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Double-edged sword: US probe into China’s drone dominance is a risk, analysts say

by Priya Shah – Business Editor July 15, 2025

written by Priya Shah – Business Editor

US Probes China Dominance in Drones, Polysilicon

New investigations could trigger tariffs, reshape trade talks

The United States has initiated investigations into two key sectors where China commands a significant global advantage: drones and polysilicon. These probes, launched under a powerful trade law, may lead to tariffs and bolster Washington’s negotiating position with Beijing.

National Security Concerns Under Scrutiny

The Bureau of Industry and Security announced Monday that it is gathering public input for an inquiry that began July 1. The investigation utilizes “Section 232” of the Trade Expansion Act, a provision that empowers the president to impose duties if imports are found to threaten national security.

While the official notice does not explicitly name China, it will examine U.S. reliance on imported unmanned aerial systems. This includes drones used for commercial, industrial, and military applications. Polysilicon, a vital material for solar panels and semiconductors, is also a focus, an area where Beijing holds a dominant market share.

“Interested parties are invited to submit written comments, data, analyses or other information pertinent to the investigation.”

Former President Trump previously invoked Section 232 to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, and he had also threatened tariffs on copper based on a similar probe. This suggests a potential for retaliatory measures.

Strategic Leverage or Trade Stumbling Block?

Alfredo Montufar-Helu, a senior advisor based in China for C-suite executives, commented on the potential implications. He stated that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if these investigations were strategically employed to gain leverage in upcoming trade discussions with China.

However, he also issued a word of caution, describing the move as a “double-edged sword.”

The U.S. drone market, for instance, has seen significant growth, with the global market for commercial drones projected to reach $27.9 billion by 2030, according to Statista. China’s DJI currently dominates a substantial portion of this market.

Similarly, China’s share of global polysilicon production capacity is estimated to be over 80 percent, crucial for the renewable energy sector.

July 15, 2025 0 comments

World

Government of Peru highlights investments in Brazil for the development of green hydrogen

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com September 27, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

The Government of Peru promoted its investment portfolio in Brazil for the renewable energy sector, especially green hydrogen, also promoting the logistical opportunity to export to the Asian continent through its Pacific ports.

During the Invest Peru-Brazil 2024 event held in Sao Paulo, which brought together entrepreneurs from both countries in the hydraulic, photovoltaic, wind and green hydrogen energy sectors, Peruvian authorities highlighted investment opportunities in renewable energy in their country.

«Our location is strategic to open up to international markets: in the center of South America and with a gateway to the Pacific Rim. These characteristics make us a country with great potential for Brazilian investment,” said the director of Business Investment Promotion of the government foreign trade agency PROMPERÚ, Daniel Córdova.

The Vice Minister of Economy of Peru, Carlos González Mendoza, for his part, highlighted Peruvian legal security for receiving investments and highlighted that the Port of Chancay, located about 80 kilometers north of Lima, can become a “hub” ( logistics center) in the Asia Pacific region that can benefit from the international green hydrogen trade chain.

In turn, the director of Energy Efficiency of the Ministry of Mines and Renewable Energy of Peru, José Meza, pointed out that his country instituted Supreme Decree No. 003-2022-MINAM (2022), which addresses priority initiatives in relation to the climate emergency. , such as the development of technologies, the use and production of green hydrogen and the updating of the National Plan.

The Government of Peru developed the project roadmap for the promotion of green hydrogen, which will establish a long-term vision to contribute to energy security, taking advantage of the renewable energy potential of that country.

«Peru has many strengths, among them being able to produce low-emission hydrogen at very competitive prices, and not only supply its domestic market, but also be a key player in the export of that hydrogen. We seek to develop a very large industry, because the world’s needs for hydrogen are going to be abundant,” said the president of the Peruvian Hydrogen Association, Daniel Cámac.

Cámac told the Brazilian business community that Peru has access to the Pacific for Brazilian companies.

«Energy consumption in Peru is more or less 7,500 megawatts. And its potential exceeds 150,000, 200,000 megawatts. So, Peru would take many years to consume all that energy and what we want is to attract investments for the hydrogen industry to be able to supply the demand of the Asian continent and Europe,” added the businessman.

