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
- How China Secretly Pays Iran for Oil and Avoids U.S. Sanctions — A hidden funding conduit has deepened economic ties between the two U.S. rivals in defiance of Washington’s efforts to isolate Tehran.
- Opinion: EU Climate Rules Help China Hurt the Environment — Beijing pretends to comply, leaders in Brussels play along, and American companies bear the regulatory brunt. By Jeremy Furchtgott.
The Financial Times
- China reroutes clothes exports to Europe after US tariffs upset trade — European textiles industry body says Chinese companies are selling in ‘aggressive’ way.
- China’s charm offensive in India’s backyard — Beijing’s new diplomatic forays in south Asia have stoked New Delhi fears of being ‘encircled’.
- UK government undermined China spying probe to protect Beijing ties, say officials — Prosecution case collapsed after senior security advisers said they would not testify that China was an ‘enemy’.
- Hong Kong’s bottled tea leader tests tastes in response to China’s fresh-brew trend — Vitasoy seeks to innovate with flavours such as ‘fragrant duck poo’ to win over young consumers.
- Opinion: Shanghai sees its own mythology in ancient Egypt — As one of the world’s ancient civilisations, China emphasises the continuity of its own history. By Thomas Hale.
The New York Times
- Typhoon Matmo Makes Landfall in Southern China — The tropical cyclone disrupted transportation, forced more than 151,000 evacuations and raised fears of flooding as it barreled toward Guangdong Province.
Caixin
- Beijing Earmarks Funds to Upgrade Tourist Payments and Services — Government will spend up to 3 billion yuan across 15 cities to improve commercial infrastructure and multilingual services for travelers.
South China Morning Post
- China could double down on talent build-up but with strong headwinds — Recruitment of elite academics from overseas universities is part of China’s strategic plan to surge ahead of global competition.
- How imperial China’s political ideas inform today’s Western societies — American art historian Martin Powers sets the record straight on Western misinterpretations of China and its culture.
- US retreat from UN may create ‘tremendous opportunity’ for nations like China — Global body is at a crossroads, and observers say a ‘leaderless’ era could emerge during second Trump administration.
- Is AI a blessing or a curse for China’s new generation of writers? — Some are grappling with ‘looming uncertainty’ over the emerging technology while others say it can be useful for the creative process.
- China targets Gen Z, millennials in new digital strategy to build its brand in Africa — Kenyan social media stars showcase China’s striking scenery, culture, history and cuisine in glitzy new promotional campaign.
Nikkei Asia
- China’s panda bond market gives Beijing more political punch — Growing numbers of Belt and Road countries consider increasing their yuan debt.
- China accuses US envoy to Panama of ‘lies’ over its influence — Spat renews canal tensions weeks ahead of likely Trump-Xi meeting.
- China’s anxious parents derail drive to lighten study loads — Worries over darkening career prospects undermine Beijing’s curbs on schoolwork.
- Ladakh unrest exposes India’s uneasy governance at China border — Current discontent risks creating another unstable area in strategically important region.
- US corn exports seen at record high after shift from China-bound soybeans — Farmers changed crops in response to trade war, driving down prices.
Bloomberg
- China Hawks Grow Queasy Over Trump’s Push for Deals With Beijing — Hawks fear they’re being sidelined inside the administration as the tech industry’s influence grows.
- Chinese Cars for Iranian Copper: How Sanctions Revived Barter Trade — The age-old art of barter is making a comeback.
- China Is Beating the US in the Battle for Energy Export Dominance — China’s exports of clean energy technology hit a record in August, with $20 billion shipped globally.
- Chinese Pressure Shreds Taiwan’s Relationship With South Africa — South Africa wants to dilute things further, after years of broken formal ties in favor of relations with Beijing.
- Opinion: The US Needs Better Ways to Defend Against Drones — China could pin down American forces with waves of aerial attacks. Finding cheaper and more effective means of protecting troops must be a top priority. By The Editorial Board.
Reuters
- China bets on Europe for self-driving tech expansion — Beijing is pushing its companies to dominate autonomous-vehicle development globally while crafting national regulations to provide a clear roadmap at home.
- How China waged an infowar against U.S. interests in the Philippines — An official said the government was aware “third-party proxies” echoed Chinese talking points that were then circulated by fake accounts “in an attempt to give it virality.”
- Senior US senator wants to boost pressure on China over Taiwan — The Chinese foreign ministry said the United States should strictly abide by the one-China principle — under which China claims the democratically governed Taiwan as its own.
Other Publications
- Foreign Affairs: The U.S.-China Crisis Waiting to Happen — Beijing’s Reluctance to Engage With the U.S. Military Has Never Been More Dangerous.
- Rest of World: Young people in China are embracing AI therapy — Cheap, accessible, and friendly AI tools can augment scarce professional help, but there are risks to overreliance on the technology.
- The Guardian: China threatened to retaliate against UK over foreign influence rules — Chinese officials warned that targeting its security apparatus would negatively affect relations.
- BBC: How China is challenging Nvidia’s AI chip dominance — “The competition has undeniably arrived,” a spokesperson for Nvidia told the BBC in response to queries about the recent progress made by Chinese chip firms.
