WASHINGTON/TAIPEI, March 13 (Reuters) - A major U.S. arms ⁠package ⁠for Taiwan that includes advanced interceptor missiles is ready ⁠for President Donald Trump's approval and could be signed after his trip to China this month, sources briefed on the discussions ​said.

China is signaling it will stay focused on technology and economic growth, even as U.S. tensions with Iran rise.

China's Foreign Ministry criticized the Trump administration's trade investigation as a "pretext" for tariffs. Meanwhile, China is moving ahead with a five-year plan that may rankle trade partners.

Taiwan’s military has signaled that it isn’t changing its defense posture because of the falloff in Chinese warplane activity. Defense Minister Wellington Koo noted that China’s navy has remained active in nearby waters, even as military flights have fallen off.

Beijing’s decades-long push to reduce its dependence on foreign oil with huge investments in clean energy sources like electric vehicles is now paying off.

By Ella Cao and Naveen Thukral BEIJING/SINGAPORE, March 13 (Reuters) - Tighter phytosanitary checks are hitting Brazilian soybean shipments to China, threatening to squeeze supplies to the world's top importer after authorities in the South American country stepped up inspections at Beijing's request.

In an era marked by President Donald Trump’s wars and trade turbulence, Chinese leader Xi Jinping is counting on a plan to shield his country from the storm and win its race with the US: driving innovation to transform China into a global tech superpower.

Trade analysts said that with Washington's focus on the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, prospects for a major trade breakthrough are limited.

China imports 40 percent of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz.