China’s exports returned to growth in November following an unexpected contraction the month before, although shipments to the United States dropped nearly 29% from a year earlier in an eighth straight month of double-digit declines.

The Japanese government is taking uncomfortable steps to prepare its citizens for a possible future war that its military would not be able to avoid.

China’s renminbi is lagging the currencies of key trading partners, making Chinese goods and services cheap and helping to drive exports.

Chinese firms are expanding in Vietnam, leading investment inflows and sending record shipments to Hanoi in defiance of U.S. calls for decoupling, as the Communist neighbours beef up ties. Recent steps that Hanoi had long resisted on security grounds include sensitive tech contracts for Chinese telecoms firms Huawei and ZTE;

A trade war begun by President Donald Trump early in his second term led China to halt its purchases of American soybeans.

Beijing is keeping the renminbi heavily undervalued against the euro, European companies have warned, giving Chinese exporters an advantage and raising the risk of increased trade retaliation. The warning from the EU Chamber of Commerce in China comes just days after data indicating the country’s annual goods trade surplus will exceed $1tn for the first time.

China has been one of Russia's closest partners since the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022, with Moscow describing its relations with Beijing as a partnership " without limitations or taboos ." The two countries have closely cooperated on military matters, including joint patrols and bilateral drills, to bolster their readiness.

The former chief executive of Nexperia, a Dutch chipmaker, said Dutch officials had known for years that the company’s Chinese owner sought to move its technology to China.