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 Shows Unity With Russia and North Korea, but Divisions Linger — Xi’s embrace of Putin and Kim sent a powerful message, but those relationships remain, at least for now, far short of a military or political alliance.
- Uber, China’s Momenta to Start Testing Robotaxi Services in Munich — Momenta’s advanced autonomous driving technology will be integrated with Uber’s global platform.
- ‘Breakneck’: Lawyers vs. Technocrats — The United States is a ‘lawyerly society’ that excels at obstruction. China is an ‘engineering state’ dedicated to technological supremacy.
- Chinese Hackers Pretended to Be a Top U.S. Lawmaker During Trade Talks — The FBI is investigating a scheme to spy on trade groups using fake emails from China committee chair Rep. John Moolenaar.
- The Rivalry That Won’t Quit: Steph and LeBron Take the Sneaker Wars to China — The basketball stars travel across the globe to pitch Under Armour and Nike sneakers, but rival Chinese brands are on a streak.
- Beijing’s New Playbook for Trade Talks: Keep Talking but Give No Ground — China sent a trade envoy to Washington with a clear message: We’re willing to talk, but we’re not ready to make a deal.
- When Adidas, Crocs and Vans Want to Sell More in China, They Call This Designer — As sales weaken in China, U.S. and European brands are collaborating with local artists like Zhang Quan to appeal to young Chinese consumers.
- ‘The Highest Exam’: China’s Big Test — Students who sit for college-entrance exams in China have reached the culmination of years of preparation. The outcome can have far-reaching effects.
- China to Impose Antidumping Measures on EU Pork, Commerce Ministry Says — Importers will be required to pay duties ranging from 15.6% to 62.4% starting Wednesday.
- Opinion: Trump Can Spoil a Phony Xi-Putin Friendship — Splitting the leaders isn’t only possible—it is the key to defeating Beijing’s illusion of unity. By Miles Yu.
The Financial Times
- EU weighs sanctions on China for Russian energy imports — Discussions come after Trump administration signals willingness to go after Moscow’s revenues.
- Chinese exports grow at slowest rate in 6 months — Shipments to US fall 33% in August as trade war with Washington weighs on economy.
- China paves way for renminbi fundraising by Russian energy giants — Russian ‘panda bond’ sales would be first since 2017 and reflect deepening ties between Moscow and Beijing.
- Wakuku vs Labubu: Miniso challenges Pop Mart for collectible toy supremacy — Low-cost retailer joins wave of Chinese companies starting to design their own characters.
- Mandelson warns US and UK must unite to halt Chinese tech supremacy — US ambassador describes Beijing as west’s ‘most formidable modern competitor’.
- China launches corruption probe into former securities regulator chair — Yi Huiman was ousted from his position last year after the stock market took a hit.
- How Tokyo became an unexpected haven for China’s middle class — An aspirational generation of Chinese arrivals are beginning to shape Japan’s demographic, social and perhaps even political destiny.
- Trump and China reshape ‘east meets west’ role for Hong Kong university — US president’s tough stance on institutions has bolstered university’s appeal for students from mainland.
- Xi Jinping plots a post-American world — Led by China, a growing group of nations wants to change the global order — and they seem increasingly inclined to work together.
- Opinion: A China-Russia sweetheart gas deal could upset US energy exporters — Even without Power of Siberia 2, there was already a risk of superfluous LNG sloshing around the system. By Lex.
The New York Times
- Would Anyone Use a Chinese Stablecoin? — A new law in Hong Kong could pave the way for digital currencies tied to China.
- How Trump’s Blunt-Force Diplomacy Is Pushing His Rivals Together — Some of President Trump’s pressure tactics appear to have backfired, sending would-be allies into the embrace of China.
- U.S. Is Increasingly Exposed to Chinese Election Threats, Lawmakers Say — Two Democrats on the House China committee noted the use of A.I. by Chinese companies as a weapon in information warfare.
- Opinion: America Can’t Match China Without Allies — Size matters in great-power contests, and the U.S. can’t go it alone against China. By Kurt Campbell and Rush Doshi.
Caixin
- How the Renminbi is Taking Over the Dollar’s Role in Global Trade — Economists argue an offshore RMB stablecoin could offer a viable alternative to the dollar.
- Chinese Regions Dial Back Car Subsidies as Funds Dry Up — Multiple provinces in China are reining in vehicle trade-in subsidies, dealing a blow to auto sales and casting doubt on the durability of the national stimulus program.
- How Rock-and-Roll Saved a Remote Chinese School — Music has not only rescued Haiga Elementary from obsolescence, but also nurtured successive generations of “left-behind” children, giving them a stage that once seemed unimaginable.
- Citi Ends UnionPay Membership Amid China Consumer Banking Retreat — A person at the network told Caixin that the bank voluntarily applied to withdraw, directly tied to its strategic retreat from consumer banking.
