of consumption in China. This concept encompasses product launches, flagship store openings, new service rollouts, and the development of innovative business models and technologies.

    Liu Min, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, said that the “debut economy” is an important measure to expand domestic demand and boost consumption.

    Shanghai has enhanced policy support across multiple areas, including exhibition support, streamlined customs clearance, and financial incentives. These measures have further optimized the launch environment for global new products and provided stronger service guarantees for both domestic and international brands introducing new products in the city.

    “We hope more brands will establish a long-term presence in Shanghai, starting with a first launch or debut show, followed by the opening of flagship stores, and ultimately establishing headquarters here to expand globally,” she added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Deluzio Statement on Tariff News

    Source: US Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA)

    CONGRESSMAN CHRIS DELUZIO:

    “I want to be clear about what I support and what I don’t: I support using tariffs as a tool against bad actors and trade cheats—like Communist China. I support using tariffs strategically alongside muscular industrial and pro-worker policies to protect American jobs and consumers. And I support renegotiating—aggressively—trade deals like the USMCA to get the best possible deal for hardworking Americans like us in Western Pennsylvania. 

    “I do not support the decades-long Washington consensus on free trade that has crushed American industry and jobs and given us far-flung supply chains that too often fail. It has been a bad deal for us in the Rust Belt and beyond. And I do not support allowing foreign trade cheats to exploit their workers to undercut American jobs.  

    “The Trump Administration’s trade approach has been chaotic, inconsistent, and incomplete: you need more than just tariffs to rebalance trade and kickstart American manufacturing. And we should not treat close economic allies like Canada the same as mercantilist trade cheats like China. Moreover, American workers and consumers should not be the ones paying for the necessary transition away from a broken trade system; the businesses that profiteered from that old regime should bear the cost. The President has the power to stop corporations from using the cover of tariffs to price gouge people—why won’t he use it?  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: New modelling reveals full impact of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs – with the US hit hardest

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Niven Winchester, Professor of Economics, Auckland University of Technology

    Getty Images

    We now have a clearer picture of Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs and how they will affect other trading nations, including the United States itself.

    The US administration claims these tariffs on imports will reduce the US trade deficit and address what it views as unfair and non-reciprocal trade practices. Trump said this would

    forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America’s destiny was reclaimed.

    The “reciprocal” tariffs are designed to impose charges on other countries equivalent to half the costs they supposedly inflict on US exporters through tariffs, currency manipulation and non-tariff barriers levied on US goods.

    Each nation received a tariff number that will apply to most goods. Notable sectors exempt include steel, aluminium and motor vehicles, which are already subject to new tariffs.

    The minimum baseline tariff for each country is 10%. But many countries received higher numbers, including Vietnam (46%), Thailand (36%), China (34%), Indonesia (32%), Taiwan (32%) and Switzerland (31%).

    The tariff number for China is in addition to an existing 20% tariff, so the total tariff applied to Chinese imports is 54%. Countries assigned 10% tariffs include Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

    Canada and Mexico are exempt from the reciprocal tariffs, for now, but goods from those nations are subject to a 25% tariff under a separate executive order.

    Although some countries do charge higher tariffs on US goods than the US imposes on their exports, and the “Liberation Day” tariffs are allegedly only half the full reciprocal rate, the calculations behind them are open to challenge.

    For example, non-tariff measures are notoriously difficult to estimate and “subject to much uncertainty”, according to one recent study.

    GDP impacts with retaliation

    Other countries are now likely to respond with retaliatory tariffs on US imports. Canada (the largest destination for US exports), the EU and China have all said they will respond in kind.

    To estimate the impacts of this tit-for-tat trade standoff, I use a global model of the production, trade and consumption of goods and services. Similar simulation tools – known as “computable general equilibrium models” – are widely used by governments, academics and consultancies to evaluate policy changes.

    The first model simulates a scenario in which the US imposes reciprocal and other new tariffs, and other countries respond with equivalent tariffs on US goods. Estimated changes in GDP due to US reciprocal tariffs and retaliatory tariffs by other nations are shown in the table below.

    The tariffs decrease US GDP by US$438.4 billion (1.45%). Divided among the nation’s 126 million households, GDP per household decreases by $3,487 per year. That is larger than the corresponding decreases in any other country. (All figures are in US dollars.)

    Proportional GDP decreases are largest in Mexico (2.24%) and Canada (1.65%) as these nations ship more than 75% of their exports to the US. Mexican households are worse off by $1,192 per year and Canadian households by $2,467.

    Other nations that experience relatively large decreases in GDP include Vietnam (0.99%) and Switzerland (0.32%).

    Some nations gain from the trade war. Typically, these face relatively low US tariffs (and consequently also impose relatively low tariffs on US goods). New Zealand (0.29%) and Brazil (0.28%) experience the largest increases in GDP. New Zealand households are better off by $397 per year.

    Aggregate GDP for the rest of the world (all nations except the US) decreases by $62 billion.

    At the global level, GDP decreases by $500 billion (0.43%). This result confirms the well-known rule that trade wars shrink the global economy.

    GDP impacts without retaliation

    In the second scenario, the modelling depicts what happens if other nations do not react to the US tariffs. The changes in the GDP of selected countries are presented in the table below.

    Countries that face relatively high US tariffs and ship a large proportion of their exports to the US experience the largest proportional decreases in GDP. These include Canada, Mexico, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Switzerland, South Korea and China.

    Countries that face relatively low new tariffs gain, with the UK experiencing the largest GDP increase.

    The tariffs decrease US GDP by $149 billion (0.49%) because the tariffs increase production costs and consumer prices in the US.

    Aggregate GDP for the rest of the world decreases by $155 billion, more than twice the corresponding decrease when there was retaliation. This indicates that the rest of the world can reduce losses by retaliating. At the same time, retaliation leads to a worse outcome for the US.

    Previous tariff announcements by the Trump administration dropped sand into the cogs of international trade. The reciprocal tariffs throw a spanner into the works. Ultimately, the US may face the largest damages.

    Niven Winchester has previously received funding from the Productivity Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to estimate the impacts of potential trade policies. He is affiliated with Motu Economic & Public Policy Research.

    – ref. New modelling reveals full impact of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs – with the US hit hardest – https://theconversation.com/new-modelling-reveals-full-impact-of-trumps-liberation-day-tariffs-with-the-us-hit-hardest-253320

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Kelly joins President Trump at White House for “Make America Wealthy Again” event

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), Chairman of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Tax, joined President Donald J. Trump and other lawmakers at the White House where the President unveiled new tariffs and economic policies to level the playing field and make American businesses more competitive on the global stage.

    The event, titled “Make America Wealthy Again,” was held in the Rose Garden to commemorate what President Trump has designated as “Liberation Day.”

    “President Trump has made it clear: the America First agenda is focused on creating American jobs and strengthening national security. This is critically important to ensure not only free trade with other nations, but fair trade in this global economy,” said Rep. Kelly.

    On Tuesday, Rep. Kelly, a co-chair of the House Automotive Caucus, joined NewsNation to discuss the importance of auto tariffs, the President’s goal to make more automobiles in the United States, and to rejuvenate the American auto industry.

