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
- China Releases American Pastor After Nearly Two Decades — David Lin, 68, was one of three U.S. citizens deemed to have been wrongfully detained by Beijing.
- A Frailer Dalai Lama Greets Devotees While Succession Question Remains — The Tibetan spiritual leader, back at his home in exile after surgery in the U.S., has said he would discuss how to choose his successor. But Beijing claims final say.
- What Scared Ford’s CEO in China — Jim Farley is changing strategy to combat what he calls an “existential threat” from China’s electric carmakers.
- China’s New Home Sales, Construction Starts Narrow Declines — China’s new home sales and new construction starts by property developers narrowed their year-over-year declines in August, as the sector continued its prolonged downturn.
- China’s Economic Indicators Point to Slowdown — China’s economic momentum slowed across the board in August, according to official data released Saturday, underscoring the need for further stimulus measures.
- Biden Takes Aim at China’s Temu and Shein With Trade Crackdown — The Biden administration will restrict the use of a trade provision that lets China-founded e-commerce giants more easily ship to the U.S., a move that comes amid bipartisan pressure to close what critics regard as a loophole.
The Financial Times
- Shein faces greater political scrutiny ahead of planned London IPO — Labour MP calls for UK government to ban imported products made by forced labour in Chinese region of Xinjiang.
- Hong Kong market still feeling the chill as aircon maker Midea floats — $4bn secondary listing is exchange’s biggest offering since 2021 but does not signal a revival, say analysts.
- Hong Kong-focused ETFs set to list on Saudi exchange — Planned listings follow 2023 launch of Hong Kong’s first Saudi equities ETF, which has attracted $1.25bn in assets.
- Philippines withdraws from disputed reef in South China Sea — Move to test Beijing’s willingness to de-escalate tensions with Manila.
- More Chinese women graduate but jobs and equal pay still elude them — Women under-represented in Stem subjects at university and afterwards are quizzed about plans to start a family.
- China’s economic activity falters as challenges mount — Slow momentum boosts expectations Beijing will need to boost stimulus.
- US targets trade loophole used by ecommerce groups Temu and Shein — Biden administration seeks to slow flood of cheap Chinese goods with proposed new rules around ‘de minimis’ exemption.
- Opinion: China, America and a global struggle for power and influence — The whole world risks losing from the rivalry between Washington and Beijing. By Gideon Rachman.
- Opinion: America needs a better strategy on semiconductors — Export controls have their place, but they should not be allowed to choke innovation. By Meghan Harris.
- Opinion: China out in the cold for foreign investors — Sentiment towards the country’s stock markets has become increasingly pessimistic. By Katie Martin.
The New York Times
- China Frees American Pastor, David Lin, After Nearly 20 Years in Prison — David Lin had tried to open a Christian training center in Beijing. The United States considered him one of three Americans “wrongfully detained” by China.
- Shanghai is Hit By Typhoon Bebinca, Strongest Storm in 70 Years — The city canceled all flights at its two airports and closed major attractions, amid a three-day national holiday.
- In Linda Sun’s Case, Signs of a Familiar China Playbook — Linda Sun is just the latest member of the Chinese diaspora whom Beijing is accused of recruiting to influence Western democracies.
- An Era of Chinese Adoption Ends, and Families Are Torn Over Its Legacy — More than 80,000 children from China were adopted by American families. While many appreciate how the adoptions reshaped their own lives, they are also glad to see the program conclude.
- China’s Risky Power Play in the South China Sea — As China pushes to dominate the South China Sea, it is increasingly willing to use force to drive out the Philippines. In recent months, China’s tactics have raised fears of a superpower showdown in the strategic waterway.
- Why is Ye, Formerly Kanye West, Doing a Show in China? — The provocative artist once known as Kanye West has received approval that was denied to Maroon 5 and Bon Jovi. China’s economic woes might be why.
- Amazon Sought Tariff Loophole Used by Chinese Rivals. Now Biden Is Closing It. — Under pressure from Chinese competitors, Amazon, Walmart and other U.S. retailers have been exploring ways to avoid tariffs. Could a new Biden administration rule change that?
- Biden Administration Ratchets Up Tariffs on Chinese Goods — The administration moved to block off a popular tariff-free path for Chinese apparel coming into the United States, and added stiff levies on electric vehicles, solar panels and other products.
- Dejected Social Media Users Call ‘Garbage Time’ Over China’s Ailing Economy — The sports term refers to a time during a game when defeat becomes inevitable. Officialdom is warning against using it to take veiled jabs at the country’s political and economic system.
- China Raises Retirement Age for the First Time Since the 1950s — The move, made in the hope of addressing an aging population, was decidedly unpopular.
- Opinion: The Green Energy Transition Is Powered by China — Much of the good news about green energy is coming out of one country. By David Wallace-Wells.
- Opinion: Trump’s Economics, Too, Are Sounding More Authoritarian — His economic agenda would concentrate more power in the hands of the president. By Peter Coy.

