News From © SCMP News
 | Oil surge on Trump blockade warning tests stocks’ resilience Subscribers: The Daily Pulse won’t be published on May 1 because of China’s Labour Day holiday. We will resume publication on Monday, May 4. Crude oil prices jumped to a four-year high after US President Donald Trump suggested that a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could last for “months”. Brent crude, the global benchmark, surged as much as 7.3 per cent, surpassing US$126 a barrel, following reports that Trump met oil executives on Tuesday to discuss ways of extending the blockade and... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Why King Charles’ ‘Trump bell’ gift amuses Chinese internet users Chinese social media reacted with amusement and disbelief as Britain’s King Charles gave US President Donald Trump a World War II-era British submarine bell as a gift, highlighting differing cultural interpretations of the unusual gesture. “Gifting a bell isn’t a big deal in Western culture – but it’s quite amusing, as far as we’re concerned!” a user on Chinese social media wrote. On Tuesday, during his state visit to the United States, King Charles presented Trump with the original brass bell... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Why China’s jet fuel deal with Australia underscores Canberra’s balancing act China will work with Australian businesses on jet fuel shipments in an important “first step” in alleviating supply crunches, according to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. The agreement came on Wednesday as part of Wong’s talks in Beijing with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. “Inputs China supplies to Australia, including jet fuel, support the Australian resources sector, which in turn helps to maintain the flow of commodities that are so important in the bilateral trading relationship,”... Source: © SCMP News |
 | How China can avoid a repeat of Japan’s ‘lost decades’, in eyes of top economist Bai Chongen is a prominent Chinese economist and government adviser. He is the dean of Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management and serves concurrently as vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. From 2015 to 2018, he was a member of the Chinese central bank’s monetary policy committee. Here, he discusses how China can avoid “Japanification”, what Beijing can do to help cultivate the next Elon Musk, and why the “China shock 2.0” phenomenon is often... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Crisis surge or lasting shift? China’s solar exports double in a month Chinese solar exports surged in March, doubling to a record high as demand accelerated across dozens of markets, according to a new report. The spike comes as global energy systems react to renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran and the US. The Persian Gulf shipping corridor, a critical chokepoint for global oil and gas flows, has become a focal pressure point amid escalating tensions that began on February 28 with US-Israel... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Oxford AI star Song Yuhang returns to China, but why did he leave chip start-up? A young scientist who was a leader in Britain’s AI chip field has returned to China, joining Nanjing University earlier this year as an associate professor at its School of Artificial Intelligence. Song Yuhang, whose published papers on artificial intelligence (AI) have been widely cited and reported, obtained his PhD from the University of Oxford in 2022, and is also a recipient of the coveted JP Morgan AI Research Award. According to Song, he and his fellow Oxford PhD candidate Walter Goodwin... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Ant International serves 150m merchants, 2b consumers, bets on AI commerce infrastructure Ant International, the overseas spin-off of Chinese fintech giant Ant Group, has connected more than 150 million merchants with over 2 billion consumer accounts around the world, as it positions its payments network as core infrastructure for the emerging AI commerce economy. The figures, disclosed at the company’s MoMents 2026 forum in Kuala Lumpur, which ran from Monday to Wednesday, underscore the scale Ant is seeking to leverage amid the rising adoption of artificial intelligence agents. Ant... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Trump, Putin talk Iran and Ukraine, US energy exports up: here’s what happened overnight The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran has continued to shatter global markets. These are the major takeaways of what happened overnight. What did Trump say? US President Donald Trump spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, discussing the wars in Ukraine and Iran. Trump said that the conversation was “very good” and that the US was “going to come up with a solution relatively quickly” over its continuing conflict with Iran. He also said that the US was... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Geely joins Chery, BYD in profit slide as reduced incentives decimate China car sales Geely Automobile Holdings, Chery Automobile and BYD, the most profitable listed Chinese carmakers last year, all reported double-digit declines in net profit in the first quarter, highlighting a squeeze at home amid reduced purchase incentives. Hangzhou-based Geely, the country’s second-largest carmaker behind BYD, said in a filing on Wednesday that its net profit for the January-March period slid 27 per cent year on year to 4.17 billion yuan (US$610 million). The profit slump came even as... Source: © SCMP News |
