Source: China State Council Information Office 2
Editor’s note: The 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s national legislature, opened its third session on Wednesday morning at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, with a government work report submitted for deliberation. This infographic highlights the key objectives and strategic directions outlined in the report, offering a clear snapshot of the nation’s policy priorities for 2025.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
An aerial panoramic drone photo shows a view of the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in southwest China’s Guizhou, Jan. 14, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou province, set to become the world’s tallest bridge, is 95 percent complete, with installation of the bridge deck panels expected to finish by mid-March, a deputy to China’s top legislature said during the ongoing two sessions.
Zhang Shenglin, a deputy to the 14th National People’s Congress, said the bridge’s main structure was completed in January, and engineers have overcome key technical challenges. The focus has now shifted to installing the deck, followed by anti-corrosion work on the main cables and infrastructure projects such as mechanical and electrical equipment.
“When the bridge opens in the second half of 2025, this super project spanning the ‘Earth’s crack’ will showcase China’s engineering capabilities and boost Guizhou’s goal of becoming a world-class tourist destination,” said Zhang, who is also chief engineer of Guizhou Highway Engineering Group Co.
The bridge’s main span stretches 1,420 meters, with a height of 625 meters from deck to water — comparable to a 200-story building — surpassing the 565-meter-high Beipanjiang Bridge as the world’s tallest.
It is also the world’s longest span bridge to be built in a mountainous area.
“Its steel trusses weigh about 22,000 metric tons — the equivalent of three Eiffel Towers — and were installed in just two months,” said Zhang.
The bridge connects Liuzhi to Anlong and is a key link in southwestern China’s highway network. Once operational, it will cut cross-river travel time from about two hours to just two minutes.
Beyond transportation benefits, Zhang said the bridge is expected to boost the local economy by promoting sales of agricultural products and ethnic handicrafts, as well as encouraging development of homestays and restaurants. At a nearby village, more than 100 young people have returned to their hometown to invest in tourism projects such as cliff hotels and camping sites, she said.
The Guizhou Transportation Investment Group, responsible for the bridge’s “integrated development of bridge and tourism” program, said it is seeking investment from companies and individuals.
The project includes the Yundu service center, a commercial complex spanning 21,100 square meters with dining, shopping, entertainment and tourism facilities. The development plan features 13 subcategories, including sightseeing suspension bridges, canyon cable cars, rock climbing, food markets, cultural products, resort hotels, holiday campsites and sky cafes, the company said.
Source: Peoples Bank of China
Announcement on Government Bond Transactions No.2 [2025]
(Open Market Operations Office, February 28, 2025)
The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) did not purchase or sell government bonds on the open market in February 2025.
Date of last update Nov. 29 2018
2025年03月06日
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
Click here for audio. Click here for video
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee held a hearing today to consider the nominations of David Fotouhi to serve as Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Aaron Szabo to serve as Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation of the EPA.
Fotouhi served in the EPA as Acting General Counsel during the first Trump administration. Szabo previously served on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Council on Environmental Quality.
U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) questioned the witnesses on the difference between the United States’ leadership in emissions compared to the rest of the world. Even as the U.S. grows its economy, manufacturing base, and energy sector, emissions have been reduced. In particular, emissions from the energy sector over the last 20 years have sharply decreased. As Szabo explained in his opening statement, since the enactment of Clean Air Act in 1970, “the United States has made remarkable progress in reducing air pollution. We have seen significant decreases in carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, ground level, ozone, particulate matter, and other hazardous air pollutants.”
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Cramer asked Szabo and Fotohui about why companies would invest in the U.S. if there is a noncompetitive regulatory environment and how the United States measures up.
“This isn’t going to be shocking anyone, but we have significantly decreased, both our greenhouse gas and traditional air pollution emissions tremendously, especially over the past 20 years,” said Szabo. “Other countries, such as China, have significantly increased their greenhouse gas emissions as well as their traditionally air pollution emissions over the years. What we are seeing now actually is that international emissions, […] traditional air pollution from China impacts states like California, due to the transport from the Pacific. Generally, if we shut off all greenhouse gas emissions in this country tomorrow, that would not have any real impact with the increases that we’ve seen from other countries around the world, specifically China.”
“American greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by something like a million tons per year while China’s have increased by something like six to seven million tons per year, completely swamping our hard-earned reductions in greenhouse gas emissions,” responded Fotohui. “So I think, to the extent there needs to be work to be done to address that issue, it needs to be done both domestically and globally.”
Source: China State Council Information Office
Li Yunze, head of the National Financial Regulatory Administration of China, gives an interview after the opening meeting of the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
China will step up efforts to facilitate financing for private enterprises and micro and small enterprises, Li Yunze, head of the National Financial Regulatory Administration, said Wednesday.
China will increase the supply of credit to private enterprises, and reduce overall financing costs to deliver more benefits to businesses, Li said on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the national legislature.
Private enterprises account for over 92 percent of all companies in China, and their share in micro and small enterprises is even higher, Li noted.
In a government work report unveiled Wednesday, China has pledged to refine and develop new structural monetary policy instruments to provide stronger support for private businesses and micro and small enterprises.
Half a month before the annual sessions of China’s top legislature and political advisory body, China held a high-level symposium on private enterprises, sending a signal of strong support for private businesses.
As part of its latest efforts to ramp up the growth of the private sector, the country is also advancing the private economy promotion law, in a move to dismantle barriers, unlock the sector’s full potential and create a fairer and more dynamic business environment.
Source: China State Council Information Office
An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 28, 2024 shows an interior view of the digital factory at a manufacturing enterprise in Yinchuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]
China’s economic growth target of around 5 percent for this year is achievable, as it aligns with the country’s actual conditions and the laws governing economic development, an official said Wednesday.
Achieving this target, however, will not be easy and will require tremendous efforts, said Shen Danyang, head of the group responsible for drafting this year’s government work report, which was submitted to the national legislature for deliberation earlier in the day.
China’s momentum of economic recovery and growth continues to strengthen, said Shen, director of the Research Office of the State Council, at a press conference while outlining key factors that will support the country in achieving its 2025 growth target.
China has introduced a package of new policies since September last year, leading to a notable economic rebound, with GDP growth rising to 5.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024, he noted.
Since the beginning of 2025, key indicators such as the purchasing managers’ index for the manufacturing sector, property sales, and container throughput have all signaled a trend of steady economic growth in China, the official said.
Shen emphasized that favorable conditions are actively supporting economic growth, with new industries and growth drivers rapidly expanding, including new energy vehicles, the photovoltaic sector, shipbuilding and artificial intelligence.
