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China on Wednesday set an annual growth target of around five percent, vowing to make domestic demand its main economic driver as an escalating trade war with the United States hit Beijing’s exports.Beijing also announced a rare hike in fiscal funding, allowing its budget deficit to reach four percent this year as it battles stuttering employment for young people, stubbornly low consumer demand and a persistent property sector debt crisis.The headline growth figure announced by Premier Li Qiang at an annual Communist Party conclave was broadly in line with an AFP survey of analysts, though experts say it is ambitious considering the scale of the country’s economic challenges.Under the plans, some 12 million new jobs will be created in Chinese cities as Beijing pushes for two percent inflation this year.A government work report vowed to make domestic demand the “main engine and anchor” of growth, adding that Beijing should “move faster to address inadequate domestic demand, particularly insufficient consumption”.And in a rare move, Li said China would hike its fiscal deficit by one percentage point, something that analysts have said will give Beijing more latitude to tackle its economic slowdown.Dylan Loh, an assistant professor at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, said Beijing’s growth target would be “tough but possible”.He said low consumption was a “confidence issue”, adding that “if people are, in their own calculations, worried about spending — especially on big-ticket items — it is far harder to address”.Major Asian markets traded up on Wednesday, reversing their losses a day after US President Donald Trump went ahead with imposing more blanket tariffs on Chinese imports following a similar move last month.US tariffs are expected to hit hundreds of billions of dollars in total trade between the world’s two largest economies.”Internationally, changes unseen in a century are unfolding across the world at a faster pace,” the government work report said.”Unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise,” it warned.And “domestically, the foundation for China’s sustained economic recovery and growth is not strong enough,” added the report. – Fight to the ‘bitter end’ -Chinese exports reached record levels last year.But as thousands of delegates congregated in Beijing’s opulent Great Hall of the People for the opening session of the National People’s Congress, the second of China’s “Two Sessions” political meetings this week, sentiments were clouded by a broadening trade war under Trump.Beijing on Tuesday announced its own measures in retaliation for Washington’s latest tariff hike — and vowed it would fight a trade war to the “bitter end”.The moves will see China impose levies of up to 15 percent on a range of US agricultural products including soybeans, pork and wheat starting from early next week.Beijing’s countermeasures represent a “relatively muted response” in comparison to Trump’s all-encompassing tariffs, wrote Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at ING.”The retaliation could have been a lot stronger, and with every further escalation the risks are also rising for a stronger response,” he added.Analysts say authorities may announce further plans this week to boost the economy — adding to a string of aggressive support measures announced late last year.- More help needed -Also on Wednesday, China disclosed a 7.2 percent rise in defence spending in 2025, as Beijing rapidly modernises its armed forces in the face of regional tensions and strategic competition with the US.Geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington are set to intensify this year, analysts say.The status of self-governed Taiwan — claimed by China as part of its sovereign territory — is chief among the sources of friction.The defence spending will finance Beijing’s frequent dispatches of military aircraft around Taiwan, intended to put pressure on authorities in the democratic island.It also came after Trump proposed a coordinated halving of the military budgets of the United States, Russia and China.China has not agreed to such a move, with a foreign ministry spokesperson suggesting last month that any reductions in military expenditure should be conducted by Washington first.

