Latest news with #Xi Jinping
ABC News
10 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
Pew finds improved global view of China as Donald Trump hurts perceptions of US
A majority of Australians say it is more important to have strong economic ties with China than with the United States, according to new research from the Washington-based Pew Research Centre. Pew's latest survey of 24 countries found that opinion towards the US and its president, Donald Trump, had deteriorated, while views of China and its president, Xi Jinping, had improved in many countries worldwide. More than half — 53 per cent — of Australians surveyed said they favoured placing more importance on economic ties with China, a large increase from 39 per cent in 2021. Only 42 per cent of Australians said it was more important to prioritise economic ties with the US — a drop from 52 per cent who said the same thing in 2021. Pew found the US was viewed more favourably than China in eight countries, China was viewed more favourably in seven, and the two were viewed about equally in the remainder. Pew did not provide definitive explanations for the shifts, but Laura Silver, associate director of research, said it is possible that views of a country may change when those of another superpower shift. "As the US potentially looks like a less reliable partner and people have limited confidence, for example, in Trump to lead the global economy, China may look different in some people's eyes," Dr Silver said. Also, China's human rights policies and its handling of the pandemic — which were related to negative views of the country in the past — may not weigh as much this time, she said. A group of Democratic senators this week accused the Trump administration of ceding global influence to China by shuttering foreign aid programs, imposing tariffs on allies, cracking down on elite universities, and restricting visas for international students. In the Pew findings, 35 per cent of those in 10 high-income countries surveyed consistently — including Canada, France, Germany and Italy — have favourable opinions of the US, down from 51 per cent from last year. By comparison, 32 per cent of them have positive views of China, up from last year's 23 per cent. And 24 per cent of them say they have confidence in Mr Trump, compared with 53 per cent last year for then-US president Joe Biden. Mr Xi scored a slight improvement: 22 per cent of those in these rich countries say they have confidence in the Chinese president, up from last year's 17 per cent. However, people in Israel have far more favourable views of the US than of China: 83 per cent of Israelis like the US, compared with 33 per cent who say they have positive views of China. Some 69 per cent of Israelis said they have confidence in Mr Trump, while only 9 per cent expressed confidence in Mr Xi. Pew surveyed more than 30,000 people across 25 countries — including the US, which was excluded from the comparison — from January 8 to April 26, 2025. The margins of error for each country ranged from plus or minus 2.5 to plus or minus 4.7. China's economy slowed slightly in the last quarter as Mr Trump's trade war escalated, but it still expanded at a robust 5.2 per cent pace, the Chinese government said on Tuesday, local time. That compares with 5.4 per cent annual growth in January-March. Chinese authorities said that in quarterly terms, the world's second-largest economy expanded by 1.1 per cent. In the first half of the year, the Chinese economy grew at a 5.3 per cent annual pace, the official data show. However, some analysts said actual growth may have been significantly slower. Zichun Huang of Capital Economics noted that investments in fixed assets such as factory equipment rose only 2.8 per cent in the first half of the year, implying 2.9 per cent annual growth in May and a mere 0.5 per cent increase in June. The 5.2 per cent growth rate overstates the pace of expansion by about 1.5 percentage points, she said. Capital Economics' activity proxy shows growth in China's gross domestic product, or GDP, at less than 4 per cent year-on-year in April and May, Dr Huang said, forecasting annual growth of 3.5 per cent for full-year 2025. "The economic outlook for the rest of the year remains challenging," she wrote in a report. Dr Huang added, though, that "political pressure to meet annual growth targets, even if only on paper, means that published GDP growth will be much higher". A key factor behind the latest upbeat data was strong exports. On Monday, China reported that its exports accelerated in June, rising 5.8 per cent from a year earlier, up from a 4.8 per cent increase in May. Production of high-tech products, vehicles and electrical machinery and equipment rose by about 10 per cent or more from a year earlier. A reprieve on painfully high tariffs on Chinese exports to the US prompted a rush of orders by companies and consumers as the two sides resumed trade talks. Chinese companies also have expanded exports to and offshore manufacturing in other countries such as Vietnam, helping to offset the impact of higher tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. But a 0.1 per cent decline in consumer prices in the first half of 2025 showed continuing weakness in domestic demand, a long-term challenge for the ruling communist party as the Chinese population declines and ages. Those troubles deepened during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Falling property prices and slowing retail sales were also of concern, said Lynne Song of ING Economics. Price cutting by Chinese manufacturers to help compete in overseas markets is adding to deflationary pressures that ultimately erode their competitiveness, Louise Loo of Oxford Economics said in a report. Chinese leaders have set a growth target of 5 per cent for this year, in line with last year's growth. A resumption of US tariffs of up to 245 per cent if Washington and Beijing fail to meet an August 12 deadline for a new trade deal could derail the recovery in exports, a major driver of growth and employment. ABC/AP