Meanwhile, factors that were dragging down the economy, such as the real estate sector, are showing positive changes, and their adverse impacts are gradually weakening, he said.
China plans to implement more proactive and effective macro policies this year, the likes of which have not been seen in many years, and these are expected to provide a strong boost to economic growth, according to Shen.
There are still options available in China’s policy toolkit, and macro policies will be dynamically adjusted in response to evolving circumstances, he said.
Emphasizing the role of employment in achieving the economic growth target, Shen said that particular efforts will be made to support the employment of 12.22 million college graduates this year, along with individuals lifted out of poverty and migrant workers.
Shen also called for invigorating market entities and boosting enterprise confidence, particularly among private businesses. “Authorities will continue working to foster a favorable market environment for fair competition and expand financing support for private businesses, as well as micro and small enterprises.”
Macro data shows that China has an annual consumption of nearly 50 trillion yuan (about 6.97 trillion U.S. dollars), investment exceeding 50 trillion yuan, and imports of goods and services surpassing 20 trillion yuan, demonstrating a massive economic scale, said Chen Changsheng, deputy director of the State Council Research Office.
Chen said that building a unified national market requires removing barriers to economic flows and fully leveraging the market’s decisive role in resource allocation, in order to enhance government functions while ensuring smooth domestic economic circulation.
Chen underlined the positive reassessment of Chinese assets in international capital markets, driven by the growth potential of AI.
“This year’s government work report calls for advancing the AI Plus initiative. By combining China’s digital tech with its manufacturing prowess and market scale, AI can hopefully empower all industries and reach every household,” Chen said.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Flags of European Union (EU) and Ukraine are seen at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Feb. 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday that he has decided to open strategic discussions with European allies on potential nuclear protection.
“Responding to the historic call of the future German chancellor, I have decided to open a strategic debate on the protection of our allies in Europe through our (nuclear) deterrent,” Macron said in a televised address.
Speaking on Europe’s defense and Ukraine, he emphasized that France’s nuclear deterrent has played a role in maintaining peace and security in Europe.
On Ukraine, Macron asserted that the country has “the right to peace and security for itself, and it is in the interest of the European continent’s security.” He stressed the need to ensure that any future peace, once achieved, is sustainable.
“This will certainly require long-term support for the Ukrainian army and could potentially involve deploying European forces,” he said.
However, Macron clarified that such European forces would not engage in frontline combat but would instead help ensure that peace is upheld once secured.
He also announced that France would host a meeting next week with countries willing to contribute to future European forces to be deployed in Ukraine.
Source: China State Council Information Office
U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd L) welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (2nd R) at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Feb. 28, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
The director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency said Wednesday that the United States has paused intelligence support to Ukraine, on top of halting weapons shipments to the country that’s still at war with Russia.
John Ratcliffe, the CIA chief, said in an interview with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo that “(U.S. President) Trump had a real question about whether President Zelensky was committed to the peace process, and he said let’s pause.”
The decision came after a clash between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday, where Trump demanded gratitude from Zelensky for the aid Washington provided to Kiev. The Ukrainian leader was asked to leave the White House without signing a minerals deal with Trump as originally planned.
Zelensky has since been trying to mend the relationship with the U.S. administration by efforts including sending a letter to Trump expressing his willingness “to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer,” Trump said in his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.
“I want to give a chance to think about that and you saw the response that President Zelensky put out,” Ratcliffe told Bartiromo on Wednesday. “So I think on the military front and the intelligence front, the pause that allowed that to happen, I think will go away.”
“And I think we’ll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine,” Ratcliffe said in an expression of optimism, adding that Washington and Kiev would work together to “put the world in a better place for these peace negotiations to move forward.”
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
The White House said on Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump is granting a one-month exemption to three major automakers from the newly imposed 25-percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada.
“We spoke with the big three auto dealers (makers), we are going to give a one-month exemption on any autos coming through USMCA. Reciprocal tariffs will still go into effect on April 2,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a press briefing.
Levitt said Trump has spoken with three companies — Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis — and they made this request. The president agreed to grant them a one-month tariff exemption.
Bloomberg News reported earlier Wednesday that Trump is exempting automakers from newly imposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada for one month, “as a temporary reprieve following pleas from industry leaders.”
The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is a trade agreement negotiated, signed, and ultimately enacted during Trump’s first term, aimed at replacing the former North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Under the USMCA, auto parts procurement must meet specific rules to qualify for duty-free treatment. These rules are designed to encourage regional production and sourcing within North America. For passenger vehicles and light trucks, at least 75 percent of the vehicle’s value must originate in North America, while the minimum requirement for heavy trucks is 70 percent.
On Feb. 1, Trump signed an executive order imposing a 25-percent tariff on products imported from Mexico and Canada, with a 10 percent tariff increase on Canadian energy products. On Feb. 3, Trump announced a 30-day delay in implementing the tariffs on both countries and continued negotiations. According to this decision, the relevant tariff measures took effect on March 4.
Trump on Tuesday night defended his tariff strategy when delivering an address to a joint session of Congress, but acknowledged that such policies will cause “a little disturbance.”
Nevertheless, economists and observers have expressed deep concerns about the potential impact of tariffs on the U.S. economy.
The Tax Foundation estimated that, without considering retaliatory measures, Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico, which went into effect Tuesday, will reduce long-term GDP by 0.2 percent, reduce hours worked by 223,000 full-time equivalent jobs, and reduce after-tax incomes by an average of 0.6 percent.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
A man shows a mobile phone to display the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO)’s website temporarily unavailable while they remove U.S. products in response to U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods outside an LCBO store in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, on March 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, discussing trade and fentanyl, local media reported.
It’s the first time the two have spoken since Trump launched a trade war on Tuesday.
The call lasted 50 minutes about “trade and fentanyl”, CBC News reported.
More discussions between the two leaders’ teams are expected throughout the afternoon, according to the report.
Trump decided to give a one-month exemption on any autos coming through USMCA, the trilateral trade deal that Trump signed in his first term, known in Canada as CUSMA, the report said.
It wasn’t immediately clear what Trump’s supposed exemption means for Canadian auto exports to the United States, but it seems like that form of cross-border trade will be able to go on as before, CBC News reported.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
The following are the schedules for the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) and the third session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on Thursday.
In the morning, NPC deputies will deliberate the government work report in groups.
In the afternoon, they will examine reports and drafts on budgets and economic and social development plans.
In the morning, CPPCC National Committee members will discuss the government work report and deliberate the work report of their standing committee in groups.
