Trump threatens BRICS nations with 100 percent tariff

Dec 03, 2024

Let’s continue to explore the under-reported sides of news this week.

What You May Have Missed This Week

1. Trump threatens BRICS nations with 100 percent tariff

“President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday demanded a group of developing countries commitment to the use of the U.S. dollar as their reserve currency and threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff if they attempt to abandon it.”

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with the House GOP conference, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. Photo: Allison Robbert/Pool via AP, File

2. Western attempt to undermine Chinese market creates ‘two-front’ business challenge for global brands like Uniqlo

“Tadashi Yanai, CEO of Uniqlo's parent company, Fast Retailing, recently stated in a BBC interview that the company is not using cotton from China's Xinjiang region. His remarks have triggered a backlash against the brand among some Chinese consumers, while simultaneously reignited discussions about the challenges multinational corporations (MNCs) face amid global geopolitical tensions.”

People shop at a retail store of Uniqlo in east China's Shanghai, Aug. 28, 2020. Photo: Xinhua/Fang Zhe

3. China strongly condemns U.S. arranging for Lai Ching-te's 'stopover,' lodges serious protests

“China strongly condemns the U.S.'s approval of Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's ‘stopover’ and has lodged serious protests with the U.S. side, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Sunday in a statement. It has been reported that Lai began his trip to so-called ‘diplomatic allies’ in the Pacific and arrived in Hawaii for a ‘stopover.’”

4. President Biden pardons his son Hunter Biden

“President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he has pardoned his son Hunter Biden, who faced sentencing this month for federal tax and gun convictions, marking a reversal as he prepares to leave office.”

5. Fortune - The new ‘land grab’ for AI companies, from Meta to OpenAI, is military contracts

“Silicon Valley AI companies have a new BFF: the U.S. Department of Defense. The leading companies developing generative AI technology have spun up, deepened, or started to pursue relationships with the military in recent months in some cases even revising or making exceptions to internal policies to remove roadblocks and restrictions on defense work.”

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, on Capitol Hill earlier this year. Photo: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

6. Everything Electric Show - The 'Teardown Titan' On America's 'China Crisis'

“In this episode Robert is joined by automotive engineering legend Sandy Munro from Munro Associates, who tells us exactly why China is so far ahead in the EV Race as well as the latest and greatest gossip from across the battery and electric vehicle industry.”

Jingjing’s Highlights in This Week

1. “China collasping at any time”

Media outlets in the West: China's economy will collapse. Meanwhile China:

2. Travel to China now is easier than ever!

These are the 40 countries that can travel to China visa-free and stay for up to 30 days! In addition to the visa-free policy, foreign nationals from more than 50 countries are also granted visa-free entry under the 72/144-hour transit policy!

Page Editor: Jin Yulin

Call for Contributors!

I’ve added an “ Op-Ed” section to China Up Close. It’s an open platform I specifically designed to let everyone share their own perspectives with the world. Articles can be related to any topic as long as you’re highly passionate about it! Article length is recommended to be within 700 - 900 words.

If you have an idea for an Op-Ed, contact jjnewsletter@hotmail.com with a brief description of the article's focus.