China denies Trump's statement that "President Xi called me"

 Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

中国、トランプ氏の「習主席が電話してきた」発言を否定

2025.04.29 Tue posted at 11:23 JST

  香港（ＣＮＮ） 中国政府は２８日、習近平（シーチンピン）国家主席とトランプ米大統領は最近電話会談を行っていないと発表し、両国間の関税戦争解決に向けた協議は行われていないことを改めて強調した。

この発表は、トランプ氏が２５日にタイム誌のインタビューで答えた、習氏から電話があったとの主張を全面的に否定するものだ。世界の２大経済大国である米中は、依然として極めて高額な貿易関税をめぐる対立に陥っている。

中国外務省の郭嘉昆副報道局長は定例記者会見で、「私の知る限り、両首脳の間で最近電話会談は行われていない」とし、「中国と米国は関税問題に関する協議や交渉を行っていないことを改めて強調したい」と述べた。

トランプ氏は先週、習氏を交渉の場に連れ出すため、中国製品に対する米国の高額な関税は「大きく下がる」と述べたほか、交渉のテーブルでは「とても親切に」振る舞うと約束するなど発言を軟化させている。しかし中国は貿易戦争に関して強硬な姿勢を崩していない。

トランプ氏はタイム誌のインタビューで、習氏について、「彼から電話があった。これは彼の弱さの表れではないと思う」と語った。同氏は習氏を何度も「友人」と呼んできた。

インタビューでは、電話の内容や日時について具体的な言及を避け、ＣＮＮの取材にも詳細を明かさなかったが、「彼とは何度も話をしている」とだけ述べた。

公開記録によると、両首脳が最後に電話で会談したのは１月１７日。トランプ氏の２期目の就任式の数日前だった。

トランプ氏は先週以降、政権が貿易協定締結に向けて中国当局と協議していると繰り返し表明しているが、そのたびに中国側はきっぱり否定している。

タイム誌のインタビューが公開される数時間前、中国外務省は米国に対し「国民を誤解させる」べきではないとけん制した。

トランプ氏が貿易戦争の緩和に意欲を示しているように見える一方で、中国政府はこれを一蹴し、米国に対し対中関税の全面撤廃を要求している。

Translation

China denies Trump's statement that "President Xi called me"

Hong Kong (CNN) The Chinese government announced on the 28th that President Xi Jinping and US President Trump did not have a phone call recently, and reiterated that there was no discussions to resolve the tariff war between the two countries.

This announcement completely denied Trump's claim in an interview with Time magazine on the 25th that Xi had called him. The world's two largest economies, the United States and China, remain locked in a conflict over extremely high trade tariffs.

At a regular press conference, Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆), deputy director of the Spokesperson's Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, "As far as I know, there has been no recent phone call between the two leaders," and "I would like to reiterate that China and the United States have not engaged in any discussions or negotiations regarding the tariff issue."

Trump, in order to bring Xi to the negotiating table, had softened his rhetoric last week, saying that the high U.S. tariffs on Chinese products would be "substantially lowered", and promising to behave "very kindly" at the negotiating table. But China had not backed down from its hardline stance on the trade war.

In an interview with Time magazine, Trump said of Xi that "He called me. I don't think this is a sign of weakness on his part." He repeatedly called Xi a "friend."

In the interview, he avoided specific mentions of the content or date of the call, and did not provide details to CNN, but said only that "I've spoken to him many times."

According to public records, the two leaders last spoke by phone on January 17, just days before Trump's inauguration for his second term.

Since last week, Trump had repeatedly stated that his administration was in talks with Chinese authorities to reach a trade agreement, but each time China resolutely​ denied it.

Hours before the Time interview was published, China's Foreign Ministry warned the U.S. not to "mislead the public” to keep it in check.

While Trump had appeared to signal his willingness to ease the trade war, Beijing rejected that and instead demanded the U.S. completely remove tariffs on China.

         So, recently Trump repeatedly stated that his administration was in talks with Chinese authorities to reach a trade agreement, but each time China resolutely denied it. It is an interest diplomatic argument between these two influential countries. I would like to know who is telling a lie.

從海底打撈出的下顎骨擴大了神秘古人類物種的範圍（1/2）

 Recently CNN on-line reported the following:

Jawbone dredged up from the seafloor expands the range of a mysterious species of ancient human (1/2)

Katie Hunt, CNN

Thu, April 10, 2025 at 1:18 p.m. PDT·7 min read

A fossilized jawbone dredged up by a fishing net from the seafloor 15 ½ miles (25 kilometers) off the coast of Taiwan in 2010 looked human, but for years scientists failed to nail down exactly where it fit in the human family tree.

Now, scientists have been able to confirm the identity of the mystery fossil, known as Penghu 1, through analyzing ancient protein fragments contained in teeth still attached to the jaw. The jawbone belonged to a Denisovan man, according to the findings published Thursday in the journal Science.

“We’ve determined and shown over the past couple of years that these proteins can survive longer than DNA does, and that if we have decent recovery, we can say something about the evolutionary ancestry of a specimen,” said study coauthor Frido Welker, an associate professor of biomolecular paleoanthropology at the University of Copenhagen’s Globe Institute in Denmark.

Fishermen working off the coast of Taiwan long have dredged up the bones of ancient animals — elephants, water buffalo and hyenas — in their nets, relics of an ice age past when sea levels were lower and the ocean channel was a land bridge.

The Denisovan man likely lived on this strip of land that once existed between what’s now China and Taiwan. This discovery establishes the third place that the enigmatic ancient humans first identified in 2010 were definitively known to have lived and shows that the Denisovans occupied a diverse range of environments: Siberian mountains, the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau and the humid subtropical latitudes, Welker added.

Unusual provenance

Fishermen who find fossils among their catch often sell their finds to antique shops, where collectors pick them up, said study coauthor Chun-Hsiang Chang, a curator of paleontology at Taiwan’s National Museum of Natural Science. The museum has thousands of fossils found from the seabed in its collection.

One collector brought the jawbone, now identified as Denisovan, to the museum wanting to know more about the specimen, and Chang said he immediately realized it was unusual and encouraged the collector to donate or sell the fossil to the museum, which he did.

A paper Chang coauthored in 2015 argued the fossil belonged to the genus Homo, the grouping to which our species, Homo sapiens, and other ancient humans such as Neanderthals belong, but colleagues were not able to extract any ancient DNA from the fossil and couldn’t verify the exact species.

It also wasn’t possible to date the fossil accurately. Scientists believe it has an age range of between 10,000 and 70,000 or 130,000 and 190,000 years old, dating the bone to a time when past sea levels in that vicinity were low.

Chang took the specimen to Copenhagen in 2022 hoping to learn more from Welker and other scientists who were pioneering techniques to extract proteins from fossils, a field known as paleoproteomics.

Chang recalled airport security in Copenhagen stopping him when the case containing the jawbone passed through an X-ray machine. “They stopped me and wanted me to open (the case),” he said. “I thought maybe they were going to arrest me.” Chang said he was allowed to leave only after sharing his credentials and giving the security personnel “a very short human evolution lesson.”

Before testing the jawbone, Welker and his colleagues sampled an elephant bone and pig bone from the same part of the seabed to work out which extraction methods would work best and determine whether proteins were still present. The team found proteins and proceeded with extracting them.

Two amino acid sequences from the proteins recovered from the specimen matched those known from the Denisovan genome — a complete set of genetic information sequenced from DNA. What’s more, the lab work detected a type of protein with a sex-specific peptide called amelogenin, and Y-chromosome specific peptides revealed that the Denisovan individual was male, Welker said.