In the afternoon, they will continue to discuss the government work report and deliberate the work report of their standing committee, and discuss reports on budgets and economic and social development plans, as well as a draft amendment to the Law on Deputies to the National People’s Congress and to the Local People’s Congresses at Various Levels.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
Photo taken on March 5, 2025 shows ancient Chinese bronze vessels on display during a press preview of an exhibition titled Eternal Offerings: Chinese Ritual Bronzes from the Minneapolis Institute of Art, at China Institute Gallery in New York, the United States. [Photo/Xinhua]
Over 70 Chinese ritual bronzes from 12th century BC in the Shang dynasty to 1st-2nd century AD in the Han dynasty will be on display at China Institute Gallery in Lower Manhattan, New York City, according to China Institute in America.
Organized by the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the exhibition will run from March 6 to July 13, 2025.
The idea to hold such an exhibition was raised five or six years ago but the COVID-19 pandemic impeded the original plan, according to Tracy Jiao, coordinator with China Institute Gallery.
“We’re really grateful that this is taking place and we’re excited to show you all the things from Minneapolis,” said Jiao at a press preview on Wednesday.
From vessels for food and wine as well as imaginative animal sculptures, the objects are selected from around 220 pieces of such a collection by the Minneapolis Institute of Art, according to Liu Yang, chair of Asian Art and curator of Chinese Art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Objects on the exhibition are complimentary with Chinese bronzes collected by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and “I hope visitors could get to know Chinese bronze culture, which is a very important chapter in Chinese history or Chinese art history,” said Liu.
The exhibition provides viewers with a unique window into the extraordinary artistic creativity, masterful craftsmanship, and captivating belief systems of ancient China, Liu said.
“Together, these creative artworks provide extraordinary clues about early humans in China including how they honored their ancestors, worshipped their deities, and prepared for the afterlife,” said George S. Geh, chief executive officer of China Institute in America.
Founded in New York City in 1926, China Institute in America is an internationally renowned U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to deepening the world’s understanding of China through programs in art, business, cuisine, culture, and education.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
A millennium-old porcelain craft in north China’s Shanxi Province has been pulled back from the brink of extinction and is now poised for a modern renaissance.
The techniques for making Honglyucai (Red and Green Color) Porcelain of the Bayi kiln, one of China’s earliest producers of the distinctive porcelain, was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2021. The kiln is located in Bayi township, Shangdang district, Changzhi city of Shanxi.
Archaeological excavations reveal that during the Song Dynasty (960–1279) over 1,000 years ago, the kiln was the largest porcelain production hub in southeastern Shanxi. Porcelain from the kiln became the gold standard of Honglyucai porcelain in China.
Today, visitors to Honglyucai village, 2 kilometers from the Bayi kiln, can explore a Honglyucai porcelain museum housing over 600 ancient porcelain treasures from the kiln and over 10,000 modern pieces of Honglyucai porcelain.
Honglyucai porcelain features a signature white base and is adorned with vibrant red, green, and yellow designs depicting auspicious flowers, birds, and figures, according to Li Yamin, a municipal-level representative inheritor of the techniques for making Honglyucai porcelain of the Bayi kiln.
Li Yamin said more than 100 ancient kiln sites were unearthed in Shangdang district, which is nestled in the Taihang Mountains and characterized by rolling ridges and deep ravines, confirming that Bayi township was a thriving commercial hub as early as the Song Dynasty. The region boasts abundant high-quality kaolin, coal, and water resources essential for porcelain production.
“Red is one of the most iconic colors in Chinese culture, yet achieving a vibrant red glaze on porcelain was a significant challenge. It wasn’t until the Song Dynasty when the Bayi kiln pioneered the use of iron-red pigment that Honglyucai porcelain products were successfully produced,” Li Yamin noted.
But the road to revival wasn’t exactly a cakewalk. The Honglyucai porcelain industry was in decline over the past decades due to high production costs and complex craftsmanship.
Li Yamin’s father Li Jianping grew up hearing stories about Honglyucai porcelain. His grandfather was a kiln worker at the Bayi kiln, and from a young age, Li Jianping learned pottery and painting techniques. After high school, he worked as a farmer and miner, but always dreamed of reviving Bayi kiln porcelain.
In 2012, as part of an industrial transformation initiative, the local government launched a cultural heritage project for the Bayi kiln. Seeing an opportunity, Li Jianping decided to reignite the kiln fires and restore Honglyucai porcelain production.
To make a Honglyucai porcelain item, 72 procedures must be followed, including a twice-firing technique.
The procedures are so complicated that the techniques were lost for decades. Many people told Li Jianping not to waste his time, but he couldn’t bear to see this ancient craft disappear.
Li Jianping collaborated with Honglyucai village to establish a company and construct a cultural expo center, the Honglyucai porcelain museum, and a production base of Honglyucai porcelain. Meanwhile, he visited local elderly artisans and technical experts to rebuild lost knowledge.
After years of trial and error, the techniques for making Honglyucai porcelain were recovered by Li Jianping, who became a provincial-level representative inheritor of the craft.
The father-son duo have adopted a strategy of integrating tradition with innovation to promote the development of Honglyucai porcelain. In recent years, they’ve inked partnerships with prestigious institutions like the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the Academy of Arts & Design under Tsinghua University to tackle everything from material research and color matching to painting skills and product design.
After years of dedicated efforts, the issues of rough bodies and dull colors of Honglyucai porcelain items were overcome. As a result, these items have gained greater popularity in the market.
“Thanks to our independently developed new materials that withstand temperatures above 1,300 degrees Celsius without warping, our everyday-use porcelain items are thinner, lighter and more lustrous than traditional ones and are easy to clean,” said Li Yamin.
In recent years, local rural tourism has thrived thanks to measures including the establishment of organizations aiming at passing on the intangible cultural heritage. The Honglyucai porcelain museum receives over 10,000 tourist visits annually.
So far, the company has developed over 300 kinds of Honglyucai porcelain products, which have caught the eye of porcelain enthusiasts both at home and abroad, Li Yamin said.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
Architect Liu Jiakun was awarded the 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize on Tuesday, making him the second winner from China to earn the highest honor in the field of architecture after Wang Shu in 2012.
Living in Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China’s Sichuan province, Liu’s career spans four decades and over 30 projects. He established Jiakun Architects in 1999 and is devoted to creating an expansive portfolio ranging from small, beautiful museums and monuments and vast commercial buildings to master plans for cities.
“The purpose of architecture is to create a beautiful, just and dignified living environment. People’s real lives, happiness and dignity are what we strive for,” says Liu.
The prize’s jury statement says that “intertwining seeming antipodes such as utopia versus everyday existence, history versus modernity, and collectivism versus individuality, Liu offers affirming architecture that celebrates the lives of ordinary citizens”.
