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 PMIs Send Mixed Signals as Markets Watch for Stimulus — Nonmanufacturing PMI, which covers both service and construction activity, edged up to 49.5 in February.
The Financial Times
- China’s elite pushes for overtime curbs and public holiday to tackle low birth rate — Delegates pitch cash handouts to country’s 1.4bn people as Communist party leaders gather in Beijing.
- China to lean on Russian oil as Iran crisis chokes supply — Energy disruption set to force Xi Jinping closer to Vladimir Putin and to consider drawing on reserves.
- Trump administration debates allowing Tencent to keep its gaming investments — Chinese company’s investments in ‘Fortnite’ creator Epic Games and other creators have faced long-running US security review.
The New York Times
- Where Are China’s A.I. Doomers? — Chinese policymakers and the public have expressed high levels of optimism about A.I., even as many in the West worry about the technology’s effects on employment or humanity in general.
Caixin
- Beijing Tightens Grip on Consumer Loans With Tougher Rate Caps — Beijing is forcing a steep cut in borrowing costs across its multi-trillion yuan consumer credit market and dismantling the core business model of loan facilitators.
- China’s Drugmakers Post Improved Earnings, but Market Doubts Persist — Listed Chinese biotech firms reported stronger 2025 results, yet health care stocks lagged broader markets as investors questioned whether the gains can be sustained.
- Pop Mart Sues 3D-Printer Firm in Labubu Copyright Fight — Case tests whether 3D-printing platforms are liable for user-uploaded replicas in echo of early music-sharing battles.
South China Morning Post
- China’s war on corruption – is this just the end of the beginning? — More ‘tigers’ are being culled than ever before in a campaign that could be becoming the new normal.
- EU strips AI, chips and quantum from industrial plan aimed at countering China — Leaked draft shows biotechnology and robotics are other cutting-edge sectors to be cut from Industrial Accelerator Act ahead of unveiling.
- Manufacturing talent boom? Why China’s smartest students are factory-bound — As some of the country’s brightest minds enter traditional industrial sectors as manufacturing loses its blue-collar stigma.
Nikkei Asia
- Nvidia reports 73% revenue jump but warns on China uncertainties — US chip giant saw no H200 revenue from China despite Trump’s approval.
- Myanmar tourists head to China as budget flights break cost barrier — With few options at home, Chongqing becomes destination for people who can afford it.
- China oil shares swing ‘abnormally’ as Iran conflict roils market — Wild rally fades after triggering company warnings; Beijing demands Hormuz safety.
Bloomberg
- Six Charts That Explain China’s Weakening Economy — China’s sheer size is part of the story too: The bigger the economy, the harder it is to generate outsized growth.
- Alibaba AI Whiz Who Warned of US-China Tech Gap Steps Down — The architect of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s chief AI model has quit his post, a surprise departure that’s rattled the developer community and raised questions about the Alibaba’s AI pivot.
- Chinese Bank Halts Abu Dhabi Loan, Creditors Cut Mideast Risk — Regulators are stepping up oversight as the conflict raises concerns over lending in the region.
Reuters
- Uncertainty faces China Inc’s projects in Iran after US–Israeli strikes — Filings reviewed by Reuters showed a two-way flow of Chinese equipment and engineering services into Iran, while Iranian raw materials and petrochemicals run back to Chinese industry.
