U.S. and Chinese trade officials have gone back and forth with criticisms in recent days, taking each other to task for actions after the Geneva agreement to roll back tariffs and trade restrictions and negotiate a broader trade deal.

Facing persistent trade frictions with Western powers, China is intensifying its economic engagements with key partners across the globe. A summit this week involving leaders from ASEAN, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and China is the most recent example of such effort.

Yesterday, officials at the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) held a roundtable discussion on semiconductor supply chains with European and Chinese companies and trade associations, emphasizing the importance of cooperation amidst China's new export control rules and indicating a potential relaxation of restrictions for EU-linked supply chains.

Chinese officials recently touted record-high trade with Africa last year and US$1.9 billion in new Chinese investment since last fall. With the 4th China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo set to open next month, Beijing is continuing its strategic push for cooperation encompassing trade, industrial collaboration and emerging sectors.

Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD announced that it will expand its investment in Hungary, putting its European headquarters and an R&D base there.

Data from China's Customs shows China's agricultural imports from the United States have more than halved in recent months, a dramatic decline that follows escalating tariff disputes between the world's two largest economies.

Beijing has further ratcheted up its rhetoric against a new U.S. policy to curb the use of Chinese advanced chips and explicitly threatened to invoke Chinese laws, including the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, in retaliation. While details of enforcement remain unclear on both sides, this direct policy clash is poised