Wang, the 2012 Pritzker recipient, tells China Daily that Liu’s winning is encouraging: “His works are very local, yet modern, directly addressing the challenges facing the transformation of contemporary Chinese cities.”
Wang says both he and Liu pursue contemporary architecture rooted in tradition. Many architects around the world attempt to do the same, yet their style has never become mainstream. “I believe Liu’s winning holds great significance and will resonate with those architects,” he adds.
Liu’s focus on ordinary people is reflected in his largest project West Village, a five-story urban complex completed in 2015 in Chengdu. The complex includes a football field, a perimeter of paths for cyclists and pedestrians, and a market. The block has become a popular public space and a destination for the city’s residents to spend leisure time.
Hearing the news that Liu won the Pritzker Prize, many netizens who have visited the West Village and the museums he designed expressed that his architecture embodies a precious sense of relaxation, much like the vibrant city of Chengdu itself, which is known for its giant pandas, hotpot and leisurely pace.
Liu was born in Chengdu in 1956 and has lived and worked in Sichuan ever since. He consistently refuses to join the crowds working in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, choosing instead to remain rooted in Chengdu.
After graduating with Bachelor of Engineering in architecture in 1982 from the then Institute of Architecture and Engineering in Chongqing (now Chongqing University), he gave up architecture and began writing novels. A decade later, he attended a friend’s architectural exhibition and decided to resume his old passion and continue practicing design.
Liu’s friends often joke that he is the best architect among novelists and the best novelist among architects. This poetic narrative style has also been integrated into his designs, such as the Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum in Chengdu, which balances water and ancient stones to reflect the natural landscape.
Liu was also praised by the jury for his integration of traditional Chinese philosophy into his works. He thinks that for thousands of years, the concept of traditional Chinese philosophy is not to conquer nature but to adapt to and coexist with it.
Alejandro Aravena, chair of the jury and 2016 Pritzker laureate from Chile, says: “In a world that tends to create endless dull peripheries, he has found a way to build places that are a building, infrastructure, landscape and public space at the same time. His work may offer impactful clues on how to confront the challenges of urbanization in an era of rapidly growing cities.”
As the 54th laureate of the Pritzker prize, Liu will be honored at a celebration in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, later this spring.
Source: China State Council Information Office
The General Office of the State Council has issued guidelines to accelerate efforts to build China into a country with a strong financial sector and promote development in five major areas, namely, technology finance, green finance, inclusive finance, pension finance and digital finance.
Emphasizing the fundamental role of financial services in supporting the real economy, the guidelines called for strengthening coordination between financial policies and measures related to technology, industry, taxation and fiscal matters.
High-quality financial services will be provided to support major national strategies, key sectors and weaker links in the economy.
Efforts will be enhanced to cultivate new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions, according to the guidelines.
The guidelines underscored strengthening financial support for major national scientific and technological initiatives and tech-focused small and medium-sized enterprises while coordinating financial support for green development and the low-carbon transition.
Inclusive finance will be strengthened by building a multi-tiered, broad-based and sustainable system while optimizing financial products and services for key sectors, including micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, private businesses, rural revitalization and social welfare.
Efforts will be made to enhance financial support for the silver economy and facilitate the development of a multi-tiered, multi-pillar old-age insurance system.
Digital transformation of financial institutions will be promoted and the digital financial governance system will be improved, according to the guidelines.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Apple on Wednesday announced M3 Ultra, the highest-performing chip of the company.
The chip offers the most powerful CPU and GPU in a Mac, double the Neural Engine cores, and the most unified memory ever in a personal computer, Apple said.
M3 Ultra also features Thunderbolt 5 with more than 2x the bandwidth per port for faster connectivity and robust expansion. M3 Ultra is built using Apple’s UltraFusion packaging architecture, which links two M3 Max dies over 10,000 high-speed connections that offer low latency and high bandwidth, according to the company.
UltraFusion brings together a total of 184 billion transistors, it noted.
“M3 Ultra is the pinnacle of our scalable system-on-a-chip architecture, aimed specifically at users who run the most heavily threaded and bandwidth-intensive applications,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Apple on Wednesday announced the new MacBook Air, featuring the M4 chip, up to 18 hours of battery life, and a new 12MP Center Stage camera.
It also offers support for up to two external displays in addition to the built-in display, 16GB of starting unified memory, and the capabilities of macOS Sequoia with Apple Intelligence, according to the company.
It starts at 999 U.S. dollars and 899 dollars for education. With two sizes to choose from, the new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air are available to pre-order Wednesday, with availability beginning March 12, Apple said.
“Combined with its thin and light, fanless design, all-day battery life, and the incredible capabilities of macOS Sequoia with Apple Intelligence, MacBook Air is unlike any other laptop. And with a new lower starting price of 999 dollars, MacBook Air delivers more value to consumers than ever before,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
Source: China State Council Information Office
German sportswear giant Adidas recorded double-digit growth in net sales in China last year, highlighting the market’s role as a key driver of the company’s overall performance.
According to the annual financial report released on Wednesday, Adidas’ global net sales reached 23.68 billion euros (25.49 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 10.5 percent.
The Greater China region posted a 10.3 percent net sales rise to 3.46 billion euros, with all other major markets, except North America, also reporting growth.
Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden emphasized China’s strategic importance to the company’s global expansion. “China remains a crucial market with immense potential,” he said during the earnings release, citing a growing middle-income population, increasing sports participation, and rising consumer demand for fashion as key factors driving Adidas’ continued investment.
“The double-digit growth in China was driven by our Chinese team,” he noted, highlighting Adidas’ long-standing commitment to the market through its “in China, for China” localization strategy.
Speaking to Xinhua, Gulden described China’s retail landscape as unique, dominated by mono-brand stores rather than the multi-brand retailers more common in markets such as Europe. This structure, he said, enables Adidas to benefit from shorter supply chain cycles and greater operational efficiency.
According to the report, Adidas’ net sales in China grew by 16.1 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2024, marking seven consecutive quarters of steady expansion. (1 euro = 1.08 U.S. dollar)
Source: China State Council Information Office
The British government announced on Wednesday that European visitors will need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) starting April 2, as part of the final phase of a global rollout aimed at enhancing border security and streamlining entry processes.
According to the Home Office, eligible people can apply for the ETA – a digital travel permit linked to their passports – starting on Wednesday. This replaces traditional visa requirements for short-term visits.
The policy follows the system’s implementation for non-European travelers, including those from the United States, Canada, and Australia. To date, more than 1.1 million ETAs have been issued globally.
