From China’s grip on minerals to the US’ Apec plans, here are highlights from our overseas correspondents in the first half of February 2026
President Donald Trump faced noteworthy pushback in February over his signature tariff policy in the US Congress while his popularity slipped and more lawmakers in his party appeared willing to risk his wrath.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told the Senate Banking Committee in February that he “would not be surprised” if China is already looking into ways to challenge the US’ pre-eminence in digital assets, reflecting President Donald Trump’s goal to make the US the “crypto capital of the world”.
At the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial this February, the United States sought to rally more than 50 countries and the European Union around a landmark framework to loosen China’s control over the global critical minerals trade.
Source: News - South China Morning Post
