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.
Paid subscribers automatically have this list emailed directly to their inboxes every day by 10 a.m. EST. Subscribe here.
The Wall Street Journal
- Chinese Exporters Hunt for Alternatives to ‘Irreplaceable’ U.S. Buyers — At industry gathering in Shenzhen, factory owners confront the possible end of an era.
- Xi’s Message in Rare Meeting With Global CEOs: Defend Trade — Globalization is an ‘unstoppable historical trend,’ Chinese leader tells foreign businesspeople.
- Hegseth Tells Asian Allies: We’re With You Against China — Defense secretary declares a shift in U.S. priority to a region looking for signs of a stable relationship.
- Opinion: When Beijing’s Bullies Come to Town — I’ve learned firsthand that China will seek to snuff out my activism wherever I live. By Bob Fu.
The Financial Times
- TSMC’s $100bn pledge to Donald Trump will not revive US chipmaking, says ex-Intel chief — Pat Gelsinger, who has taken on a role at a venture capital firm, says U.S. must boost R&D to gain ‘semiconductor leadership.’
- China’s Xi meets foreign CEOs to urge trade stability — Exhortation to ‘not blindly follow’ disruptive actions comes amid rising tensions with U.S.
- Opinion: U.S. auto tariffs help Chinese EVs to race ahead — BYD’s technological advances show where the centre of innovation now lies. By The Editorial Board.
The New York Times
- Xi Jinping Meets Global Business Leaders Amid Trade Tensions — German investment in China’s auto industry has been one of the few bright spots as foreign investment has slowed to a crawl.
- Trump Could Hand China a ‘Strategic Victory’ by Silencing Voice of America — Generations of Chinese, including our columnist, turned to U.S. government-run outlets for an education in democracy, rights and the English language.
- Hegseth Seeks to Reassure Allies on First Official Trip to Asia — At his first stop in the Philippines, the U.S. defense secretary promised to strengthen deterrence against Chinese “threats” in the region. He also plans to visit Japan.
Caixin
- Wall Street Turns Bullish on China as Hong Kong Stocks Lead Global Rally — U.S. finance houses raise targets for Chinese equity indexes as market sentiment shifts.
- The Rapid Rise of Robots Is Transforming China’s Manufacturing — Component prices must tumble if mass production of robots is to be viable, say experts.
- In Charm Offensive, Xi Meets With Cream of the Corporate Crop — President gives nod to importance of foreign investment as he talks up China’s commitment to a fair playing field for businesses.
South China Morning Post
- Chinese state banks’ 2024 profits rise and bad loans dwindle even as margins narrow — All six state-owned commercial banks posted moderate profit growth for last year, as non-performing loan ratios declined slightly.
- BlackRock sells Shanghai tower at 34% discount as it pulls back from China property — The US firm is selling its last major asset in the city, Trinity Place, for 900 million yuan (US$124 million), according to sources.
- Hong Kong’s Hutchison ‘will not sign Panama deal next week’, Beijing to launch probe — Beijing to launch antitrust probe into deal by Li Ka-shing’s conglomerate.
Nikkei Asia
- Bangladesh says Xi would consider lowering interest on Chinese loans — Water resource management, free trade discussed as interim leader Yunus visits China.
- SMIC, other Chinese companies accused of illegal operations in Taiwan — Massive six-city investigation comes amid concerns over Beijing aggression.
Bloomberg
- Trump Targets Chinese IP Theft Again as Firms Lament Slow Fixes — Entrepreneurs say they still see imitation products cropping up all over.
- Trump’s Tariff Threats Are Freezing Chinese Investment in Mexico — The once budding China-Mexico relationship has frosted over with both sides pulling back.
Reuters
- Exclusive: Satellite images show fresh Chinese bomber deployment in South China Sea — It’s Beijing’s latest move to assert sovereignty over a hotly disputed atoll in the South China Sea.
- Myanmar rebels disrupt China rare earth trade, sparking regional scramble — Chinese imports of rare earth oxides and compounds from Myanmar dropped to 311 metric tons in February, down 89% compared to the year-ago period.
Other Publications
- The Information: Chinese Startup Behind Manus AI Agent Seeks $500 Million Valuation — More U.S. investors are starting to pay close attention to Chinese AI products after the rise of DeepSeek.
- The Economist: The Chinese government is cracking down on predatory law enforcement — Extortion by local officials causes a lot of anger.
- WIRED: Inside Maye Musk’s Cozy Relationship With China — As Elon Musk continues to expand his political power in the US, his mother has repeatedly traveled to China to speak at events, model for Chinese brands, and promote Tesla.
- The Guardian: China looks south as it seeks to reduce reliance on a capricious United States — China wants to protect against the volatility of Trump’s tariffs, and now has more than a dozen free trade agreements with global south countries.
- The Atlantic: The Chinese Communist Party’s Ultimate Taboo — Fang Fang’s newly translated novel uncovers the brutal, buried history of land reform in China.