Batting great Sunil Gavaskar backed India skipper Rohit Sharma after a fat-shaming post by an Indian politician, saying cricket is about skill not “modelling”.Rohit’s India beat Australia in the Champions Trophy semi-final on Tuesday in Dubai but a social media comment on the Indian captain’s bodyweight overshadowed the build-up.Shama Mohamed, A spokeswoman for India’s opposition Congress party, posted on X: “Rohit Sharma is fat for a sportsman! Need to lose weight! And of course the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had!.”Mohamed came under fire for the post — later deleted — from media, pundits and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.”I have always said, if you want only slim guys, then you should go to a modelling competition and pick all the models. It’s not about that,” Gavaskar told India Today.Gavaskar spoke about how Indian batsman Sarfaraz Khan had also been “vilified” for his weight issues, but said it was performances that mattered.”I don’t think size has anything to do with it,” said Gavaskar. “It’s your mental strength, whether you can last the distance, that’s the most important thing. Bat well, bat for long, and score runs.”Rohit had previously been ridiculed for his visible “paunch” in the Indian Premier League but the 37-year-old has ignored his critics.The swashbuckling opener hit a quickfire 28 in the first semi-final as India started their chase of 265 against Australia before Virat Kohli set up victory with his 84.Both Rohit and Kohli were recently criticised for their lack of runs in Test cricket and came into the 50-over tournament with retirement rumours swirling.India head coach Gautam Gambhir said that Rohit always sets the tone for India’s batting, irrespective of the runs he scores.”If your captain bats with such a tempo, it just gives a very good signal to the dressing room that we want to be absolutely fearless and courageous,” Gambhir said when asked about Rohit’s form.”You evaluate from the runs. We evaluate from the impact. That’s the difference.”India will meet either South Africa or New Zealand in the final on Sunday in Dubai.

At least 12 civilians were killed, including three children, and dozens injured Tuesday evening after two explosive-laden vehicles were detonated at an army compound in northwest Pakistan, officials said, with the attack quickly claimed by a militant group.The massive explosions and an ensuing gunfight occurred at sunset, as people were breaking their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced “cowardly terrorists who target innocent civilians during the holy month of Ramadan” and “deserve no mercy”.The attack took place in Bannu, a district in Pakistan’s turbulent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which lies adjacent to the country’s formerly self-governed tribal areas.A security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP late in the night that the death toll had risen to twelve, including three children and two women, with 32 wounded.An intelligence official earlier told AFP that 12 militants had attempted to storm the compound after the suicide bombings, and that six of the attackers had been shot dead.”The blasts created two four-foot craters, and due to their intensity, at least eight houses in the locality have been damaged,” a police official said.The attack was claimed by a faction of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur armed group, which actively supported the Afghan Taliban in its war against the US-led NATO coalition since 2001.”Our fighters got access to an important target and took control,” the group said in a statement, without providing further details.Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack in a statement as “heinous”, saying the “entire nation rejects such despicable acts.”- ‘Apocalyptic’ -Plumes of gray smoke rose into the air after the two explosions, while gunshots continued, with gunfire heard from a distance in the area.”The force of the explosion threw me several feet away… The explosion was so intense that it caused significant damage to the neighbourhood,” 40-year-old local Nadir Ali Shah told AFP in hospital, as he received treatment for head and leg injuries.”It was a scene of apocalyptic devastation,” he added.The attack comes days after a suicide bomber killed six people at an Islamic religious school in Pakistan, attended by key Taliban leaders in the same province.Similar attacks have increased in Pakistan since the Taliban authorities returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021.Hafiz Gul Bahadur carried out another attack on the same compound last July, detonating an explosive-laden vehicle against the boundary wall, killing eight Pakistani soldiers.Last year was the deadliest in a decade for Pakistan, home to 250 million people, with a surge in attacks that killed more than 1,600 people, according to Islamabad-based analysis group the Center for Research and Security Studies.The violence is largely limited to the country’s border regions with Afghanistan.Islamabad accuses Kabul’s rulers of failing to root out militants sheltering on Afghan soil as they prepare to stage assaults on Pakistan, a charge the Taliban government denies.

