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
- Tesla Falls Behind China’s BYD as Vehicle Sales Drop for Second Year — End of U.S. subsidy for electric vehicles and flagging European demand dented global EV sales.
- Tiger Moms Battle for the Hottest Ticket in China: a Tour of a Factory Floor — Parents, ‘da ka’ tourists and car aficionados compete to win Xiaomi’s online lottery.
- Growth in China’s Service Activity Slows — Business sentiment jumped to a nine-month high, fueled by expectations of stronger market conditions in 2026.
The Financial Times
- London emerges as frontline in U.S.-China battle over robotaxis — Waymo and Baidu prepare to launch autonomous ride-hailing vehicles in UK capital as soon as 2026.
- China targets online vendors in tax crackdown — Beijing seeks to bolster revenues to compensate for slowing economic growth.
- How Southeast Asia is riding out Trump’s tariff storm — Rerouting of goods from China plus U.S. demand for tech products is propping up trade in the region.
- Opinion: America’s drone dilemma — The U.S. has fallen behind China in manufacturing but targeted import restrictions could help it catch up. By Chris Miller.
The New York Times
- ‘Chinese Peptides’ Are the Latest Biohacking Trend in the Tech World — The gray-market drugs flooding Silicon Valley reveal a community that believes it can move faster than the F.D.A.
- China’s Russian Town Has Log Cabins and Cyrillic Signs, but No Russians — Enhe was once home to thousands of ethnic Russians. Under Xi Jinping’s push for ethnic unity, little remains beyond nostalgia and props for tourists.
- 2 Navy Service Members Accused of Entering Sham Marriages With Chinese Nationals — Federal prosecutors say two female service members are facing fraud charges after having accepted thousands of dollars for the marriages.
- China’s Oil Deal With Venezuela Faces Turning Point — Beijing has lent billions to Caracas in recent decades, and the fate of money it is owed is in question after the ouster of Venezuela’s leader.
- China’s BYD Surpasses Tesla as World Leader in Electric Car Sales — As the largest maker of electric vehicles in the United States, Tesla suffered more than other carmakers from the elimination of federal incentives.
Caixin
- How Resource Nationalism Is Redrawing the Global Mineral Playbook — From Africa to Latin America, resource-rich countries are rewriting the rules of mining, forcing China and the U.S. to navigate a very different landscape.
- Snow, Concerts and Shopping Drive China’s New Year Travel — Trips across regions in the country rose nearly 20% during the three-day holiday as tourists flocked to snowy northern peaks and the tropical island of Hainan.
- Hong Kong IPOs Seen Topping HK$300 Billion in 2026 on Tech Boom — Strong 2025 performance and growing interest from AI and biotech firms underpin outlook.
- Vanke Proposes Debt Extension to Avoid January Default — Bondholders to vote on third repayment delay as China’s property crisis tightens grip on former market leader.
South China Morning Post
- Travellers hoof it in China as horseback tourism makes strides — As Year of the Horse approaches, tourism operators are saddling up to capture enthusiasm for equestrian activity.
- AI scientist Ling Haibin, father of world’s first plant ID app, leaves U.S. for China — Pioneering scientist takes up new position at Westlake University to seek ‘fresh exploration’ with greater freedom and inclusivity.
- China doubles down on anti-corruption fight as crackdown snares 65 ‘tigers’ in 2025 — Communist Party mouthpiece calls for tighter discipline in coming years, echoing Xi Jinping’s New Year’s address.
- Hong Kong firm sanctioned by U.S. in Venezuela crackdown found to use bogus address — Post finds vacant offices, shared secretaries in U.S.-hit Hong Kong firms tied to Venezuelan oil exports, as namesake local company fears backlash.
- After Trump’s Venezuela takeover, China’s investors prep for Latin American era of anxiety — Washington’s moves to assert dominance in the western hemisphere could see tighter restrictions to curb Beijing’s growing footprint.
Nikkei Asia
- BYD bets on ‘world’s 1st’ flexible-fuel plug-in hybrid in Brazil push — Chinese company says new car can operate effectively with any gasoline-ethanol mix.
- Can Hong Kong’s IPO market keep up the momentum in 2026? — HKEX experiences holiday rush as 13 companies list in final three weeks of 2025.
Bloomberg
- From Baidu Unit to Jio, Asia’s IPO Boom Shows No Sign of Slowing — Asia’s equity capital markets are expected to have another blockbuster year in 2026.
- Blow to China From Venezuela Oil Loss Eased by Hoard at Sea — The short-term impact will be softened by large volumes of sanctioned crude being stored at sea.
Reuters
- U.S. capture of Maduro tests limits of China’s diplomatic push — It will be a litmus test of Beijing’s assertion that it can play a role in resolving global hotspot issues without following Washington down the military route.
Other Publications
- Associated Press: This Vietnamese town boomed as factories left China. Now it’s asking what’s next? — Rising labor costs, worker shortages and inadequate infrastructure are exposing the limits to its rapid rise.
- Foreign Policy: Can China Replace an Absent America in the Climate Fight? — Beijing never bought the argument that reducing emissions would cause economic harm.