“Expanding the ETA worldwide underscores our commitment to a secure, contactless border system while ensuring a seamless travel experience,” Minister for Migration and Citizenship Seema Malhotra said. She added that the digital approach strengthens immigration controls and aligns with Britain’s broader strategy to innovate through technology.
Applicants can obtain an ETA via the British government’s official website or mobile application by submitting biometric and biographic details, along with responses to eligibility questions. The government is working with airlines, ferry operators, and rail carriers to ensure smooth compliance with the new requirements, the Home Office said in a statement.
Source: China State Council Information Office
The White House said on Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump is granting a one-month exemption to three major automakers from the newly imposed 25-percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada.
“We spoke with the big three auto dealers (makers), we are going to give a one-month exemption on any autos coming through USMCA. Reciprocal tariffs will still go into effect on April 2,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a press briefing.
Levitt said Trump has spoken with three companies — Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis — and they made this request. The president agreed to grant them a one-month tariff exemption.
Bloomberg News reported earlier Wednesday that Trump is exempting automakers from newly imposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada for one month, “as a temporary reprieve following pleas from industry leaders.”
The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is a trade agreement negotiated, signed, and ultimately enacted during Trump’s first term, aimed at replacing the former North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Under the USMCA, auto parts procurement must meet specific rules to qualify for duty-free treatment. These rules are designed to encourage regional production and sourcing within North America. For passenger vehicles and light trucks, at least 75 percent of the vehicle’s value must originate in North America, while the minimum requirement for heavy trucks is 70 percent.
On Feb. 1, Trump signed an executive order imposing a 25-percent tariff on products imported from Mexico and Canada, with a 10 percent tariff increase on Canadian energy products. On Feb. 3, Trump announced a 30-day delay in implementing the tariffs on both countries and continued negotiations. According to this decision, the relevant tariff measures took effect on March 4.
Trump on Tuesday night defended his tariff strategy when delivering an address to a joint session of Congress, but acknowledged that such policies will cause “a little disturbance.”
Nevertheless, economists and observers have expressed deep concerns about the potential impact of tariffs on the U.S. economy.
The Tax Foundation estimated that, without considering retaliatory measures, Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico, which went into effect Tuesday, will reduce long-term GDP by 0.2 percent, reduce hours worked by 223,000 full-time equivalent jobs, and reduce after-tax incomes by an average of 0.6 percent.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, discussing trade and fentanyl, local media reported.
It’s the first time the two have spoken since Trump launched a trade war on Tuesday.
The call lasted 50 minutes about “trade and fentanyl”, CBC News reported.
More discussions between the two leaders’ teams are expected throughout the afternoon, according to the report.
Trump decided to give a one-month exemption on any autos coming through USMCA, the trilateral trade deal that Trump signed in his first term, known in Canada as CUSMA, the report said.
It wasn’t immediately clear what Trump’s supposed exemption means for Canadian auto exports to the United States, but it seems like that form of cross-border trade will be able to go on as before, CBC News reported.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that his country plans to take the first steps towards peace in the near future.
“The first steps on the path to a just and lasting peace are incredibly important. We want to move forward speedily, in cooperation with the United States and all of Europe,” Zelensky said on social media platform X.
Meanwhile, Andriy Yermak, head of the President’s Office, announced that he had discussed steps towards peace in a phone conversation with U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
“We exchanged views on security issues and the coordination of positions within the framework of bilateral relations between Ukraine and the U.S.,” Yermak said on Telegram.
He added that Ukrainian and U.S. teams are set to meet soon to “continue this important work.”
Source: China State Council Information Office
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks at a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on March 5, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
The White House confirmed Wednesday that the Trump administration is having direct talks with Hamas aimed at releasing hostages.
The talks, first reported by Axios, were held in Doha, Qatar, in recent weeks and were led on the U.S. side by presidential envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler.
Asked about the talks, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during Wednesday’s daily press briefing that “the special envoy who’s engaged in those negotiations does have the authority to talk to anyone,” adding that “Israel was consulted on this matter.”
Leavitt refused to disclose any details on what she said are “ongoing talks and discussions” when asked if the discussions also involved President Donald Trump’s plan to take over the Gaza Strip, which is now still governed by Hamas.
“I’m not going to detail them here. There are American lives at stake,” the press secretary said.
According to a U.S. official cited in the Axios report, the discussions also included a broader deal to release all remaining hostages and reach a long-term truce.
Altogether 59 hostages are still in Hamas captivity, Axios reported, citing the Israel Defense Forces, which confirmed 35 of them are dead.
Among those hostages, five are Americans, including just one who is believed to be alive.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
Published: 03.05.2025
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee reintroduced bipartisan legislation to decrease the United States’ reliance on adversarial nations like China for critical minerals. China is currently the dominant supplier for more than half of America’s critical mineral imports. These minerals are essential for the manufacturing of electric vehicle batteries, military equipment, and other technology crucial to American economic competitiveness and homeland security. The Senators’ bill would address this threat to our manufacturing supply chains by creating an intergovernmental task force to find opportunities for increased domestic production and recycling of critical minerals.
“America’s economic and national security interests are at risk when we depend on foreign adversaries like China for materials that are vital to our manufacturing and defense industries,” said Senator Peters.“This task force will coordinate efforts across federal, state, and local governments to develop a unified approach to producing and recycling critical minerals here at home, creating American jobs while ensuring our manufacturers have reliable access to these important materials.”
The bipartisan Intergovernmental Critical Minerals Taskforce Act requires the President to create a task force and appoint representatives from federal agencies who must consult with state, local, and Tribal governments. The task force will work to determine how to address national security risks associated with America’s critical mineral supply chains and identify new domestic opportunities for mining, processing, refinement, reuse, and recycling of critical minerals. The legislation would also require the task force to publish a report to Congress and publish findings, guidelines, and recommendations to combat the United States’ reliance on China and other foreign nations for critical minerals.
The bill is endorsed by leaders from the Sierra Club, General Motors, Ford, and the American Automotive Policy Council.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
China has set an economic growth target of around 5 percent for 2025, reflecting a sound economic outlook despite increasing global uncertainties, as policymakers are determined to secure steady recovery through decisive and effective measures.
Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday announced the goal when delivering the government work report to the annual session of the National People’s Congress for deliberation. The report outlines an array of other key development goals for this year, including a surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5 percent, over 12 million new urban jobs, and an around 2 percent increase in the consumer price index.
This photo shows the booth of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited at the 22nd Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Nov. 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)
The country achieved economic growth of 5 percent in 2024 as an impactful policy package, along with other pro-growth measures, helped fuel strong economic momentum.
