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 Resumes Military Flights Around Taiwan After Sudden 10-Day Hiatus — Beijing hasn’t explained why it abruptly stopped what had become a routine practice, nor its resumption.
- For Xi, Iran War Reinforces View of U.S. as Dangerous Superpower — Trump’s military actions in Iran and Venezuela set tense stage for a coming superpower summit.
- China’s Economy Off to Steady Start in 2026 Amid Lowered Expectations — Better-than-expected performance in first two months of year opens space for Beijing to pursue goal of shifting toward consumption-led growth.
- Opinion: China Has a Lot to Lose in the U.S.-Israel War on Iran — Beijing is suffering serious harm to its oil supply and its reputation as a partner and weapons supplier. By John Spencer.
The Financial Times
- Spies and subsidies: China joins Brazil’s $20bn delivery app war — