News that caught our eye / The week ending April 11, 2025
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NOTE: The news reports below are not in chronological order. There is often a time lag in their reaching the US and in gaining our attention. These reports reflect the opinions of a variety of news sources.
Curated by James Getka.
Religious Activities by Foreigners in China: New Restrictions from May 1 / April 8, 2025
The Chinese State Administration for Religious Affairs released what it calls “Order #23” on April 1st, an updated regulation that puts more strict measures on religious foreigners who are not part of any of the “approved” religious organizations when they come to China. The regulation will make it more difficult for such foreigners to enter China for religious purposes (Bitter Winter).
Expanding the Notion of Xie Jiao in China: Now Even Reformed Christians Are “Cultists” / March 27, 2025
Article 300 in China’s criminal code English translation describes “Xie Jiao” as “evil cults,” but lately, the term has been expanded by local Chinese governments to include even Reformed Christian house churches. A house church in Fuyang City in China has been under scrutiny and harassment from the local government for some years now, but recently, two of its members were charged under Article 300 “for being active in a xie jiao (Bitter Winter).
China Appeals for Calm, Readies Plans to Counter Trump’s Tariffs / April 7, 2025
An editorial in the Chinese government’s mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, declared that the government has a vast supply of strategies to counter President Trump’s trade war. Having dealt with tariffs since Trump’s first term eight years ago, the Chinese government has learned how to deal with the matter (Yahoo Finance).
China is not backing down from Trump's tariff war. What next? / April 8, 2025
The rapid pace of President Trump’s tariff escalation has rattled global markets and economies, but China also refuses to flinch, vowing to not back off. Doing so would suggest weakness on China’s part. China has weakened its currency to bear some of the brunt of the tariffs, and it can do so again. China also has other means to respond if it decides to walk past the negotiating table (BBC).
Trump's sweeping new tariffs in effect, including 104% on goods from China / April 9, 2025
Increased tariffs from the Trump Administration took effect on Wednesday this week, hitting China the hardest with additional tariffs that add up to 104% so far. The EU and Canada also plan retaliatory tariffs. Initially, East Asian stock markets were mixed upon first impact of the tariffs going into effect. China stated it has enough reserves to see the trade war through (CBS News).
Stocks surge after 90-day pause announced for most countries / April 9, 2025
In another example of “expect the unexpected,” President Trump announced a delay in the implementation of new tariffs for 75 countries, but tariffs against China would rise higher again to 125%. China’s retaliatory tariffs against US exports currently stand at 84%. Other countries have called for negotiations with the Trump Administration (NBC News).
Why Trump is hitting China on trade - and what might happen next / April 10, 2025
President Trump’s tariff war has been a strategy to reset global trade to benefit the American economy, a goal that Trump had to leave unfinished after his first term. Realistically, Trump has wanted to overhaul the trade environment for decades, but China’s economy has grown into the global market so much that it is unwilling to bend to Trump’s wishes. The standoff may get ugly (BBC).
China channels Mao in trade war with a vow for 'complete victory' over the U.S. / April 10, 2025
Mao Ning, the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson, declared in a post on X on Friday that China would not back down in the face of President Trump’s trade war that has focused on China this week. Her post included a 1953 video of Mao Zedong determined speech that China would continue fighting until “China’s complete victory.” China’s history of humiliation by foreign powers underlies its defiance against Trump’s “bullying.” The two sides may continue to hurt one another and themselves before they come to the table (NBC News).
Trump was touting his Panama victory. Then China stepped in / April 9, 2025
CK Hutchison, the Hong Kong business that owns two ports on either side of the Panama Canal, was scheduled to secure the sale of the two ports to a consortium of businesses led by Blackrock on April 2nd, but Chinese regulators have stepped in to review the transaction, calling it a threat to China’s national interests. China may use the sale as collateral in the tariff trade war (NBC News).
Meta Whistleblower to Tell Congress That Company Aided China in AI Race / April 9, 2025
A former Meta director of global public policy, Sarah Wynn-Williams, testified before Congress on Tuesday that the leadership of Meta actually collaborated with China to advance its AI technology to out-compete US companies, undermining US national security and interests. China evidently used the technology for military purposes. Meta denies the accusations (Yahoo Finance).