Panda fan culture once flourished in China. But Beijing is tightening control of discussion of a national symbol.

By David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis and Alasdair Pal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States, Australia, India and Japan recommitted to working together on Tuesday, after the first meeting of the China-focused "Quad" grouping's top diplomats since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

Donald Trump’s second term in office is getting off to a good start for China.

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump has vowed to impose tariffs as high as 60 per cent on China as soon as he entered the White House. Now, he has said he would rather spare the Asian giant, expressing confidence about reaching a trade deal with it.

U.S. lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill on Thursday that would revoke China's preferential trade status with the United States, phase in steep tariffs and end the "de minimis" exemption for low-value Chinese imports.

Rubio's appointment as secretary of state has been seen as sign that Trump plans to maintain a hard line on China.

China is responding to Trump's energy-centric executive actions with a global diplomatic blitz. China courts the Middle East without push back from Washington.

China's expanding footprint in Latin America is expected to be high on the agenda when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Panama next week on his first overseas trip since taking office, according to observers.

In China, Apple’s second largest market, iPhone sales fell 18% in the December ending quarter, according to Bloomberg.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly will press Canada's case against damaging tariffs with the new U.S. secretary of state in Washington next week, after Trump repeated a demand Thursday for allies to vastly increase their military spending.

Beginning this Friday, January 24, giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao are officially on view to the public at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI). The 3-year-old bears arrived in Washington this past October, undergoing a quarantine period before making their debut.