(to be continued)

Translation

從海底打撈出的下顎骨擴大了神秘古人類物種的範圍（1/2）

2010 年，在距台灣海岸 15.5 英里（25 公里）的海底, 一塊看起來像是人類頜骨的化石被漁網打撈出，但多年來科學家們一直未能確定它在人類家族樹中的確實位置。

現在，科學家們透過分析仍附著在下顎骨上的牙齒中所含的古代蛋白質碎片，已經能夠確認這塊被稱為澎湖 1 號的神秘化石的身份。根據週四發表在《科學》雜誌上的研究結果，這塊下顎骨屬於一個 Denisovan 人的。

研究結果合著者、丹麥哥本哈根大學地球研究所生物分子古人類學副教授 Frido Welker 說: 「我們在過去幾年中已經確定並證明，這些蛋白質可以比 DNA 存活更長時間，如果我們能夠進行良好的恢復，我們就可以了解標本的進化祖先」。

長期以來，在台灣沿海作業的漁民在漁網中撈出了大象、水牛和鬣狗等古代動物的骨頭，這些都是過去冰河時代的遺跡，當時海平面較低，海峽是一座陸橋。

Denisovan人很可能生活在這片曾經位於現在的中國和台灣之間的土地上。Welker補充道，這項發現確立了 在2010 年首次被發現的神秘古人類的第三個曾確實地居住的地方，並表明 Denisovan人曾生活在各種各樣的環境中：西伯利亞山脈、高海拔的青藏高原和濕潤的亞熱帶緯度地區。

 

不尋常的來源

台灣國立自然科學博物館古生物學館長、該研究的共同作者 Chun-Hsiang Chang 說，在捕撈到的魚中發現化石的漁民通常會把這些化石賣給古董店，然後收藏家們就會把化石買走。博物館收藏了數千件從海底發現的化石。

一位收藏家將這塊現已被確認為 Denisovan人的頜骨帶到了博物館，想要了解更多關於該標本的信息。Chang說，他立即意識到這塊頜骨很不尋常，並鼓勵這位收藏家將化石捐贈或出售給博物館，而這位收藏家也這麼做了。

2015 年，Chang 與他人合作撰寫了一篇論文，認為化石是屬於人屬。我們人類、智人以及Neanderthals人等其他古人類都屬於這一類，但同事們無法從化石中提取任何古代 DNA，也無法驗證其確實物種。

化石的年代也無法準確地確定。科學家認為，這塊骨頭的年齡在 10,000 至 70,000 年或 130,000 至 190,000 年之間，可以追溯到過去該地區海平面較低的時期。

2022 年，Chang 將標本帶到了哥本哈根，希望從 Welker 和其他開創從化石中提取蛋白質技術的科學家那裡得知更多，這一領域被稱為古蛋白質組學。

Chang回憶說，當裝有顎骨的箱子通過 X 光機時，哥本哈根機場的保全人員攔住了他。他說: 「他們攔住了我，要我打開（這個箱子）」; 「我以為他們可能會逮捕我」。Chang 再說，在他向安保人員提供了他的證件並給他們上了「一堂非常簡短的人類進化課」之後，他才被允許離開。

在向這下顎骨進行測試之前，Welker和他的同事, 用從同一區海底採集的象骨和豬骨作為樣辦，以確定哪種抽取方法效果最好，並可確定是否仍有蛋白質存在。研究小組是發現了蛋白質並著手提取它。

從標本中提取的蛋白質的兩個氨基酸序列與已知的 Denisovan人基因組序列相符 - 這是由 DNA 測序而成的一整套遺傳訊息。此外，Welker說, 實驗室研究還檢測到一種含有性別特異性勝肽（稱為牙釉蛋白）的蛋白質，而因其含有Y 染色體特異性勝肽則顯示這 Denisovan人是男性。

（待續）

Note:

1. Land bridge (陸橋)in this context is a land link between two land masses or continents, usually used in geography or ecology to describe the spread and movement of species. (Gemini)

Chinese prisoners of war "I regret it now; I want to go home" - at Ukrainian press conference

 Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

中国人捕虜“いまは後悔 帰りたい” ウクライナ側会見で

2025年4月15日 19時44分

ウクライナ保安庁は、ロシア軍の部隊に加わり捕虜とした中国人2人を同席させて記者会見を開きました。2人は、部隊に入るきっかけは、動画共有アプリで報酬が魅力的だと知ったことだと明らかにしましたが、いまは後悔しているなどとして中国に帰りたいと訴えました。

ウクライナ保安庁は、ロシア軍の部隊に加わっていて、東部ドネツク州で捕虜とした30代と20代の中国人について、14日に本人を同席させて首都キーウで記者会見を開きました。

このうち30代の男性は、ロシア軍の部隊に入るきっかけは、中国系の動画共有アプリ「TikTok」で見たロシア軍の広告で月の収入が20万ルーブルほど、日本円にしておよそ35万円になると知ったことだと明らかにし「魅力的に感じた」と述べました。

この男性は新型コロナの感染が拡大した影響で職を失うこともあったということです。

一方、20代の男性は、報酬として20万ルーブル分を利用できるというカードをロシア側から受け取ったとしましたが「奪われて使うことはできなかった」と述べました。

その上で「私は人を殺していない。1か月間、訓練場にいたあと前線にいったが、3日で降伏した」と強調しました。

そして2人は「何も得することはなく本当に後悔している」とか「本物の戦争は映画やテレビで見るものとは違った」などと述べ、中国に帰りたいと訴えました。

ロシア軍の部隊に参加した中国人についてゼレンスキー大統領は、150人以上にのぼると指摘し、中国政府に対応をとるよう求めているのに対し、中国外務省は状況を確認しているとした上で「自国民に対していかなる軍事行動への参加も避けるべきだと求めている」と述べています。

 

中国 “2人の行為は個人的なもの”

ロシア軍の部隊に加わり捕虜になった中国人2人を同席させて、ウクライナ保安庁が記者会見を開いたことについて中国外務省の林剣報道官は15日の会見で問われると「現在、関連する情報と状況の確認を行っている。海外での中国人の個人的な行為は法に基づいて対応する」と述べ、2人の行為は個人的なものだとの考えを示しました。

そのうえで「われわれは一貫して対話と平和の推進に尽力し、停戦を働きかけてきた。中国の客観的かつ公正な立場を正しく認識し、政治的な操作や宣伝はやめるよう求める」と述べました。

Translation

Chinese prisoners of war "I regret it now; I want to go home" - at Ukrainian press conference

The Security Service of Ukraine held a press conference with two Chinese who joined the Russian military unit and were captured. The two revealed that they joined the unit because they found that the rewards were attractive on a video sharing app, but now they regretted it and said they wanted to go back to China.

The Security Service of Ukraine held a press conference in the capital Kyiv on the 14th with the Chinese in their 30s and 20s who joined the Russian military unit and were captured in Donetsk Oblast in the east.

One of the men, a man in his 30s, revealed that he joined the Russian military unit because he saw an advertisement for the Russian military on the Chinese video sharing app "TikTok" and learned that the monthly income would be about 200,000 rubles, or about 350,000 yen in Japanese yen, and said, "I found it attractive."

It was said that this man also lost his job due to the spread of the new coronavirus.

Meanwhile, a man in his 20s said he had received a card from the Russian side that allowed him to spend 200,000 rubles as a reward, but said, "It was stolen and I was never able to use it."

On top of that he emphasized, "I didn't kill anyone. I was at the training ground for a month and then went to the front line, but surrendered after three days."

