Research & Analysis

USCBC interviews Tianlei Huang, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, on China’s prolonged property downturn, government efforts to stabilize the market, and remaining challenges.

With several high-stakes engagements slated for next year — an April visit to Beijing by Trump, APEC in Shenzhen in November, the G20 in Miami in December, and a potential reciprocal state visit by Xi — neither side will seek to intentionally rock the boat. But the absence of a formal agreement, combined with pressure from parts of the US government that are concerned China policy is heading in the wrong direction, means the truce is fragile.

This week, China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released economic performance data for November, showing factory output and retail sales growth slowing to their weakest levels in over a year. Stubbornly low demand, a slowdown in production, and deflationary pressure coincided with a record trade surplus, which was achieved largely by frontloading exports and expanding shipments to ASEAN and EU partners amid US tariffs.

To date, references to rare earth elements (REE) general licenses have appeared in the White House readout, while MOFCOM has not made any public commitment. As a result, information on general licenses is fragmented, informal, and unevenly distributed. This article synthesizes trends from recent member benchmarking to piece together how the mechanism functions and who is best positioned to benefit.

The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is nearing the finish line after the Senate passed the bill on Wednesday following House approval last week. The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump will sign it once it reaches his desk.

China has seen several high-level personnel changes at the central and provincial levels over the past few months, with more expected around the local and national Two Sessions conferences early next year.

USCBC interviews Alan MacCharles, head of the Executive Education program at Duke Kunshan University, on the benefits, challenges, and future of joint ventures in China.

The House passed a compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026 on Wednesday, with the Senate set to consider the legislation early next week. The bill, which had been delayed by last-minute negotiations that covered China issues, is considered the only must-pass legislation for Congress before the end of the year. The White House on Monday confirmed that President Donald Trump will sign the bill if it reaches his desk.

The United States and China continue to uphold their truce. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that China is poised to keep “every part of the deal,” and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer further assured on Thursday that the United States is “prioritizing stability” in the bilateral relationship.

This week, the United States and China continued to take action on commitments made during the leaders’ meeting in October.