Tesla’s defeat, Harvard’s success, Trump ‘top global risk’: 7 US-China relations reads

We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.\n1. BYD’s win, Tesla’s defeat, Ford’s pivot: the widening gap in US-China EV markets\n\nAfter years of competing head-to-head with China in electric vehicles, the United States is now widely seen as falling behind – a reality increasingly acknowledged even within Detroit.\nRead the full story here.\n2. ‘Shocked’ China demands immediate release of Nicolas Maduro\n\nChina delivered a strongly worded message to the United States at an “emergency” meeting of the UN Security Council on January 6, calling on Washington to abide by international law, end its illusion that it is the world’s police force and court, and immediately release ex-Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife.\nRead the full story here.\n3. US poet laureate Arthur Sze on slowing down to translate poetry across cultures\n\nWhen Arthur Sze translates classical Tang dynasty poetry into English, he writes Chinese characters by hand, slowing himself to the pace of brush strokes and gaps. This deliberate resistance to speed is central to the craft of the US’ 25th poet laureate, and reflective of his belief that poetry must be treated with care if it is to cross borders with depth intact.\nRead the full story here.\n4. Chinese student numbers at Harvard rise despite Trump visa crackdown\n\nEnrolment at Harvard for Chinese students rose in the autumn of 2025 from a year earlier, even as the Donald Trump administration moved to rein in visas for them and limit foreign enrolment and funding at the prestigious university.\nRead the full story here.\n5. China, Russia won’t ‘dare test’ US, says Hegseth after Venezuela military op\n\nUS Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth delivered a stark warning to China and Russia in January, declaring that the United States is rebuilding military dominance to a level so absolute that its enemies would “not dare” test it.\nRead the full story here.\n6. Trump seen as top global risk in 2026 as US slips further behind China\n\nThe US is in danger of falling increasingly behind China in 2026 as the Asian giant tightens its grip on drones, battery storage, robots and manufacturing, although the No 1 risk to global stability is the US under President Donald Trump, Eurasia Group said on January 5 in its closely watched annual forecast of threats, challenges and hotspots.\nRead the full story here.\n7. California progressive to lead Democrats on influential House China panel\n\nIt was announced that Ro Khanna, a California progressive who opposed the US congressional effort to force the Chinese divestment of TikTok, will replace Illinois Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi as the top Democrat on the House Select Committee on the Communist Party later this month.\nRead the full story here.\n