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 to Impose Special Port Fees on U.S. Vessels — China’s Ministry of Transportation said Friday the fees will be collected on vessels owned by U.S. companies, organizations, or individuals.
- Volkswagen Deliveries Rise Despite Weakness in China and North America — Group vehicle deliveries rose 1% globally on year to 2.2 million.
- China’s Rare-Earth Escalation Threatens Trade Talks—and the Global Economy — President Trump says the administration is weighing a U.S. response to Beijing’s newest restrictions.
- America’s Manufacturing Resurgence Will Be Powered by These Robots — China has more industrial robots than the rest of the world combined, but newer, more flexible robots are keeping smaller U.S. manufacturers in the fight.
- U.K. Government Accused of Scuttling China Spying Case — The case against a parliamentary researcher and one other person was dropped after the government didn’t define China as a threat.
The Financial Times
- China opens probe into Qualcomm and imposes retaliatory fees on US ships — Moves come as Beijing seeks leverage ahead of face-to-face meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
- Taiwan accelerates ‘T-dome’ missile plan against China threat — President Lai Ching-te says ‘safety net’ would include high-altitude detection and interception capabilities.
- EU should combat ‘plundering’ China as ‘lifestyle superpower’, says aid chief — Brussels aims to use its €300bn aid programme for geopolitical muscle, says commissioner Jozef Sikela.
- China launches customs crackdown on Nvidia AI chips — Stringent border checks come after Beijing orders tech companies to stop ordering US processors.
- The ‘profound’ global impact of China’s rise as an electrostate — The country’s companies now dominate many clean technology industries.
- NBA returns to China after 6-year rift triggered by Hong Kong protests — Basketball league restarts pre-season games in bid to revive business in its most important international market.
- Opinion: How China could pull ahead in the AI race — It has the advantage on both energy and practical application. By Dan Wang.
The New York Times
- Why China Built 162 Square Miles of Solar Panels on the World’s Highest Plateau — China is using the high-altitude expanse for immense solar panel farms and wind turbines and has begun work on the world’s largest hydroelectric dams.
- State Department Fires Diplomat, Citing Relationship With Chinese National — The foreign service officer failed to disclose his contact with the woman, the daughter of a Chinese Communist Party official, the State Department said.
- A Mystery C.E.O. and Billions in Sales: Is China Buying Banned Nvidia Chips? — An executive of a Singaporean firm called Megaspeed socialized with Nvidia’s Jensen Huang. Now the company is being scrutinized by U.S. officials for its ties to China.
Caixin
- Former ICBC Ally of Fallen Finance Czar Yi Huiman Unreachable — Shi Gang, a former head of the bank’s powerful Beijing branch, has lost contact, sources say.
- Foreign Investors Are Returning to Chinese Stocks, but Will They Stay? — The fundamental question is whether China’s tech narrative and policy support can outweigh its weak demand.
- Beijing Urged to Ease Barriers on Private Firms’ Overseas Investment — Call from policy adviser comes as China’s foreign direct investment slipped 1.7% in the first eight months.
- Central Asia Shines as Chinese Tourists Flock Abroad for Golden Week — An eight-day break saw China’s international flights and border crossings jump by double digits, with flight volumes to some Central Asian nations soaring past pre-pandemic levels.
- Shanghai Court Looks to Better Protect Businesses in Criminal Cases — New guidelines follow a number of legal measures designed to support the private sector, including a national law that took effect in May.
South China Morning Post
- Beijing’s top intelligence agency names Taiwanese agents, flags ‘troll army’ stirring tensions — Taiwanese military intelligence official and media firm carrying out propaganda and sabotage activities, state security ministry says.
- Trump threatens to halt Chinese imports – while counting on Xi Jinping to buy US soybeans — Although Trump has sounded certain about meeting Xi later this month, the Chinese government has not made any official announcement yet.
- Opinion: How China is engineering Asia’s rise as the world’s leading EV factory — Systematic Chinese investments and tech transfers are being embraced, especially in Southeast Asia, in contrast to Western decoupling efforts. By Hamzah Rifaat.
Nikkei Asia
- Chinese container ship set to dock in UK after maiden Arctic voyage — Beijing’s ‘Polar Silk Road’ dream comes true with much shorter, but riskier, journey.
- China’s rare-earths shock: 5 things to know about the latest curbs — Tech manufacturers are braced for disruption but non-China producers could get a boost.
- North Korean defector gives glimpse into tricky Russia, China ties — Ex-diplomat reveals divisions over Ukraine war, awkward ‘blood alliance’ with Beijing.
- China eyes national personal bankruptcy system to bolster entrepreneurs — Beijing looks to make it easier to start businesses in emerging fields.
- Opinion: Global carmakers must stay in China so they can compete outside China — Departing could leave them unready for next wave of Chinese competition overseas. By Hans Greimel.
Bloomberg
- China Flexing Battery Supply-Chain Clout With Fresh Export Curbs — China’s new export controls over parts of the battery supply chain are the latest sign Beijing is willing to leverage its dominance over an industry vital to the energy transition.
- Tesla’s China Shipments Rise at Start of Busy Sales Season — The carmaker shipped 90,812 units from the plant last month, up 2.8% from a year earlier, according to preliminary data released by China’s Passenger Car Association.
- US Weighs Action Against China-Linked Router Giant TP-Link — The Trump administration is considering whether to take a major step toward restricting the US operations of TP-Link, whose Wi-Fi equipment is popular in the American market.
- Why Rare Earths Are China’s Trump Card in Trade War With US — Rare earths are among the most critical raw materials on the planet, deeply embedded in the technologies that underpin modern life.
- Opinion: Is It Really So Hard for the UK to Call China a Threat? — Keir Starmer’s government promised a strategic approach to China, but the collapse of a spying case against two Britons shows little has changed. By Matthew Brooker.
Reuters
- Trump proposes barring Chinese airlines from flying over Russia on US routes — The proposal is another escalation of the trade war and was announced after Beijing on Thursday tightened controls for rare earths exports.
- What are the latest sticking points in US-China tensions? — Beijing is stacking up its bargaining chips ahead of expected U.S.-China talks when Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping visit South Korea’s Gyeongju.
- The China crude oil storage conundrum gives price floor and ceiling — The market is forced to rely on unnamed sources within the oil sector for a drip feed of information, which is not definitive on what the world’s largest buyer of crude is actually doing.
Other Publications
- Foreign Policy: China’s Tibetan Mega-Dam Is Veiled in Secrecy — Nobody knows what the impact of the world’s biggest hydropower project will be.
- Foreign Affairs: Fighting China, Fast and Slow — The Real Logistics Challenge in the Taiwan Strait
- The Economist: Xi Jinping is personally involved in China’s new five-year plan — Wonks are falling over themselves to offer suggestions for spurring growth.
- The Washington Post: Opinion: The China threat is overblown — it loves America too much — The nation’s superpower aspirations require adopting U.S. culture and capitalism. By John Tammy.