The two men then said, "We gain nothing and we truly regret it," and "Real war is different from what you see in movies and on TV," and expressed their desire to return to China.

President Zelensky pointed out that more than 150 Chinese had joined the Russian military unit and called on the Chinese government to take action, while China's Foreign Ministry said it was monitoring the situation and "urged its citizens to refrain from taking part in any military action."

China: "The actions of the two are personal"

When asked at a press conference on the 15th about the press conference held by the Ukrainian Security Service with the presence of two Chinese nationals who had joined Russian military units and been captured, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, "We are currently verifying the relevant information and circumstances. The personal actions of Chinese nationals overseas will be dealt with in accordance with the law," holding the view that the actions of the two nationals were personal.

On top of that he added, "We have consistently worked to promote dialogue and peace, and has been lobbying for a ceasefire. We urge you to correctly recognize China's objective and fair position, and call for an end to political manipulation and propaganda"

              So, Ukraine held a press conference with two Chinese who joined the Russian military unit and were captured. The two revealed that they joined the unit because they found that the rewards were attractive. Regarding this incident, Chinese Foreign Ministry holds the view that the actions of these two nationals are personal. Apparently, Russia is in need of soldiers to fight the war.

China quietly withdraws retaliatory tariffs on some US-made semiconductors, import agents reveal

 Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

中国、米国製半導体の一部で報復関税をひそかに撤回　輸入代理店が明らかに

2025.04.25 Fri posted at 15:08 JST

香港（ＣＮＮ） 中国が米国製半導体の一部に対する１２５％の報復関税をひそかに撤回したとみられる。広東省深圳の輸入代理店３社が２５日、ＣＮＮに明らかにした。

３社によると、この免除は半導体に適用される。代理店らはこの免除措置について２４日遅くに知ったという。公式発表は行われていない。

中国は今月１２日、トランプ米大統領が中国製品への関税を１４５％に引き上げたことを受け、米国の全製品に対する報復関税を１２５％に引き上げた。

中国政府は数カ月にわたり、自国には米国との貿易戦争の激化に耐える能力があるとの力強い姿勢と自信を示してきた。しかし、今回の免除は、国内で生産したり、他国から調達したりできない重要品目については関税を一部撤回する必要があることを示唆している。

中国当局は、この免除を公式に確認していない。税関当局は今回の免除について認識していないと述べた。

輸入代理店のサプライチェーン（供給網）マネジャーはＣＮＮに対し、２４日にメモリーチップを除く大半の半導体を含む８種類の集積回路への関税が免除され、ゼロになったことを知ったと語った。

深圳の税関当局は、この変更について一部の企業に通知したようだ。通知を受けた１社の従業員がＣＮＮに確認した。

中国の「財経」誌は２５日、上海に拠点を置く企業を含む、半導体を輸入する複数のテクノロジー企業の話をもとにこの免除措置について報じた。

Translation

China quietly withdraws retaliatory tariffs on some US-made semiconductors, import agents reveal

Hong Kong (CNN) China appeared to have quietly withdrawn retaliatory tariffs of 125% on some US-made semiconductors. Three import agents in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, revealed to CNN on the 25th.

According to the three agents, the exemption applied to semiconductors. The agents learned of the exemption late on the 24th. No official announcement had been made.

On the 12th of this month, China raised retaliatory tariffs on all US products to 125% in response to US President Trump's increase in tariffs to 145% on Chinese products

For months, the Chinese government had been strong and confident that the country could withstand an escalating trade war with the US. However, the exemption suggested that some tariffs on critical items needed to be withdrawn as they could not be produced domestically nor sourced from other countries.

Chinese authorities had not officially confirmed the exemption. Customs officials said they were not aware of the exemption made this time.

A supply chain manager at an import agency told CNN that they learned it on Wednesday that, except memory chips, tariffs on eight types of integrated circuits that would include almost all the majority semiconductors had been waived and dropped to zero.

Customs officials in Shenzhen appeared to have notified some companies about the change, an employee at one company who received the notice confirmed to CNN.

China's Caijing magazine reported on the exemption on Thursday based on several technology companies that import semiconductors, including one Shanghai based company.

              So, China quietly withdraws retaliatory tariffs on some imported US-made semiconductors. Apparently, the tariffs war is beginning to impact on all the countries involved.

特朗普威脅加徵更多關稅後，中國表示將「戰鬥到底」(2/2)

 Recently Yahoo News 0n-line picked up the following:

China says it will 'fight to the end' after Trump threatens to impose still more tariffs (2/2)

The Associated Press

Updated 4:25 AM GMT-7, April 8, 2025

(continue)

Chinese people worry, but keep faith with their country

On the streets of Beijing, people said they found it hard to keep track of all the announcements, but expressed belief in their country's ability to weather the storm.

"Trump says one thing today and another tomorrow. Anyway, he just wants benefits, so he can say whatever he wants," said Wu Qi, 37, who works in construction.

Others were less sanguine. Paul Wang, 30, who sells stainless accessories, including necklaces, bracelets, and tongue studs to Europe, said the European market was now more important after the extra U.S. 50% tariffs and he would be watching to see which other firms in his field would be competing in that space.

Jessi Huang and Yang Aijia, whose companies import chemicals from the U.S., said the tariffs, including potential Chinese retribution, could force them to close up shop.

“It would be very hard and very likely to have a layoff, maybe even closing,” Huang said, “I might not be able to find another job if I get laid off.”

China isn't out of options to retaliate

 China still has a range of options to strike back at the Washington, experts said, including suspending cooperation on combating fentanyl, placing higher quotas on agricultural products and going after the U.S. trade in services in China such as finance and law firms.

U.S. total goods trade with China was an estimated $582 billion in 2024, making it the top trader in goods with the U.S. The 2024 deficit with China in goods and services trade was between $263 billion and $295 billion.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian appeared to give short shrift to talk of dialogue with the Trump administration.

“I don't think what the U.S. has done reflects a willingness for sincere dialogue. If the U.S. really wants to engage in dialogue, it should adopt an attitude of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit,” Lin said.

In Hong Kong, where stocks were slightly higher Tuesday, Chief Executive John Lee blasted the latest U.S. tariffs as “bullying,” saying the “ruthless behavior” has damaged global and multilateral trade and brought great risks and uncertainties to the world.

Lee said the city would link its economy closer to China’s development, sign more free trade agreements, attract more foreign companies and capital to Hong Kong, and support local enterprises in coping with the impact of the tariffs.

(Associated Press writers Chris Megerian, Josh Boak and Fu Ting in Washington, Christopher Bodeen in Taipei, Taiwan, and Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this report.)

