 |
|
|
|||||
China’s leader Xi Jinping said no one wins in a trade war as he kicked off a diplomatic tour of Southeast Asia on Monday, reiterating China’s commitment to global trade in contrast with U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariffs moves.Although Trump has paused some tariffs, he has kept in place 145% duties on China, the world’s second-largest economy.“There are no winners in a trade war, or a tariff war,” Xi wrote in an editorial jointly published in Vietnamese and Chinese official media. “Our two countries should resolutely safeguard the multilateral trading system, stable global industrial and supply chains, and open and cooperative international environment.”Xi’s visit lets China show Southeast Asia it is a “responsible superpower in the way that contrasts with the way the U.S. under President Donald Trump presents to the whole world,” said Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow at Singapore’s ISEASYusof Ishak Institute.Xi was greeted on the tarmac by Vietnam’s President Luong Cuong at the start of his two-day visit, a mark of honor not often given to visitors, said Nguyen Thanh Trung, a professor of Vietnamese studies at Fulbright University Vietnam. Students of a drum art group performed as women waved the red and yellow Chinese and Communist Party flags.While Xi’s trip likely was planned earlier, it has become significant because of the tariff fight between China and the U.S. The visit offers a path for Beijing to shore up its alliances and find solutions for the high trade barrier that the U.S. has imposed on Chinese exports.In Vietnam, Xi will meet with Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, his counterpart, as well as the Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.“The trip to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia is all about how China can really insulate itself against the from Trump,” said Nguyen Khac Giang, pointing out that since Xi became the president in 2013, he has only visited Vietnam twice.The timing of the visit sends a “strong political message that Southeast Asia is important to China,” said Huong Le-Thu of the International Crisis Group think tank. She said that given the severity of Trump’s tariffs and despite the 90-day pause, Southeast Asian nations were anxious that the tariffs, if implemented, could complicate their development.Vietnam is experienced at balancing its relations with the U.S and China. It is run under a communist, one-party system like China but has had a strong relationship with the U.S.In 2023, it was the only country that received both U.S. President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping. That year it also upgraded the U.S. to its highest diplomatic level, the same as China and Russia.Vietnam was one of the biggest beneficiaries of countries trying to decouple their supply chains from China, as businesses moved here. China is its biggest trading partner, and China-Vietnam trade surged 14.6% year-on-year in 2024, according to Chinese state media.But the intensification of the trade war has put Vietnam in a “very precarious situation” given the impression in the U.S. that Vietnam is serving as a backdoor for Chinese goods, said Giang, the analyst at Singapore’s ISEASYusof Ishak Institute. Vietnam had been hit with 46% tariffs under Trump’s order before the 90-day pause.China and Vietnam have real long-term differences, including territorial disputes in the South China Sea, where Vietnam has faced off with China’s coast guard but does not often publicize the confrontations.After Vietnam, Xi is expected to go to Malaysia next and then Cambodia.-Huizhong Wu and Aniruddha Ghosal, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
China appears to be pursuing a calculated effort to recruit recently laid-off U.S. scientistsparticularly those with expertise in artificial intelligenceto relocate or contribute remotely to research operations based in Shenzhen. This campaign is reportedly being driven by a network of entities linked to a shadowy Chinese technology conglomerate. In March, advertisements offering full-cycle support for relocation to Shenzhen were placed on LinkedIn, Craigslist, and in several major international publications. (I was alerted to one such newspaper ad through a friend in the city.) The timing coincides with a wave of budget-driven layoffs across U.S. federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), following funding reductions by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The recruitment effort has drawn scrutiny from U.S. officials and intelligence analysts, who view it as part of a broader Chinese strategy to acquire advanced technological expertise through nontraditional channels. The FBI has previously warned that Chinese talent programs may serve as mechanisms to extract intellectual property and sensitive research from foreign institutions under the guise of academic or professional collaboration. Laid-off federal employees with security clearances or institutional knowledge are considered particularly vulnerable. Analysts suggest that financial strain and professional uncertainty may make these individuals more susceptible to overtures from foreign entities. While international recruitment of scientific talent is not unusual, the circumstances surrounding this initiativeparticularly the use of potentially deceptive firms and the targeting of a freshly displaced U.S. workforceraise significant counterintelligence and national security concerns. In response, U.S. agencies are reviewing protocols for layoffs involving sensitive personnel, including strengthening exit briefings and restrictions on post-employment affiliations. Platforms like LinkedIn have also stepped up efforts to detect and remove fraudulent recruiter profiles, which are often used in foreign influence and espionage operations. Shenzhens emergence as a global innovation hub is a relevant factor. Since being designated a Special Economic Zone in the 1980s, the city has attracted significant investment and become a core node in Chinas technology ecosystem. Many U.S. companies have longstanding relationships in the region, leveraging its capacity for rapid prototyping and cost-effective manufacturing. There is reason to believe that China may frame Shenzhen as a politically neutral environment for scientific work, potentially increasing its appeal to foreign researchers. Sources familiar with current efforts tell me that remote collaboration options are being offered to further lower barriersallowing scientists to contribute to Chinese research initiatives without relocating. However, analysts caution that any scientific contributionremote or otherwiseultimately supports the interests of the Chinese state. Shenzhen operates within the political and regulatory framework of the Peoples Republic of China, and research conducted there is unlikely to remain fully compartmentalized or independent. Additionally, former U.S. government employees with security clearances may face legal and regulatory constraints that bar them from working with Chinese research entities, including academic institutions. This recruitment campaign highlights a broader strategic competition between the U.S. and China over leadership in critical technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. In this context, the targeting of displaced American scientific personnel represents a pragmatic, if provocative, maneuver by Beijing. While it remains uncertain how effective this strategy will be, it reflects a sophisticated understanding of the intersection between economic dislocation and talent acquisitionand reinforces the urgency of policy responses that address both national security and workforce resilience.
