Rising US-China Port Fees Escalate Trade Tensions
#trade_tensions #shipping_costs #us_china_relations #tariffs #economy
New RMB port fees for US vessels threaten higher shipping costs and widen US-China trade tensions ahead of Xi-Biden talks.
Xi Jinping, born on June 15, 1953, is the paramount leader of China, serving as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and President of the People's Republic of China since 2012 and 2013 respectively[1][4]. He is the first CCP general secretary born after the founding of the PRC and the son of Xi Zhongxun, a veteran revolutionary and former vice premier[1][5]. Xi's early life was marked by hardship during the Cultural Revolution, when he was sent to rural Shaanxi Province. He later studied chemical engineering at Tsinghua University and joined the CCP after multiple attempts. His political career advanced through various provincial leadership roles: governor of Fujian (1999–2002), party secretary of Zhejiang (2002–2007), and briefly party secretary of Shanghai in 2007[1][3]. He joined the CCP Politburo Standing Committee in 2007 and was designated as Hu Jintao's successor, becoming vice president and vice chairman of the CMC before ascending to the top leadership[1]. Since assuming power, Xi has consolidated authority significantly. A 2021 CCP historical resolution praised his leadership, highlighting achievements such as poverty reduction and anti-corruption campaigns, elevating him alongside Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping in party history[2]. In October 2022, Xi secured a historic third term as general secretary, and in March 2023, he was re-elected president for a third term after the removal of presidential term limits in 2018[2]. Xi's governance emphasizes strengthening the CCP, eradicating corruption, and maintaining close ties with the populace. His leadership has been characterized by campaigns against poverty and efforts to reinforce party discipline[3]. He holds advanced degrees in Marxist theory and law from Tsinghua University[4]. Xi remains a central figure shaping China's domestic policies and international posture in the 2020s.
#trade_tensions #shipping_costs #us_china_relations #tariffs #economy
New RMB port fees for US vessels threaten higher shipping costs and widen US-China trade tensions ahead of Xi-Biden talks.