Virat Kohli produced a trademark innings with a polished 84 as India pulled off a tense chase to beat Australia by four wickets in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy on Tuesday.Set 265 for victory, India lost the 36-year-old Kohli in the closing overs but KL Rahul’s unbeaten 42 steered the team home with 11 balls to spare at the Dubai International Stadium.They will face South Africa or New Zealand in the final on Sunday in Dubai, with India playing all their matches at the venue after they refused to tour hosts Pakistan for the eight-nation event.Lahore was the alternative venue for the final had India missed out.”This game is all about pressure, especially in big games like semis and finals,” said player of the match Kohli.”If you go deep into the innings and have wickets in hand, the opposition usually gives in and the game becomes easier. It is very important to control your impulses while the game is going on.”Australia elected to bat and posted 264 all out after strong knocks from captain Steve Smith, who made 73, and Alex Carey, who hit 61.In reply India lost two early wickets before Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, who made 45, put the chase back on track in their partnership of 91.”I take pride in doing what my team wants,” added the 36-year-old Kohli. “Those things (individual records) don’t matter anymore for me. It’s just about stepping out and hopefully doing the job for the team.”Smith said of Kohli: “He’s arguably the best chaser the game has seen. He’s done it numerous times against us.”He controls the tempo of the game really well, plays to his strengths and takes the game deep.”Cooper Connolly, in the team in place of the injured Matthew Short who was forced out of the tournament on Monday, trapped skipper Rohit Sharma lbw on 28 for his first ODI wicket.Kohli and Iyer then took stock against an inexperienced Australian attack missing fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood to injuries and Mitchell Starc for personal reasons.But leg-spinner Adam Zampa bowled Iyer before Nathan Ellis rattled the stumps of Axar Patel for 27.- Maxwell drops Kohli -Kohli, who hit an unbeaten 100 in India’s group-stage win over arch-rivals Pakistan, stood firm in another stand with Rahul.Kohli was dropped by Glenn Maxwell off Connolly on 51 but Zampa denied him another ton when he clubbed a googly to Ben Dwarshuis at long-on to leave India at 225-5 and give Australia a glimmer of hope.But Rahul kept calm and with Hardik Pandya, who hit three sixes in his 28, put on 34 off 31 balls to ease the pressure.Ellis removed Pandya, via another catch at long-on, but Rahul hit the winning six as a largely Indian crowd roared in delight.”I thought the bowlers did a really good job,” said Smith. “They worked hard throughout, the spinners squeezed and enabled us take the game a bit deeper than potentially could have done.”Earlier, Australia lost regular wickets but kept fighting back with 50-plus stands between Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, who made 29, and then the captain and Carey.India’s pace spearhead Mohammed Shami stood out with figures of 3-48 as Australia’s innings lasted 49.3 overs.Spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets each.Opener Travis Head gave the team a quick start with his 39 after losing his partner Connolly for a nine-ball duck.India calmly knocked off the runs though, gaining a measure of revenge against Australia for their 2023 World Cup final defeat in Ahmedabad.The second semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand is on Wednesday in Lahore.

Veteran batsman Virat Kohli rolled back the years with a polished 84 as India pulled off a tense chase to beat Australia by four wickets in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy on Tuesday.Set 265 for victory, India lost the 36-year-old Kohli in the closing overs but KL Rahul’s unbeaten 42 steered the team home with 11 balls to spare at the Dubai International Stadium. They will face South Africa or New Zealand in the final on Sunday in Dubai with India playing all their matches at the venue after they refused to tour hosts Pakistan for the eight-nation event.Lahore was the alternate venue for the final had India missed out.Australia elected to bat and posted the highest total of 264 all out at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in this tournament after key knocks from skipper Steve Smith, who made 73, and Alex Carey, who hit 61.In reply India lost two early wickets before Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, who made 45, put the chase back on track in their partnership of 91.Cooper Connolly, making the team in place of injured Matthew Short who was forced out of the tournament on Monday, trapped skipper Rohit Sharma lbw on 28 for his first ODI wicket.Kohli and Iyer then took stock against an inexperienced Australian attack missing their top fast bowlers including Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood to injuries.But the next line of bowlers stood up as leg-spinner Adam Zampa bowled Iyer before pace bowler Nathan Ellis rattled the stumps of Axar Patel for 27.Kohli, known as a master chaser who recently hit an unbeaten 100 in India’s win over arch-rivals Pakistan on February 23, stood firm in another stand with wicketkeeper-batsman Rahul.Kohli was dropped by Glenn Maxwell off Connolly on 51 but Zampa denied him another ton when he clubbed a googly to Ben Dwarshuis at long-on to leave India at 225-5 and Australia still hoping.But Rahul kept calm and with Hardik Pandya, who hit three sixes in his 28, put on 34 off 31 balls to ease the pressure.Ellis removed Pandya, another catch at long-on, but Rahul hit the winning six as a largely Indian crowd roared in delight. Earlier, Australia lost regular wickets but kept coming back with partnerships including 50-plus stands between Smith and Labuschagne, who made 29, and then the captain and the left-handed Carey.India pace spearhead Mohammed Shami stood out with figures of 3-48 as Australia’s innings lasted 49.3 overs. Spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets each.Left-handed opener Travis Head gave the team a quick start with his 39 after losing his partner Connolly for a duck.India’s victory is a reversal of their last match against Australia when they lost in the 2023 ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad.The second semi-final is on Wednesday in Lahore.