As 2025 marks the final year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period and is crucial for crafting the next five-year blueprint, observers believe that the government policies will not only drive sustained growth this year but also lay the groundwork for the country’s modernization drive in the long run.
REASONABLE, ACHIEVABLE GOAL
Why has the Chinese government maintained the growth target at around 5 percent?
The premier explained that the goal, backed by growth potential and favorable conditions, meets the need to stabilize employment, prevent risks and improve the people’s wellbeing, while also being well aligned with the country’s mid- and long-term objectives.
An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 6, 2025 shows a view of the Shichengzi photovoltaic power station in Hami City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Feng Yang/Xinhua)
Huang Qunhui, a national political advisor from the Institute of Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, described this year’s economic growth target as scientifically grounded and realistic.
“In the face of a challenging global environment, the proactive and resilient goal suggests that China is braving uncertainties with a clear, determined approach to growth,” he said.
On a global scale, an around 5-percent growth rate places China among the world’s fastest-growing major economies, with the economic increment equating to the annual output of a mid-sized nation.
“Achieving this year’s targets will not be easy, and we must make arduous efforts to meet them,” the premier said, citing challenges from an increasingly complex and severe external environment, including rising unilateralism and protectionism, and domestic difficulties, such as insufficient effective demand.
The premier called for facing difficulties head-on with stronger confidence in development.
According to the report, China will adopt a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy.
This photo taken on Nov. 13, 2024 shows exhibits related to low-altitude economy at Airshow China in Zhuhai, south China’s Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)
Specific measures include a new government debt increase to enable a notably higher level of spending, with 5.66 trillion yuan (about 790 billion U.S. dollars) of government deficit, up 1.6 trillion yuan from a year ago, and the issuance of 4.4 trillion yuan of local government special-purpose bonds, an increase of 500 billion yuan over last year.
The monetary policy will ensure adequate liquidity by making timely cuts to required reserve ratios and interest rates, and offering more support for innovation, green development, consumption, private businesses and small firms, as well as the real estate and stock markets.
The policy mix will play a crucial role in ensuring that the strong economic momentum seen in the fourth quarter of 2024 will be sustained this year, said Tian Xuan, a national lawmaker and president of the National Institute of Financial Research of Tsinghua University.
Recently, the International Monetary Fund, Nomura, and other global institutions raised their growth forecasts for China.
A person uses DeepSeek app on a mobile phone on Feb. 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)
Lu Ting, chief China economist at Nomura, said the forecast upgrade was due to the better-than-expected economic performance in the fourth quarter of 2024, growing investment in emerging sectors from AI to cloud computing, a stock market rally, and the improving real estate market.
China’s mid-March economic data will show a solid start for 2025, a Citi Research report said, highlighting a rebound in consumer confidence.
MORE DYNAMIC, SUSTAINABLE
Fostering high-quality development is a key focus on this year’s government agenda, with priorities ranging from stimulating domestic demand to developing new quality productive forces.
“We will take a people-centered approach and place a stronger economic policy focus on improving living standards and boosting consumer spending,” the premier said.
Consumers learn about relevant policies during a consumer goods trade-in event in Qingdao City, east China’s Shandong Province, May 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)
Domestic demand will be made the main engine and anchor of economic growth, the report said. Ultra-long special treasury bonds totaling 300 billion yuan will be issued to support consumer goods trade-in programs.
New quality productive forces will be nurtured in line with local conditions, according to the report. China aims to foster emerging and future industries, such as quantum technology and the low-altitude economy, accelerate the upgrading of traditional industries, and combine digital technologies such as AI with manufacturing and market strengths.
The pursuit of new momentum has led to renewed vitality in the Chinese economy since the start of the year, with a vibrant consumer market mirrored by Chinese animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” and major breakthroughs in cutting-edge technology, including the rise of DeepSeek.
Analysts highlighted the resilience of China’s tech industry amid a complex international landscape and the vast potential of the domestic market.
People watch “Ne Zha 2” in 4D at a cinema in Dongcheng District in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)
The new economic trend is also creating fresh opportunities for foreign investors and businesses.
Reaffirming China’s commitment to opening up, the report laid out a series of initiatives, including expanding trials to open telecom, medical services, and education, supporting foreign enterprises in joining industrial chain collaboration, and ensuring national treatment in fields such as government procurement.
Foreign-funded businesses actively embraced these measures.
The report sent a strong signal that the country will continue to expand opening up and improve its business environment, said Nancy Liu, president of luxury travel retailer DFS China.
China’s opening up has created enormous opportunities for the company, which has made its largest single investment in 60 years in the country’s southern Hainan Province, Liu said. “We are fully confident in the long-term development of the Chinese market.”
States and companies are manufacturing, promoting and selling electric shock equipment that is being used for torture and other ill-treatment, said Amnesty International, in a new report calling for a global, legally-binding treaty to regulate the unchecked production of and trade in law enforcement equipment.
“I Still Can’t Sleep at Night” – The Global Abuse of Electric Shock Equipment, documents how law enforcement agencies are using inherently abusive direct contact electric shock weapons – including stun guns and electric shock batons– on the street, at borders, in migrant and refugee detention centres, mental health institutions, police stations, prisons, and other places of detention.
These inherently abusive devices, which deliver painful shocks at the press of a button, have been used against protesters, students, political opponents, women and girls (including pregnant women), children and human rights defenders, among others. Survivors have suffered burns, numbness, miscarriage, urinary dysfunction, insomnia, exhaustion and profound psychological trauma.
The report also looks at the escalating misuse of Projectile Electric Shock Weapons (PESWs), which can have a legitimate role in law enforcement, but are often misused. Cases include the unnecessary and discriminatory use against vulnerable groups resulting in serious injuries and in some cases even death.
“Direct contact electric shock weapons can cause severe suffering, long-lasting physical disability and psychological distress. Prolonged use can even result in death,” said Patrick Wilcken, Amnesty International’s researcher on military, security and policing issues.
“PESWs are being used against individuals who pose no risk of violence, simply for punishment or compliance with orders. They are also being used in direct contact ‘drive stun’ mode, which should be prohibited. Despite the clear human rights risks associated with their use, there are no global regulations controlling the production of and trade in electric shock equipment. Direct contact electric shock weapons need to be banned immediately and PESWs subject to strict human-rights-based trade controls.”
The extensive report draws on research carried out by Amnesty International from 2014 to 2024 in over 40 countries across all regions across the world, where cases involving torture and other ill-treatment using electric shock equipment have been documented.
Vulnerable groups targeted by electric shock weapons
Testimonies gathered by Amnesty International are harrowing.
During the 2022 “Woman Life Freedom” uprising in Iran, the military unit IRGC Basij battalion forced several boys to stand with their legs apart in a line alongside adult detainees and administered electric shocks to their genitals with stun guns.
