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
- Chinese Carmaker Geely Looks at Expanding in the U.S. — The automaker expects to make an announcement within 24 to 36 months.
- China’s EV Dominance at Home Is Squeezing Out Foreign Carmakers — Chinese brands take nearly two-thirds of home market, leaving others in fight for survival.
- China’s Consumer Inflation Edges Up — The December print marked the highest reading since March 2023.
The Financial Times
- DeepSeek rival’s shares double in debut as Chinese AI companies rush to list — MiniMax joins wave of technology companies in China going public.
- Chinese car exports set to jump as domestic sales cool — Mexico, Middle East and parts of Europe are among the top markets, data shows.
- Opinion: China’s AI chip dragons’ firepower is mostly mythical — The three newly listed makers of semiconductors are lossmaking, and none has sales worth more than a tenth of their bigger rival. By Lex.
The New York Times
- Why Cambodia Handed Over a Man Accused of Stealing Billions in Crypto Scam — Experts say the scam industry has become a pillar of Cambodia’s economy, but it is under pressure from other countries to crack down.
Caixin
- China Reins In High-Cost Personal Lending as Risk Concerns Grow — With large numbers of borrowers on the hook for high-interest debt, Beijing is intervening, guiding rates lower. Insiders warn that the move could shrink margins and roil the sector.
- Wingtech Chair Vows to Regain Control of Nexperia After 100-Day Standoff — In an interview with Caixin, Ruby Yang Mu recounts how the dispute unfolded and addresses concerns surrounding the Dutch chipmaker, including supply disruptions and alleged technology transfer.
- Why China’s Digital Yuan Is Getting a Major Makeover — The e-CNY will now earn interest, appear on bank balance sheets, and support lending — signaling a shift from pilot project to market too.
- Sinopec to Take Over Aviation Fuel Monopoly CNAF in State-Led Merger — The state-led restructuring could reshape competition and sustainability in Asia’s largest jet fuel market.
South China Morning Post
- The drone age: hi-tech wizardry propels Hong Kong towards lift-off — As Hong Kong prepares to enter the era of flying taxis, key players roll out groundbreaking innovations at the cutting edge of technology.
- China to probe food delivery platforms under anti-monopoly law — State Council announcement cites ‘excessive subsidies’ and ‘price wars’ in document unveiling market assessment for online delivery services.
Nikkei Asia
- Airbus wins orders for 148 planes in China while Boeing stalls — Air China and other carriers favor European supplier amid trade tensions with U.S.
- China-bound exports of Japanese sake, food delayed amid diplomatic row — Customs officials said to be seeking detailed information on shipments, slowing clearances.
- China now curbs civilian-use rare-earth exports to Japan — Export permits are also being stalled as Beijing-Tokyo tensions simmer.
- Chinese humanoid robot makers take the fight to the U.S. with latest models — Price versus functionality and security emerges as the main battleground.
Bloomberg
- Peter Navarro: ‘There’s No Softening on China’ — Trump’s longtime trade adviser discusses tariffs, doing business with Beijing, and the Supreme Court case that could define his legacy.
- Trump’s Rivalry With China Plays Out in a Sleepy Greek Port — The U.S. doesn’t like Beijing’s ownership of the country’s biggest port, so it’s trying to come up with an alternative plan.
- Lawmakers Seek Scrutiny of China Ownership in iRobot Bankruptcy — They asked Bessent to direct CFIUS to conduct a review of the transaction.
- Devoted Gamer’s Fortune Soars to $3.5 Billion on MiniMax IPO — MiniMax’s debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Friday serves as a gauge of investor appetite for a sector that has consumed billions in capital and is only now starting to show signs of commercial viability.
- China’s Industrial Buyers Shun Copper After Prices Hit Record — What’s notable is the extent to which industrial users in the biggest market are scaling back purchases.
Reuters
- Venezuela-style strike on Taiwan’s leader could prove tricky for China — Analysts, scholars and security officials say China’s modernizing military is still far from ready.
- Exclusive: China’s Anta Sports has offered to buy Pinault family’s 29% Puma stake, sources say — Anta made the offer a few weeks ago and has secured financing for the acquisition should a deal go ahead, sources said.
Other Publications
- The Economist: It’s not just China’s total population that’s falling — The number of people in China’s towns and cities is in decline.
- The Washington Post: A study offers a surprising reason for plunging U.S. overdose deaths — The U.S. has long scrutinized China’s role in the illicit fentanyl trade. New research suggests the country’s crackdowns may have reduced U.S. overdose deaths.
- WIRED: Why a Chinese Robot Vacuum Company Spun Off Not One but 2 EV Brands — The pivot doesn’t look out of place at a Las Vegas electronics symposium, where Chinese electronics companies are increasingly applying their manufacturing prowess to new industries.
- Foreign Policy: Can Xi Jinping Make China Spend? — The leadership knows lack of domestic demand is a problem — but may not have the tools to fix it.
- Rest of World: Will the Meta-Manus deal push more Chinese AI startups to Singapore — or shut the door? — Beijing’s scrutiny of the acquisition highlights how far Chinese founders can go in shedding their national roots to attract U.S. capital.