Hundreds evacuated from dozens of flooded neighbourhoods around Jakarta on Tuesday as torrential rains pounded the Indonesian capital and its surrounding satellite cities, causing several rivers to overflow.There were no immediate reports of casualties after the latest deluge, but parts of the city, home to around 11 million people, ground to a halt as whole neighbourhoods were swamped in muddy water.Heavy rain began on Monday, causing some flooding in Jakarta and nearby the cities of Bogor, Bekasi and Tangerang.Water was seen metres high in areas of east and south Jakarta on Tuesday after the rain caused the Ciliwung river to overflow, affecting 1,446 people from 224 houses in one village alone, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said.In Bogor, more than 300 people were evacuated, dozens of houses were damaged and one bridge collapsed. In Tangerang, 350 houses were flooded after the Cimanceuri River overflowed.Residents took to rooftops or used ropes to pull themselves to safety through the floodwater in one south Jakarta district, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.Authorities said they were distributing ready-to-eat food, blankets and tarpaulins to those affected by the floods, and deploying rubber boats to evacuate residents.”If there is a shortage, the public can ask for more. We are ready to help,” BNPB deputy for emergency response Lukmansyah said in a statement.The low-lying city is prone to flooding during the wet season which runs from around November to March.In 2020 torrential rain triggered flooding and landslides that killed nearly 70 people in and around Jakarta, while thousands more were forced to evacuate to shelters.

China’s leadership gathered at their largest political event of the year in Beijing on Tuesday, seeking a response to US President Donald Trump’s latest salvo of tariffs targeting an already sluggish economy.The closed-door meetings, known as the “Two Sessions”, are concurrent talking shops of China’s rubber-stamp parliament and a separate political advisory body.Voting is tightly controlled and legislation is pre-approved by the ruling Communist Party.Proceedings kicked off Tuesday at 3:00 pm (0700 GMT) with the opening ceremony of China’s People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) attended by President Xi Jinping and other party top brass, an AFP journalist in the hall said.The political gathering will offer a rare glimpse into how Beijing plans to meet its economic growth target — which analysts say would likely be five percent — while it faces down an unpredictable United States.Ahead of the meeting, parliament spokesman Lou Qinjian acknowledged that the Chinese economy faced “many difficulties and challenges”.”World economic and political uncertainty is increasing… domestic demand is insufficient, and some companies are facing difficulties in production and operation,” he told a news conference.Lou also expressed confidence in the economy’s ability to weather those headwinds, saying it had “stable foundations, many advantages, strong resilience and great potential”.The opening of proceedings coincided with the implementation of additional US tariffs, against which China announced countermeasures on Tuesday.All eyes will also be on possible stimulus to boost domestic demand, sorely needed to counter a potential drop in tariff-sensitive exports.- Economy in focus -Tuesday’s CPPCC is low-stakes compared to the almost simultaneous gathering of China’s legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), which starts on Wednesday.Premier Li Qiang will deliver a speech expected to unveil economic targets during the NPC’s opening session.Analysts polled by AFP broadly agreed that Beijing will set a goal of around five percent growth — the same as 2024.Observers say this is ambitious given the economic headwinds China is facing.Analysts expect policymakers to widen the scope of a consumer goods trade-in programme initiated last year that allows shoppers to exchange older home appliances and other items.China is also grappling with a prolonged property sector crisis and high youth unemployment, issues that have dampened confidence in the economy — which long enjoyed double-digit growth but has struggled to make a full recovery since the Covid-19 pandemic.Investors will also be watching for signs of further support for the private sector following Xi’s rare talks with Chinese tech tycoons last month.Officials will try to send a positive message that China is “still in good shape”, said Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.However, specific policies may not be announced during the meetings, with impact on the markets likely “limited”, he said.”In the past, the NPC meeting was more about agenda-setting. Now, it’s more about sending a message and propaganda,” Wu said.”Now, it’s one-man politics.”