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Donald Trump’s trade wars and Chinese competition constitute formidable headwinds. But old economic orthodoxies are not the answer
Last March, following angst-ridden months as Europe came to terms with Donald Trump’s return to the White House, financial markets in Paris, Milan and Berlin were gripped by a of optimism. The cause was a historic deal brokered by Friedrich Merz, then Germany’s chancellor-elect, which loosened constitutional spending constraints in the EU’s powerhouse nation. Here at last, it was hoped, was the fiscal kickstart required to end a prolonged period of economic stagnation, and mitigate geopolitical headwinds blowing from the US and China.
Six months into Mr Merz’s premiership, the angst is back and there are the first murmurings of rebellion. The chancellor’s plan included “whatever it takes” levels of defence spending, designed to prepare Germany for a changed era in which the US was no longer a dependable ally, and a huge €500bn investment in infrastructure and the green transition. But last week, the chancellor’s team of economic advisers growth forecasts for 2026 to below 1%. And ahead of what would constitute a fourth year of near-flatlining, business has slumped.
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Public safety in the Chinatown-International District (CID) takes an important step forward with a targeted educational campaign.

Japan’s hawkish new PM has angered Beijing after suggesting her country could become involved in a military conflict between China and Taiwan
Tokyo and Beijing are embroiled in a deepening row over Taiwan after Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, suggested that her country could potentially become militarily involved in the event of an attempted Chinese invasion of the self-governing island.
Why has Taiwan become a flashpoint between the north-east Asian neighbours and major trading partners, and is there a risk that the war of words could escalate?

Beijing is flexing its military and economic might to show its displeasure with the Japanese leader’s comments about defending Taiwan. But its aggressive approach risks backfiring.

China warns citizens not to travel to Japan amid escalating row over comments about Taiwan made by PM Sanae Takaichi
Shares in Japanese tourism and retail firms have fallen sharply after China warned its citizens , while a senior Japanese diplomat was due to travel to Beijing amid an escalating row over comments about Taiwan made by the Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated dramatically in the past week after Takaichi, a conservative who has hawkish views on China, suggested that Japanese self-defence forces could intervene if a Chinese attempt to invade Taiwan represented a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan.

To hear about the mood among Chinese buyers and U.S. exporters, Marketplace's Jennifer Park recently attended a trade show in Shanghai.

It is much harder for U.S. soybean farmers to pivot away from China. The country imports about 60% of the world’s soybeans, and the U.S. and Brazil are the two biggest producers of the crop.

Tokyo and Beijing are in a dispute over the Japanese prime minister's remarks about Taiwan.

Tens of billions of pounds has been spent by the Chinese in the UK since 2000, Panorama has learned.

Michael Sobolik, a senior fellow at Hudson Institute, a far-right conservative think tank, presented to the Michigan House Homeland Security and Foreign Influence last week on the concerns about ...

China sent Coast Guard ships near disputed islands and warned travelers and students about safety risks in Japan. The escalation is over comments on Taiwan by Japan’s new prime minister.