- Opinion: As More Chinese Firms Go Abroad, Careful Planning Will Be the Key to Success — According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, the country’s nonfinancial foreign direct investment reached $143.9 billion in 2024, an increase of 10.5% from the previous year. By Caixin.
South China Morning Post
- Why Pentagon’s homeward shift may signal US power decline in ‘bad news’ for Taiwan — US Defence department officials have reportedly called for prioritising domestic and regional threats over countering China.
- What did China’s Victory Parade reveal about PLA space, cyber, information war plans? — Showcasing new branches signals China’s push to reshape combat strategy by integrating advanced tech for joint operations, analysts say.
- Oxford’s Ian Goldin on why globalisation is ‘alive and well’ in Asia — Professor and former World Bank official says globalisation will become ‘more Asian’ in wake of US policy, with China as a potential leader.
- Is Trump’s new-found love for Chinese students superficial? Experts think so — Slight increase in visa numbers to 600,000 over two years may not be enough to give certainty to families in China either, they warn.
- Opinion: Why America has always needed an enemy, even as a young republic — China is the latest in a long line of manufactured bogeymen used to justify an empire that is now in unmistakable retreat. By Alex Lo.
Nikkei Asia
- Shenzhen lifts some of last homebuying curbs in China’s top cities — Easing measures aim to halt persistent sales and price declines.
- Chinese auto lidar maker Hesai eyes $474m Hong Kong listing — US-blacklisted company files for dual listing after posting Q2 net profit.
- US, China to fight crucial battle for global supremacy in Latin America — Beijing steadily expands presence in what Washington considers its backyard.
- China’s Super League can learn from local league’s playbook — Community spirit and civic pride succeed in Jiangsu where billionaire owners failed.
- China-made espresso machines boom as domestic consumers tighten belts — Affordable offerings for homes and businesses take off, adding to competition.
Bloomberg
- US Mulls Annual China Chip Supply Permits for Samsung, Hynix — The compromise is aimed at preventing disruptions to the global electronics industry after Trump officials revoked Biden-era waivers that let the companies more easily get such shipments.
- China Puts First Sanctions on Japan Lawmaker Over Criticism — China has sanctioned a Japanese member of parliament for the first time, a move that may inflame ties with Tokyo.
- China Is Cranking Up Its LNG Trade With Russia in Test For Trump — China appears to be setting up a system to import regular cargoes of liquefied natural gas from a Russian project sanctioned by the US.
- Opinion: China Is Using the Pacific Islands to Squeeze Out Taiwan — Beijing doesn’t even have to show up to a key regional forum to achieve its goals. By Karishma Vaswani.
- Opinion: Wait for Stablecoins to Whip Up US-China Rivalry — Beijing is set to suspend its mistrust of crypto to stem the tide of dollar dominance. By Andy Mukherjee.
Reuters
- China’s e-commerce companies are getting singed by a price war — The likes of Alibaba, Meituan and JD.com have been flooding consumers with discounts and coupons to gain market share in the booming one-hour delivery segment, burning their cash in the process.
- China office developers offer sweeteners, lower rents to lure tenants — Empty offices are increasingly common, as the sector grapples with sluggish demand due to corporate cost-cutting.
- China pushing ASEAN to seal trade pact upgrade as US tariffs bite — “(China) will push for the formal signing of the protocol on upgrading the China-ASEAN free trade agreement version 3.0 by the end of the year,” Yan Dong said at a news conference.
- Trump, China in focus as Europe’s largest car show kicks off — European automakers at the IAA Mobility show in Munich, running until Friday, also face sinking sales in China, the biggest single market for Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
- China criticises Canadian, Australian warships transiting Taiwan Strait — The PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command said the Canadian frigate Ville de Quebec and the Australian guided-missile destroyer Brisbane were engaged in “trouble-making and provocation”.
Other Publications
- CFR: Xi, Modi, Putin, and the New Geopolitics — Trump’s policies towards India, including punitive secondary tariffs, risk undermining decades of US-India strategic partnership building—effectively pushing India closer towards China.
- POLITICO: Pentagon plan prioritizes homeland over China threat — This marks a major departure from the first Trump administration, which emphasized deterring Beijing.
- The Economist: “Dalifornication” grips China — On tour with the low-income leisure class.
- The Guardian: ‘There is only one player’: why China is becoming a world leader in green energy. — As US reneges on climate breakdown pledges, China’s response to crisis will shape geopolitics and our future.
- MIT Technology Review: How Yichao “Peak” Ji became a global AI app hitmaker — He developed Manus, one of the buzziest AI apps of the year, in the latest project that blends his technical prowess with killer consumer instincts.
- Foreign Policy: Opinion: Putin and Xi Have Different Plans to Live Forever — What a fixation with immortality says about two aging autocrats. By James Palmer.