- Trump’s back -The talks will be closely watched for signals about how China plans to deal with an increasingly unpredictable United States, its largest trading partner and strategic rival.Donald Trump has overturned the international order and proven even more mercurial than in his first term in just over a month back in the White House.”People will be watching (for) how Xi might be responding to the uncertainties and unpredictability set before him by the challenge that is the current Trump administration,” said Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore.Pressure from Trump could motivate Beijing to strengthen the kinds of support for the economy seen last year — interest rate cuts, easing local government debt pressure and expanding subsidy programmes for household goods.”We expect China to increase policy support in response to greater external shock from the US,” Wang Tao, chief China economist at UBS, told AFP.China will also announce its annual military budget this week.Analysts expect an increase as Beijing navigates deepening tensions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.”I expect further investment in capability, especially in terms of missiles, aircraft, artificial intelligence that boost the military,” Chong said. For years, China’s defence budget has expanded at a faster rate than its economic growth target.

Under a dry, smoggy sky, a beekeeper in Pakistan’s Punjab province carefully loads boxes filled with tens of thousands of bees onto the back of a truck.Together they will travel 500 kilometres (around 300 miles) in an increasingly desperate chase to find flowering plants, clean air and moderate temperatures for honey production as climate change and pollution threaten the industry.”We move the boxes according to where the weather is good and the flowers bloom,” Malik Hussain Khan told AFP, standing in a field of orange trees whose blossoms arrived weeks late in February and lasted only for a few weeks.Pakistan’s beekeepers typically move seasonally to spare their charges stifling heat or freezing cold.Summers are spent in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and winters in central Punjab province. But weather patterns made unpredictable by climate change — coupled with some of the worst pollution in the world — mean beekeepers must move more frequently and travel further.This winter was marked by soaring, hazardous smog levels that the government declared a national disaster. Research has found air pollution can make it harder for bees to locate flowers.Diminished rainfall, meanwhile, failed to clear the choking air and triggered drought warnings for farmers. “Almost half of my bees died when the smog and fog hit this winter because they could not fly. There was hardly any rain,” said Khan, who moved his bees as frequently as every few weeks in January and February.- Honey varieties plummet -The bees of Pakistan’s 27,000 beekeepers once had diverse foliage fed by reliable rainfall, offering a rich source of nectar.Their honey is used in local flu remedies, drizzled over sweets, and given as gifts.Since 2022 however, Pakistan’s honey production has dropped 15 percent, according to the government’s Honey Bee Research Institute (HBRI) in the capital Islamabad. “Heavy rainfall and hail storms can destroy the flowers, and erratic rainfall and high temperatures during the winter flowering season can stop them from blooming,” said Muhammad Khalid, a researcher at the institute. “When the flowers disappear, the bee population declines because they cannot find nectar, resulting in reduced honey production.”Bees are threatened globally by changing weather patterns, intensive farming practices, land-use change, and pesticides.Their loss threatens not just the honey trade, but food security in general, with a third of the world’s food production dependent on bee pollination, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation.Pakistan’s bees once produced 22 varieties of honey, but that has plummeted to 11 as flowering seasons shorten. Three of the country’s four honey bee species are endangered. “The places that used to be green for our bees to fly 30 years ago, no longer are,” says 52-year-old honey trader Sherzaman Momaan, who speaks with tenderness about his winged charges. “We didn’t move around then as much as we do now.”His hives were almost entirely wiped out by 2010 floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but he believes deforestation is the most significant long-term change and threat. Yousaf Khan and his brother, based in Islamabad, have been producing honey for 30 years, moving short distances around neighbouring Punjab to catch the best blooms. “Now, we go as far as Sindh (province) for warmer temperatures and to escape extreme weather conditions,” Khan told AFP, referring to areas up to 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) away.”Bees are like babies, they need a good environment, good surroundings, and proper food to survive.”