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
- Pony AI Is Scaling Up Its Robotaxi Fleet, Plans to Turn Profitable by 2029 — The company has more than 300 robotaxis in China, and is partnering with automakers to ramp up production and expand the fleet.
The Financial Times
- Chinese authorities summon Walmart executives over Trump’s tariffs — Move comes after reports that retailer asked its suppliers to cut prices in response to U.S. levies.
- U.S. communications regulator to create council to counter China tech threats — Move comes as FCC’s remit has broadened in face of hostile acts by Beijing.
- China steels itself for Trump turmoil with ‘DeepSeek congress’ — Annual session of rubber stamp parliament highlights Beijing’s shifting priorities amid AI breakthroughs and U.S. tariffs.
- Opinion: China’s obesity crisis is big business — Pharmaceutical groups are rushing to dominate a market that will grow to 900mn people by 2030. By Lex.
The New York Times
- To Get Big in China, N.B.A. Stars Enlist Social Media Surrogates —Companies like East Goes Global manage accounts for N.B.A. players, expanding their reach, creating business opportunities and pushing for All-Star votes.
- ‘Let’s Not Talk About It’: 5 Years Later, China’s Covid Shadow Lingers — People who endured the longest Covid restrictions in the world are still grappling with what they lost: their loved ones, their livelihoods, their dignity.
- China Cools on Musk: ‘Two Cars for the Price of One Tesla’ — Elon Musk, the company’s chief executive, is fast losing out to Chinese electric carmakers in Tesla’s second-most-important market.
- Plans for a Chinese Port Roil the Politics of a Former Soviet Nation — Georgia’s government sparked an uproar by announcing that a port project on the Black Sea will be awarded to a company from China after canceling a contract with a consortium that included Western firms.
Caixin
- China’s Two Sessions Report Boosts Investor Confidence, as Stocks Upgraded to ‘Overweight’ — Investors approve of China’s economic outlook with flow of funds into equities.
- China’s Home Appliance Exports Grow as Makers Eye Emerging, High-End Markets — Overseas shipments rose 14.8% last year to $128.6 billion.
South China Morning Post
- China develops new high-protein corn to replace foreign soybeans — The new varieties could be used as a substitute for soybeans in animal feed, reducing China’s grain imports by millions of tonnes.
- Freed from U.S. jail, top immunologist picked up where he left off – in China — Song Guo Zheng was jailed for failing to disclose his China ties under a controversial initiative to counter alleged Chinese espionage.
- Chinese bonds’ biggest bull run in a decade stumbles as re-rated stocks take the spotlight — The bond market’s mood will be tested on Friday, when the Ministry of Finance is scheduled to auction 167 billion yuan of two-year government bonds.
Nikkei Asia
- Will China face same fate as post-bubble Japan? — Beijing moves to inject public funds into state-owned banks, albeit quietly.
- Apple’s struggles in China extend to earphones and tablets — Consumers flock to more affordable local brands amid economic malaise.
- Malaysian EV brands try to give China’s BYD a run for its money — Proton and Perodua seek inroads into market dominated by foreign automakers.
- China front-loading choppy as Trump uncertainty washes over trade — Threats of even higher U.S. tariffs and hefty port fees keep shippers on edge.
Bloomberg
- Why China Is Struggling to Escape a Cycle of Deflation — Chinese policymakers have pledged to do more to shore up economic growth and ease the price declines.
Reuters
- Tesla working with Baidu to improve assisted driving system in China, sources say — The deepening relationship with Baidu comes as Tesla navigates data and regulatory restrictions imposed by Beijing and Washington.
Other Publications
- BBC: U.S. tech firms feel pinch from China tariffs — The price of China-made smartphones, TVs and laptops could rise in the US and elsewhere, experts warn.
- The Information: TikTok Executives Bail as Ban Deadline Looms — Their departures come amid deep uncertainty about TikTok’s fate in the U.S.
- Foreign Affairs: How to Toughen Up Taiwan — America must help the island deal with China’s gray-zone tactics.
- Brookings: What Beijing wants from a U.S.-China trade war — Taken together, China’s responses seem designed to demonstrate resolve while not foreclosing the prospect of negotiations.