Translation

特朗普威脅加徵更多關稅後，中國表示將「戰鬥到底」(2/2)

（繼續）

中國人憂心忡忡，但對國家充滿信心

 

在北京街頭，人們表示很難跟進所有公告，但他們相信自己的國家有能力渡過這場風暴。

37歲的建築工人 Wu Qi 說: 「特朗普今天說一套，明天說一套。反正他就是要利益，想說什麼就說什麼」。

其他人則不那麼樂觀。 30 歲的 Paul Wang 向歐洲銷售項鍊、手鐲和舌釘等不鏽鋼配件。他表示，在美國額外徵收 50% 的關稅後，歐洲市場現在變得更加重要，他將關注他所在行業中還有哪些公司會在這領域競爭。

Jessi Huang 和 Yang Aijia 的公司從美國進口化學品，他們表示，關稅，包括中國可能採取的報復措施，可能會迫使他們關門大吉。

Huang 說: “情况會非常艱難，很可能會被裁員，甚至倒閉”; “如果我被解雇了，我可能找不到其他工作了。”

 

中國並非沒有報復的選擇

有專家表示，中國仍有一系列選項可以反擊華盛頓，包括暫停打擊芬太尼的合作、提高農產品配額以, 及打擊美國在中國的金融和律師事務所等服務貿易。

2024年美國與中國的商品貿易總額預計是5,820億美元，中國成為美國最大的商品貿易國。 2024年美國與中國的商品和服務貿易逆差在2,630億美元至2,950億美元之間。

外交部發言人 Lin Jian 似乎對與特朗普政府開展對話的討論不以為然。

Lin 說: 「我認為美國的所作所為並沒有體現出真誠對話的意願。如果美國真的想對話，就應該採取平等、相互尊重、互利的態度」。

香港股市週二小幅上漲，香港特首李家超抨擊美國最新的關稅是 “欺凌行為” ，稱這種 “無情行為” 損害了全球和多邊貿易，給世界帶來了巨大的風險和不確定性。

李家超表示，香港將把經濟與國家發展更加緊密地結合起來，簽署更多自由貿易協定，吸引更多外資和外企落戶香港，並支持香港企業應對關稅的影響。

So, China says it would “fight to the end” and take countermeasures against the United States to safeguard its own interests after more tariffs are imposed on Chinese imports. Apparently, China has a range of options to strike back at the Washington, including suspending cooperation on combating fentanyl and going after finance and law firms service provided by the U.S. companies in China.

特朗普威脅加徵更多關稅後，中國表示將「戰鬥到底」（1/2）

 Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

China says it will 'fight to the end' after Trump threatens to impose still more tariffs (1/2)

The Associated Press

Updated 4:25 AM GMT-7, April 8, 2025

BEIJING (AP) — China said Tuesday it would “fight to the end” and take countermeasures against the United States to safeguard its own interests after President Donald Trump threatened an additional 50% tariff on Chinese imports.

The Commerce Ministry said the U.S.‘s imposition of “so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’” on China is “completely groundless and is a typical unilateral bullying practice.”

China, the world's second-largest economy, has announced retaliatory tariffs and the ministry hinted in its latest statement that more may be coming.

“The countermeasures China has taken are aimed at safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests, and maintaining the normal international trade order. They are completely legitimate,” the ministry said.

“The U.S. threat to escalate tariffs on China is a mistake on top of a mistake and once again exposes the blackmailing nature of the U.S. China will never accept this. If the U.S. insists on its own way, China will fight to the end," it added.

 

Analysts and traders worry about a global trade war

Trump's threat Monday of additional tariffs on China raised fresh concerns that his drive to rebalance the global economy could intensify a financially destructive trade war. Stock markets from Tokyo to New York have become more unstable as the tariff war worsens.

Trump’s threat came after China said it would retaliate against U.S. tariffs he announced last week.

“If China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Additionally, all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated!”

If Trump implements his new tariffs on Chinese products, U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods would reach a combined 104%. The new taxes would be on top of the 20% tariffs announced as punishment for fentanyl trafficking and his separate 34% tariffs announced last week. Not only could that increase prices for American consumers, it could also give China an incentive to flood other countries with cheaper goods and seek deeper relationships with other trading partners, particularly the European Union.

(to be continued)

Translation

特朗普威脅加徵更多關稅後，中國表示將「戰鬥到底」（1/2）

北京（美聯社）- 在美國總統特朗普威脅對中國進口產品加徵 50% 的關稅後，中國週二表示，將“戰鬥到底”，並對美國採取反制措施，維護自身利益。

中國商務部表示，美國對中國徵收「所謂的『對等關稅』」毫無根據，是典型的單邊霸凌行為。

中國是世界第二大經濟體，已宣布實施報復性關稅，商務部在最新聲明中暗示可能會採取更多措施。

商務部表示： “中方採取的反制措施是為了維護國家主權、安全、發展利益，維護正常的國際貿易秩序，完全正當合法。”

文章還補充說： “美方威脅對華加徵關稅，更是錯上加錯，再次暴露了美方的訥詐本質。中方絕不接受。如果美方一意孤行，中方將奉陪到底。”

 

分析師和交易員擔心全球貿易戰

特朗普週一威脅對中國徵收額外關稅，這引發了新的擔憂，即他推動的全球經濟再平衡舉措可能會加劇具有金融破壞性的貿易戰。隨著關稅戰的加劇，從東京到紐約的股市變得更加不穩定。

在中國表示將對特朗普上周宣布的美國關稅進行報復後, 特朗普發出這威脅。

 特朗普在「真相社交」上寫道：「如果中國不在明天，即2025年4月8日之前撤銷在其長期貿易侵權行為基礎上新增加的34%關稅，美國將從4月9日起對中國徵收額外的50%關稅」; 「此外，所有中國要求與我們舉行的會談都將被終止！」

如果特朗普對中國產品實施新關稅，美國對中國商品徵收的關稅總額將達104%。新的稅收將加徵於對芬太尼販運的懲罰性關稅（20%）以及上周宣布的單獨徵收的34%的關稅之上。這不僅可能提高美國消費者的價格，也可能促使中國向其他國家大量供應更便宜的商品，並尋求與其他貿易夥伴（尤其是歐盟）建立更深層的關係。

（待續）

美國官員反對歐洲推動在當地購買武器 (2/2)

 Recently Yahoo News on line picked up the following:

US officials object to European push to buy weapons locally (2/2)

Reuters - Gram Slattery, John Irish and Daphne Psaledakis

Tue, April 1, 2025 at 10:04 p.m. PDT·4 min read

(continue)

U.S. POLICY PULLS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS

The U.S. concern about limits on arms purchases reflects a tension at the center of the Trump administration's Europe policy.

Trump has urged European allies to spend more on defense and take greater responsibility for their own security. As it does so, the EU is looking to bring manufacturing in-house in light of the U.S. president's suggestions that his commitment to NATO is not absolute.

That runs counter to another Trump administration goal, which is to open foreign markets to U.S. manufacturers.

The mid-March defense proposal by the European Commission, dubbed ReArm Europe, included a plan to borrow 150 billion euros ($162 billion) for loans to EU governments to spend on defense projects.

Many EU governments say they are in favor of a more pan-European approach to defense. But how it would work is likely to be the subject of fierce debate - over who should have the power to decide on joint projects, who should run them and how they should be funded.

While the Commission insists there are ways for companies outside the EU to compete for defense funds under the proposed plan, arms manufacturers outside the bloc would in practice face a number of practical and administrative hurdles.

The Trump administration - like previous administrations - has pushed for European purchases of U.S. weapons before, including at this year's Munich Security Conference. Some of the sources consider the recent messages from Washington as a continuation of U.S. policy.

Still, several sources said the U.S. emphasis on the matter has intensified in recent weeks as the EU has moved more decisively to decouple its weapons procurement.

"They are upset about ReArm proposal and that the U.S. is excluded," said one senior European source.