September 27, 2024 0 comments

World

US Secretary of State Blinken’s “Table Menu” Comment Angers Chinese News Agencies: Epoch Times Report

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com February 22, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

[The Epoch Times, February 22, 2024](Comprehensive report by Epoch Times reporter Zhang Ting) “In the international system, if you are not at the table, you will be on the menu.” US Secretary of State Blinken’s “Table Menu” The discussion angered Xinhua News Agency and the Global Times, the CCP’s mouthpieces.

On February 17, during a panel meeting at the Munich Security Conference, the moderator asked that tensions between the United States and China are leading to greater divisions, and the United States and China are also competing for allies around the world. In answering this question, Blinken first emphasized the importance of uniting allies.

“From the beginning of this administration, we have invested and reinvested in our alliances, partnerships and multilateral system,” he said.

“The reason is simple: because it is in our interest to do so. None of the challenges that we must face that are important to the interests of the American people can be effectively addressed by us alone,” Blinken said. “So we believe that our relative The advantage is having a strong network of voluntary alliances and voluntary partnerships.”

Blinken said there is no doubt that “strategic competition exists” between the United States and China. When that competition involves “other countries, the point is not to say to country Believing that we can do it, and that we have and will continue to do it – then I think the choice becomes obvious.”

The Secretary of State further explained why U.S. allies and partners voluntarily move closer to the United States, because everyone knows that “in the international system, if you are not on the table, you will be on the menu.”

Xinhua News Agency, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, published a commentary on February 21, accusing Blinken of making remarks to win over other countries. It also said that Blinken’s “dinner table theory” illustrates that the basic logic of U.S. politics and diplomacy is the “law of the jungle” in which the jungle prevails.

“Global Times” published an editorial saying that the US Secretary of State’s “dinner table theory” actually means “for a knife or a fish.” The editorial said that the United States wants other countries to “choose sides” between China and the United States, otherwise it will be on the menu.

“Global Times” also mentioned that Blinken also mentioned the “dining table menu theory” at a forum in January 2022, saying that when the United States and China compete, the United States needs to ensure that it is on the table, not on the menu.

Current affairs commentator Li Linyi believes that the CCP is distorting the meaning of the United States. What Blinken means is that if a country is not within the international order maintained by the United States (on the dining table), it will be within the new international order that the CCP wants (on the menu) and will be eaten by the CCP. As Blinken said, the United States is simply providing countries with a better choice. In the confrontation between the United States and China, it is inevitable to choose sides, but the United States does not force any country to make any choice.

In recent years, countries such as the Philippines and India have moved closer to the United States. In this regard, the CCP has always accused the United States of forcing other countries to choose sides, without explaining why these countries stay away from the CCP and seek protection from the United States.

Both the Philippines and India have frequent conflicts with the Chinese Communist Party. The Chinese Communist Party blocked the supply operations of Philippine ships in the South China Sea and attacked Philippine ships with water cannons. A “military-grade laser” was even targeted at a supply ship in the Philippines, causing the Filipino crew to be temporarily blinded. These clashes triggered strong protests in the Philippines. Philippine President Marcos has made it clear to Beijing many times that the Philippines will not give up an inch of territory in the disputed areas of the South China Sea and will resolutely safeguard its national sovereignty. After Marcos took office, he actively strengthened relations with the United States, added four strategic bases for the US military in the Philippines, and strengthened joint military exercises with the US military.

India has had many border conflicts with China in recent years. A conflict in 2020 resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers. This has also allowed India to strengthen defense cooperation with the United States and seek to purchase MQ-9B armed drones from the United States to help the Indian army track the movements of the Chinese Communist Army in the disputed border areas between India and China.

Vietnam and China also have disputes in the South China Sea. In September 2023, U.S. President Biden visited Vietnam. Just a week before the visit, a Chinese coast guard ship fired water cannon at a Vietnamese fishing boat, triggering an intensification of the territorial dispute between China and Vietnam. During Biden’s visit, Vietnam elevated Vietnam-US relations to the highest level of “comprehensive strategic partnership.”