    BACKGROUND

    The success of tariffs

    • A 2024 study on the effects of President Trump’s tariffs in his first term found that they “strengthened the U.S. economy” and “led to significant reshoring” in industries like manufacturing and steel production.
    • A 2023 report by the U.S. International Trade Commission — which analyzed the effects of President Trump’s Section 232 and 301 tariffs on more than $300 billion of U.S. imports — found the tariffs reduced imports from China, effectively stimulated more U.S. production of the affected goods, and had very minor effects on downstream prices.
    • According to the Economic Policy Institute, the tariffs implemented by President Trump during his first term “clearly show[ed] no correlation with inflation” and had only a fleeting effect on overall prices.
        — Economic Policy Institute: “Following implementation of Sec. 232 measures in 2018—and prior to the global downturn in 2020—U.S. steel output, employment, capital investment, and financial performance all improved. In particular, U.S. steel producers announced plans to invest more than $15.7 billion in new or upgraded steel facilities, creating at least 3,200 direct new jobs, many of which are now poised to come online.”

    Prior to President Trump’s announcement on Wednesday, Israel and Vietnam are among the countries that have dropped their tariffs on the United States.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: New modelling reveals full impact of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs – with the US hit hardest

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Niven Winchester, Professor of Economics, Auckland University of Technology

    Getty Images

    We now have a clearer picture of Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs and how they will affect other trading nations, including the United States itself.

    The US administration claims these tariffs on imports will reduce the US trade deficit and address what it views as unfair and non-reciprocal trade practices. Trump said this would

    forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America’s destiny was reclaimed.

    The “reciprocal” tariffs are designed to impose charges on other countries equivalent to half the costs they supposedly inflict on US exporters through tariffs, currency manipulation and non-tariff barriers levied on US goods.

    Each nation received a tariff number that will apply to most goods. Notable sectors exempt include steel, aluminium and motor vehicles, which are already subject to new tariffs.

    The minimum baseline tariff for each country is 10%. But many countries received higher numbers, including Vietnam (46%), Thailand (36%), China (34%), Indonesia (32%), Taiwan (32%) and Switzerland (31%).

    The tariff number for China is in addition to an existing 20% tariff, so the total tariff applied to Chinese imports is 54%. Countries assigned 10% tariffs include Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

    Canada and Mexico are exempt from the reciprocal tariffs, for now, but goods from those nations are subject to a 25% tariff under a separate executive order.

    Although some countries do charge higher tariffs on US goods than the US imposes on their exports, and the “Liberation Day” tariffs are allegedly only half the full reciprocal rate, the calculations behind them are open to challenge.

    For example, non-tariff measures are notoriously difficult to estimate and “subject to much uncertainty”, according to one recent study.

    GDP impacts with retaliation

    Other countries are now likely to respond with retaliatory tariffs on US imports. Canada (the largest destination for US exports), the EU and China have all said they will respond in kind.

    To estimate the impacts of this tit-for-tat trade standoff, I use a global model of the production, trade and consumption of goods and services. Similar simulation tools – known as “computable general equilibrium models” – are widely used by governments, academics and consultancies to evaluate policy changes.

    The first model simulates a scenario in which the US imposes reciprocal and other new tariffs, and other countries respond with equivalent tariffs on US goods. Estimated changes in GDP due to US reciprocal tariffs and retaliatory tariffs by other nations are shown in the table below.

    The tariffs decrease US GDP by US$438.4 billion (1.45%). Divided among the nation’s 126 million households, GDP per household decreases by $3,487 per year. That is larger than the corresponding decreases in any other country. (All figures are in US dollars.)

    Proportional GDP decreases are largest in Mexico (2.24%) and Canada (1.65%) as these nations ship more than 75% of their exports to the US. Mexican households are worse off by $1,192 per year and Canadian households by $2,467.

    Other nations that experience relatively large decreases in GDP include Vietnam (0.99%) and Switzerland (0.32%).

    Some nations gain from the trade war. Typically, these face relatively low US tariffs (and consequently also impose relatively low tariffs on US goods). New Zealand (0.29%) and Brazil (0.28%) experience the largest increases in GDP. New Zealand households are better off by $397 per year.

    Aggregate GDP for the rest of the world (all nations except the US) decreases by $62 billion.

    At the global level, GDP decreases by $500 billion (0.43%). This result confirms the well-known rule that trade wars shrink the global economy.

    GDP impacts without retaliation

    In the second scenario, the modelling depicts what happens if other nations do not react to the US tariffs. The changes in the GDP of selected countries are presented in the table below.

    Countries that face relatively high US tariffs and ship a large proportion of their exports to the US experience the largest proportional decreases in GDP. These include Canada, Mexico, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Switzerland, South Korea and China.

    Countries that face relatively low new tariffs gain, with the UK experiencing the largest GDP increase.

    The tariffs decrease US GDP by $149 billion (0.49%) because the tariffs increase production costs and consumer prices in the US.

    Aggregate GDP for the rest of the world decreases by $155 billion, more than twice the corresponding decrease when there was retaliation. This indicates that the rest of the world can reduce losses by retaliating. At the same time, retaliation leads to a worse outcome for the US.

    Previous tariff announcements by the Trump administration dropped sand into the cogs of international trade. The reciprocal tariffs throw a spanner into the works. Ultimately, the US may face the largest damages.

    Niven Winchester has previously received funding from the Productivity Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to estimate the impacts of potential trade policies. He is affiliated with Motu Economic & Public Policy Research.

    – ref. New modelling reveals full impact of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs – with the US hit hardest – https://theconversation.com/new-modelling-reveals-full-impact-of-trumps-liberation-day-tariffs-with-the-us-hit-hardest-253320

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Richard Hudson, Troy Carter Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Wireless Networks, Bolster U.S. Competition With China

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (R-NC), who serves as the Chairman of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and U.S. Representative Troy Carter, Sr. (D-LA) introduced the Open RAN Outreach Act. This bipartisan bill will strengthen U.S. wireless networks and ultimately protect our small and rural communications network providers from being reliant on Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-backed technology companies, such as Huawei.

    “By ensuring our small and rural telecom providers have the support needed to deploy technologies, like Open RAN, we can promote innovation and create jobs,” said Chairman Hudson. “This legislation paves the way for greater U.S. competition with China and a more secure, resilient wireless network landscape.”

    “This is a pivotal step toward strengthening our nation’s telecommunications infrastructure,” said Rep. Carter. “By providing technical assistance and outreach to small telecom providers, especially in rural areas like Louisiana, this bill opens the door to a more secure, diverse, and competitive wireless network landscape. The shift to Open RAN technology not only enhances national security by reducing reliance on foreign-made equipment but also boosts American manufacturing and fosters innovation in 5G. This bill ensures that rural communities are no longer left behind in the race for cutting-edge technology, driving down costs and empowering smaller carriers to build stronger, more resilient networks.”

    Background

    The COVID-19 pandemic and recent natural disasters underscored the importance of securing domestic supply chains and telecommunications networks. Huawei and other untrusted companies with the support of government money from China have been able to offer lower costs to entice small and rural providers to use their technology. Promoting a more competitive market of trusted alternative vendors to provide 5G equipment remains an important strategic component to protect U.S. networks.

    A closed or proprietary network has one vendor or manufacturer for end-to-end network equipment. Open RAN technology can help diversify communications technology by being an open network infrastructure that can have multiple components from multiple manufacturers. The Open RAN Outreach Act requires technical assistance and outreach to be made available on Open RAN technologies by the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). This will give small and rural providers information and support to deploy Open RAN technologies if providers would like to implement this technology.

