Latest news with #US-China
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First Post
an hour ago
- Politics
- First Post
Japan quietly prepares for China-US conflict in Pacific, builds bomb shelters near Taiwan
The Japanese government plans to begin subsidising long-term evacuation facilities in the Sakishima archipelago, at the southwestern end of the Nansei Islands, starting next year read more Illustration showing the nine-dash line on a map of a disputed area of the South China Sea on a laptop in Lao Cai province. File Image/AFP As China's threat over the Pacific gains momentum and with Taiwan's independence at stake, Japan is quietly preparing itself for a possible US-China war. A key ally of Washington, Japan, will begin building bomb shelters next year on its remote islands close to Taiwan, as it fears that territories located far west could be targeted by Beijing. A report by Newsweek says the Japanese move comes as an acknowledgement of the complex reality. Japan is already hosting the most American troops anywhere in the world outside of US territory. This simply means, especially against the pattern of the recent West Asian crisis, that a US-China conflict is certainly bound to spill over. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD China has been making territorial claims over the democratically governed Taiwan and considers the island-nation part of its own. These claims have been repeatedly rejected by Taipei, but the more it pushes back, the more force Beijing exhibits. China has not ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its ambit, giving rise to concerns of the country's expanding influence over the region. This move follows increased Chinese military activity near Taiwan and past incidents, such as Chinese missiles landing near Yonaguni in 2022, which alarmed local residents and prompted Japan to expand its military presence there. What does the Japanese plan entail? The Japanese government plans to begin subsidising long-term evacuation facilities in the Sakishima archipelago, at the southwestern end of the Nansei Islands, starting next year. The first shelters will be built on Yonaguni, the country's westernmost inhabited island, located less than 70 miles from Taiwan. According to Japan's Nikkei newspaper, additional bomb shelters, designed to support stays of up to two weeks, will be constructed on nearby islands, including Iriomote, Ishigaki, Tarama, and Miyako by spring 2028. Meanwhile, Okinawa, Japan's largest southwestern island, hosts around 30,000 of the 54,000 active-duty American service members. The US Navy, Air Force, Army and Marine Corps have bases on the Pacific node and participate in joint military exercises with Japan regularly. While Tokyo plans to relocate people from these islands to the mainland, way before the hostilities begin, official estimates suggest that evacuating over 100,000 civilians via sea and air could at least take a week. Therefore, the emergency shelters would provide temporary refuge to Japanese people. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What US has said Japan's expedited efforts to shield itself from any forthcoming Chinese attack are not based on isolated assumptions. US officials say Chinese President Xi Jinping has directed his military to be prepared to seize Taiwan by force by 2027. However, whether China's military readiness will align with its political will remains uncertain. Beijing officials maintain that Taiwan remains a central issue in US-China relations. Last month, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said at the Singapore Defence Summit that China's military was 'rehearsing for the real deal,' and that an attack 'could be imminent.' His claims were slammed by Beijing, which accused him of stoking regional tensions.
Fibre2Fashion
2 hours ago
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
US firms may mull sourcing from suppliers other than China: McKinsey
Amid pressure on US-China trade, US companies may look to rearrange sourcing to alternative suppliers, and if they cannot, they may instead reduce purchases, replace imported products with something similar, or ramp up domestic production, according to McKinsey and Company. These alternatives require a combination of sacrifice, resources, know-how, and time, a recent research piece by McKinsey Global Institute said. The authors introduced a 'rearrangement ratio' to quantify how hard the change might be. Thirty-five per cent of US imports from China have a ratio less than 0.1, signifying a global available export market ten times larger than current US imports from China. Amid pressure on US-China trade, US firms may look to rearrange sourcing to alternative suppliers, or may reduce buying, replace imported products with something similar, or ramp up domestic production, McKinsey and Company said. Consumer goods are harder to rearrange than business inputs. Exports to the US from as many as 70 countries may rise by more than 10 per cent under such a condition. For higher ratios, rearrangement becomes harder, and for the 5 per cent of trade with a ratio greater than 1, US imports from China exceed available global exports, noted the authors. Consumer goods are harder to rearrange than business inputs. Sixty-one per cent of business input imports have a rearrangement ratio less than 0.1, versus 16 per cent of consumer goods. Europe emerges as the fulcrum of trade rearrangement. Across nine varied simulations, European imports from China and exports to the United States both go up by nearly $200 billion. As intra-European trade shifts to the United States, it leaves holes filled by increased Chinese exports—assuming Europe does not choose to alter its own trade policies. Others will be affected, too: exports to the United States from as many as 70 countries may increase by more than 10 per cent, the authors said. Strategies will need to handle continued uncertainty and ongoing shifts, they cautioned. Customers will buy new things from new sources and use them in new ways. Granularity is key. Shifts across many thousands of products will reshape the geometry of global trade. The average US China-rearrangement ratio is about 0.4, but the figure varies widely across sectors. It is mid-range for textiles. In general, apparel such as T-shirts, jerseys and trousers is exported by a wide range of economies, with rearrangement ratios generally less than 0.1. Indeed, China has been shifting away from this category and moved from representing nearly 45 per cent of global apparel exports in 2010 to 25 per cent in 2023. However, rearrangement ratios are greater than 0.5 for other products ranging from synthetic-fibre socks to face masks and surgical drapes. Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) could also replace a substantial share of China's textile exports to the United States, but this is more dependent on the specifics of rearrangement, the article added. For example, with tariffs as outlined on April 2, 2025—which are typically higher for ASEAN members—a tariff-minimising approach results in US textile imports coming more from economies like Morocco and Turkiye. ASEAN members substitute only about 5 per cent of US imports from China. Conversely, under some rearrangement-minimising approaches, this share rises to nearly 40 per cent. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Hong Kong's sixfold jump in share sales drives boom year in Asia
Hong Kong 's having a banner year as it marches toward becoming the second-largest market globally for share sales for the first time since 2012. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bank Owned Properties For Sale In Kramat (Prices May Surprise You) Foreclosed Homes | Search ads Search Now Undo Proceeds from listings and additional share sales in the Asian financial hub in the first half have reached about $33 billion, poised for a sixfold jump from a year ago, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Offerings from electric carmakers BYD Co. and Xiaomi Corp. raised the most, followed by Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., which had the world's biggest new listing this year. Investors have brushed aside tariffs and geopolitical concerns as deals flooded in Hong Kong — including three of the four biggest stock offerings in the world in 2025. Equity strategists remain upbeat about local stocks after the Hang Seng became one of the world's best-performing indexes this year. And with the throng of companies lining up with billion-dollar offerings, it's shaping up to be a good year for investment bankers in the city. Live Events Bloomberg 'We're seeing a lot more comfort from global investors around the global and regional macro picture, which is leading them to reassess and increase their exposure to the region including to Hong Kong and mainland China,' said Sunil Dhupelia, co-head of Asia Pacific ECM at JPMorgan Chase & Co. 'Assuming that markets remain stable, it's likely to be very busy in the second half of the year.' Chinese companies that already have shares trading in Shenzhen or Shanghai have been flocking to Hong Kong for additional listings. Those so-called A-H deals accounted for about three quarters of Hong Kong's total proceeds of $13.4 billion from first-time share sales in 2025, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The biggest one was the $5.2 billion offering by battery-giant CATL, which forged ahead with its Hong Kong listing in May despite being caught up in US-China tensions. The high-profile deal's success shows industry leaders are still able to find global buyers even in an unfavorable environment. Hong Kong listing proceeds are poised to double to a four-year high of more than $22 billion, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. Big deals to look forward to later this year include those of electric carmaker Seres Group Co., heavy-machinery maker Sany Heavy Industry Co. and pig breeder Muyuan Foods Co. Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd., which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, is so fired up about the surge in business that it's parading the iconic gong used to introduce new listings in an unprecedented two-week public tour via a 'gongmobile.' Hong Kong is leading share sales overall in all of Asia Pacific, where first-half proceeds have climbed almost 30% to about $100 billion in 2025, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. In India, which led the region in share sales last year, total proceeds stand at about $20 billion, on track for a drop of more than 20% in the first half, after a stock-market rout led to a slow start. Despite underperforming regional peers, the benchmark Nifty 50 Index has rallied as of late and is on track to post its best quarterly gain in more than a year. That optimism is spilling over to deals, with HDB Financial Services Ltd.'s $1.5 billion initial public offering, and Tata Capital Ltd.'s soon-to-come $2 billion IPO. Elsewhere, the $4 billion chunk of Japan Post Bank Co. sold by its parent and JX Advanced Metals Corp.'s IPO helped share sale proceeds in Japan rise to $13.7 billion, on course for a 30% increase, though the pace of deals slowed during the second quarter, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. In South Korea, the recent presidential election ended months of leadership vacuum, revitalizing the Kospi and making it one of the region's best-performing indexes. That's encouraging more companies to pursue listings, such as 'Baby Shark'-creator Pinkfong Co., the company behind the most watched YouTube video of all time. While geopolitical tensions are bound to continue to complicate decisions for corporate issuers and investors for months to come, Asia is on track to cap a great year of deals. 'We don't expect issuance activity to be slowing,' said Rob Chan, head of Asia ECM syndicate at Citigroup Inc. 'In fact, despite all the uncertainties driven by tariffs and geopolitical tensions in recent months, issuance activity has been very strong.' Going forward, expect to see deals in Hong Kong from companies that mainly rely on Chinese domestic consumption because they are best shielded from tariff effects and geopolitics, according to Christine Xu, the partner in charge of Chinese ECM transactions at the Linklaters law firm. 'Enough water has gone under the bridge around the tariffs, and the market has taken that in its stride,' said JPMorgan's Dhupelia. 'Looking at the rest of the year, the ongoing complex global geopolitical situation is the clear risk that could change the direction of markets.'
