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
- Five Takeaways From China’s Military Drills Around Taiwan — Beijing encircled the island this week and warned outsiders to stay away.
- How Meta’s Newest Acquisition Target Got Around Worries Over Its Ties to China — The $2.5 billion deal could herald a new era for China-linked AI companies and U.S. investors.
- China’s Factory Activity Gauges Signal Return to Growth — China’s factory activity signaled a return to growth in December, according to both official and private surveys, an improvement likely to help Beijing achieve its growth target for the year.
The Financial Times
- Xi says China has hit 2025 growth target — Leader hails ‘new heights’ for economy, technology and defence in year racked by trade turmoil.
- EU to launch carbon border tax despite opposition from trade partners — The inclusion of steel products in the new levy has been a particular bone of contention for China.
- China factory activity returns to growth after record contraction — Beijing faces calls to increase stimulus and support lagging demand in world’s second-biggest economy.
The New York Times
- Inside China’s Six-Decade Campaign to Dominate Rare Earths — From Deng Xiaoping to Xi Jinping, generations of Communist Party bosses and military leaders invested in a strategic but heavily polluting industry.
- Cheap Solar Is Transforming Lives and Economies Across Africa — Chinese panels are now so affordable that businesses and families are snapping them up, slashing their bills and challenging utilities.
Caixin
- Ousted PE Executive Tests Power and Profit Sharing in China’s Mixed-Ownership Funds — Despite court wins, Mao Jiangtao, a former PE manager remains locked out as profit dispute drags on.
- China Extends Consumer Stimulus to 2026, Cuts Back on Home Appliance Support — $8.9 billion plan narrows eligible products, ups energy standards, and scraps subsidies for home renovations.
- Qinghai Salt Lake Industry to Acquire Peer in State-Led Lithium Push — The deal will integrate assets under the newly formed China Salt Lake Industry Group, resolving internal competition and aiming to create an industrial base for lithium and potash.
- China’s Imported Car Sales Hit Decade Low Amid EV Onslaught — Decline marks fourth straight year of sliding sales, driven by the rise of domestic electric vehicles and a consumer shift to lower-priced models.
- Beijing Drafts Law to Standardize and Fund Child-Care Services — The National People’s Congress reviews a bill making child care a basic public service, aiming to fix high costs and low usage rates.
South China Morning Post
- US envoy backs ‘free, open’ Indo-Pacific at Quad meeting in Beijing amid PLA Taiwan drills — Some analysts, however, say Quad is losing significance under Trump despite this latest show of unity and deterrence by the regional bloc.
- China’s Shenzhen targets AI in ‘every household’ as US tech rivalry heats up — Local officials want to embed cutting-edge tech across society in coming five-year plan.
- Opinion: If Trump wants a deal with China, he must rein in US allies in Asia — From Manila to Tokyo, domestic political dynamics are increasing the risks of a dangerous confrontation between Washington and Beijing. By Peter T. C. Chang.
Nikkei Asia
- Flying taxis set to take off in China, UAE in 2026 — Joby, EHang and Archer ready eVTOL aircraft for commercial service.
- Japanese companies still have chance in China: Itochu CEO — Trading house chief cites restaurants, sports goods as areas of opportunity.
- Chinese bookings at Japan hotels surge for Lunar New Year despite tensions — Reservations up 57% from previous year thanks mostly to individual travelers.
Bloomberg
- Alibaba, Abu Dhabi Back MiniMax IPO in Landmark China AI Moment — MiniMax secured backing from Alibaba and Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund for its Hong Kong debut, one of several AI firms listing in 2026 in a milestone for China’s AI industry.
- China Takes Record Share of Europe’s EV Market in November — Chinese carmakers captured a record 12.8% of Europe’s electric-vehicle market in November, building on gains made this year despite the cost of European Union tariffs.
- Opinion: It’s a Good Time to Enjoy China’s Fanciest Liquor — The classic tipple is no longer a solid investment, as its price has been closely correlated with real estate prices, which have been declining. By Juliana Liu.
Reuters
- Nvidia sounds out TSMC on new H200 chip order as China demand jumps — Chinese technology companies have placed orders for more than 2 million H200 chips for 2026, while Nvidia currently holds just 700,000 units in stock, sources said.
- Mexico to hike tariffs on China starting Thursday — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and members of her administration have said the tariffs seek to bolster domestic production and address trade imbalances.
- China imposes curbs on beef imports to protect domestic industry — The tariffs will help curb the decline in China’s breeding cow inventory and buy time for domestic beef enterprises to make adjustments and upgrades.
Other Publications
- Foreign Policy: China’s Three Trump Lessons — Zongyuan Zoe Liu on how the world could handle the new Washington in 2026.
- Foreign Affairs: The Case for a Grand Bargain Between America and China — How Trump and Xi Can Reset Relations.
- AP: China Vanke’s near-default exposes fragility of the faltering recovery in the property industry — Years after the downturn in the housing market began, Chinese developers are still struggling to regain their footing.
- The Economist: China’s wind giants are coming for Europe — Protectionism and security concerns may yet halt their advance.
- The Guardian: ‘A little light in the dark’: the former Chinese police officer bringing bubble tea to wartorn Ukraine — Brother Dong is one of a growing band of Chinese volunteers who are lending their support to Ukraine.
- ProPublica: Trump Signs Defense Bill Prohibiting China-Based Engineers in Pentagon IT Work — The measure, which emerged in response to a ProPublica investigation, bars Microsoft engineers in China and other adversarial countries from servicing sensitive Pentagon cloud computing systems.