    Read the Open RAN Outreach Act here.

    -###-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s registered organ donors exceed 7M

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A volunteer lays flowers in front of a monument in honor of organ donors during a commemorative event held at a human organ donor memorial park in Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan province, April 3, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]
    The number of registered organ donors in China has exceeded 7.05 million, according to the latest data released by the China Organ Donation Administrative Center.
    To date, the nation has carried out 58,000 cases of posthumous organ donation, 63,000 body donations and more than 110,000 corneal donations.
    As a result, the lives of around 170,000 patients with organ failure have been saved and more than 100,000 individuals have regained their eyesight.
    The data were released during an event aimed at commemorating organ donors and spreading awareness about voluntary organ donation on Tuesday, ahead of this year’s Tomb Sweeping Day on Friday.
    The event was held by the center in Shenyang, Liaoning province, under the guidance of the Red Cross Society of China and the National Health Commission.
    To honor organ donors, more than 280 memorial sites have been built across the nation, said the center.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China cracks down on irrational online sportsperson worship

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    The Chinese government has intensified its crackdown on irrational online celebrity worship of sportspeople, removing over 1.6 million pieces of illegal and non-compliant content and shutting down more than 3,700 accounts, according to the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).
    The move comes in response to individuals creating accounts or chat groups under the names of national team athletes and coaches, fueling excessive fandom and triggering conflict among fan groups. There have also been instances of users seeking illicit profits through such accounts and chat groups, exerting negative impact on the online community, especially minors, the CAC said.
    National team athletes and coaches have called for the disbandment of fan groups and urged a focus on the sports themselves.
    Cyberspace administration departments, in collaboration with the sports authorities, will continue to strengthen oversight of online sports fan culture, urging website platforms to fulfill their responsibilities and strictly penalizing those that neglect their duties, according to the CAC.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: PLA drills a just move to punish, deter secession attempts

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, gestures at a press conference in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 13, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A Chinese government spokesperson on Wednesday said the latest military drills launched by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) around Taiwan and in the middle and southern areas of the Taiwan Strait were a just move to punish and deter attempts to split the country.
    Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said these drills were conducted to safeguard peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and the well-being of Taiwan compatriots.
    In response to a statement by the U.S. White House regarding the drills, Zhu said that the Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affairs that brook no foreign interference.
    The United States should abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, stressed Zhu.
    “We have full confidence and sufficient capability to deter ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist activities and jointly achieve national reunification,” the spokesperson added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Vice premier stresses boosting employment for college graduates

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Job seekers talk with employers at a job fair held for the 2025 graduates of the Heilongjiang University in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, Dec. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Wednesday called for efforts to increase employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for college graduates and young people in a bid to keep the country’s youth employment at a stable level.
    Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a teleconference on the matter.
    Ding urged authorities to treat youth employment as a top priority, calling it a crucial matter that affects millions of households.
    All-out efforts should be made to increase high-quality job opportunities by tapping into key fields and industries, while fostering new employment growth points through industrial upgrades, Ding said.
    The vice premier called for outlining more favorable policies to support graduates who are willing to start up businesses.
    Ding also called for improved career services for graduates, and greater support for struggling jobseekers to ease their transition from campus to workplace.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: One-year high PMI indicates strong momentum of Chinese economy

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, April 2 — The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) of China’s manufacturing sector registered a one-year high in March, signaling the resilience and upward momentum of the world’s second-largest economy despite global headwinds.

    With the PMI of March at 50.5, the country’s manufacturing sector has shown significant improvement, thanks to a combination of seasonal recovery, policy stimulus, and structural upgrades.

    The March PMI was underpinned by expansion in both production and demand. Notably, the performance of the equipment manufacturing, high-tech manufacturing and consumer goods industries has rebounded over the past two months. Additionally, the PMI of small enterprises jumped 3.3 percentage points to 49.6 in March, the highest in 11 months. These developments indicate a rise in market confidence and the effectiveness of pro-growth policy measures.

    The PMI data for March suggests that the Chinese economy has maintained stable operations, with its recovery and upward trend further consolidated. Last year, China’s economy grew by 5 percent, ranking among the top of the world’s major economies in terms of growth rate while contributing around 30 percent to global economic growth.

    In the first two months of this year, China’s economic performance showed a steady start, with growth rates in industrial production, consumption, and investment all surpassing last year’s full-year figures. This trend reflects a continuation of the upward trajectory in the fourth quarter of last year.

    The sustained momentum is consolidated by enhanced sci-tech innovation, which is key to developing new quality productive forces, replacing old growth drivers with new ones, and securing long-term development.

    The role of consumption is to be further leveraged in expanding domestic demand — a top priority of the government. Bright spots in the consumer market, such as movies, the ice and snow economy, and tourism, highlight the huge potential of the economy. A special action plan that includes 30 measures to expand consumption, released in mid-March by the central authorities, will further boost consumption vitality.

    China regards foreign businesses as important participants in its modernization drive. Since the start of this year, China has secured a raft of major foreign investment projects, with planned investment totaling 33 billion U.S. dollars. The country will remain an ideal, secure, and promising destination for foreign investors.

    With its pro-growth measures continuing to deliver good outcomes, the Chinese economy is poised to sustain its uplifting momentum, advance on the path of high-quality development, and continue to be a major engine of global economic growth.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Release: Uncertainty remains over the impact of tariffs

    Source: New Zealand Labour Party

    Today’s announcement of 10 percent tariffs for New Zealand goods entering the United States is disappointing for exporters and consumers alike, with the long-lasting impact on prices and inflation still unknown.

    “The Government’s strategy of keeping its head down has not given New Zealand any advantage over our competitors,” Labour trade spokesperson Damien O’Connor said.

    “It’s disappointing that the Government hasn’t been able to negotiate lower tariffs given the very low level of tariffs we impose on goods and services from the US.

    “While the announcement has provided clarity on the percentage of tariffs, the impact on the US economy collectively including the impact on prices in the US market will take a long time to be fully realised.

    “There’s going to be $900 million hit on our exports, and there is uncertainty over who will carry the cost of that, whether it will be US consumers or New Zealand exporters.

    “We also have to consider how the ripple effect of tariffs on our trading partners such as China will affect prices back here.

    “Decisions by our competitors to shift their goods to other markets may have further ramifications for NZ exporters.

    “Trade Minister Todd McLay told New Zealanders that he didn’t expect New Zealand to be caught in tariffs, but he was proven wrong by today’s announcement,” Damien O’Connor said.

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    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Capital flows from listed banks demonstrate China’s economic dynamism

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The recently released 2024 annual reports of China’s listed banks highlight the diverse dynamics of China’s economic development, as banks, serving as the primary channels for corporate and household financing, in their capital underscore the economy’s growth momentum.

    Key sectors in focus: tech firms attracting major capital

    Data from annual reports indicate that over the past year, listed banks have continued to expand credit issuance to support the real economy. In 2024, China’s four major state-owned banks, which include Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), Bank of China (BOC), and China Construction Bank (CCB), collectively issued more than 8 trillion yuan (about 1.11 trillion U.S. dollars) in new loans.

    ICBC and ABC each saw loan increases exceeding 2 trillion yuan.

    Strategic national initiatives and key industries remained top priorities for credit allocation, the reports showed, and banks reported notable growth in loans directed toward manufacturing, strategic emerging industries, and elderly care services.