(Reporting by Gram Slattery and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington, John Irish in Paris; Additional reporting by Lili Bayer in Brussels; Editing by Don Durfee and Leslie Adler)

Translation

美國官員反對歐洲推動在當地購買武器 (2/2)

（繼續）

美國政策拉向相反方向

美國對武器採購限制的擔憂反映出特朗普政府的歐洲政策核心的爭持緊繃狀態。

特朗普敦促歐洲盟友增加國防開支，並對自身安全負更大責任。鑑於美國總統表示他對北約的承諾並非絕對，歐盟正在考慮將製造業納入國內。

這與特朗普政府的另一個目標背道而馳，即國外市場向美國製造商開放。

歐盟委員會於三月中旬提出的國防提案，即 “重新武裝歐洲(ReArm Europe)” ，其中包括一項計劃，向歐盟各國政府借款 1500 億歐元（1620 億美元），用於國防項目。

許多歐盟政府表示，他們贊成採取泛歐洲的防禦方式。但其如何運作可能會成為激烈爭論的主題 - 誰應該有權決定聯合項目、誰應該管理這些項目以及如何為這些項目提供資金。

儘管歐盟委員會堅稱，根據擬議計劃，歐盟以外的公司有辦法競爭國防資金，但歐盟以外的武器製造商實際上將面臨許多實際和行政障礙。

與前幾屆政府一樣，特朗普政府先前也曾推動歐洲購買美國武器，包括在今年的慕尼黑安全會議上。一些消息來源認為華盛頓最近發出的信息是美國政策的延續。

不過，多位消息人士稱，隨著歐盟採取更果斷的行動去把武器採購脫鉤，美國近幾週對此事的重視程度有所提高。

一位歐洲資深消息人士表示： “他們對重新武裝歐洲方案及美國被排除在外感到不滿。”

              So, the U.S. wants European allies to keep buying American-made arms. The Trump administration's earlier foreign policy decisions, including briefly cutting military aid for Ukraine etc. have made European allies nervous, prompting many to ask if the United States is a reliable partner. Apparently, arms buying is potentially a bargaining chip for the EU to negotiate over the US tariffs. Foreign policy often is a game of give and take.

美國官員反對歐洲推動在當地購買武器（1/2）

 Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

US officials object to European push to buy weapons locally (1/2)

Reuters - Gram Slattery, John Irish and Daphne Psaledakis

Tue, April 1, 2025 at 10:04 p.m. PDT·4 min read

WASHINGTON/PARIS (Reuters) - U.S. officials have told European allies they want them to keep buying American-made arms, amid recent moves by the European Union to limit U.S. manufacturers' participation in weapons tenders, five sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The messages delivered by Washington in recent weeks come as the EU takes steps to boost Europe's weapons industry, while potentially limiting purchases of certain types of U.S. arms.

The Trump administration's early foreign policy steps, including briefly cutting military aid for Ukraine and easing pressure on Moscow, have deeply unnerved European allies, prompting many to ask if the United States is a reliable partner.

In mid-March, the European Commission, the EU's executive body, proposed boosting military spending and pooling resources on joint defense projects, as Europe girds for decreased U.S. military engagement under President Donald Trump.

Some of the proposed measures could mean a smaller role for non-EU companies, including those based in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, experts say.

In a March 25 meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the foreign ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia that the United States wants to continue participating in EU countries' defense procurements, the sources told Reuters.

According to two of the sources, Rubio said any exclusion of U.S. companies from European tenders would be seen negatively by Washington, which those two sources interpreted as a reference to the proposed EU rules.

One northern European diplomat, who was not part of the Baltic meeting, said they had also been recently told by U.S. officials that any exclusion from EU weapons procurements would be seen as inappropriate.

Rubio plans to discuss expectations that EU countries keep buying U.S. weapons during his visit to Brussels this week, where he will attend the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting, said a senior State Department official.

"It's a point the secretary has raised and will continue to raise," the official said.

A State Department spokesperson said Trump welcomes recent efforts from European allies to "strengthen their defense capabilities and take responsibility for their own security," but warned against creating new barriers that exclude U.S. companies from European defense projects.

"Transatlantic defense industrial cooperation makes the Alliance stronger," the spokesperson said.

The foreign ministries of Latvia and Estonia did not respond to requests for comment. The foreign ministry of Lithuania declined to comment.

(to be continued)

Translation

美國官員反對歐洲推動在當地購買武器（1/2）

華盛頓/巴黎（路透社）—五位知情人士向路透社透露，在歐盟最近採取措施限制美國製造商參與武器招標的情況下，美國官員告訴歐洲盟友，他們希望他們繼續購買美國製造的武器。

在華盛頓最近幾週發出上述訊息之際，歐盟正採取措施推動歐洲武器工業的發展，同時可能限制購買某些類型的美國武器。

特朗普政府早期的外交政策舉措，包括短暫削減對烏克蘭的軍事援助和減輕對莫斯科的壓力，讓歐洲盟友深感不安，促使許多人質疑美國是否是一個可靠的合作夥伴。

3月中旬，歐盟執行機構歐盟委員會提議增加軍費開支，並集中資源用於聯合防禦項目，因為歐洲準備應對特朗普總統領導下的美國減少軍事參與的情況。

專家表示，一些擬議的措施可能意味著非歐盟公司（包括總部位於美國和英國的公司）的角色將減少。

消息人士告訴路透社，美國國務卿盧比奧在3月25日的會晤中告訴立陶宛、拉脫維亞和愛沙尼亞的外交部長，美國希望繼續參與歐盟國家的國防採購。

據兩位消息人士稱，盧比奧表示，任何將美國公司排除在歐洲招標之外的行為都會遭到華盛頓的負面評價，這兩位消息人士將此解讀為指向歐盟擬議規則。

一位未參加波羅的海會議的北歐外交官表示，美國官員最近也告訴他們，任何被排除在歐盟武器採購之外的行為都將被視為不恰當的。

美國國務院一位高級官員表示，盧比奧計劃在本週訪問布魯塞爾期間討論歐盟國家繼續購買美國武器的預期，他將出席北約外長會議。

這位官員表示： “這是國務卿已經提出並將繼續提出的觀點。”

美國國務院發言人表示，特朗普歡迎歐洲盟友最近「加強國防能力和承擔自身安全責任」的努力，但警告不要設置新的障礙，將美國公司排除在歐洲國防項目之外。

這位發言人說： “跨大西洋國防工業合作使聯盟更加強大。”

拉脫維亞和愛沙尼亞外交部沒有回應置評請求。立陶宛外交部拒絕發表評論。

（待續）

中國政府對美國與石油豐富的圭亞那日益密切的關係感到憤怒

 Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

China's government bristles at growing ties between the US and oil-rich Guyana

The Associated Press - Bert Wilkinson

Fri, March 28, 2025 at 9:13 a.m. PDT·2 min read

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — China's government bristled Friday at the strengthening ties between Guyana and the United States in online comments a day after a visit to the South American country by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The Chinese comments came after Guyanese President Irfaan Ali said his oil-rich nation would give the U.S. preferential treatment over other countries after it pledged to respond forcefully if neighboring Venezuela tries to annex Guyanese territory as it has threatened.

The Chinese Embassy in Guyana posted on Facebook on Friday that China has always “put China-Guyana Friendship first."

“We honor our commitment with concrete actions. As a matter of fact, China has participated fully at the biggest economic and social transformation in the history of Guyana. Facts and figures speak louder than anything else,” the embassy said.

China cited its $1.4 billion in annual trade with Guyana and a string of major infrastructure projects that Chinese firms are undertaking, some secured by Chinese loans. These include the new Demerara Harbor Bridge, China-Guyana Joe Vieria Park, six regional hospitals and the East Coast Demerara road project.

After Rubio's visit to Guyana and meeting with Ali on Thursday, he traveled to Suriname where he joked at a news conference about the ruggedness of Guyana's airport road built with China's help.

“They don’t do a bad job, they do a terrible job,” the U.S. diplomat said of China’s projects abroad. “I just came from Guyana, where we had to drive on a road the Chinese built. We almost all had concussions, because the road was so bad. It was terrible.”

