This past week, CTM covered the following issues.

To assist policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers in navigating the terrain of China-U.S. relations, China Trade Monitor is launching its U.S.-China Trade Friction Timeline. 

During this week's Xi-Trump meeting, China and the U.S. signaled a tentative thaw in trade and technology tensions, with a mix of symbolic gestures and concrete commercial steps. In a TV interview during the meetings, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent weighed in on a number of trade issues that were under discussion; and after the meetings, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer offered his own thoughts.

China's official data shows that its shipbuilding industry remained firmly in the global lead in the first quarter of 2026, with output, new orders and backlog all rising sharply as demand held strong.

China also published a new national AI strategy, seeking to regulate and accelerate the development of "AI agents," while placing a heavy emphasis on a security bottom line.

Last week, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) held a four-day hearing as part of its Section 301 investigation of Structural Excess Capacity and Production in Manufacturing Sectors.

Following up on earlier anti-dumping/countervailing duty (AD/CVD) cases against imports of Chinese solar products, both from China itself and from Chinese companies operating in various third countries, the U.S. solar industry has now accused Chinese companies of circumventing existing AD/CVD cases by selling through Ethiopia.

In advance of President Trump's trip to China, U.S. lawmakers continued to ratchet up political pressure against allowing the sale of Chinese automobiles in the U.S. They also moved to restrict Chinese purchases of U.S. farmland.

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) launched a formal inquiry into the data governance practices of Shein, the fast-fashion giant, marking the latest regulatory challenge for Chinese firms as they expand their footprint in Europe.

At the WTO, China followed up on an earlier request for consultations with a request that a WTO panel be established to hear its complaint about discriminatory measures adopted by India in the solar and information technology sectors.