Good Morning. Welcome to The Wire’s daily news roundup. Each day, our staff gathers the top China business, finance, and economics headlines from a selection of the world’s leading news organizations.
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The Wall Street Journal
- Brazilian President Lula Seeks Deeper Trade Ties in China Visit — The trip is expected to yield some 20 deals as Washington’s influence wanes in Latin America.
- Women’s Tennis to Return to China Despite Unresolved Concerns About Peng Shuai — The WTA tour will resume its schedule in China later this year, ending a boycott since Peng’s allegation of assault against a Chinese official.
- Hong Kong Banks Are Netting Crypto Customers as City’s Push Gains Steam — Lenders in the city are looking to fill a vacuum left by the failures of crypto-friendly U.S. banks.
- For Taiwan, as for Ukraine, Energy Security Is Existential — To counter a potential Chinese blockade, the island needs to wean itself off imported coal, oil and gas.
The Financial Times
- German foreign minister warns China on Taiwan — Annalena Baerbock strikes different tone to French president Emmanuel Macron.
- China says it will co-operate on sovereign debt restructurings — Beijing appears to soften stance in fraught negotiations over wave of defaults by developing countries.
- Singapore asks banks to keep quiet on wealth inflows during China boom — Tacit directive from regulators comes as wealthy Chinese people funnel funds into city-state.
- WTA returns to China despite concerns for tennis star Peng Shuai — Tour cannot confirm player’s safety but says others would ‘pay an extraordinary price’ for staying away.
The New York Times
- 2 Arrested in Hong Kong After Dousing Police With Water Guns — Songkran, a traditional Thai festival, often involves splashing and squirting. But the continuing crackdowns on all forms of dissent in Hong Kong made things different this year.
- China’s Car Buyers Have Fallen Out of Love With Foreign Brands — Domestic companies are now selling more vehicles than their multinational rivals, which have failed to keep up with Chinese consumers’ demand for electric cars and S.U.V.s.
Caixin
- In Depth: Why China’s Chip Industry Still Holds Sway Despite Export Curbs — Semiconductor tech powerhouses are trying to stymie the country’s access to advanced technology, but it still has room to maneuver as the world’s largest chip market.
South China Morning Post
- China punishes citizens for sharing information on Xinjiang, top security body reveals — Newly disclosed cases show Beijing uses anti-espionage laws against Chinese nationals who leak documents to overseas organisations, which used them to ‘forge lies’ about forced labour in far western region, according to security agency.
- Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang asks Taliban to create more progressive and inclusive government — Qin makes the appeal, which also asks the fundamentalist group to work with neighbouring countries, during a visit to Uzbekistan.
- Ukraine puts Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi, CEO Lei Jun on war sponsor list over business in Russia — Sales of Chinese smartphones in Russia have jumped after Apple and Samsung left the market because of geopolitical developments.
Nikkei Asia
- China-Laos railway begins cross-border passenger service — Countries see potential economic boost from Belt and Road project.
- India shores up China border strategy with ‘Vibrant Villages’ — Nearly $600m infrastructure plan counters Beijing’s ‘well-off society’ hamlets.
Bloomberg
- Taiwan Chips Boom Fuels Rising Property Prices as TSMC Expands — Home prices in Taiwan are rising in tandem with the expansion plans of the world’s most important semiconductor manufacturers.
- Goldman Banker Quits to Join Biden’s Made-in-USA Chips Push — The Biden administration has lured away a Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker to help build a program that will act as a quasi-investment firm to ramp up US semiconductor production amid a growing feud with China over technology leadership and security.
- Opinion: SoftBank Is Selling Alibaba for Bigger Reasons Than Beijing — A bet on China’s economy isn’t what it used to be, while the Japanese company needs cash. By Tim Culpan
Reuters
- Singapore wealth group denies report of directive to keep quiet on China-linked fund inflows — The Financial Times reported earlier on Friday, citing unidentified people, that the “tacit directive” on China wealth inflows was given by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
- Europe presses tough Taiwan stance after backlash against Macron comments — China in recent days has held intense military drills around Taiwan, which it claims as its own, and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.
- No evidence that COVID came from animals, says former head of China CDC — George Gao, who was speaking at a London summit on preparing for pandemics, was the head of the agency when COVID first emerged in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019.
Other Publications
- The Washington Post: Russia says China agreed to secretly provide weapons, leaked documents show — U.S. eavesdropping reveals that Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service believed it had a deal with Beijing for the provision of ‘lethal aid’
- Associated Press: China vows not to sell arms to any party in Ukraine war — China won’t sell weapons to either side in the war in Ukraine, the country’s foreign minister said Friday.
- The Economist: Cars with Chinese characteristics — The legacy industry’s greatest assets are not worth as much as in the past.