 | US lawmakers warn China is top space rival as race to the moon intensifies China is the United States’ “most consequential threat and competitor in space,” leveraging its capabilities “as a tool of diplomacy and influence”, US lawmakers were told at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, as the two countries’ race to the moon intensifies. The US and China are locked in a high-stakes space race, with both nations aiming to put astronauts on the moon in the coming years. While China has set a 2030 target for its first crewed lunar landing, the US’ Artemis programme aims... Source: © SCMP News |
 | UN bloated, costly, but China fears should keep US involved, House committee told The United Nations is bloated, costly, badly in need of reform, and too often works against US interests, but pulling out of the international organisation would see China expand its influence and leave Washington at a major disadvantage, according to testimony before a House oversight committee on Wednesday. The hearing came as the administration of US President Donald Trump has imposed an “America first” overhaul of international funding, leaving the UN, over the past 18 months, at what... Source: © SCMP News |
 | The UAE’s exit from Opec could bring ‘even bigger trouble’: Chinese expert The United Arab Emirates’ decision to leave a global cartel of major oil-exporting countries is seen to reflect a widening fracture within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The UAE announced on Tuesday that it would leave the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and the wider Opec+ alliance, effective on Friday. The country joined the group in 1971, though one of its emirates – Abu Dhabi – joined in 1967. The UAE’s Ministry of Infrastructure said in a statement that the... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Iran war price tag hits US$25 billion as Hegseth defends record Pentagon budget The two-month war with Iran has cost about US$25 billion, a Pentagon official told lawmakers on Wednesday, as US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth defended a record US$1.5 trillion military budget that faces backlash from Democrats. At a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday, Jules Hurst, the Pentagon’s chief financial officer, offered the first official estimate of the cost of the war in Iran. He said that most of the US$25 billion in spending went towards ammunition, but the US... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Chips, oil and Iran: why US is raising pressure on China before Xi-Trump talks The United States is stepping up pressure on China across multiple strategic fronts, in moves analysts say could strengthen US President Donald Trump’s hand ahead of his planned high-stakes mid-May meeting with President Xi Jinping. But they cautioned that Beijing was likely to remain unfazed because it had already adapted to earlier curbs by reducing its reliance on the American market. US lawmakers in the House Foreign Affairs Committee have advanced 20 new export control measures this month... Source: © SCMP News |
 | China Southern Airlines orders Airbus jets worth US$21b as Boeing deal remains rumour Airbus secured an order for 137 A320neo jets from Chinese airlines, extending the European company’s edge in one of aviation’s most contested markets as US rival Boeing waits on a long-speculated deal with Beijing. China Southern Airlines, one of China’s three major state-owned carriers, announced the deal on Wednesday. The airline, based in the southern city of Guangzhou, will purchase 102 aircraft, while its subsidiary Xiamen Airlines will acquire the remaining 35. The orders carry a combined... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Are US agents around Trump armed with Chinese red dot sights? A press photo of a US protective agent responding to a gunman breaching security during last weekend’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner has ignited debate within America’s firearms community. The controversy centres not on the agent’s actions, but on what appeared to be a Chinese-made Holosun red dot sight mounted on her Glock pistol. The image, which spread rapidly across firearms forums after being shared on social media, shows a plain-clothes agent with her weapon drawn as US... Source: © SCMP News |