    By the end of 2024, ICBC’s outstanding loans to strategic emerging industries had exceeded 3.1 trillion yuan, while BOC’s lending to these industries had grown by 26.31 percent year on year.

    CCB’s loans to the manufacturing sector totaled 3.04 trillion yuan, and the medium-to-long-term loans to the manufacturing industry by ABC saw a 20.2-percent year-on-year increase.

    Technology-driven enterprises also gained traction. CCB’s loans to science and technology-related industries topped 3.5 trillion yuan by the end of 2024, while ICBC’s loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative rose over 54 percent from the start of the year. China Everbright Bank also reported a 42.1-percent year-on-year increase in loans to tech firms.

    Behind the figures, banks have been accelerating the establishment of financial mechanisms that align with technological innovation. ICBC has set up 25 regional technology finance centers nationwide, ABC expanded its network of tech-focused branches to nearly 300, and BOC launched a dedicated science and technology innovation fund.

    However, many SMEs in the tech field still face financing challenges. At their earnings briefings, multiple banks pledged to deepen integrated equity-loan-bond-insurance financial services and tailor products to meet diverse innovation needs.

    Boosting consumption, demand: consumer loans surging

    Consumer credit has emerged as a catalyst for domestic spending. Banks actively promoted traditional sectors like automobiles and home appliances while cultivating new consumption scenarios in tourism, elderly care, and other services.

    By end-2024, Bank of Communications saw personal consumer loans jump 90.44 percent year on year, adding 156.8 billion yuan. ABC’s consumer loans grew 28.3 percent, that of CCB rose 25.21 percent, and China Merchants Bank’s consumer loan balance hit 396.16 billion yuan, up 31.38 percent year on year.

    CCB also reported over 1 trillion yuan in credit card loans.

    At the same time, banks have focused on meeting residents’ essential and improved housing needs by maintaining stable personal mortgage lending. By the end of 2024, CCB’s personal mortgage clients had surpassed 15 million, with outstanding mortgage loans totaling 6.19 trillion yuan. China CITIC Bank’s mortgage loan balance increased by 61.41 billion yuan, ranking among the highest in the industry.

    Since the fourth quarter of last year, China’s housing market has shown positive changes following the implementation of a series of policy measures, which was also reflected in the financial sector.

    According to CCB vice president Ji Zhihong, the bank’s daily average mortgage loan applications in Q4 2024 rose by 73 percent quarter-on-quarter and 35 percent year-on-year, with early repayments declining further in Q1 2025.

    With additional policies aimed at boosting consumption on the horizon, the consumer finance market is poised for new growth opportunities. Dong Qingma, deputy dean of the Institute of Chinese Financial Studies at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, stated that financial institutions will continue to ramp up support for consumption through fiscal incentives, interest subsidies, and tax reductions, injecting more capital into the economy.

    While CMB’s annual report highlighted plans to tap into consumption scenarios encouraged by national policies, including high-end and comprehensive household spending. ICBC announced that it will actively engage with emerging economic models such as the ice and snow economy and the silver economy to further unleash consumption potential and enhance economic circulation.

    Unlocking credit growth: fueling real economy

    Multiple banks have signaled their commitment to maintaining stable credit growth, ensuring strong, sustained financial support for the real economy.

    ICBC pledged over 6 trillion yuan in financing to private enterprises over the next three years. ABC aims to exceed 7.5 trillion yuan in loans to private firms by 2025, with inclusive finance loans growing faster than average.

    A review of various banks’ strategic directions suggests that credit allocation priorities for 2025 are becoming clearer. Bank of Communications plans to issue 480 billion yuan in corporate loans, targeting major infrastructure projects, manufacturing, rural revitalization, and strategic emerging industries aligned with government policies.

    CCB plans to further expand its retail credit and focus on green finance in key sectors such as energy, industry, and transportation, while continuing to support major infrastructure projects. China Everbright Bank will allocate over 70 percent of its corporate credit growth to tech, green, and inclusive sectors.

    “The implementation of a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy this year will provide a favorable macroeconomic environment for the banking industry,” said ABC president Wang Zhiheng, adding that in 2025, the bank will seize strategic opportunities in rural development, industrial upgrades, and green transitions, among others.

    Experts believe that as banks align their strategies with macroeconomic priorities, they will continue to identify and meet effective credit demand, enhancing the precision and adaptability of financial services, thus, continuing to channel high-quality funding to sustain the real economy’s growth. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China enhances social credit system to boost high-quality development

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China has expedited efforts to improve its social credit system and build a creditworthy society as part of the country’s broader push to advance a market-oriented economy.

    The country has made progress in areas such as credit information sharing and the enforcement of penalties against bad-faith actions, as part of efforts to strengthen the social credit system, Li Chunlin, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, told a press conference on Wednesday.

    The credit system is the bedrock of the market economy, according to experts. Credit plays a key role in optimizing the business environment, improving financial services, and enhancing governance and service efficiency of the government.

    To boost credit information sharing, China has established a national-level credit information sharing platform, which aggregated over 80.7 billion credit records from 180 million business entities, according to Li.

    The country has also set up a nationwide financing and credit service platform that compiles key enterprise-related credit data, including business registration and tax payment. Li said that the platform is designated to help financial institutions access comprehensive credit information of small firms, enabling them to provide targeted financial support to those in real need.

    As of February 2025, financial institutions across the country have issued a total of 37.3 trillion yuan (about 5.2 trillion U.S. dollars) in loans through the platform, including 9.4 trillion yuan in credit loans. This has significantly alleviated the capital constraints facing small private enterprises, according to the official.

    Regarding information security, the country is working to minimize the risk of information leakage by making data available but not visible. It also plans to incorporate blockchain technology to ensure traceability and enhance security during data processing.

    The press conference came days after the release of a new guideline on further improving the social credit system. The guideline includes 23 measures and aims to create a unified national market while ensuring a fair and orderly competitive market environment.

    The guideline calls for the establishment of a unified social credit system covering all types of entities, in order to promote the deep integration of social credit system into all aspects of social and economic development.

    Highlighting the significance of the guideline, experts noted that these measures are expected to address challenges such as fragmented regulatory rules and data silos.

    “The guideline marks a new historical starting point for China’s social credit system, and it will undoubtedly propel the system to reach a higher level of development,” said Wang Wei, a professor with the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (National Academy of Governance).

    China will support domestic credit service institutions in establishing independent and impartial third-party credit service partnerships with Belt and Road Initiative partner countries and BRICS nations, and will also promote the internationalization of domestic credit rating agencies, according to the guideline.

    Looking ahead, Li said China will increase efforts in data governance, facilitate the flow of data, effectively cultivate the credit market, and expand the credit economy. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: US tariffs will upend global trade. This is how Australia can respond

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Deane, Professor of Trade Law, Taxation and Climate Change, Queensland University of Technology

    US President Donald Trump has imposed a range of tariffs on all products entering the US market, with Australian exports set to face a 10% tariff, effective April 5.

    These import taxes will be charged by US customs on each imported item. The punitive tariffs on 60 countries range as high as 34% on imports from China and 46% on Vietnam, and exceed the rates agreed between the United States and other global trade partners.

    “For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike,” Trump said.