- ‘Fight and kill’ -Moving the bees comes with its own risks.”If the weather is very hot, or if the distance is too long, there is a chance that some bees could die. It has happened to my bees before,” Khan explained.On long trips, they must also be fed artificial food because they cannot produce honey while travelling.Moving so often is expensive for beekeepers in a country where fuel prices have risen dramatically in recent years.And beekeepers seeking better weather can face harassment if they set up in areas without permission from landlords. On barren land outside Chamkanni in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gul Badshah watches helplessly as bees appear and disappear from dozens of boxes on a fruitless search for flowers.”They fight and kill each other if the weather conditions do not suit them,” he told AFP.Badshah, whose boxes were also washed away in floods in 2010, and again in 2022, has given up travelling long distances.”There is nowhere to be found. We do not know where else to go.”- Cool bees -Some hope is offered by new technology intended to keep bees cool, addressing the problem of how extreme temperatures affect the insects — if not their food source.Abdullah Chaudry, a former beekeeper, developed new hives with improved ventilation based on inspiration from other honey-producing nations dealing with rising temperatures, including Turkey and Australia.Early signs suggest the boxes improve production by around 10 percent.”Extreme heat does not make bees comfortable and instead of making honey, they keep busy cooling themselves,” he told AFP at the capital’s beekeeping research centre.”These modern boxes are more spacious, and have different compartments giving more space to the bees.”The improved hives are just part of the adaptation puzzle though, he acknowledges.”It is an ongoing battle,” Chaudry told AFP.

Donald Trump’s latest tariff hike targeting China is likely only the start of his intensifying trade war against Beijing, which may struggle to shield its already ailing economy, analysts warned.The unpredictable White House returnee railed against major US trading partners during his campaign, vowing to impose blistering measures on China once elected.After just six weeks in office, the new tariffs — which Trump says are retaliation for Beijing’s failure to stem the devastating US fentanyl crisis — already surpass those of his first term.”(This is) a move we see as signalling an aggressive stance,” wrote Ting Lu, Chief China Economist at Nomura.Tuesday’s step adds to another blanket 10 percent tariff imposed last month, lifting average US levies on Chinese imports to around 33 percent, according to estimates by Nomura.”The tariff hikes that Trump has completed on China are nearly double the size of the tariff hikes during his entire first term,” wrote Lu.Leaders in China — an export powerhouse that has failed to achieve a strong post-pandemic economic recovery — are nervously eyeing a renewed trade war with the United States under Trump.The rubber-stamp National People’s Congress is convening in Beijing this week for a key annual political conference, during which officials will hash out plans for how to boost the sluggish economy and respond to US tariffs.Growth in the first quarter of the year is at risk of slowing, wrote Zichun Huang of Capital Economics.”And that’s before the hit from tariffs is felt in earnest,” said Huang.”Unless the leadership unveil greater-than-expected stimulus at the National People’s Congress, it is hard to see how a slowdown can be avoided this year,” she added.- ‘Crosshairs’ -Trump’s first few weeks in office have seen him hit Canada and Mexico with even higher 25 percent tariffs, which also came in force on Tuesday.And his initial salvos against China of two 10 percent tariffs are lower than the much more drastic 60 percent rate threatened during the campaign.That has been interpreted by some as a sign that Washington is adopting a softer approach than expected in managing its rocky relationship with Beijing.But experts say that China is likely to represent the new Trump administration’s primary economic and geopolitical foe in coming years — something that is obscured in recent weeks by domestic US issues and major developments in the Russia-Ukraine war.”While Trump has shown some inclination towards making a fresh ‘deal’ with China on trade lately, the big picture is that the country is still very clearly in his crosshairs,” said Thomas Mathews of Capital Economics.”The threat of tariffs, export controls, investment restrictions, and the like is still a big downside