 | AI chip designer Cambricon vaults to China’s costliest stock after profits soar 185% Cambricon Technologies, dubbed “China’s little Nvidia,” on Thursday became the costliest stock in mainland China’s equities market after it reported substantial growth in the first quarter amid an artificial intelligence boom and China’s tech self-sufficiency push. Cambricon shares rose as much as 18 per cent to nearly 1,680 yuan (US$245) on Thursday, beating optical chipmaker Yuanjie Semiconductor Technology, which traded at around 1,660 yuan. On Wednesday, Cambricon announced a 160 per cent... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Why China may benefit from the UAE’s Opec withdrawal amid Iran war oil crisis China may gain from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) withdrawing from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), benefiting from additional supply as global oil markets face growing strain three months into the US-Israeli war in Iran, analysts said. The UAE – Opec’s third-largest producer, accounting for about 12 per cent of its total output – will formally leave the bloc on May 1. UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed al-Mazrouei told CNBC that it was the “right time” to exit, adding... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Hit from memory costs spreads from phones to EVs as China’s BYD raises driving-tech price The impact of sky-high costs for memory chips is spreading from smartphones to cars, as China’s electric vehicle (EV) king BYD announced a 21 per cent price increase for its high-end driver-assistance system. Starting on Friday, the price of the optional DiPilot 300 assisted-driving system would rise to 12,000 yuan ($1,757) from 9,900 yuan, BYD said on Tuesday, attributing the decision to “the sharp rise in global storage hardware costs”. The system, which allows cars to navigate themselves on... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Why an era of managed Hormuz disruption wouldn’t bode well for Asia Even if the immediate phase of conflict subsides, the Gulf is unlikely to return to the status quo. For Asia, the central question is no longer simply whether the Strait of Hormuz is open. It is whether the waterway remains reliable, predictable and politically insulated from coercion. That distinction now matters more than ever. For China and other major Asian importers, it is a question of whether energy flows, shipping routes and sanctions exposure are increasingly being shaped by a crisis... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Why Beijing’s weaponised cargo ship could be a crucial player in the Taiwan Strait Beijing’s latest weaponised container ship could play a key role in deterring foreign intervention at a low cost during a Taiwan conflict, according to a mainland Chinese military magazine. The Zhong Da 79 is a medium-sized civilian cargo ship capable of carrying containerised vertical missile launchers, radar sensors and self-defence systems. It was first spotted at the end of last year at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding’s yard in Shanghai. An article by Ordnance Industry Science Technology... Source: © SCMP News |
 | ‘Might over right’ imperils international justice, Wang Yi tells UN’s Baerbock China’s top diplomat Wang Yi called for “unity and the safeguarding of international justice” during a meeting with UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday, urging a global front against the “law of the jungle” amid deepening geopolitical tensions. During the talks in Beijing, Wang told Baerbock that multilateralism faced “severe challenges” from unnamed powers prioritising “might over right” – a veiled critique of Washington. “Certain countries pursue a policy of ‘strength... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Before Trump’s visit, China touts mineral dominance, fortifies resource security China is flexing its dominance over the global supply chain – claiming the world’s largest reserves of 14 essential minerals, including rare earths and graphite – while preparing to ramp up exploration through the end of the decade. The Ministry of Natural Resources disclosed the information at a monthly media briefing on Wednesday, vowing that China would continue accelerating its search for minerals during the 15th five-year plan period spanning 2026 to 2030. The message underscores Beijing’s... Source: © SCMP News |
 | In a fragmenting global order, former Japanese leader urges pivot to China Former Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama has called on Beijing and Tokyo to work together against “US arrogance”, as the global order is upended by President Donald Trump. Hatoyama, who was Japan’s prime minister from 2009 to 2010, said the two nations should find common ground and work to manage their bilateral relations. “I would argue that Japan and China should jointly confront a self-centred United States and [prevent] the collapse of the world order,” Hatoyama said at an event in Hong... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Gene study reveals unknown human migration into South America as late as 720AD A massive genomic study of indigenous peoples in the Americas has uncovered evidence of a previously unknown migration into South America that occurred as recently as 1,300 years ago – during China’s Tang dynasty. These new settlers carried genes remarkably similar to indigenous populations in what is now Australia and the Pacific Islands, according to the study published online by the journal Nature on April 22. The international team, which included scientists from the University of Sao Paulo... Source: © SCMP News |
 | China targets ‘zombies’ with regulatory headshots to kill off subsidised laggards China’s top market regulator is intensifying its crackdown on debt-laden “zombie companies” – rolling out a pilot programme in seven economic hubs to facilitate the forced exit of unprofitable firms often propped up by government subsidies or bank loans. The move signals a broadening of Beijing’s campaign against local protectionism and the low-quality vicious competition that officials say results in neijuan, or “involution”. With a change to China’s Company Law, the State Administration for... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Will Israel’s use of Iron Dome to aid Arab neighbour recalibrate Mideast defence? Israel’s reported deployment of its Iron Dome missile defence battery in the UAE signals a “watershed moment” in Middle Eastern security alignments, analysts say, as the war in Iran highlights the critical role of such air defence systems. Israel sent an Iron Dome air-defence system along with troops to the United Arab Emirates “early in the war with Iran”, Axios said in a report this week citing two Israeli officials and one from the US. The Israeli officials, who were not named, told the US... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Chinese team pioneers path to turn carbon dioxide into jet fuel as prices soar Chinese scientists are moving technology that converts greenhouse gases into aviation fuel out of the laboratory and towards large-scale production. Global jet fuel prices surged to US$175 a barrel in March – a year-on-year leap of 94.4 per cent – and broke through the US$200 mark in April, more than doubling the cost from a year earlier. Fuel costs have forced airlines to cancel flights. As energy prices spiked amid the war on Iran, a team from the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute of the... Source: © SCMP News |
 | US economic gap over China to widen, but Iran might bring them closer: former UN official The economic divide between the United States and China is projected to widen to US$11 trillion by the end of the decade, yet escalating geopolitics – specifically the war in Iran and the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis – could inadvertently act as a stabilising force for bilateral ties, according to a prominent global strategist. Kishore Mahbubani, former president of the UN Security Council and once a top diplomat from Singapore, has forecast that the gross-domestic-product disparity between... Source: © SCMP News |
 | ‘Wartime’ in Iran, Trump’s extended blockade and the UAE: here’s what happened overnight As the US-Israeli war on Iran enters a third month, there is no sign of a break in the deadlock between Washington and Tehran. These are the main takeaways from what happened overnight. What did Trump say? US President Donald Trump told his aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported in Asian early trading hours on Wednesday, citing US officials. And after welcoming Britain’s King Charles in Washington on Tuesday, he lashed out at German Chancellor... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Democrats urge Trump to keep ban on Chinese cars in US as Xi meeting looms Over 70 Democrats on Tuesday urged US President Donald Trump to keep Chinese carmakers out of America, warning of “irreversible” consequences, just weeks ahead of his high-stakes trip to Beijing to meet with China’s President Xi Jinping. “We must not cede the American auto industry to a strategic competitor intent on global dominance,” a letter, signed by 73 House Democrats led by US Representative Debbie Dingell, said. “The consequences for American workers, our supply chains, our national... Source: © SCMP News |
 | How China’s reported ban on sulphuric acid exports could have overseas buyers reeling As the US-Israel war in Iran drags into its third month, sulphuric acid – a chemical ingredient critical for fertiliser production and metal processing that has seldom grabbed global headlines – has become a keenly watched commodity. The military conflict in the Gulf and the effective blockage of the Strait of Hormuz initially triggered a squeeze on sulphuric acid, with prices on the rise after shipments in the region – which accounts for a quarter of global production – were largely stalled... Source: © SCMP News |
 | US lawmakers move to mandate first comprehensive review of China’s AI capabilities As the race with China over artificial intelligence intensifies, US lawmakers on Tuesday unveiled a draft bill that would, for the first time, require the State Department to deliver a detailed assessment of Beijing’s artificial intelligence ambitions, including identifying “specific AI leaders”. The State Department should provide Congress with a comprehensive report on China’s AI development, including its “progress using independent, publicly available benchmarks to achieve autonomous... Source: © SCMP News |
 | US and Nato faced with frustrating ‘marriage crisis’, Belgian defence minister says Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said the US and Nato were faced with a “marriage crisis” as frustrations mount on both sides of the Atlantic, urging Washington to stand with its allies or risk America’s fall. Francken, speaking at a think tank event in Washington on Tuesday, likened the strained transatlantic relationship, which has held for close to 80 years, to a “crisis”, saying “it’s very difficult”. “I’m convinced that we’re having a marriage crisis … There’s a lot of frustration on... Source: © SCMP News |
 | China’s calls to open Hormuz show the limits of its ties to Iran, experts say While China has begun to put pressure on Iran to end its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, its statements have been carefully worded, experts say, showing how the prolonged conflict is testing Beijing’s relationship with Tehran. President Xi Jinping told Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last week that China wanted an “immediate and comprehensive ceasefire” and explicitly demanded that the waterway “ remain open to normal passage”, without naming Iran or the US. Speaking at the... Source: © SCMP News |
 | With Meta-Manus AI deal ‘difficult’ to undo, how will Beijing exert its authority? It could be “time-consuming”, “complex” and “difficult” for Meta Platforms to unwind its acquisition of Manus, an artificial intelligence start-up that originated in China, given how far the deal has gone, according to analysts. Beijing’s order on Monday blocking the US$2 billion deal came roughly four months after the acquisition was announced. During that time, Manus – developer of what it described as the world’s first general AI agent – provided Meta employees with unlimited-usage accounts,... Source: © SCMP News |
 | UAE to leave Opec after 6 decades, oil cartel unity questioned The United Arab Emirates announced on Tuesday that it will leave the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and the wider Opec+ alliance effective May 1, a move that signals a push for greater control over its production strategy. The decision followed “a comprehensive review” of the country’s production policy and capacity, the Ministry of Infrastructure said in a statement, adding that it was based on national interests and a commitment to help meet global market... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Japan’s revised security policy to get ‘more aggressive’: Chinese expert Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has started the process of overhauling the country’s major security policies, arguing that Japan must boost its military power in the face of geopolitical threats, including those from China. A Chinese expert said Takaichi’s statements during a gathering of experts tasked with overhauling key policy documents signalled a “fundamental” shift in Tokyo’s strategy, with the country’s security road map likely to become “more aggressive”. Beijing, meanwhile,... Source: © SCMP News |
 | China orders maritime security research as Strait of Hormuz crisis exposes trade risks China is stepping up efforts to secure critical sea lanes and protect its overseas assets, as crises at maritime chokepoints – including the Strait of Hormuz – expose growing vulnerabilities in global trade. In response, Beijing has tasked leading industrial enterprises and academic institutions with spearheading research to safeguard strategic trade corridors and overseas port holdings, amid escalating geopolitical tensions linked to the US-Israeli war in Iran and legal disputes over Panama... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Facing US and Chinese pressure, the EU must forge its own strategy Writing in Foreign Affairs, Tsinghua University’s Da Wei argued that China wants Europe to function as an independent pole in a changing global order, but that Europe lacks “a more independent soul”. He is half right. Europe has the assets for independence. What it lacks is the strategy. Europe and the United States face the same rival but carry different exposures. Since 2018, the US has cut its direct imports from China. Europe’s have grown harder to unwind. What appears to be decoupling is... Source: © SCMP News |
 | China testing truck-mounted nuclear reactor that could power AI data centre China is testing a prototype nuclear reactor that can be carried on a truck, according to a leading scientist. He described the reactor, which has been in development for several years, as the “world’s first 10-megawatt vehicle-mounted nuclear power unit” and said the team behind it was now seeking opportunities to put it to use. This output would be enough to power a medium-sized AI data centre. “The ‘nuclear power bank’ we proposed exemplifies the new generation of nuclear energy systems,” Wu... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Is it wrong to show Taiwan army officers a film about KMT forces fighting Japan in WWII? A Taiwanese army officer has been punished for screening The Eight Hundred, a mainland Chinese war film depicting Kuomintang forces fighting Japanese troops during World War II. The punishment has triggered a political row on the island over Beijing’s state-led messaging to sway opinions in Taiwan as well as historical interpretation and military education on the island. The controversy emerged after ruling Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Wang Ting-yu revealed during a legislative meeting... