US-China rivalry
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ACFTA at a Crossroads: Balancing Growth and Dependency in ASEAN-China Trade Relations
The strategic partnership between the United States and ASEAN has never fully recovered from the shock of the Trump administration’s 2016 turn away from multilateralism, erratic diplomacy, and rising protectionism. Years of unpredictable US policy have eroded trust, leaving ASEAN leaders doubtful about Washington’s long-term reliability. Into this vacuum steps…
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How China’s AI Development Remains Resilient Despite Escalating US Chip Export Restrictions
The US is intensifying its restrictions on China’s access to advanced semiconductors, exemplified by the recent ban on chips like Nvidia’s H20, marking a significant escalation in a sustained campaign to curb China’s AI and semiconductor advancements. While these export controls impede China’s technological progress, they are unlikely to halt…
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Semiconductors, Trump’s Tariffs and the US-China Rivalry: A Conversation with Ray Wang
Jonathan Chin, SSI Editor-in-Chief, and, Andy Liao, SSI Science & Technology Lead, speaks to Ray Wang, a Washington‑based analyst focused on U.S.‑China economic and technological statecraft, with a focus on semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Ray’s insights have been featured in Foreign Policy, CSIS, The Diplomat and he is frequently quoted…
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Echoes of 2018: Understanding Trump’s Renewed Tariff Offensive on China
The hardened stance of President Trump’s second administration toward China—manifested in aggressive tariff threats, export controls, and trade investigations—closely echoes the US trade strategy of 2018–2020. Then, what began with duties on several billion dollars of imports swiftly escalated into an unprecedented tit‑for‑tat tariff war that rattled global markets, exposed…
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The US Aid Freeze: A Strategic Blunder That Strengthens China’s Hand in Southeast Asia
On January 20th 2025, President Trump signed an executive order initiating a 90-day suspension of US foreign development assistance programs to reassess their alignment with American interests. This was soon after accompanied by the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the government agency responsible for foreign…
Sino-Southeast Initiative 