Tensions

Semiconductor stocks fell globally on Tuesday as an expected visit by the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, which China claims as its territory, fueled a fresh escalation in tensions between Washington and Beijing.China views the visit by Pelosi, second in the line of succession to the US presidency and a long-time critic of China, as sending an encouraging signal to the pro-independence camp in Taiwan and has repeatedly warned against it.Taiwan is home to the world's biggest manufacturer of…

Stocks across the board tumbled as jitters about an escalation in regional tension with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi set to begin a trip to Taiwan, adding to fears about the risk of global recession. The week began with China, Europe and the United States reporting weakening factory activity, with that in the US…

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches on October 16, 2021. Photo: SpaceXIt’s been a rocky few months for U.S.-Russia relations, with discord between the two nations arising both on the ground and in space. Despite the current bad feelings, NASA and Roscosmos have finalized an agreement in which NASA astronauts and Russian cosmonauts will fly aboard each other’s spacecraft. Announcement of the new agreement came on Friday, July 15, the same day that DmitryRogozin was dismissed from his position as director general of…

In May, President Joe Biden issued a stark warning to China: The U.S. would come to Taiwan's defense militarily if China were to invade."That's the commitment we made," Biden said in response to a question over the U.S.' intention to protect Taiwan. "We agree with the 'One China' policy. We signed on to it."Although the White House quickly affirmed the president's comments did not reflect a policy shift, his remarks came at a time of heightened concern over China's interest in invading Taiwan after Russia's invasion of…

WASHINGTON—President Biden is expected to roll back some tariffs on Chinese imports soon, a decision constrained by competing policy aims: addressing inflation and maintaining economic pressure on Beijing.People familiar with the situation say what comes next has been pending with Mr. Biden in recent weeks and that he could announce his decision this week. It could include a pause on tariffs on consumer goods such as clothing and school supplies, as well as launching a broad framework to allow importers to request tariff…