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1. US shot across China’s bow in shipbuilding could backfire as allies fall short
Though the US has unveiled a sweeping port fee proposal designed to hamstring China’s shipbuilding industry – the world’s largest by a wide margin – it may find its Asian allies unable to fill the vacuum in production that could result.
2. Trump declines to say whether US would defend Taiwan in attack by mainland China
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday declined to say whether his administration would move to defend Taiwan against any possible mainland Chinese attack, while touting his “great relationship” with President Xi Jinping.
3. Will Putin help Trump challenge China’s stranglehold on rare earths?
US President Donald Trump’s pursuit of rare earth minerals in Greenland and Ukraine to counter China’s dominance over the critical metals might not match the reality of global reserves.