In another case, several schoolboys were abducted for writing the protest slogan “Woman Life Freedom” on a wall. One of the boys told Amnesty International: “They hit my face with the back of a gun, gave electric shocks to my back, and beat me with batons on the bottom of my feet and hands…”
PESWs have often been used as de facto direct contact electric shock weapons when deployed in “drive stun” mode.
Recounting a raid by border guards on the Medininkai detention centre in Lithuania on 2 March 2022, one detainee from Sub-Saharan Africa said: “I was lying on the ground and still they have used tasers on me three times, and at the same time they beat me with the batons.” Another described being threatened by police officers who placed a “taser” on her forehead, telling her “‘Shut up or I will shoot you!’”
“Even when used as a stand-off weapon, PESWs have been linked to serious injuries and deaths,” said Patrick Wilcken. “These include dart lacerations and penetration of the skull, eye, internal organs, throat, fingers and testis; electrical discharge induced burns, seizures and arrythmias; and a variety of injuries and deaths from falls.”
Amnesty’s report reveals patterns of PESWs’ discriminatory deployment against racialized and marginalized groups, such as young Black men. In April 2024, police in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, were filmed using a TASER directly on the leg of a Black protester at a Palestine solidarity demonstration while he was pinned to the ground by three police officers and handcuffed.
“Given the high risks of primary and secondary injuries, the use of PESWs must be set at a high threshold. These weapons should only be used only in situations involving a threat to life or risk of serious injury which cannot be contained by less extreme options,”said Patrick Wilcken.
The urgent need for prohibitions and trade regulation
At least 197 companies from all regions manufactured or promoted direct contact electric shock equipment for law enforcement between January 2018 and June 2023 – with most companies based in countries such as China, India and the USA.
According to US-based Axon Enterprise, Inc., their TASER brand models are currently used by over 18,000 law enforcement agencies in more than 80 countries.
“There is an urgent need for a legally-binding treaty which would prohibit inherently abusive electric shock equipment and strictly control the trade in PESWs,” said Patrick Wilcken.
“Companies should implement robust human rights due diligence and mitigation measures to ensure their products and services are not being systematically misused for torture or other ill-treatment. This includes ceasing production of direct contact electric shock devices and removing the ‘drive stun’ function from PESWs.”
Amnesty International, along with a global civil society network of over 80 organizations worldwide, is campaigning for the negotiation of a Torture-Free Trade Treaty that would introduce global prohibitions and controls on a wide range of law enforcement equipment, including electric shock weapons and equipment.
Background
In September 2017, the EU, Argentina and Mongolia launched the Alliance for Torture-Free Trade at the margins of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The Alliance currently comprises 62 states from all regions of the world pledging to “act together to further prevent, restrict and end trade” in goods used notably for torture or other ill-treatment. In October 2023, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture presented a thematic report on the torture trade at the UNGA which argued for a legally binding instrument to regulate the production of and trade in law enforcement equipment and included lists of goods considered prohibited and controlled.
This is one of a series of in-depth research reports showing the devastating human rights impact of law enforcement equipment; previous reports include work on tear gas, batons, rubber bullets, and the trade in less lethal weapons used to repress protesters.
March 5 2025 – Tariffs are “an act of economic war,” and the latest US tariffs are a direct assault on the global economy, warns the CEO of one of the world’s largest independent financial and asset management organizations.
The comments from deVere Group’s Nigel Green comes as President Donald Trump’s joint congressional address made it clear: his administration is deploying tariffs as a weapon, not just a policy.
The sweeping 25% duties on Canada and Mexico, an additional 10% on Chinese imports, and threats against the European Union mark an economic confrontation that will redefine global markets.
Beijing wasted no time in firing back, saying they are prepared for a tariff war or “any other type of war,” signaling that the world’s second-largest economy is ready to retaliate with full force.
Investors are now bracing for a prolonged and destabilizing economic war, with market volatility and financial uncertainty taking center stage.
Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group, warns: “Tariffs are an act of economic war.
“This aggressive escalation could cause the most severe economic disruption since the global financial crisis, barring the pandemic.
“The fallout will extend far beyond tariffs themselves, with ripple effects threatening corporate profits, inflation levels, and supply chains.
“Trade barriers of this scale are not a pathway to strength. They’re self-inflicted wounds that create higher costs for businesses, dampen consumer spending, and erode economic resilience.
“Tariffs are not a show of power; they are a tax on prosperity.”
Despite Trump’s insistence that tariffs will restore America’s economic dominance, reality is painting a different picture.
Increased costs on imports mean businesses will either absorb the financial hit or pass it along to consumers, leading to inflationary pressures that weaken household purchasing power. The result? A slowing economy disguised as a policy win.
“From manufacturing to tech, industries are now forced to face a storm of rising costs and shrinking global competitiveness,” says Nigel Green.
“This is not a win, it’s reckless brinkmanship with high stakes for the US and global economy.”
Trump’s vow to roll out even more trade penalties by April 2 is triggering concern through global markets.
Washington’s latest trade war salvos are setting off countermeasures from Beijing, Brussels, and beyond.
China’s retaliatory tariffs are expected to hit US exports where it hurts—targeting agriculture, technology, and other key industries with strategic precision. The European Union is weighing its response, while Mexico and Canada have already signaled their intent to push back.
“Trade conflicts don’t happen in isolation. They trigger chain reactions—capital flight, fractured supply chains, and heightened uncertainty for investors,” explains the deVere CEO.
The notion that tariffs will fortify the US economy is fundamentally flawed.
“The cost of this economic war will be borne by households, businesses, and investors worldwide. And unless there’s a change in course, the worst may still be ahead.”
deVere Group is one of the world’s largest independent advisors of specialist global financial solutions to international, local mass affluent, and high-net-worth clients. It has a network of offices around the world, more than 80,000 clients, and $14bn under advisement.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia
Senator Reverend Warnock Statement on Extreme Tariffs on Everyday Goods, Agriculture
Senator Reverend Warnock is the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
Tariffs will impact cost of produce, canned soda, beer, lumber for housing, aluminum for cars and manufacturing equipment, fertilizer for producers, and more
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), ranking member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, issued the following statement on the newly announced 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
“When I hear from ordinary Georgians, they tell me the cost of everything from housing to prescription drugs to groceries are too expensive. Georgians feel like their dollar isn’t going far enough, and these tariffs only make the problem worse.”
