Harris-Trump debate, alleged Chinese agent, tech innovation: 7 US-China relations reads

From a presidential debate to US and Chinese troops in Brazil, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in September 2024

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Linda Sun, former aide to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, leaves Brooklyn Federal Court in New York on September 3. Sun has been accused of acting as a Chinese agent. Photo: AP

Published: 11:00pm, 3 Oct 2024

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.

1. Harris-Trump debate: tough talk on China but little substance in first US presidential debate

Kamala Harris was widely seen as having come out on top in her first presidential debate with Donald Trump, where both candidates traded blows on who would take a tougher approach towards China.

Read the full story here.

2. US study finds China’s tech innovation ‘much stronger’ than understood

Can China innovate and outcompete the US in their pitched battle for technological supremacy? A 20-month investigation into the innovation performance of 44 Chinese firms across key technologies – including nuclear power, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles and materials science – revealed a troubling yes for the US.

Read the full story here.

3. US, Chinese troops taking part in joint ‘Formosa’ exercise in Brazil

For the first time, American and Chinese troops took part in a joint military exercise led by the Brazilian Armed Forces. Operation Formosa, one of Latin America’s largest military exercises, has been held since 1988. The operation takes place near the city of Formosa, Brazil, and is unrelated to Taiwan, which officially went by the same name in 1895.