risk, in our view, for investors in China’s markets,” he added.Observers are also anticipating a tougher response by Beijing, which retaliated last month with targeted measures including 15 percent duties on US coal and liquefied natural gas.Condemning the latest tariffs, Beijing vowed Tuesday that it will take retaliatory measures that will “resolutely safeguard its own rights and interests”. – More coming -“US-China tensions may take centre stage in the coming months,” said Lu of Nomura.”This probably won’t be the final tariff hike on China,” wrote Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics, noting that Trump has threatened to impose “reciprocal” tariffs on various countries as soon as early April.”China is not an obvious target for reciprocal tariffs given that it has lower duties on the US than vice versa,” said Evans-Pritchard.But there are other ways for Trump to further aggravate the trade war, he said, such as through targeted levies on specific goods similar to those imposed under his predecessor Joe Biden.Trump may also seek to terminate China’s status of having “permanent normal trade relations” with the United States, a move that would push the average levy on Chinese goods to above 40 percent, he added.Chinese state-backed tabloid Global Times reported Monday that Beijing is now considering implementing its own measures in response to Trump’s tariffs, citing “reliable sources”.”I think the policymakers and exporters in China already anticipated higher tariffs in the United States, and made plans accordingly,” said Zhiwei Zhang, President and Chief Economist of Pinpoint Asset Management.

Australia captain Steve Smith says his team are confident they can counter India’s quality spin attack in their Champions Trophy semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday.The two teams will face off at the Dubai International Stadium in a rematch of the 2023 World Cup final won by Australia in Ahmedabad.Australia beat rivals England by five wickets in their opening match but their next two games were abandoned because of rain in the Pakistani cities of Rawalpindi and Lahore.India made it three wins from three in Group A with a victory over New Zealand on Sunday delivered by their four spinners on a tricky pitch.Varun Chakravarthy took 5-42 in Dubai in only his second one-day international to boost his hopes of selection.”Yeah, I mean, not just Chakravarthy, I think the rest of their spin is quality as well,” Smith told reporters on Monday.”So I think for us, the game is probably won and lost how we play their spin, particularly in the middle overs, the way we get through there. It’s going to be a challenge…”I think there’s going to be some spin, by the looks of it. Yeah, we’ve got to counter that… We’ve got a few options of ways we can go about it.”The world champions are missing several key players including fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc to injuries.But Smith said they could call upon part-time spinners, including Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, to support Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell on a track he believes “looks a dry surface”.”We’ve got a lot of part-time options that could certainly play a role on here and a couple of front-liners as well,” he said.- Aggressive Head -Cooper Connolly, a batting all-rounder who bowls left-arm spin, has joined the squad as a replacement for Matthew Short, who was ruled out of the rest of the tournament due to a thigh injury.Both Australia and Group B winners South Africa flew to Dubai from Pakistan without knowing who they would play in the semi-finals, the line-up for which was decided after the India-New Zealand match.India have been slammed for playing all their games at one venue, in Dubai, while other teams shuttle between three Pakistani cities and the UAE.India refused to play in host nation Pakistan due to political reasons.But Smith played down any perceived disadvantage.”We guessed right in the end,” Smith said on his team travelling to Dubai.”We had a little reset and a chance to have a couple of days here outside of a pretty strict sort of bubble, I suppose, in Pakistan with the security and stuff. It’s been nice to just have a couple of days chill here, a bit of training.”Australia beat India by six wickets in the 2023 World Cup final, with Head hitting an unbeaten 137.”I mean, there’s pressure every time you play in a big game,” said Smith of Head.”But, as we know, Travis has stood up in many of those in the past. And, you know, he looked in great touch the other night against Afghanistan.”I’m sure he’s going to be looking to come out here and play the same way he’s played for a long time, with good intent, good aggression.”South Africa face New Zealand in the second semi-final in Lahore on Wednesday.