Rubio also criticized China for bringing in their own workers to work on projects abroad, adding that the country also wants “you to borrow a bunch of money and then they hold it over your head.”

However, Rubio noted that U.S. companies are not taking advantage of investement opportunities in the region, echoing similar remarks by Surinamese President Chan Santokhi.

Not all the countries are showing up," Santokhi said. "We are inviting investors. My invitation to (Rubio) was that we need the private sector of the United States."

(Bert Wilkinson, The Associated Press)

Translation

中國政府對美國與石油豐富的圭亞那日益密切的關係感到憤怒

喬治敦，圭亞那（美聯社） - 在美國國務卿盧比奧訪問圭亞那的第二天，中國政府週五在網上發表評論，對美國與圭亞那加強關係表示憤怒。

此前，圭亞那總統 Irfaan Ali 表示，如果鄰國委內瑞拉像曾發出威脅那樣, 試圖吞併圭亞那領土，美國將作出強力回應。Ali 表示，他這個石油資源豐富的國家將給予美國優於其他國家的待遇。

中國駐圭亞那大使館週五在 Facebook 上發文稱，中國始終「把中圭友誼放在第一位」。

大使館表示: 「我們用實際行動履行承諾。事實上，中國全面參與了圭亞那歷史上最大的經濟和社會轉型。事實和數據勝於一切講話」。

中國指出，中圭每年的貿易額達 14 億美元，而且中國企業正在實施一系列重大基礎設施項目，其中一些項目是由中國貸款擔保的。其中包括新的 Demerara 海港大橋、中國-圭亞那Joe Vieria 公園、六所地區醫院和東海岸 Demerara公路計劃。

盧比奧週四訪問圭亞那並會見 Ali 之後前往 Suriname，在新聞發布會上開玩笑說，由中國幫助建造的圭亞那機場道路崎嶇不平。

這位美國外交官在談到中國海外項目時說： “他們做得不是不好，而是很糟糕”; “我剛從圭亞那回來，在那裡我們必須開車經過一條中國人修建的道路。我們幾乎都腦震盪了，因為路況太糟糕。是太可怕了。”

盧比奧也批評中國引進本國工人到海外計劃工作，並稱中國還想「向你借一出大筆錢，讓你無法放鬆」。

不過，盧比奧指出，美國公司並沒有利用在該地區的投資機會去謀取利益，Suriname 總統 Chan Santokhi 也發表了類似言論回應。

Santokhi說: 「並非所有國家都有出席」; 「我們正在邀請投資者。 我給(盧比奧)邀請是我們需要美國的私人企業」。

              So, China is upset at the strengthening ties between Guyana and the United States. The Chinese expresses its dissatisfaction after Guyanese President said his oil-rich nation would give the U.S. preferential treatment over other countries. Apparently, the US is doing two things recently, first it tries to strengthen its influence over south American counties; second, it is looking for overseas natural resources, from Ukraine to Greenland to Guyana.

美國石油生產商面臨新挑戰，頂級油田面臨衰退（2/2）

 Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

US oil producers face new challenges as top oilfield flags (2/2)

Reuter - By Shariq Khan and Georgina McCartney

Updated Thu, March 27, 2025 at 8:12 a.m. PDT·6 min read

(continue)

The Permian's geology adds another layer of complexity: drilling in the basin on average produces four barrels of water for each barrel of oil, while in other basins the ratio is closer to one-to-one, oilfield water analytics firm B3 Insight data showed.

The water-to-oil ratio can rise to as high as twelve-to-one from wells drilled in the fringes of an oilfield, said Christine Guerrero, a veteran petroleum engineer who is a strategic advisor to asset manager Octane Investments.

"The Permian is much of a water and gas business with oil as a secondary product there," Chris Doyle, CEO of Civitas Resources, one of the newest entrants to the Permian basin, said on the company's fourth-quarter earnings conference in February.

Producers dispose of the water by pumping it back into the ground, but regulators in recent years have cracked down on reinjection due to its links to increased seismic activity.

The issue has not yet forced producers to abandon drilling plans, but will ultimately drive costs higher, said Shannon Flowers, director of crude and water marketing at producer Coterra Energy.

"There are only so many places to drill, inject and frac, and as that goes down, you still have to find a home for the rest of your produced water," he said.

At a four-to-one water-to-oil ratio, that translates to water disposal costs of about $2 for each barrel of oil produced in the basin. At 12-to-1, it would be nearly $8 a barrel.

Breakevens to drill a new well in the Permian averaged $65 a barrel in 2024, up $4 on the year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Less desirable acreage breakevens can hit $96, per Novi Labs, some $26 above where a barrel of crude is trading.

NEVER BET AGAINST THE PERMIAN

The shale revolution has beaten expectations for growth again and again as new techniques and technologies allowed producers to wring more oil out of the same rock.

Now, executives are talking about the potential for artificial intelligence to cut drilling costs further and fuel new gains in production.

The Permian has produced more than could ever have been imagined when the first well was drilled more than a century ago. Conventional production peaked in the 1970s, nearly 30 years before the shale revival.

Even as producers face higher gas and water output, the sheer volume of oil they can pump justifies production, said Clint Barnette, director of geology at Indigo Energy Advisors, a unit of advisory firm Efficient Markets.

"It's how the Delaware basin stays economic even though those wells produce six to seven times the amount of water as they do oil," he said, referring to the Permian's second biggest sub-basin.

Producers such as Chevron and Coterra have been recycling their produced water for future fracking, helping to reduce transportation and other disposal costs.

And in mid-March, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it will look into ways to ease recycling of produced water for artificial intelligence data center cooling, irrigation, fire control, and other needs.

"I would never bet against the Permian," Barnette said.

Translation

美國石油生產商面臨新挑戰，頂級油田面臨衰退（2/2）

（繼續）

二疊紀盆地的地質情況又增加了一層複雜性：油田水分析公司 B3 Insight 的數據顯示，在該盆地鑽探平均每生產一桶石油就會生產出四桶水，而在其他盆地中，這一比例接近一比一。

資深石油工程師、資產管理公司 Octane Investments 的策略顧問 Christine Guerrero 表示，在油田邊緣鑽井的水油比例可高達 12:1。

Civitas Resources 執行長 Chris Doyle 在二月份的公司第四季財報會議上表示： "二疊紀主要是水和天然氣業務，石油是其次要產品”; 他是進入二疊紀盆地的最新企業之一。

生產商將水泵回地下，但近年來監管機構嚴厲打擊回灌行為，因為回灌與地震活動增加有關。

生產商 Coterra Energy 的原油和水行銷總監 Shannon Flowers 表示，這個問題尚未迫使生產商放棄鑽井計劃，但最終將推高成本。

他說： “可供鑽井、注水和壓裂的地方是有限的，隨著這些地方的減少，你仍然需要為剩餘的採出水找到一個歸宿。”

以四比一的水油比計算，這意味著該盆地每生產一桶石油，水處理成本約為 2 美元。以12比1的比例計算，油價將接近每桶8美元。

根據達拉斯聯邦儲備銀行的數據，在 2024 年，二疊紀盆地新井的盈虧平衡平均為每桶 65 美元，較前一年上漲 4 美元。

根據 Novi Labs ，不太理想的面積盈虧平衡價格可能達到 96 美元，比每桶原油交易價格高出約 26 美元。

永遠不要押注二疊紀失敗

頁岩革命一次又一次超越成長預期，因為新技術和新製程使得生產商能夠從同一塊岩石中開採出更多的石油。

現在，行政高層正在討論人工智能進一步降低鑽井成本和推動產量成長的潛力。

二疊紀盆地的產量超越了一個多世紀前第一口井鑽探時人們的想像。傳統產量在 20 世紀 70 年代達到頂峰，比頁岩油復興早了近 30 年。

顧問公司 Efficient Markets 旗下子公司 Indigo Energy Advisors 的地質主管Clint Barnette 表示，即使生產商面臨更高的天然氣和水產量，但他們能夠抽取的石油數量也足以證明生產的合理性。