NHK
a day ago
- Business
- NHK
Albanese, Xi agree to strengthen bilateral ties in Beijing talks
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has met with China's President Xi Jinping during a six-day visit to the country. The two leaders held talks in Beijing on Tuesday and agreed to strengthen bilateral ties. Xi said the lesson for the bilateral relationship is that "a commitment to equal treatment to seeking common ground while sharing differences, pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation serves the fundamental interests of our two countries and our people." Albanese said his country values the relationship with China and will "continue to approach it in a calm and consistent manner, guided by our national interest." The meeting came against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump's sweeping trade tariffs. China is Australia's largest trading partner and the two leaders agreed to maintain an open dialogue. Albanese said he raised concerns over the Chinese navy's live-fire exercises in waters between Australia and New Zealand in February. The prime minister said Xi responded by saying both countries conduct exercises.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Leaders' meeting sees Australia and China call for increased dialogue and cooperation
China and Australia should foster an accurate understanding of each other and strengthen mutual trust, President Xi Jinping told visiting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The top-level meeting in Beijing on July 15, 2025, came as the two major trading partners are moving to deepen economic ties despite heightened geopolitical tensions. For his part, Albanese affirmed Australia's commitment to its largest trading partner, welcoming progress on the free trade deal. Albanese is also scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang later in the day, with resources trade, energy transition and security expected to be key discussion points.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's dated urban-development model must change, Beijing says at rare meeting
At a surprising meeting of China's political elite, it was declared that a sea change is needed in the nation's urban development – shifting from a phase of large-scale, incremental expansion to one focused on optimising and enhancing existing resources. Advertisement The message, coming amid a persistent real estate slump and slowing urbanisation , was delivered at the two-day Central Urban Work Conference that ended on Tuesday. In 2015, Beijing held its first such conference in decades, and it kicked off a campaign to boost homebuying and shore up investment. This time around, Beijing has been pursuing a new growth framework for the beleaguered property sector. Leadership has also vowed that migrant workers will receive more urban citizenship benefits. With 67 per cent of its 1.4 billion people now living in urban areas, China needs to 'proactively adapt to changing circumstances' and transform its approach to city planning, officials said at the conference. After decades of rapid urbanisation, China's city growth has now entered 'a phase of stable development' where more focus should be put on human well-being, efficiency and governance, according to an official readout of the meeting. It was attended by President Xi Jinping and the other six members of the Politburo Standing Committee – the central leadership's highest decision-making body. 01:58 China GDP figures beat market forecasts despite looming US tariff risks China GDP figures beat market forecasts despite looming US tariff risks Officials vowed to intensify efforts to create a 'new model' for China's property development, and renovations of urban villages and repairs to dilapidated housing are among the focal points.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Xi Jinping hails ‘turnaround' in China-Australia relations as PM Albanese visits Beijing
China's relations with Australia have 'turned around' after overcoming 'setbacks', President Xi Jinping told visiting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Beijing on Tuesday. 'The most important thing we can learn from this is a commitment to equal treatment, to seeking common ground while sharing differences, pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation, serving the fundamental interests of our two countries and two peoples,' he told Albanese. 'No matter how the international landscape may evolve, we should uphold this overall direction unswervingly.' Albanese, who is making his second visit to China as prime minister and meeting Xi for the fourth time, echoed his host's comments about 'seeking common ground while sharing differences' and welcomed the chance to 'set out Australia's views and interests'. His six-day trip, which includes stops in Shanghai and Chengdu, comes at a time when Australia is working to strengthen economic ties following a thaw that came after years of frosty relations. Meanwhile, China is pushing for closer ties with major trading partners, including US regional allies, as it seeks to counter the impact of Donald Trump's policies, including tariffs.
