TIME reports, "Chinese President Xi Jinping received a red-carpet welcome in the Philippines on Tuesday, as he paid his first visit to the U.S. treaty ally with offers of infrastructure loans and new accords to prevent clashes and possibly explore for oil and gas in the disputed South China Sea."
CNBC reports, "U.S. trade policy has reemerged as the top concern from chief financial officers at some of the world's largest companies. More than 35 percent of CFOs taking the fourth-quarter CNBC Global CFO Council survey say U.S. trade policy is the biggest external risk factor facing their business, and nearly 75 percent of respondents expect U.S. trade policy to have a negative impact on their business over the next six months. Not a single CFO surveyed expects a positive impact as a result of U.S. trade policy."
The Guardian reports, "The Chinese-language version of the Oscars, the Golden Horse Awards, have become the latest flashpoint in tense relations between China and Taiwanafter a film director questioned the island's political status. Documentary filmmaker Fu Yue called for Taiwan to be recognised as an "independent entity" during her acceptance speech, fighting back tears as she said, "this is my biggest wish as a Taiwanese". Her speech was quickly censored on Chinese television and streams, with the coverage going black."