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Why Moody’s has raised China’s credit outlook amid Iran war shocks A leading ratings agency that previously expressed concerns about China’s local debt woes has cast a vote of confidence in the world’s second-largest economy, raising the country’s sovereign credit outlook to “stable” from “negative”. This week’s move by Moody’s Ratings was closely watched, as energy shocks from the US-Israel war in Iran have exacerbated concerns about the global economy’s trajectory. The agency had dropped China’s sovereign rating from Aa3 to A1 in 2017, its first downgrade for... Source: © SCMP News |
 | China upgrades maritime rescue range and depth as ambitions on high seas expand China’s maritime rescue authorities have expanded their ability to carry out deep sea search and rescue operations beyond 4,000 metres (13,100 feet), according to state media. People’s Daily, the Communist Party mouthpiece, credited the development of hi-tech equipment for the shift, which it described as “marking the formal transition of China’s transport rescue and salvage forces” to being able to carry out practical operations at such depths. The Nanhai Rescue Bureau, the body responsible for... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Foreign forces promoting ‘lying flat’ to undermine China’s economy: top anti-spy agency Foreign forces are using social media to spread the notion that young Chinese people should be “lying flat” and not working hard as they seek to undermine China’s development, the country’s top anti-espionage agency has warned. The Ministry of State Security cautioned that anti-China forces were trying to magnify social anxiety by continuously “promoting negative notions” that effort was futile and hard work made no gain. The intention was to “erode the spirit of perseverance among China’s youth... Source: © SCMP News |
 | China’s thalassaemia jab raises hope for common inherited blood disorder Thalassaemia is the world’s most common genetic blood disorder. China currently has 30 million thalassaemia gene carriers, while the global total reaches 350 million. Patient with severe thalassaemia could confront a stark reality: regular blood transfusions, potential organ transplants, and even the risk of premature death. If two carriers of the gene marry, their children have a 25 per cent chance of developing the disease. China’s latest original therapy, which integrates gene editing and... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Un-sanctioned: China to welcome Dutch trade minister amid Nexperia, ASML discord China has cleared the way for a landmark visit by the Dutch trade minister – signalled by Beijing’s quiet removal of long-held sanctions on the official – at a time when their bilateral relations need some attention, according to people familiar with the matter. Beijing has agreed to host Sjoerd Sjoerdsma for a visit and has removed him from the sanction list, a source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. “No date is fixed yet [between Beijing and The... Source: © SCMP News |
 | China’s Politburo steps up policy response as Iran war shakes global economy China has vowed to take a holistic approach in responding to external shocks and safeguarding the country’s energy security, as the economic fallout from the US-Israel war on Iran continues to spread around the world. At a meeting on Tuesday, the country’s Politburo – a major decision-making body of the ruling Communist Party led by President Xi Jinping – also stressed the need to boost the nation’s tech self-reliance and control over its industrial supply chains. The country will push forward... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Nobel laureate biochemist Hartmut Michel joins Jilin University in China German biochemist and Nobel laureate Hartmut Michel has taken up a full-time position as a professor at Jilin University in Changchun, northeastern China, according to the university. The 77-year-old – who shared the 1988 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for revealing how photosynthesis works at the molecular level – will join the university’s First Hospital as “a flagship hire under its talent recruitment strategy”, the university said in a statement last week. It said Michel told the university’s... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Pentagon mulls plan to outsource warship design and building to South Korea, Japan The Pentagon is considering outsourcing warship design and building to South Korea and Japan with a proposed US$1.85 billion feasibility study into the project, according to US media reports. The study – included in the 2027 budget – will look at the feasibility of adopting or co-producing advanced hulls such as Japan’s Mogami-class and South Korea’s Daegu-class frigates to supplement the US Navy’s overstretched production lines, USNI News reported on Friday. If the plan goes ahead it will be... Source: © SCMP News |