他表示：「這就是 Delaware 盆地保持經濟效益的原因，儘管這些油井產出的水量是產油量的六到七倍」; Delaware 盆地是二疊紀盆地的第二大子盆地。

Chevron 和 Coterra 等生產商一直在回收其採出水以用於未來的水力壓榨，以幫助降低運輸和其他處理成本。

3月中旬，美國環保署（EPA）表示，將研究如何簡化採出水生的回收，以滿足人工智慧資料中心的冷卻、灌溉、消防和其他需求。

Barnette 表示： “我絕對不會打賭二疊紀盆地會失敗。”

              So, the Permian basin has been the centerpiece of the shale revolution that began nearly two decades ago and propelled the U.S. into the world's top oil producer, now U.S. oil producers are dealing with geological limits in production growth as the country's top oilfield ages and produces more water and gas and less oil. Apparently, the US needs to look for new locations to get more oil to safeguard its supply chain and national security.

美國石油生產商面臨新挑戰，頂級油田面臨衰退（1/2）

 Recently Yahoo news on-line picked up the following:

US oil producers face new challenges as top oilfield flags (1/2)

Reuters - By Shariq Khan and Georgina McCartney

Updated Thu, March 27, 2025 at 8:12 a.m. PDT·6 min read

NEW YORK/HOUSTON (Reuters) - U.S. oil producers are grappling with geological limits to production growth as the country's top oilfield ages and produces more water and gas and less oil - and may be nearing peak output.

The Permian basin was the centerpiece of the shale revolution that began nearly two decades ago and spurred the U.S. to become the world's top oil producer, stealing market share from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other top producers.

Slowing output growth and rising costs would make it difficult for oil producers to pump more and bring down oil prices to consumers, as envisioned by U.S. President Donald Trump in his "drill, baby, drill" mantra.

The Permian is pumping 6.5 million barrels per day (bpd), a record level and nearly half the all-time high 13.5 million bpd of crude that the U.S. produced in December.

But the Permian is flagging. Since the widespread introduction of hydraulic fracturing, the technique that enabled the shale revolution in the mid-2000s, thousands of wells have perforated the Permian and fractured the rock to extract oil and gas.

Relentless drilling to reach record production has exhausted the core of the Permian's two largest sub-basins: nearly two-thirds of the Midland formation's core has been drilled, and slightly more than half in the Delaware formation, according to data from analytics software company Novi Labs.

"We've never been in a position before where we were on the back-half of the inventory story of the Permian basin," Novi Labs head of research Brandon Myers said.

That has rung alarm bells across the industry, as drilling in the fringes of the basin, on lower-quality prospects, means less oil output and more water and gas. At conferences and on earnings calls, analysts and executives are discussing the issue with a growing sense of urgency.

"We think that between 2027 and 2030 it's likely that the U.S. will see peak production, and after that some decline," Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub said earlier this month at an industry conference in Houston.

Harold Hamm, founder of shale producer Continental Resources and a key figure in the U.S. shale boom, agrees. He said at the same conference that U.S. oil production is already beginning to plateau.

For now, output is still rising.

Shale executives expect oil output growth from the Permian to slow by around 25% this year to 250,000 to 300,000 bpd. The government estimates higher growth, of about 350,000 bpd, but even that would be the smallest increase in the basin's oil output since the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

TAPPED OUT?

Producers are dealing with rising levels of water and gas per barrel produced, which is slowing growth and driving up costs.

In the past decade, gas output in the Permian has increased eight-fold, while crude production rose six-fold, according to a review by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The gas-to-oil ratio (GOR) has risen steadily from around 3,100 cubic feet of natural gas per barrel of oil produced (cf/b), or 34% of total production in 2014, to 4,000 cf/b, or 40%, in 2024, the EIA said.

The EIA classifies wells with a GOR of more than 6,000 cf/b as gas wells, not oil wells.

Energy companies market the gas. But that raises costs - they must treat it, and build or lease space on pipelines to deliver it.

(to be continued)

Translation

美國石油生產商面臨新挑戰，頂級油田面臨衰退（1/2）

紐約/休士頓（路透社）—隨著美國頂級油田老化，產水和產氣量增加、產油量減少，美國石油生產商正在對產量成長的地質限制進行搏鬥 — 並且可能接近產能最高峰。

二疊紀盆地是近二十年前開始的頁岩革命的核心，推動美國成為世界最大石油生產國，搶佔了石油輸出國組織（OPEC）和其他主要產油國的市場份額。

產量成長放緩和成本上升將使石油生產商難以增加產量並降低消費者的石油價格，難如美國總統特朗普在其「鑽探，寶貝，鑽探」的口頭禪中所設想的增產那樣。

二疊紀盆地的原油日產量為 650 萬桶，創下歷史新高，幾乎相當於美國 12 月原油日產量 1,350 萬桶的歷史最高水準的一半。

但二疊紀盆地正在衰退。自從水力壓裂技術被廣泛應用以來，人們已經在二疊紀盆地中鑽探了數千口井，分裂岩石以開採石油和天然氣。水力壓裂技術在2000千年中期推動了頁岩技術革命。

為了達到創紀錄的產量而進行的不懈鑽探已經開取盡了二疊紀兩個最大子盆地的核心：根據分析軟體公司 Novi Labs 的數據，Midland 地層核心已鑽探了近三分之二，Delaware 地層核心已鑽探了一半多一點。

Novi Labs 研究主管布 Brandon Myers 表示： “我們以前從未處於二疊紀盆地庫存量後半段的境地。”

這給整個產業敲響了警鐘，因為在盆地邊緣、向品質較低的油田進行鑽探意味著石油產量減少，水和天然氣產量增加。在各種會議和財報電話會上，分析師和企業主管們都越來越緊迫地討論這個問題。

Occidental公司執行長 Vicki Hollub 本月稍早在休士頓舉行的行業會議上表示： “我們認為，美國石油產量很可能在 2027 年至 2030 年間達到峰值，隨後有些下降。”

頁岩生產商Continental Resources公司的創始人、美國頁岩氣景氣的關鍵人物 Harold Hamm 對此表示贊同。他在同一會議上表示，美國石油產量已經開始趨於平緩。

目前，產量仍在上升。

頁岩油產業的高階主管預計，今年二疊紀盆地的石油產量增幅將放緩約 25%，至每日產量有 25 萬至 30 萬桶。政府估計是約 35 萬桶/日的更高產量，但即便如此，這也是自新冠疫情爆發以來該盆地石油產量的最小增幅。

 

取盡了嗎？

生產商正面臨每桶石油生產中水和天然氣含量不斷上升的問題，這導致增幅放緩並推高了成本。

根據美國能源資訊署(EIA)的審查，在過去十年中，二疊紀盆地的天然氣產量增加了八倍，而原油產量增加了六倍。

美國能源資訊署表示，氣油比 (GOR) 已從 2014 年每生產一桶石油約 3,100 立方英尺天然氣 (cf/b)（佔總產量的 34%）穩步上升至 2024 年的 4,000 立方英尺天然氣/桶（佔總產量的 40%）。

美國能源資訊署將氣油比超過 6,000 立方英尺/桶的井歸類為氣井，而不是油井。

能源公司銷售這天然氣。但這會增加成本 - 他們必須對其進行處理，並建造或租賃管道空間來輸送它。

（待續）

Note:

1. The Shale Revolution (頁岩革命) in economics and energy refers to the process of extracting oil and gas from shale formations through new technologies. This revolution makes the United States energy self-sufficient and has a significant impact on the global energy market.

