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
- China Gets More Airtime Around the World as Voice of America Signs Off — Chinese state media has expanded its reach from Indonesia to Nigeria after Trump’s March order to dismantle U.S. government-funded outlets.
- How China’s BYD Is Squeezing Suppliers in the EV Price War — The automaker often pays suppliers with an IOU. Some suppliers wait months before the notes can be cashed in.
- Your Next Lawn Chair Is Coming From Vietnam, but It’s Still Kind of Chinese — Manufacturers from China push across border to dodge tariffs, potentially undermining Trump’s goal of reducing U.S. dependence on Beijing.
- In the Hills of Australia, Pacific Allies Are Training to Fight China — Australian, Japanese and U.S. troops expand joint training as Beijing flexes its military power.
- Pentagon Official at Center of Weapons Pause on Ukraine Wants U.S. to Focus on China — Memo highlighting U.S. weapons shortages influenced decision to pause some arms shipments to Kyiv.
- How China’s Military Is Flexing Its Power in the Pacific — The U.S. sounds the alarm and calls on allies to do more as Beijing’s forces venture further from its shores.
- China’s Exports Beat Expectations After Trade Truce With U.S. — Outbound shipments rose 5.8% in June from a year earlier.
The Financial Times
- U.S. demands to know what allies would do in event of war over Taiwan — Trump administration says it is trying to prevent war but raises eyebrows by calling for commitments from Australia and Japan
- China falls for U.S.-style bulk buying at Sam’s Club despite trade tensions — Walmart’s warehouse chain hits sweet spot to become one of the fastest-growing foreign retailers in the country.
- China approves $35bn Synopsys chip software deal after U.S. eases export curbs — Beijing’s antitrust regulator had paused process in May as Trump administration tightened access to chip design tools.
- China’s exports jump in June amid trade war truce with U.S. — Strong trade data come ahead of second-quarter GDP growth expected to cheer Beijing.
- Venture capital investors place bets on demand for battery swapping — Start-ups operating across India, Japan, Spain and Taiwan look to plug a gap in charging networks.
- Chinese biotech shares surge as Big Pharma looks to license cancer treatments — Sector returns are over 60% this year, with investors impressed by rapid pace of innovation.
- EU to step up foreign subsidy probes, antitrust chief says — Teresa Ribera indicates room for co-operation with Beijing on climate change despite trade tensions.
The New York Times
- Why the U.S. Is Way Behind China in Making Drones for War — A four-day test in the Alaska wilderness shows how far the U.S. military and American drone companies lag behind China in the technology.
- Chinese University Expels Woman for ‘Improper Contact’ With a Foreigner — The university published the student’s full name and said her behavior had “damaged national dignity.” The move prompted an online debate and accusations of sexism.
- China Is Buying Appliances and iPhones. What Happens When the Subsidies Stop? — Shoppers are taking advantage of a $42 billion government trade-in program aimed at boosting spending. But in recent weeks, some cities have started to cut back on the subsidies.
- Opinion: We Warned About the First China Shock. The Next One Will Be Worse. — The Trump administration is fighting the last war while China marches toward dominating the industries of the future. By David Autor and Gordon Hanson.
Caixin
- Controversial Mind-Body Therapy Attracts Over 1 Million Chinese Seeking Miraculous Cures — Marketed as low-cost healing, the therapy is drawing scrutiny over unproven claims, emotional manipulation and suspected abuse of public insurance.
- China Tightens Long-Term Performance Metrics to Channel Insurance Funds into Markets — The new performance assessment rules place greater weight on long-term return on equity.
- Zurich China Pays Out $19.5 Million After U.S. Child Swallows Battery — Insurer’s client, a Chinese exporter, settles case in which an allegedly defective remote control led to severe injuries.
- TikTok Denies Report of Separate U.S. App That Could Pave Way for Sale — The ByteDance-owned company called the news story ‘factually inaccurate,’ adding that it was ‘based on anonymous uninformed sources.’
South China Morning Post
- Why China’s luxury hotels are selling street food to survive — High-end hotels ditch banquets for fried rice amid weak consumption and tighter controls on lavish official spending.
- China’s kindergartens grapple with economic impact of plunge in prospective pupils — With fewer children being born in China, the country’s kindergartens are struggling to find a viable way forward.
- ‘Caught off guard’: China’s garment makers cut out of U.S. market as tariffs bite — U.S. apparel imports from China have plunged dramatically since April – and fashion companies plan further reductions.
- Tech takes centre stage as Chinese students weigh up major choices — China’s universities are enrolling more engineering students amid intensified technological competition with the United States.
Nikkei Asia
- Hong Kong retail gets mainland makeover as Chinese brands move in — From EVs to Meituan food deliveries and Mixue bubble tea, newcomers push out rivals.
- Mexico to allow exports of China’s favored ‘cocaine of the sea’ — Smuggled totoaba swim bladder reportedly sells for $8,500 per kilogram.
- China’s anime, comic and video game IP market swells to $83bn — Bilibili World event draws hundreds of thousands in nod to 2D characters’ popularity.
- China’s Hesai appeals US court ruling supporting blacklist inclusion — LiDAR sensor-maker vows to protect reputation and seek fair treatment.
- Pakistan courts Chinese investors ahead of $250m panda bond debut — Move aims to cut borrowing costs and enter China’s financial markets.
Bloomberg
- China Biotech’s Stunning Advance Is Changing the World’s Drug Pipeline — Chinese biotech’s advance has been as ferocious as the nation’s breakthrough efforts in AI and EVs, eclipsing the EU and catching up to the U.S.
- Once-in-a-Generation Copper Trade Upends a $250 Billion Market — The Aug. 1 deadline for Trump’s 50% copper tariffs signals the endgame for the most profitable trade that industry veterans say they have ever seen.
- ‘The Turbulence Is Brutal’: Four Shark Tank Businesses on Tariffs — Despite the wild swings in trade policies, these entrepreneurs say the math on reshoring doesn’t work for them.
- Xi’s Price-War Campaign Creates a Buzz in China’s Stock Market — Investors are hopeful that a more coordinated policy response to tackle the drivers of deflation is on its way.
- OpenAI Challenger Zhipu Said to Weigh Shifting IPO to Hong Kong — Zhipu, one of a handful of Chinese startups trying to take on OpenAI globally, had been initially preparing for a domestic listing in China.
Reuters
- China’s exporters rush to beat Trump’s next big tariff deadline — Chinese producers are also hedging their bets and racing to grab market share in economies closer to home.
- Wealth funds warm to active management — and China — to weather volatility, report shows — Wealth funds are seeing a major resurgence in interest in Chinese assets with nearly 60% intending to increase allocations there in the coming five years, specifically the tech sector.
Other Publications
- The Washington Post: In China, the master’s degree is the new bachelor’s degree — College graduates are returning to school just to have a chance in a job market marred by China’s shaky post-pandemic recovery.
- The Guardian: Caught in the contest between China and the West, the Cook Islands asks where its future lies — After the Pacific nation struck deals with Beijing, New Zealand abruptly cut off millions of dollars in critical aid and funding.
- Rest of World: TikTok’s messy merger in Indonesia could be a preview of what’s to come in the U.S. — A year after merging with local giant Tokopedia, TikTok’s business model is alienating sellers, forcing many to join rival platforms.
- New Statesman: Xi Jinping’s daddy issues — The Chinese president’s concept of power was forged by the suffering life of his revolutionary father, Xi Zhongxun.
