The Trump administration revised its February plan of fees to be levied on Chinese-built ships stopping at US ports. The new plan, released on Thursday, imposes fees based on cargo weight or number of containers on board, instead of how many US ports they call at. The original plan was to charge US$3.5 million each time a ship docked at a US port. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said any fee "harms both parties," urging the US to "cease such inappropriate actions without delay."

China outlined an accelerated push to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) deeper into the nation's industries, including the automative and textile sectors. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said the strategy includes policy enhancements, infrastructure upgrades and advancements in 5G-enabled Internet industries. Smarter manufacturing aims to strengthen China's global competitiveness and foster economic growth.

Actual utilization of direct foreign investment in China fell 10.8 percent in the first quarter to 269.2 billion yuan (US$37.35 billion). However, it picked up in March with a 13.2 percent year-on-year surge. In the quarter, investment from Southeast Asian countries gained 56 percent, while EU investment rose about 12 percent.

The global audience watches the US theater of the absurd, but none is applauding. Many companies and countries like China are writing alternative scripts.(Click the headline to read full article.)