Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 8

Markets sleeping on US-China trade breakthrough

Surprisingly, investors around the world have largely overlooked the positive mood music emerging from US–China trade negotiations. Markets everywhere have yet to price in the upside. This complacency is striking as the two largest economies inch toward a trade settlement that promises big gains on both sides of the Pacific.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson

Hong Kong to ‘fast-track’ mega-project near border

Hong Kong will “fast-track” an ambitious initiative along the border with Shenzhen in mainland China and establish artificial intelligence as a “core industry” to accelerate economic growth, Chief Executive John Lee said Wednesday in his annual policy address. The address, which reaffirmed a 2% to 3% economic growth target for 2025, comes amid a broader push from Beijing to resuscitate China’s

Analysis: Kim Jong Un’s daughter steps into ‘successor spotlight’

Her visit to China is seen as part of signaling her succession, and she is thought to have gained enough “revolutionary reputation” to strengthen her position. At just 12 years old, her official succession role may still be seven to eight years away.  One expert noted that in North Korea’s closed, male-dominated society, a female leader would face unique challenges — but ultimately,

Huawei touts ‘world’s most powerful’ AI chip cluster as Nvidia’s China challenges mount

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei announced Thursday new computing systems for powering artificial intelligence with its in-house Ascend chips, as it steps up pressure on U.S. rival Nvidia. The company said it plans to launch its new “Atlas 950 SuperCluster” as soon as next year.The U.S. has sought to cut China off from the most advanced semiconductors for training AI models. To cope,

India, EU near trade deal amid global turmoil

India and the European Union (EU) appear to be firmly on track to meet their year-end deadline to conclude free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations. The talks are progressing against the backdrop of the pressure being exerted by US tariffs. Washington's approach under President Donald Trump has signaled a shift in the international order, encouraging the EU and India to cement reliable

The China angle in Trump’s Venezuela adventure

On September 2, a US Navy destroyer opened fire on a vessel in the southern Caribbean, sinking it and killing 11 people. Washington described the craft as a “narco-boat” linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.Days later, two Venezuelan fighter jets buzzed the USS Jason Dunham in what the Pentagon called a “highly provocative” maneuver. Caracas denounced the strike as a prelude to regime

US Typhon in Japan stirs a missile storm on China’s doorstep

By wheeling the Typhon missile system into Japan, the US has planted a mobile, multi-mission spear at China’s doorstep—extending strike range even as its bulky footprint invites satellite surveillance, missile attacks and drone swarms.This month, multiple media outlets reported that the US Army has deployed its Typhon mid-range missile system to Japan for the first time, unveiling it at Marine

We now know who the new owners of TikTok will be - if Trump gets his deal done with Xi

A proposal to save TikTok from going dark in the United States would involve investments from a number of US-based venture capital firms, private equity funds and tech companies. Together, the investors would create a new US-based company that will operate the app domestically, sources familiar with the framework told CNN.The framework of the agreement, which was hammered out by US and Chinese

China’s Baidu soars 16% to hit 2-year highs as company secures AI partnership, launches debt sale

Chinese tech giant Baidu saw its shares in Hong Kong soar nearly 16% on Wednesday as the company ramps up its artificial intelligence plans and partnerships. Shares in the Beijing-based firm, which holds a dominant position in China’s search engine market, had gained nearly 8% overnight in U.S. trading. The strong stock performance comes after Baidu earlier this week secured an AI-related

Bessent sees trade deal likely with China before November deadline on reciprocal tariffs

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed confidence Tuesday that a trade deal with China is near. With so-called reciprocal tariffs set to take effect in November, Bessent said during a CNBC interview that he expects further talks to happen before then.“We’ll be seeing each other again,” he said during a wide-ranging exchange on “Squawk Box. “Each one of those talks has become more and