    The impact on Australian industries will be both direct and indirect. The largest Australian export to the US is meat products, totalling A$4 billion in 2024, and our farmers may divert some product to other nations.

    Direct and indirect impacts

    The larger economic risk is to our regional trading partners.

    While Australia faces only 10% tariffs, our major trading partners China, Japan and South Korea all face much higher US tariffs under the new regime. So the risk of a manufacturing slowdown in those countries could dampen demand for Australia’s much larger exports – iron ore, coal and gas.

    Australian investors reacted swiftly, wiping 2.1% off the main stock market index, the S&P/ASX 200, in the first hour of trade.

    Another problem will be the disruption to global supply chains. It is not just finished products impacted. For instance, the 25% automobile tariff will be extended to auto parts on May 3. This means even if a car is entirely built in the US, it will still be more expensive because many components are imported.



    Read more:
    What are tariffs?

    What sectors has the US complained about?

    On April 1, the US released an annual trade report that identifies what it describes as “foreign trade barriers”. There was a long list of grievances with both tariff and non-tariff barriers identified.

    The report identified Australia’s biosecurity restrictions on meat, apples and pears. The Australian biosecurity rules do not directly ban any products, although in practice raw beef products are excluded.

    Trump singled out Australian beef in his speech. “They won’t take any of our beef,” he claimed.

    In a speech riddled with inaccuracies and falsehoods, this was one of them. Australia take shelf-stable US products, but not raw products for which consumer safety can not be assured.

    The US cited two other main Australian trade barriers. US drug companies have criticised the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme approvals processes. The Albanese government’s plan to strengthen the News Media Bargaining Code that requires tech companies to pay for news published on their platforms was also targeted.

    How can Australia respond?

    Both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton are in agreement over what we should do in response. They say Australian law and policy is not up for sale. We don’t negotiate on biosecurity, we don’t negotiate on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme process, and our local news media deserves protection from Big Tech.

    1. All avenues start with negotiations

    The preferred option is for a negotiation with the US to secure an exemption.

    A dispute at the World Trade Organization (WTO) sends a strong message to our trading partners and will also mean there’s an expert adjudication on this unprecedented move.

    However, the US has sidelined the WTO in recent years and Albanese has ruled out this route.

    2. Consultation

    The second potential action is to initiate consultations under the Australia–US Free Trade Agreement. There is a formal process identified in the agreement to which Albanese referred, with a threat of “dispute resolution mechanisms”.

    Albanese has ruled out imposing “reciprocal tariffs” on US imports, noting this would only push up prices for Australian consumers.

    3. Find new markets

    Third, we can find other markets. Australian agricultural products are some of the most desirable in the world. Australian producers will have other options. Indeed, the latest data for beef exports showed exports to China jumped 43% from January, to Japan up 27%, and to South Korea up 60% from the previous month.

    What has the government said?

    Albanese announced a response package, including $50 million to help pursue new markets. He said the tariff announcement was “not the act of a friend” and had “no basis in logic”:

    It is the American people who will pay the biggest price for these unjustified tariffs. This is why our government will not be seeking to impose reciprocal tariffs.

    Albanese’s response contains only one direct trade measure. That is the plan to strengthen anti-dumping provisions on steel, aluminium and other manufacturing. This means countries looking to sell their products too cheaply in Australia will face countervailing duties. It is a measure that aligns with trade rules.

    The decision by the US to impose tariffs in this way shows complete disregard for the world trade order established after World War II.

    The rules that have existed since this time aimed to limit trade barriers (such as tariffs). They also recognised the importance of supporting developing countries to be part of the world economy.

    Some of the biggest US tariffs are to hit some of the lowest-income countries. This will impact their economies badly and disadvantage people already living in poverty.



    Read more:
    Why developing countries must unite to protect the WTO’s dispute settlement system

    Felicity Deane does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. US tariffs will upend global trade. This is how Australia can respond – https://theconversation.com/us-tariffs-will-upend-global-trade-this-is-how-australia-can-respond-253621

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Statement on New Tariffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on President Trump’s announcement of additional across-the-board tariffs on all imports, which are in effect a national sales tax on American consumers, farmers, and businesses.
    “The President’s new national sales tax on Americans is reckless, harmful, and could have irreversible consequences. This is the biggest tax increase in a generation, and will increase costs by more than $5,000 a year for the average family. The economic chaos and uncertainty the President is creating is endangering our economy.
    “I support targeted tariffs to take on our adversaries, such as those used by the previous Trump, Biden, and Obama administration to counter China’s steel dumping. But the President’s across-the-board tariffs will only raise costs, hurt businesses, and eliminate jobs.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Passes Bipartisan Klobuchar Bill to End Tariffs on Canadian Imports

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on Senate passage of her bipartisan bill with Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) to undo President Trump’s across-the-board tariffs on Canadian goods.  The administration is imposing a 10 percent tariff on energy from Canada and a 25 percent tariff on other goods — a move that amounts to a tax hike on American consumers and businesses.

    “Today, the Senate sent a clear message to the President: You cannot abuse your powers to start an unjustified trade war with one of our strongest allies. Canada is Minnesota’s top trading partner, but the President’s tariffs are jeopardizing that relationship—and the consequences may be irreversible.

    “Our bipartisan bill was supported by a broad coalition—from the United Steelworkers to the Chamber of Commerce—because we need to restore stability, credibility, and sanity to our trade policy with Canada. While tariffs are an important tool for countering unfair trade practices, like China’s steel dumping, we should not raise costs, hurt businesses, and eliminate jobs by attacking our neighbor and ally.”

    Along with Klobuchar, Kaine, and Warner, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angus King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Rand Paul (R-KY).

    Specifically, the senators’ legislation would work by terminating the President’s February 1 declaration that President Trump used to launch his trade war with Canada, and thus eliminate the tariffs on Canadian imports as a result. The declaration invoked the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), an unprecedented use of that law in its nearly 50-year history to justify across-the-board tariffs on a longstanding U.S. ally. 

    Senator Klobuchar spoke about this bill on the Senate floor. A video can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Video: Kaine Speaks on Senate Floor Ahead of Vote on Resolution to Undo Trump’s Taxes on Canadian Goods

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO IS AVAILABLE HERE.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) spoke on the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to pass his joint resolution challenging President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods, which amount to a 25 percent tax on goods imported from one of America’s top trading partners and closest allies. The legislation will be voted on today. Estimates have shown that Trump’s tariffs could raise costs for the average American household by thousands of dollars per year. In addition, Trump’s trade wars have hurt American businesses and created needless uncertainty in the U.S. economy.

    “Trump’s aides have basically admitted that this is a new sales tax. The tariff revenue will hit everyday people by making the cost of their goods go up,” said Kaine. “What we are likely to see today with the tariff announcement, it will be the largest tax hike in the United States history.”

    Kaine continued, “This was an economy that was extremely strong just two months ago on President Trump’s inauguration day. It was a very, very strong economy – not a perfect economy. But since that time, we’ve seen volatility in the stock market. We’ve seen growing inflation. We’ve seen reducing consumer confidence. We’ve seen some suggestions of slowing economic growth, even negative economic growth from some, and that is due in large part to the prospect of this national sales tax – tariffs to the degree of $6 trillion dollars – but also somewhat to the chaos about whether and when and how they will be implemented.”

