China looks south as it seeks to reduce reliance on a capricious United States

Chinese vice-premier Ding Xuexiang has pledged to give stronger policy support to the Chinese economy as he delivered the keynote speech at a forum focused on bolstering the country's role in Asia and ties with the global south. With the tariffs on Chinese goods mounting, China is trying to find a foundation for growth that does not rely on an increasingly capricious United States. At the Boao Forum for Asia, a conference in south China's Hainan province, Chinese officials and academics stressed the need for partnerships with global south countries. Despite its rapid economic growth in the past three decades,…