Editor in charge: Lin Yan#

#Blinkens #words #angered #Xinhua #News #Agency #Global #Times #Epoch #Times
2024-02-21 23:20:02

February 22, 2024 0 comments

World

The world is in a renewed confrontation with the escalation of Corona cases in China

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com December 31, 2022

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

she decided united stateBeside Japan And several European countries by imposing controls on travelers from Chinaas part of precautionary measures that the head of the World Health Organization considered “understandable”, given the lack of information from Beijing after the lifting of restrictions to combat Covid.

On Thursday, Chinese health authorities said they had released the data “for reasons of openness and transparency,” according to statements reported by China’s new news agency, Xinhua.

On Friday, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced just 5,515 new cases and one death, and these numbers no longer reflect reality as large-scale testing is no longer enforced.

The European Union health agency said it believed the imposition of mandatory Covid-19 checks on travelers from China was “unwarranted”.

Less impact

The European Center for Disease Control and Prevention said it did not think the high number of infections in China will affect the epidemiological situation in the bloc, “given the increased immunity of the population within the countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area, in addition to the fact that the variants currently circulating in China have appeared previously and subsequently changed.” .

3 years after the first cases of Covid-19 appeared in Wuhan (middle), China abruptly reversed its strict “Zero Covid” policy on December 7.

This policy, adopted since 2020, has allowed the population to be largely protected from the virus, thanks to generalized tests, rigorous movement monitoring, and also mandatory and sanitary quarantine once cases are discovered.

However, these harsh measures, which have kept the country largely isolated from the rest of the planet, dealt a major blow to the world’s second-largest economy and sparked extraordinary unrest last November.

Since restrictions were lifted, hospitals have filled up with patients, most of whom are elderly and frail from not having been vaccinated, while many pharmacies lack medicines to reduce fever.

“adequate measures”

China has kept its borders largely closed to foreign nationals since 2020, and the country stopped issuing tourist visas about 3 years ago while enforcing mandatory quarantine upon arrival.

This quarantine procedure will be lifted on January 8, but the PCR test still needs to be done 48 hours in advance.

In response, the United States and other countries, including Italy, Japan and South Korea, announced they would require negative COVID-19 tests for all arrivals from mainland China.

The Spanish government on Friday ordered travelers from China to carry out “checks” at its airports to make sure they do not have Covid.

And Spanish Health Minister Carolina Darías told a press conference that these arrivals will be asked for “proof that their tests are negative (…) or a certificate of complete vaccination”, without mentioning the effective date of measuring.

On Friday, the Israeli Ministry of Health announced that foreigners from China would be required to show a negative Covid test.
Health Minister Aryeh Deri called on the ministry’s interests to set up a “voluntary” examination center for people returning from China and recommended citizens “avoid” traveling to this country.

On Friday, the French government announced it was mandatory to present a negative Covid-19 test for travelers heading to France before taking off from China.

In the UK, the government announced it would impose a similar measure on arrivals from China, British media reported on Friday.

In an indication of divisions in Europe over the response to the new situation in China, Germany, for its part, is calling for monitoring the spread of Covid-19 mutants at European airports without going so far as to impose corona tests.

In Brussels, an informal meeting convened by the European Commission to develop a “coordinated approach” for member states did not lead to a decision one way or the other.

Most of the Chinese, interviewed on Thursday by “Agence France Presse” at the Beijing Capital International Airport, expressed their understanding for the measures taken against the country.

“Useless”

“Every country has its own fears and ways of protecting itself,” said Huang Hong Xu, 21, noting that the possible spread of new variants is a cause for concern.

One traveler told AFP the measures were “useless”. Since “it’s a kind of discrimination”.
The 22-year-old noted that in China “our Covid policy is applied to international arrivals in the same way as everyone else,” asking, “Why are other countries treating people arriving from China in a special way?”

On the pandemic front, hospitals are grappling with a surge in cases that hit the elderly hardest.
And in Shanghai, AFP reporters saw patients wearing masks being carried on stretchers to a city hospital on Thursday. Inside the hospital, a patient complained that he had waited 4 hours to receive his medicine.

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December 31, 2022 0 comments