    Kaine then discussed what he’s hearing from Virginia businesses, saying, “I’ve been traveling around the state talking to Virginians, and they’re very, very worried about these Canadian tariffs. And they’re not worried in the abstract. They saw them in 2017, 2018, 2019, so they know what happens with tariffs … From the kitchen table of a family to our nation’s largest shipbuilders, these tariff shenanigans pose a huge economic risk.”

    Kaine pushed back on the Trump Administration’s claims that there is a fentanyl emergency at the U.S.-Canadian border. “No one in this chamber … would dispute that fentanyl is a massive problem and indeed an emergency … There is a fentanyl emergency, but it’s not Canada … It’s not an emergency from Canada, and it’s certainly not an emergency that would justify treating Canadian products with exactly the same tariff that we would levy on products from Mexico and from China,” Kaine said.

    “I think allies are really important, and I think it’s wrong to call an ally an adversary,” Kaine said. “I don’t want an America pushing aside its longstanding allies … This is no way to treat an ally. This is no way to treat a friend.”

    Kaine concluded, “Tariffs are a tax. Tariffs will hurt our families. Canada is not an enemy. Let’s act together to fight fentanyl. We can do that. We have done that – we showed it with the HALT Fentanyl Act we passed two weeks ago. But let’s not label an ally as an enemy. Let’s not impose punishing costs on American families at a time they can’t afford it. Let’s not hurt American small businesses. Let’s not make our national security investments in ships and subs more expensive. I earnestly request that colleagues support S.J. [Res.] 37 when we vote on it later.”

    Ahead of the Senate vote, Kaine’s legislation has garnered support from businesses and organized labor alike, including from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell On Vote To Support Kentucky, Reject Tariff War: “The Last Thing We Need Is To Pick Fights With… Friends”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today following his vote in favor of legislation to undo the tariffs on Canada, Kentucky’s largest trade market:

    “As I have always warned, tariffs are bad policy, and trade wars with our partners hurt working people most. Tariffs drive up the cost of goods and services. They are a tax on everyday working Americans. Preserving the long-term prosperity of American industry and workers requires working with our allies, not against them. With so much at stake globally, the last thing we need is to pick fights with the very friends with whom we should be working with to protect against China’s predatory and unfair trade practices. That includes what we do on trade. Tariffs make it more expensive to do business in America, driving up costs for producers and consumers across the board. In Kentucky, broad-based tariffs could even have long-term consequences right in our backyard. Consider our state’s 69,000 family farms that sell their crops around the globe, or the hardworking Kentuckians who craft 95% of the world’s bourbon, or our automotive and manufacturing industries that rely on global supply chains. Make no mistake: goods made in America will be more expensive to manufacture and, ultimately, for consumers to purchase, with higher broad-based tariffs.  At a time when Americans are tightening their belts, we would do well to avoid policies that heap on the pain. We ought to strengthen our friendships abroad, and reinforce our allies as pillars of American prosperity and security.”

    BACKGROUND: In Kentucky, local storeowners are already hearing about their suppliers’ prices going up. One estimate suggests the president’s tariffs could cost the average Kentuckian up to $1,200 each year. Canada is the top export market for Kentucky, exporting $9.3 billion and importing $6 billion in goods annually.

    Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association and a soy farmer in Magnolia, Kentucky in the Wall Street Journal: “It’s hitting us on all fronts,” said Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association and a soy farmer in Magnolia, Ky. “You’re talking about the potential of a flat-out crisis in rural America and the farm economy.”… Trump’s first trade war led to more than $27 billion in losses of agricultural exports, according to USDA research. Soybeans accounted for nearly 71% of that. In response, China started importing more soybeans from Brazil, and U.S. soybean farmers have yet to regain their market share, according to Ragland of the soybean association.

    McConnell op-ed in the Courier Journal: Kentuckians can’t afford the high cost of Trump’s tariffs

    McConnell article in Foreign Affairs magazine: The Price of American Retreat

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Press Releases Smith: President Trump Trade Order Helps Deliver American Workers and Manufacturers a Level Playing Field February 13, 2025

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Smith (8th District of Missouri)

    WASHINGTON – Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (Mo.) issued the following statement after President Trump signed an executive order directing his administration to examine the use of reciprocal tariffs on imports from any country that currently applies tariffs or other unfair barriers on similar exports from the United States:

    “President Trump understands that American workers and manufacturers can outcompete those of any other nation, but for far too long they have been held back by a lack of reciprocity because other countries impose much higher tariffs and other barriers than the United States imposes on imports. We must look at every avenue – including reciprocity – to ensure that U.S. interests are treated fairly. This new initiative by the Trump Administration follows a steady stream of bold actions to secure commitments from key trading partners to help safeguard our communities, halt China’s attempts to skirt U.S. tariffs, and initiate a wholesale review of America’s trade policies to thwart unfair practices by other nations and bring in additional revenues to our country. President Trump and congressional Republicans will continue working tirelessly to restore American leadership by standing up for working families, farmers, and small businesses here at home and in markets around the world.”

    READ: Trump Administration Closes the Door on China Skirting U.S. Tariffs Through De Minimis Shipments

    READ: Smith: President Trump’s Tariffs Show He Is Keeping His Promise to Protect America’s Communities

    READ: Smith Applauds President Trump’s Early Action to Protect American Workers and Businesses from Unfair Trade Practices

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump highlights Australian beef in ‘Liberation Day’ trade crackdown

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries.

    In a long speech in the White House Rose Garden, Trump said: “Australia bans – and they’re wonderful people and wonderful everything – but they ban American beef.

    “Yet we imported US$3 billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone.

    “They won’t take any of our beef. They don’t want it because they don’t want it to affect their farmers and you know, I don’t blame them but we’re doing the same thing right now starting at midnight tonight, I would say.”

    Australia bans US fresh beef imports because of biosecurity concerns. The US just-released Foreign Trade Barriers report says, “the United States continues to seek full market access for fresh US beef and beef products”.

    Trump announced a “minimum baseline tariff” of 10%, which would apply to Australia as well as to all other countries.

    Initially, given Trump’s language, there was confusion about what will happen with beef but later it was clarified it would face the basic 10% general tariff, and nothing more.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the new US trade regime and said Australia would continue to try to get exemptions for Australia.

    The trade decision was “not unexpected” but had “no basis in logic” and “was not the act of a friend”.

    Albanese announced a response package, but flagged the government did not want to take the US to the World Trade Organisation. The package includes:

    • strenghening anti-dumping provisions

    • providing A$50 million to affected sectors to secure and pursue new markets

    • sending five missions abroad to develop other markets

    • setting up a new resilience program, involving $1 billion in loans to capitalise on new investment opportunities

    • putting Australian businesses at “the front of the queue” in a “buy Australian” policy in government procurement

    • setting up a strategic reserve for Australian critical minerals.

    Albanese re-emphasised Australia would make no changes to the country’s biosecurity rules.

    Under Trump’s announcement, varying “reciprocal” rates are being imposed on individual countries according to the barriers they impose on American items.

    The president described this as “one of the most important days in American history”, saying it represented a “declaration of economic independence”.

    China will face a 34% tariff, while there will be a 25% global tariff on cars imported into the US. Imports from the European Union will have a 20% tariff imposed.

    There will be 25% on imports from South Korea, as well as 24% on imports from Japan and 32% on those from Taiwan.

    Trump’s message to countries seeking special treatment could not have been blunter.

