Trump to extend pause on "reciprocal tariffs" to Aug 1

China

Trump to extend pause on "reciprocal tariffs" to Aug 1

2025-07-08 09:53 Last Updated At：17:57

On Monday local time, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to extend the pause on "reciprocal tariffs" from July 9 to August 1.

In addition to the delay, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on July 6 that President Trump will send letters to trade partners this week to inform them of the tariff rates the U.S. plans to impose. For countries that fail to reach a trade agreement with the U.S. by August 1, the tariff rates will revert to the "reciprocal tariffs" levels announced in April.

Trump said Monday on social media that 25-percent tariffs will be imposed on imports from Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), respectively, beginning August 1.

Later on, he announced that similar letters were sent to the leaders of 12 other countries, namely Malaysia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Bangladesh, Serbia, Cambodia, Thailand and Tunisia, informing them that tariffs ranging 25 percent to 40 percent will be charged starting next month.

On April 2, Trump announced the imposition of so-called "reciprocal tariffs," triggering a sharp decline in U.S. financial market value. Under mounting pressure, Trump announced on April 9 a 90-day delay in imposing high "reciprocal tariffs" on certain trade partners, while maintaining a 10 percent "baseline tariff."

GBA students celebrate 26th anniversary of Macao’s return to motherland with traditional calligraphy art

Students in Shangtou City, south China's Guangdong Province, and in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) have celebrated the 26th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland by writing Chinese characters in traditional calligraphy.

The young students at Haojiang Experimental School Affiliated to South China Normal University wrote the Chinese character "Gui," meaning "return," in various styles of script, including the dignified regular script and the smooth-running script.

"The city flower of Macao is the lotus, and that of Shantou is the impatiens cyathiflora. Today, the two flowers bloom in harmony. Our blessings for the motherland are the most beautiful blossoms," said Zeng Boxuan, a student from the school.

Macao, a vibrant and diverse city, returned to the motherland on Dec 20, 1999, and Saturday marks the 26th anniversary of this historic milestone.

At Puiva Middle School in Macao, members of the calligraphy club celebrated the SAR's anniversary and the country's prosperity and strength by practicing the millennium-old art of calligraphy under their teacher's guidance.

Students from overseas Chinese language schools also used this form of visual arts, which carries the enduring cultural heritage spanning ancient and modern times, in spiritual association with the motherland.