“These sweeping tariffs and this impending trade war will hurt our farmers, who are now seeing a hike in fertilizer prices going into planting season. With retaliatory tariffs already being implemented, I fear that my years of bipartisan efforts to open up international markets for our farmers will be erased. This will make produce in the grocery stores more expensive and producers losing their farms more likely.”
“I’m not opposed to all tariffs. They can be a useful tool to protect American jobs and coerce bad actors like China to play by the rules. But these chaotic and impulsive tariffs do nothing but punish Georgians who are just trying to balance their checkbook and save for the future. I will continue to speak out against policies that hurt Georgia families and farmers.”
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement in response to President Trump’s commitment to “resurrect the American shipbuilding industry” during his joint address to Congress.
“I take great pride in representing Wisconsin’s shipbuilding industry, and in his speech last night, the President acknowledged something I’ve been long fighting for – the need to revitalize the American shipbuilding industry and support American workers and companies,” said Senator Baldwin. “America used to lead the world in shipbuilding, but for too long, China has cheated the rules, threatening our national security and jobs across the country. I’ve always said I’d work with anyone to deliver for Wisconsinites – so, Mr. President, let’s get to work. The first step is cracking down on China for cheating and holding them accountable – like I have long fought for – so we level the playing field for workers and support Made in America shipbuilding.”
Senator Baldwin has been leading the charge to level the playing field for Wisconsin workers. Last March, Senator Baldwin joined USW and other labor leaders in support of the American shipbuilding industry and to call on Trade Representative Tai to conduct a full investigation. In April, the USTR announced they were heeding that call and launching an investigation into China, resulting in a report that lays the groundwork for the Trump Administration to impose appropriate penalties on China to support American workers. In January, Senator Baldwin applauded the United States Trade Representative report outlining China’s unfair trade practices to undercut American shipbuilding and called on the President to act. In February, Baldwin led a group of her colleagues in calling on the Trump Administration to act on the results of the investigation and take immediate action to level the playing field for American workers, businesses, and national security.
Senator Baldwin has long championed Buy America policies to support American businesses and workers. She fought to advance her American Made Navy Act in last year’s annual defense legislation, which would ensure by 2033 any new Navy ship purchased uses 100% domestically produced materials, like propulsion systems, shipboard components, couplings, shafts, support bearings, and more. She also worked to include strong Buy America standards in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Ogden, Associate Professor in Global Studies, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
When Donald Trump’s benefactor and cost-cutter-in-chief Elon Musk recently supported a call for the United States to quit NATO and the United Nations, it should perhaps have been more surprising.
But the first months of the second Trump presidency have already seen key parts of the current international order undermined. Musk’s position fits a general pattern.
Aside from the tilt towards a multipolar world order, the US now refuses to recognise the International Criminal Court, has slashed its foreign aid contributions, and has withdrawn from the World Health Organization, the UN Human Rights Council and the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA.
With Trump’s domestic politics displaying a clear autocratic edge, the rejection of the founding principles and ideals of the UN comes into sharper relief. The intolerant and impatient negotiating approach he displayed with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky also belies a disregard for cooperative and consensus-based diplomacy.
The drive to slash the federal deficit dovetails with this general abandonment of expensive international commitments. If the Trump regime follows through on its apparent strategy of manufacturing crises to advance its agenda, then leaving the UN entirely is a logical next step.
This is all in stark contrast to the central role the UN has traditionally played within the US-led international order since 1945.
Along with other institutions, the UN allowed the US to shape the international system in its own image and spread its domestic values and interests across the world. Along with NATO, the UN was designed as a global security institution to produce global stability.
In theory at least, the political and economic values of the US and other democracies enabled the construction of the postwar order. According to political scientist John Ikenberry, this was based on “multilateralism, alliance partnerships, strategic restraint, cooperative security, and institutional and rule-based relationships”.
But by the 21st century, US actions had undermined many of these principles. The US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 bypassed the authority of the UN, causing then secretary-general Kofi Annan to declare that “from the charter point of view [the invasion] was illegal”.
This undermined the legitimacy of the UN and America’s place within it. But it also diminished the organisation as a force for maintaining international security and national sovereignty in global affairs.
The subsequent human rights violations by the US through its use of rendition, torture and detention at facilities such as Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib further weakened the UN’s credibility as a protector of liberal international values.
The US has also been a regular non-payer of UN fees, owing US$2.8 billion in early 2025. And it is one of the lowest contribtuors of military and police personnel to UN peacekeeping operations, despite paying nearly 27% of the overall budget.
Since the 1990s, several Republican politicians have argued for the US to withdraw entirely from the UN. In 1997, senator Ron Paul introduced the American Sovereignty Restoration Act, aimed at ending UN membership, expelling the UN headquarters from New York and ending US funding.
Although it received minimal support and never reached committee hearings, Paul reintroduced the act in every congressional session until his 2011 retirement. It was then taken up by other Republicans, including Paul Broun and Mike Rogers.
In December 2023, senator Mike Lee and representative Chip Roy led the introduction of the “Disengaging Entirely from the United Nations Debacle (DEFUND) Act”.
Roy referenced the perceived negative treatment of Israel, the promotion of China, “the propagation of climate hysteria” and the US$12.5 billion in annual payments. Lee added:
Americans’ hard-earned dollars have been funnelled into initiatives that fly in the face of our values – enabling tyrants, betraying allies, and spreading bigotry.
Public polling in 2024 also showed only 52% of Americans had a favourable view of the UN. This opposition has deeper historical roots, too.
In 1920, US isolationists blocked the ratification of the Treaty of Versailles, and with it US participation in the League of Nations (the predecessor to the United Nations). Although the US would interact with the League of Nations until the UN’s formation in 1945, it never became an official member.
Criticism of the UN also has a bipartisan angle, with the US withdrawing funding of UNRWA in 2024 during Joe Biden’s presidency after Israel accused the agency of links to Hamas.
If Trump harnesses these historical and modern forces to pull the US out of the UN, it would fundamentally – and likely irrevocably – undermine what has been a central pillar of the current international order.
It would also increase US isolationism, reduce Western influence, and legitimise alternative security bodies. These include the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which the US could potentially join, especially given Russia and India are both members.
More broadly, the reduced influence of the UN will endanger general peace and security in the international sphere, and the wider protection and promotion of human rights.
There would be greater unpredictability in global affairs, and the world would be a more dangerous place. For countries big and small, a UN without the US will force new strategic calculations and create new alliances and blocs, as the world leaps into the unknown.
Chris Ogden is a Senior Research Fellow with The Foreign Policy Centre, London.
– ref. Elon Musk thinks the US should leave the UN – what if Trump does it? – https://theconversation.com/elon-musk-thinks-the-us-should-leave-the-un-what-if-trump-does-it-251483