    “To all of the foreign presidents, prime ministers, kings, queens, ambassadors, and everyone else, who will soon be calling to ask for exemptions from these tariffs, I say, terminate your own tariffs, drop your barriers, don’t manipulate here your currencies – they manipulate their currencies, like, nobody can even believe, when it’s a bad, bad thing, and very devastating to us.

    “And start buying tens of billions of dollars of American goods.

    “Tariffs give us protection against those looking to do us economic harm.”

    He said the new US trade regime would raise trillions of dollars that would reduce American taxes and pay down its debt.

    Opposition campaign spokesman James Paterson described the announcement as “disappointing”, He said Australia should work “calmly and directly” with the US administration to get a better deal.

    Nationals leader David Littleproud said action against beef would mean the price of Big Mac burgers would go up for American consumers. Australian beef exported to the US is especially for burgers.

    Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trump highlights Australian beef in ‘Liberation Day’ trade crackdown – https://theconversation.com/trump-highlights-australian-beef-in-liberation-day-trade-crackdown-253111

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Further Amendment to Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China as Applied to Low-Value Imports

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Purpose.  Many shippers based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) hide illicit substances and conceal the true contents of shipments sent to the United States through deceptive shipping practices.  These shippers often avoid detection due to administration of the de minimis exemption under section 321(a)(2)(C) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C)).
    As noted in Executive Order 14195 of February 1, 2025 (Imposing Duties to Address the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China), as amended by Executive Order 14228 of March 3, 2025 (Further Amendment to Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China), these exports play a significant role in the synthetic opioid crisis in the United States.  In Executive Order 14200 of February 5, 2025 (Amendment to Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China), I suspended the elimination of duty-free de minimis treatment on articles described in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195.  The Secretary of Commerce has notified me that adequate systems are now in place to process and collect tariff revenue for covered goods from the PRC otherwise eligible for duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C).  Accordingly, duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) shall no longer be available for products of the PRC (which include products of Hong Kong) described in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195, as amended by Executive Order 14228, including international postal packages sent to the United States through the international postal network from the PRC or Hong Kong, that are entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 am eastern daylight time on May 2, 2025.  Additional duties for such imported merchandise shall be collected at the rates described in this order.
    Sec. 2.  Assessment of Duties on Low-Value Products of the PRC.  (a)  Other than articles sent to the United States through the international postal network (for which a duty is separately provided as described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section), all shipments of articles described in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195, as amended by Executive Order 14228, that are products of the PRC or Hong Kong; that are sent to the United States; that are valued at or under 800 dollars and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption authorized in 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C); and that are entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 am eastern daylight time on May 2, 2025, shall be entered by a party qualified to make entry under another appropriate entry type in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security, with all applicable duties, including those imposed by section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195, as amended by Executive Order 14228, and paid in accordance with the applicable entry and payment procedures.  Executive departments and agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, through CBP, shall take all necessary actions to effectuate the objectives of this order, consistent with applicable law, including through temporary suspension or amendment of regulations or notices in the Federal Register.  The United States International Trade Commission shall continue to act ministerially by modifying the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), as needed, to reflect the actions set out in this order.
    (b)  Imposition of Duty. 
    (i)    All postal items containing goods described in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195 and sent to the United States through the international postal network from the PRC or Hong Kong and transported by carriers that are valued at or under 800 dollars and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption authorized in 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) shall be subject to the duties described in subsection (c) of this section.  In order to address the threat of the PRC’s failure to act to blunt the sustained influx of synthetic opioids into the United States, while allowing for the orderly flow of legitimate international mail, the duties imposed in subsection (c) of this section, except as required by applicable law, are imposed in lieu of any other duties that the shipments would otherwise be subject to, including the 20 percent ad valorem duty established in Executive Order 14195, as amended by Executive Order 14228; most-favored nation rates embodied in the HTSUS; and duties imposed pursuant to section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.  
    (ii)   CBP is authorized to require the carrier transporting the international postal package into the United States to remit payment of the duty described in subsection (c) of this section to CBP monthly or on such other periodic time frame as CBP determines appropriate, and CBP may issue regulations and guidance as necessary or appropriate to implement and enforce this requirement.
    (iii)  All carriers that transport international postal packages from the PRC or Hong Kong to the United States as part of or on behalf of the international postal network must report to CBP the total number of postal items containing goods and, if electing the duty rate specified in subsection (c)(i) of this section, the value of each postal item containing goods, transported per conveyance, in a timeframe and manner prescribed by CBP.  CBP may require submission of documentation and information from the carrier to verify the total number and value of individual postal items containing goods to be electronically transmitted through the ACE.
    (c)  Duty Rates.  Transportation carriers delivering shipments to the United States from the PRC or Hong Kong sent through the international postal network must collect and remit duties to CBP under the approach outlined in either subsection (c)(i) or subsection (c)(ii) of this section.  Transportation carriers must apply the same duty collection methodology to all shipments; however, transportation carriers may change their collection methodology once a month or on such other periodic timeframe as CBP determines appropriate, upon providing 24-hour notice to CBP.
    (i)   Ad Valorem Duty.  30 percent of the value of the postal item containing goods for merchandise entered for consumption on or after 12:01 am eastern daylight time on May 2, 2025.
    (ii)  Specific Duty.  25 dollars per postal item containing goods for merchandise entered for consumption on or after 12:01 am eastern daylight time on May 2, 2025, and before 12:01 am eastern daylight time on June 1, 2025, and 50 dollars per postal item containing goods for merchandise entered for consumption on or after 12:01 am eastern daylight time on June 1, 2025.
    (d)  Bond Requirement.  Any carrier that transports international postal items containing goods from the PRC or Hong Kong to the United States, by any mode of transportation, must have an international carrier bond to ensure payment of the duty described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section.  CBP is authorized to ensure that the international carrier bonds required by this subsection are sufficient to account for the duty described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section.
    (e)  Discretion to Require Formal Entry.  CBP may require formal entry, in accordance with existing regulations, for any international postal package that may otherwise be subject to the duty described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section.  An international postal package for which CBP requires formal entry will not be subject to the duty described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, and instead will be subject to all applicable duties, taxes, and fees in accordance with all applicable laws.
    Sec. 3.  Implementation of Duty.  The Secretary of Homeland Security is directed to take all necessary actions to implement this order.  Consistent with section 4 of Executive Order 14195, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Commerce, is authorized to take such actions, including adopting rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to implement this order.
    Sec. 4.  Homeland Security Authorities.  Nothing in this order limits the ability of the Department of Homeland Security to use any available legal authorities granted to ensure compliance with the provisions of this order.
    Sec. 5.  Monitoring.  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative, shall submit a report to the President regarding the impact of this order on American industries, consumers, and supply chains and making recommendations for further action as he deems necessary, including a recommendation on whether extending de minimis ineligibility to packages from Macau is necessary to prevent circumvention of this order.
    Sec. 6.  General Provisions. (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. 
    DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,    April 2, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Meeks Statement on Trump Administration’s Unconstitutional Abolishing of USAID

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

    Washington, DC – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement condemning the Trump administration for unilaterally shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) without Congressional approval.

    “For two months, the Trump administration has chaotically gutted USAID, ignoring Congress and leaving urgent questions unanswered, and now has notified that it plans to subsume the agency under State. Nothing about this process has been genuine or in good faith. 

