WASHINGTON — Now that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has signaled that the central bank could soon cut its key interest rate, he faces a new challenge: how to do it without seeming to cave to the White House’s demands. For months, Powell has largely ignored President Donald Trump’s constant hectoring that he reduce borrowing…
BANGKOK — Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said Friday that the company is discussing a potential new computer chip designed for China with the Trump administration. Huang was asked about a possible “B30A” semiconductor for artificial intelligence data centers for China while on a visit to Taiwan, where he was meeting Nvidia’s key manufacturing partner, Taiwan…
WASHINGTON — Just three weeks ago, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell spoke to reporters after the central bank had kept its key interest rate unchanged for a fifth straight meeting and said the job market was “solid.” His assessment was important because if the job market is healthy, there is less need for the Fed…
TALATAN, China — High on the Tibetan plateau, Chinese government officials last month showed off what they say will be the world’s largest solar farm when completed — 610 square kilometers (235 square miles), the size of the American city of Chicago. China has been installing solar panels at a blistering pace, far faster than…
HONG KONG — A lawyer for prominent Hong Kong democracy activist and newspaper founder Jimmy Lai argued Wednesday that it was not wrong to support freedom of expression, as he made final arguments in Lai’s landmark sedition trial. Barrister Robert Pang was representing Lai in his fight against charges of colluding with foreign forces to…
MANILA, Philippines — Australia on Friday launched its largest military exercises with Philippine forces, involving more than 3,600 military personnel in live-fire drills, battle maneuvers and a beach assault at a Philippine town facing the disputed South China Sea, where the allies have raised alarm over Beijing’s assertive actions. The exercises are called Alon, meaning…
Will blocking China from accessing relatively high-performing AI chips help the U.S. maintain global AI leadership? Perhaps counterintuitively, the answer is no. Starving China’s supply of U.S.-designed AI chips will have the opposite effect, as it will push China to more effectively develop and deploy its own AI chip capacity and ecosystem. This, in turn,…
BANGKOK — China’s economy showed signs of slowing in July as factory output and retail sales slowed and housing prices dropped further, according to data released Friday. Uncertainty over tariffs on exports to the United States is still looming over the world’s second-largest economy after President Donald Trump extended a pause in sharp hikes in…
MANILA, Philippines — The United States is discussing the possible deployment of more missile launchers to the Philippines to strengthen deterrence against aggression in the disputed South China Sea and other Asian security hotspots, but no final decision has been reached by both sides, Manila’s ambassador to Washington said Thursday. The U.S. military delivered a…
VILNIUS, Lithuania — The European Union on Thursday called on China to revoke sanctions imposed on two Lithuanian banks, arguing there is no justification for them. Beijing announced the measures this week against Urbo Bank and Mano Bank in retaliation for EU penalties on two Chinese lenders. The Lithuanian banks do not operate in China,…