2. The Permian Basin (二疊紀盆地), located in the western United States, is one of the largest and most productive oil and gas regions in the world. It consists of several sub-basins, with the Midland and Delaware formations being two of the most important.

3. Midland Basin: The Midland Basin is primarily located in west-central Texas and extends into parts of eastern New Mexico. It centers around cities like Midland and Odessa. The Midland Basin is known for being one of the richest parts of the Permian Basin, with significant oil production from formations like the Spraberry, Wolfcamp, and Cline Shale.

4. Delaware Basin: The Delaware Basin is located primarily in the western part of the Permian Basin, mostly in southeastern New Mexico and the westward part of Texas (including the area around Carlsbad). It is known for having extensive oil and natural gas reserves, particularly in formations such as the Bone Spring and the Wolfcamp Shale.

5. An earnings call is a conference call or webcast where a company's management discusses its financial performance for a specific period, usually a quarter or year. These calls are typically held after the company releases its earnings report, which includes key financial statements like the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.

普京稱美國對格陵蘭島的爭奪源於歷史，並誓言維護俄羅斯在北極的利益

 Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

Putin says US push for Greenland rooted in history, vows to uphold Russian interest in the Arctic

The Associated Press - Vladimir Isachenkov

Thu, March 27, 2025 at 4:04 p.m. PDT·3 min read

 MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that President Donald Trump's push for control over Greenland wasn't surprising given longtime U.S. interest in the mineral-rich territory.

Speaking at a policy forum in the Artic port of Murmansk, Putin noted that the United States first considered plans to win control over Greenland in the 19th century, and then offered to buy it from Denmark after World War II.

“It can look surprising only at first glance and it would be wrong to believe that this is some sort of extravagant talk by the current U.S. administration,” Putin said. “It’s obvious that the United States will continue to systematically advance its geostrategic, military-political and economic interests in the Arctic.”

Trump irked much of Europe by suggesting that the United States should in some form control the self-governing, mineral-rich territory of Denmark, a U.S. ally and NATO member. As the nautical gateway to the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America, Greenland has broader strategic value as both China and Russia seek access to its waterways and natural resources.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife are due to visit an American military base in Greenland on Friday on a trip that was scaled back after an uproar by Greenlanders and Danes.

Speaking on Thursday, Putin noted that Russia is worried about NATO’s activities in the Arctic and will respond by strengthening its military capability in the polar region.

“We are certainly concerned about NATO members describing the Far North as the region of possible conflicts,” he said, noting that Russia's neighbors Finland and Sweden have joined the alliance. “Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic, but we will closely follow the developments and mount an appropriate response by increasing our military capability and modernizing military infrastructure.”

Russia has sought to assert its influence over wide areas of the Arctic in competition with the United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway as shrinking polar ice from the warming planet offers new opportunities for resources and shipping routes. China also has shown an increasing interest in the region, believed to hold up to one-fourth of the Earth’s undiscovered oil and gas.

“We won’t allow any infringement on our country’s sovereignty, reliably safeguard our national interests while supporting peace and stability in the polar region,” Putin said.

While pledging to strengthen Russia's military foothold in the Arctic, Putin said that Moscow was holding the door open to broader international cooperation in the region.

“The stronger our positions will be, the more significant the results will be and the broader opportunities we will have to launch international projects in the Arctic involving the countries that are friendly to us, and, possibly, Western countries if they show interest in joint work. I’m sure the time will come to launch such projects.”

Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and Putin's envoy for international investment who took part in talks with U.S. officials, told reporters last month that Russia and the U.S. should develop joint energy ventures.

“We need joint projects, including in the Arctic and other regions,” he said.

(Vladimir Isachenkov, The Associated Press)

Translation

普京稱美國對格陵蘭島的爭奪源於歷史，並誓言維護俄羅斯在北極的利益

莫斯科（美聯社）— 俄羅斯總統普京週四表示，鑑於美國長期以來對這片礦產資源豐富的地區的興趣，特朗普總統爭取對格陵蘭島的控制權並不令人意外。

普京在北極港口 Murmansk 舉行的政策論壇上指出，美國在19世紀首次考慮奪取格陵蘭島的控制權，並在二戰後提出從丹麥手中購買格陵蘭島。

普京表示： “乍一看這似乎令人驚訝，但不要認為這是現任美國政府的某種誇張言論”; “顯然，美國將繼續系統地推進其在北極的地緣戰略、軍事政治和經濟利益。”

特朗普建議美國應該以某種形式控制在自治中且礦產資源豐富的的丹麥領土, 此舉激怒了大部分歐洲國家, 丹麥是美國的盟友和北約成員國。作為通往北極和北大西洋以及北美的航海門戶，格陵蘭島具有更廣泛的戰略價值，因為中國和俄羅斯都尋求獲得其水道和自然資源。

美國副總統 JD Vance 和他的妻子原定於週五訪問格陵蘭島的一個美國軍事基地，但由於格陵蘭人和丹麥人的強烈抗議，他們的行程被縮減。

普京週四發表演說指出，俄羅斯對北約在北極的活動感到擔憂，並將透過加強其在極地地區的軍事能力來回應。

他說：「我們確實擔心北約成員國將極北地區描述為可能發生衝突的地區」, 並指出俄羅斯的鄰國芬蘭和瑞典已加入北約; 「俄羅斯從未威脅過北極的任何人，但我們將密切關注事態發展，並通過增強軍事能力和現代化軍事基礎設施做出適當的回應」。

由於全球暖化導致極地冰層萎縮，為資源和航運路線提供了新的機會，俄羅斯試圖與美國、加拿大、丹麥和挪威競爭，在北極廣大地區施加影響力。中國對該地區的興趣也日益濃厚，相信該地區蘊藏著地球上四分之一的未探明石油和天然氣資源。

普京表示： “我們不會允許任何人侵犯我們國家的主權，會可靠地維護我們的國家利益，同時支持極地地區的和平與穩定。”

普京承諾加強俄羅斯在北極的軍事立足點，並表示莫斯科為該地區更廣泛的國際合作敞開大門。

「我們的地位越強，成果就越顯著，我們在北極啟動國際計劃的機會就越大，這些計劃涉及與我們友好的國家，甚至西方國家，如果他們對聯合工作感興趣的話。我相信啟動這類計劃的時機將會到來」。

俄羅斯直接投資基金總裁、普京國際投資特使 Kirill Dmitriev 參加了與美國官員的會談，他上個月對記者表示，俄羅斯和美國應該發展聯合能源項目。

他說： “我們需要共同參與的項目，包括在北極和其他地區。”

              So, Putin believes that the United States will continue to systematically advance its interests in the Arctic. Meanwhile Russia has sought to assert its influence over wide areas of the Arctic in competition with the United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway. While pledging to strengthen Russia's military foothold in the Arctic, Putin has said that Moscow is holding the door open to broader international cooperation in the region. As China also has shown an increasing interest in the region, apparently, it is logical that China will partner up Russia to operate in this region eventually in the name of international cooperation.