Cover Story: Trade War Deepens as U.S. and China Open New Fronts at Sea and in Silicon

In the weeks leading up to the APEC summit in South Korea, a new chapter has opened up in U.S.–China rivalry — this time far from the negotiating tables but deep inside the ports, shipyards and customs offices that keep global trade moving.

What began in early autumn as a cautious thaw between Washington and Beijing — marked by cordial trade talks in Madrid and a phone call between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump — has quickly unraveled. Within weeks, both sides have cast aside diplomatic restraint, rolling out a barrage of targeted trade restrictions that signal a sharp return to confrontation.