Caixin
- China’s Auto JVs Extend Price War With Launch of Discounted Models — Chinese-foreign automaking partnerships have put out at least three new models over the past week, all at sharply cut prices.
- Huawei’s Smart Car Ambitions Face Hurdles as It Seeks to Replicate Aito’s Success — While the tech giant’s three other electric vehicle partnerships with auto-makers like Chery have thus far failed to shine, its next steps could put it on track to rival U.S. behemoth Tesla in the China smart car market.
- China Regains Its Appetite for Travel as National Day Bookings Abroad Double — Visa-free policies and lower air fares see the number of Chinese holidaying abroad surge.
- Why Hong Kongers Are Flocking to the Mainland for Health Care — Despite the city’s high-quality medical system, residents are increasingly traveling north for access to more affordable and varied treatments.
- China’s Solar Manufacturers Scour the Globe Amid Trade Tensions, Cutthroat Competition — Some top players like Longi are boosting production in the U.S., while others are turning to the Middle East and new Southeast Asian destinations.
South China Morning Post
- China’s soaring low-altitude economy adds ‘new track’ with home-grown blimp delivery — China’s first home-grown ‘civil manned airship’ blimp has been delivered to a client in the southern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
- China safeguards rare earth reserves with discovery of 5 million tonnes of key metals — China discovers 4.96 million tonnes of rare earth elements, which are crucial to tech development, in one of its poorest regions.
- Chinese office landlords offer free furnishings to lure tenants amid economic squeeze — ‘Rental fees are going down, and competition is getting fiercer,’ as landlords fight to sustain occupancy rates, CBRE researcher says.
- China’s security chief calls for ‘resolute crackdown’ on separatists in Tibetan areas — Chen Wenqing’s four-day visit comes as security is tightened in sensitive Tibet region ahead of National Day on October 1.
- China’s GJ-11 stealth drone sightings hint at future role as fighter jet ‘wingmen’ — Chinese and US air forces are exploring ways to pair manned and unmanned aircraft as they revamp fighter jet programmes, observers say.
Nikkei Asia
- Japanese-Uyghur lawmaker calls for harder line on China — Japan’s first lawmaker of Uyghur heritage is urging her country to take a stronger position on China’s human rights record, while also calling for a heightened defense posture in response to Beijing’s increasing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Chinese EVs still cheaper than Teslas in U.S. after tariff hike — The 100% duty on EVs, announced Friday and set to take effect Sept. 27, follows a four-year review prompted by what the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative called unfair trade practices.
- China’s restaurants battle for solo diners, from pizza to hot pot — A pizza is typically shared by families or friends, but a new Pizza Hut store in China’s southern tech hub of Shenzhen aims to change that perception as it grapples with the country’s demographics.
- Struggling Chinese supermarket borrows from tiny rival’s playbook — At a Yonghui supermarket in the city of Xi’an in early September, associates were busy checking the shelves to make sure that goods were displayed neatly, with the product names facing forward.
- Alibaba fintech arm Ant Group buys Chinese health platform HaoDF — As of Wednesday, an Ant affiliate became the full owner of HaoDF’s operating company, according to Chinese registry data. HaoDF founder Wang Hang is no longer a shareholder in the company.
Bloomberg
- TikTok Appeal of US Ban Over China Ties to Be Argued in Court — Chinese-owned social media app TikTok takes its fight against a US ban to the next level in the American court system Monday.
- To Catch Up in EVs, Detroit Needs to Invite China In — There’s lots Ford and GM could learn from the likes of BYD about building affordable electric cars.
- China Claims Chipmaking Gear Advance Despite Tightening US Curbs — China has claimed a breakthrough in the development of homegrown chipmaking equipment, an important step in overcoming US sanctions designed to thwart Beijing’s semiconductor goals.
- China’s Masses No Longer a Money-Spinner as Grain Hunger Fades — Warehouses across China are bulging with grain as a deepening economic crisis takes hold, leaving the world’s farmers to grapple with the prospect of a long-lasting slowdown gripping one of their largest customers.
- Opinion: $1 Trillion Isn’t Enough for Pentagon to Stay Ahead of China, Russia — Russia and China are on war footing while the Pentagon struggles to modernize ships, subs and nukes. By Hal Brands.
Reuters
- China’s carrot-and-stick with EU trading partners start to pay off — European Union members such as Germany, Finland and Sweden that have not pushed for the tariffs would feel less impact, with little exposure to the export items singled out by China. China’s tactics appear to be working.
- China stored massive volumes of crude oil in August on soft prices — This was the biggest flow to inventories since June 2023, when 2.1 million bpd were added to stockpiles, and was also a sharp increase from the 280,000 bpd added in July.
- Italy backs EU’s tariffs on Chinese electric cars — Minister Wang Wentao is visiting Europe for discussions on the European Union’s anti-subsidy case against China-made EVs as the vote on more tariffs looms.
Other Publications
- Foreign Affairs: The Case Against the China Consensus — Why the Next American President Must Step Back From Confrontation.
- The Economist: How China’s communists fell in love with privatisation — Even though they are not very good at it.