Category:
E-Commerce
Big Lots continues to trickle back to life after a bankruptcy last year that was widely expected to lead to its demise. The discount retailer will see another 54 store reopenings at the beginning of next month, according to Variety Wholesalers, the North Carolina-based retail company that has taken control of hundreds of Big Lots leases. These second wave store openings will span 12 states across the South and Midwest, a Variety spokesperson shared with Fast Company. The stores are expected to open on Thursday, May 1. What happened to the original Big Lots? After suffering declining sales and foot traffic for years, Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2024. The company fell under the control of liquidation firm Gordon Brothers and had been expected to close every location. But Variety Wholesalerswhich owns Roses, Super Dollar, Bargain Town, and other discount retail chainsagreed to take over at least 200 leases in a last-minute deal announced in December. As part of the deal, Variety agreed to operate the locations under the Big Lots brand. However, after selling off merchandise and holding going-out-of-business sales, the Variety-owned locations will still shutter for at least a few weeks while the company prepares them for reopening. The first wave of nine locations opened last week with stores in six states, as Fast Company first reported in March. Future openings are planned for June, for a total fleet count of 219 locations when all is said and done. At the time of the bankruptcy, Big Lots had more than 800 locations around the country, meaning its footprint under Variety will be significantly smaller, though hopefully no less beloved by fans of discount merchandise. North Carolina will see the biggest number of Big Lots openings in the second wave, with 12 locations set to open in the state. Additional second-wave stores will be located in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Indiana, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia. The full list appears below: Michigan 4157 E. Court Street, Burton, MI 48509 5112 Miller Rd, Flint, MI 48507 7651 23 Mile Rd, Shelby Township, MI 48316 Ohio 4331 Mahoning Ave NW, Warren, OH 44483 7100 South Ave, Boardman, OH 44512 1965 W State St, Alliance, OH 44601 498 Cadiz Rd, Wintersville, OH 43953 56104 National Rd, Bridgeport, OH 43912 6300 E Livingston Ave, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 Pennsylvania 866 Scranton Carbondale Hwy, Archbald, PA 18403 1010 O’Neill Hwy, Dunmore, PA 18512 7405 Westbranch Hwy, Lewisburg, PA 17837 West Virginia 1228 Country Club Rd, Fairmont, WV 26554 104 Thompson Dr, Bridgeport, WV 26330 710 Beverly Pike, Elkins, WV 26241 118 Hills Plz, Charleston, WV 25312 110 Eagle School Rd, Martinsburg, WV 25404 7200 Mccorkle Ave SE, Charleston, WV 25304 Kentucky 200 Sycamore St Ste 151, Elizabethtown, KY 42701 472 Eastern Byp, Richmond, KY 40475 1714 Perryville Rd Ste 400, Danville, KY 40422 942 Happy Valley Rd, Glasgow, KY 42141 Virginia 1090 Millwood Pike, Winchester, VA 22602 2715 W Main St, Waynesboro, VA 22980 4300 Portsmouth Blvd, Chesapeake, VA 23321 2646 Greensboro Rd, Martinsville, VA 24112 Indiana 195 S US Hwy 231, Jasper, IN 47546 Tennessee 1262 NW Broad St, Murfreesboro, TN 37129 4825 N Broadway St, Knoxville, TN 37918 420 Park Blvd, Rogersville, TN 37857 840 25th St NW, Cleveland, TN 37311 North Carolina 1504 N Bridge St, Elkin, NC 28621 1826 W US Hwy 421 Ste K, Wilkesboro, NC 28697 526c US Highway 70 SW, Hickory, NC 28602 2587 W Franklin Blvd, Gastonia, NC 28052 1328 Carter St, Mount Airy, NC 27030 1063 Yadkinville Rd, Mocksville, NC 27028 100 Westwood Village Dr, Clemmons, NC 27012 12295 Capital Blvd, Wake Forest, NC 27587 1110 Julian R Allsbrook Hwy, Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870 955 N Wesleyan Blvd, Rocky Mount, NC 27804 4956 Long Beach Rd SE Ste 8, Southport, NC 28461 2407 N Herritage St Ste E, Kinston, NC 28501 Alabama 5363 Hwy 90 W Ste C, Mobile, AL 36619 603 US Hwy 72 W, Athens, AL 35611 1820 6th Ave SE, Decatur, AL 35601 South Carolina 2349 Cherry Rd Ste 79, Rock Hill, SC 29732 1000 N Pine St, Spartanburg, SC 29303 915 S St Ste A, Simpsonville, SC 29681 1023A S Pendleton St, Easley, SC 29642 Georgia 558 Battlefield Pkwy, Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 323 Habersham Village Cir, Cornelia, GA 30531 110 E Northside Dr, Valdosta, GA 31602 2708 Peach Orchard Rd, Augusta, GA 30906
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||