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.
Paid subscribers automatically have this list emailed directly to their inboxes every day by 10 a.m. EST. Subscribe here.
The Wall Street Journal
- Opinion: Crony Socialism and Rare Earths — Government stakes in companies is the wrong way to beat China. By the Editorial Board.
- Taiwan Doubles Down on U.S. Partnership, Even as America’s Alliances Fray — China threat and U.S. weapons underpin a reliance on Washington.
The Financial Times
- Opinion: China is the main beneficiary of Trump’s Arctic antics — As the US redeploys its navy and alienates allies, Beijing is filling the void. By Isaac Kardon.
- US to launch $12bn critical minerals stockpile to counter China’s dominance — US Export-Import Bank will provide $10bn in debt financing for effort named Project Vault.
- Opinion: Xi’s ominous purge of his top general — President’s power play bodes badly whether it is a sign of strength or weakness.
- Ikea assembles China strategy with closure of seven big stores — Swedish furniture group makes strategic shift to smaller outlets under Ingka chief executive Juvencio Maeztu.
The New York Times
- At World’s Busiest Port, China’s Unbalanced Economy Comes Into View — The shipping traffic and factories never stop in China’s port city of Ningbo, but the local housing market has crashed and nearby restaurants sit empty.
- Trump Unveils $12 Billion Critical Minerals Stockpile — The “Project Vault” initiative is intended to reduce U.S. reliance on China for key technology components.
- China’s Disappearing Generals — Mr. Xi’s extraordinary purges over three years have left a void at the top of the world’s second-most powerful military.
- Opinion: What Xi’s Military Purge Means for Taiwan — The ultimate aim is to create a military force capable of conquering Taiwan and prevailing in a potential confrontation with the United States. By John Garnaut.
Caixin
- China Factory Activity Slips Back Into Contraction — China’s manufacturing activity fell back into contraction in January, weighed down by a seasonal slowdown and weak demand at home and abroad.
- Prominent Chinese Journalist Liu Hu Detained by Police in Chengdu — Police in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu have criminally detained prominent journalist Liu Hu, authorities confirmed Monday, marking the latest legal tribulation for a reporter known for exposing official misconduct.
- Aerofugia Raises Nearly $150 Million to Get Flying Taxis Certified — The financing highlights the intensifying race within China’s “low-altitude economy,” where state-backed funds are increasingly betting on manufacturers.
South China Morning Post
- More overseas Chinese grads return, as brain gain powers future of home-grown frontiers — Record jump in returnees seen reflecting confidence in some domestic opportunities, particularly in areas such as AI, advanced manufacturing.
- China’s AI labs race to debut latest models before Lunar New Year — More firms expected to follow Alibaba and Moonshot with model releases, as the festival becomes a key period to establish visibility.
- UK’s Starmer faces backlash over China trip amid claims he was ‘tricked’ — Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the UK prime minister of adopting a ‘supine and short-termist approach’ to China.
- China’s expat pilots arrived on a red carpet – now, they’re taking a red-eye out — Well-paid foreign pilots once flocked to Chinese airlines – but winds have shifted as domestic talent steps up and airlines limit fleet expansions.
Nikkei Asia
- China’s CXMT and YMTC to massively expand memory output amid global crunch — Supply constraints offer chipmakers chance to close gap with rivals Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron.
- China’s Shenghe feuds with Australian rare-earth partner in Greenland — Chinese miner rejects ETM’s move to scrap its ownership stake ‘top-up rights’.
Bloomberg
- China Bans Hidden Car Door Handles in World-First Safety Policy — The ruling may resonate elsewhere, as China’s influence on the global automotive industry means its safety standards could ultimately travel with Chinese EV exports and influence global norms.
- Rookie Trader’s Rapid 84% Wipeout Shows Depth of China Gold Bust — Chinese traders, including homemakers and hedge funds, are experiencing big losses after a record rally in gold ended with a sharp market reversal.
- China Grid Spending Hits Record as Beijing Tackles Bottlenecks — The spending will support Beijing’s push to expand the country’s ultra-high-voltage grid and fund smart mini-grids and distribution networks.
Reuters
- Trump says US will have ‘very substantial’ response if Canada enacts trade deal with China — Trump last week said he would impose a 100% tariffs on Canada if it follows through on a trade deal with China.
- Popular open-source coding application targeted in Chinese-linked supply-chain attack — A Chinese-linked cyberespionage group with a long history hijacked the update process for the popular code editing platform Notepad++ to deliver a custom backdoor and other malware to targeted users.
- Top consulting firms test boundaries with China workarounds — China arms of KPMG and Bain & Co have pitched for — and the former carried out — work for a sanctioned Russian bank, while EY staff used a Chinese intermediary to pitch for a project for a state-owned client.
Other Publications
- CNN: As a parade of US allies rattled by Trump visit China, Beijing claims a win for its new world order — Viewed from Beijing, that list is a powerful sign that an era of talking about economic separation from China is waning, and Western leaders are finally seeing China as a reliable partner.
- The Economist: China’s opacity brings Pekingology back into vogue — What, for example, is behind Xi Jinping’s sweeping military purge?
- Washington Post: Opinion: Asian countries hedge against China — and America — Unpredictable superpowers lead smaller countries to lean on each other for economic growth. By the Editorial Board.
- Foreign Policy: Why South America’s Right Won’t Align With Trump on China — Even the most MAGA of the region’s leaders can’t abandon their motor of economic development.