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- Economic Times
Hong Kong's sixfold jump in share sales drives boom year in Asia
Hong Kong is experiencing a surge in share sales, poised to become the second-largest global market since 2012, driven by listings from electric carmakers and battery giants. Synopsis Hong Kong's share sales are booming, aiming for the second-largest global market position since 2012. Electric carmakers and battery giants lead the surge. Investors are overlooking global tensions. Many Chinese companies are listing in Hong Kong. India's share sales are slowing down. Japan and South Korea are also experiencing growth. Hong Kong's having a banner year as it marches toward becoming the second-largest market globally for share sales for the first time since 2012. ADVERTISEMENT Proceeds from listings and additional share sales in the Asian financial hub in the first half have reached about $33 billion, poised for a sixfold jump from a year ago, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Offerings from electric carmakers BYD Co. and Xiaomi Corp. raised the most, followed by Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., which had the world's biggest new listing this year. Investors have brushed aside tariffs and geopolitical concerns as deals flooded in Hong Kong — including three of the four biggest stock offerings in the world in 2025. Equity strategists remain upbeat about local stocks after the Hang Seng became one of the world's best-performing indexes this year. And with the throng of companies lining up with billion-dollar offerings, it's shaping up to be a good year for investment bankers in the city.'We're seeing a lot more comfort from global investors around the global and regional macro picture, which is leading them to reassess and increase their exposure to the region including to Hong Kong and mainland China,' said Sunil Dhupelia, co-head of Asia Pacific ECM at JPMorgan Chase & Co. 'Assuming that markets remain stable, it's likely to be very busy in the second half of the year.' ADVERTISEMENT Chinese companies that already have shares trading in Shenzhen or Shanghai have been flocking to Hong Kong for additional listings. Those so-called A-H deals accounted for about three quarters of Hong Kong's total proceeds of $13.4 billion from first-time share sales in 2025, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The biggest one was the $5.2 billion offering by battery-giant CATL, which forged ahead with its Hong Kong listing in May despite being caught up in US-China tensions. The high-profile deal's success shows industry leaders are still able to find global buyers even in an unfavorable environment. ADVERTISEMENT Hong Kong listing proceeds are poised to double to a four-year high of more than $22 billion, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. Big deals to look forward to later this year include those of electric carmaker Seres Group Co., heavy-machinery maker Sany Heavy Industry Co. and pig breeder Muyuan Foods Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd., which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, is so fired up about the surge in business that it's parading the iconic gong used to introduce new listings in an unprecedented two-week public tour via a 'gongmobile.' ADVERTISEMENT Hong Kong is leading share sales overall in all of Asia Pacific, where first-half proceeds have climbed almost 30% to about $100 billion in 2025, according to data compiled by India, which led the region in share sales last year, total proceeds stand at about $20 billion, on track for a drop of more than 20% in the first half, after a stock-market rout led to a slow start. ADVERTISEMENT Despite underperforming regional peers, the benchmark Nifty 50 Index has rallied as of late and is on track to post its best quarterly gain in more than a year. That optimism is spilling over to deals, with HDB Financial Services Ltd.'s $1.5 billion initial public offering, and Tata Capital Ltd.'s soon-to-come $2 billion the $4 billion chunk of Japan Post Bank Co. sold by its parent and JX Advanced Metals Corp.'s IPO helped share sale proceeds in Japan rise to $13.7 billion, on course for a 30% increase, though the pace of deals slowed during the second quarter, according to data compiled by South Korea, the recent presidential election ended months of leadership vacuum, revitalizing the Kospi and making it one of the region's best-performing indexes. That's encouraging more companies to pursue listings, such as 'Baby Shark'-creator Pinkfong Co., the company behind the most watched YouTube video of all geopolitical tensions are bound to continue to complicate decisions for corporate issuers and investors for months to come, Asia is on track to cap a great year of deals.'We don't expect issuance activity to be slowing,' said Rob Chan, head of Asia ECM syndicate at Citigroup Inc. 'In fact, despite all the uncertainties driven by tariffs and geopolitical tensions in recent months, issuance activity has been very strong.'Going forward, expect to see deals in Hong Kong from companies that mainly rely on Chinese domestic consumption because they are best shielded from tariff effects and geopolitics, according to Christine Xu, the partner in charge of Chinese ECM transactions at the Linklaters law firm. 'Enough water has gone under the bridge around the tariffs, and the market has taken that in its stride,' said JPMorgan's Dhupelia. 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Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- Business Standard
Ford forced to idle multiple US plants on China rare earth magnet shortage
Rare earths have become a flashpoint in US-China trade talks, with China using its dominance in these key materials-vital to cars, iPhones and more-as leverage in negotiations Bloomberg