    “The consequences of this reckless decision are already evident; China and Russia are already filling in the gaps created by this administration’s reckless assault on U.S. foreign assistance. While the administration claims it will retain some global health and humanitarian assistance functions, it is jettisoning critical work USAID has been doing – at Congress’s direction – for decades in sectors such as education, good governance, crisis stabilization, agriculture, and economic growth. Furthermore, these plans violate the law, which requires that USAID exist as a separate entity. Presidents are not kings, and if the administration wishes to change the law, the GOP, which controls both the House and Senate, should pass one.  

    “By firing all USAID employees and kneecapping the programs that remain, this administration lays bare its true intention: to withdraw the United States from its global leadership role with as much cruelty and disruption as possible.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Meeks Condemns Rubio’s Failure to Prevent Uyghur Deportations

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

    Washington, DC – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today released the following statement on Thailand’s deportation of 40 Uyghur from Thailand to China, a move that will almost certainly result in their imprisonment, torture, or worse.  

    “That a U.S. ally like Thailand chose to appease Beijing over heeding U.S. warnings exposes the fecklessness of the Trump administration. The lawlessness of this administration, marked by its own extrajudicial deportations and hollow ‘America First’ rhetoric have undermined U.S. credibility on human rights and our influence abroad. 

    “The visa restrictions announced by the administration on March 14 targeting ‘current or former officials from the Government of Thailand’ are nothing more than a weak symbolic gesture that does nothing to protect the remaining Uyghurs still at risk. Secretary Rubio must make clear to Thailand that the U.S. will impose significant consequences for any future repatriations. I also call on the administration to provide refugee and resettlement options in the United States for all Uyghurs fleeing persecution. We have a responsibility to help Uyghurs seeking to escape genocide. Congress must immediately pass the bill I’ve re-introduced – the Uyghur Human Rights Protection Act (H.R. 2349) – alongside Representative Suhas Subramanyam to help Uyghurs escape the atrocities they face in China.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australian beef highlighted by Donald Trump in ‘Liberation Day’ trade crackdown

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries.

    In a long speech in the White House Rose Garden, Trump said: “Australia bans – and they’re wonderful people and wonderful everything – but they ban American beef.

    “Yet we imported US$3 billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone.

    “They won’t take any of our beef. They don’t want it because they don’t want it to affect their farmers and you know, I don’t blame them but we’re doing the same thing right now starting at midnight tonight, I would say.”

    Australia bans US fresh beef imports because of biosecurity concerns. The US just-released Foreign Trade Barriers report says, “the United States continues to seek full market access for fresh US beef and beef products”.

    Trump announced a “minimum baseline tariff” of 10%, which would apply to Australia as well as to all other countries.

    Initially, given Trump’s language, there was confusion about what will happen with beef but later it was clarified it would face the basic 10% general tariff, and nothing more.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the new US trade regime and said Australia would continue to try to get exemptions for Australia.

    The trade decision was “not unexpected” but had “no basis in logic” and “was not the act of a friend”.

    Albanese announced a response package, but flagged the government did not want to take the US to the World Trade Organisation. The package includes:

    • strenghening anti-dumping provisions

    • providing A$50 million to affected sectors to secure and pursue new markets

    • sending five missions abroad to develop other markets

    • setting up a new resilience program, involving $1 billion in loans to capitalise on new investment opportunities

    • putting Australian businesses at “the front of the queue” in a “buy Australian” policy in government procurement

    • setting up a strategic reserve for Australian critical minerals.

    Albanese re-emphasised Australia would make no changes to the country’s biosecurity rules.

    Under Trump’s announcement, varying “reciprocal” rates are being imposed on individual countries according to the barriers they impose on American items.

    The president described this as “one of the most important days in American history”, saying it represented a “declaration of economic independence”.

    China will face a 34% tariff, while there will be a 25% global tariff on cars imported into the US. Imports from the European Union will have a 20% tariff imposed.

    There will be 25% on imports from South Korea, as well as 24% on imports from Japan and 32% on those from Taiwan.

    Trump’s message to countries seeking special treatment could not have been blunter.

    “To all of the foreign presidents, prime ministers, kings, queens, ambassadors, and everyone else, who will soon be calling to ask for exemptions from these tariffs, I say, terminate your own tariffs, drop your barriers, don’t manipulate here your currencies – they manipulate their currencies, like, nobody can even believe, when it’s a bad, bad thing, and very devastating to us.

    “And start buying tens of billions of dollars of American goods.

    “Tariffs give us protection against those looking to do us economic harm.”

    He said the new US trade regime would raise trillions of dollars that would reduce American taxes and pay down its debt.

    Opposition campaign spokesman James Paterson described the announcement as “disappointing”, He said Australia should work “calmly and directly” with the US administration to get a better deal.

    Nationals leader David Littleproud said action against beef would mean the price of Big Mac burgers would go up for American consumers. Australian beef exported to the US is especially for burgers.

    Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Australian beef highlighted by Donald Trump in ‘Liberation Day’ trade crackdown – https://theconversation.com/australian-beef-highlighted-by-donald-trump-in-liberation-day-trade-crackdown-253111

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: PLA drills a just move to punish, deter secession attempts: spokesperson

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A Chinese government spokesperson on Wednesday said the latest military drills launched by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) around Taiwan and in the middle and southern areas of the Taiwan Strait were a just move to punish and deter attempts to split the country.
    Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said these drills were conducted to safeguard peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and the well-being of Taiwan compatriots.
    In response to a statement by the U.S. White House regarding the drills, Zhu said that the Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affairs that brook no foreign interference.
    The United States should abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, stressed Zhu.
    “We have full confidence and sufficient capability to deter ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist activities and jointly achieve national reunification,” the spokesperson added. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China honors police officers of border control

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, April 2 — A total of 1,429 police officers received service awards for their outstanding contribution to China’s border control, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) said Wednesday.

    The awards were granted to police personnel serving in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region or in other border areas with harsh conditions, the NIA statement said.

    They consist of three levels, the golden ones for police officers in service for 30 years, the silver ones for those in service for 20 years and the bronze ones for those in service for 10 years, according to the statement.

    Since the establishment of the awards in 2022, a group of border police officers have been honored with the medals each year, with this year being the third conferral, the statement noted.

    The awards have effectively inspired border police officers to remain true to their mission and encouraged them to defend the long-term peace, prosperity and stability of China’s frontier regions with stronger resolve, the statement added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: New cargo air route links SW China’s Guiyang with Bangkok in Thailand

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    GUIYANG, April 2 — A new international cargo air route connecting Guiyang, the capital of southwest China’s Guizhou Province, with Bangkok, capital of Thailand, was launched on Wednesday.

    According to Guizhou Civil Aviation Industry Group Co., Ltd, operator of Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport, this route will be operated by Tianjin Air Cargo, using Boeing 737-800 all-cargo aircraft.

    Three weekly flights are scheduled, featuring a one-way cargo capacity of 18 tonnes. The inaugural flight primarily carried Thai durians — and the entire process of harvest, air transportation, customs clearance and final delivery, was completed within 48 hours.

    The Guiyang-Bangkok air route marks Guizhou’s second direct international cargo corridor to Southeast Asia. In February this year, Guiyang also launched an international cargo route connecting the city with Yangon in Myanmar.

    MIL OSI China News –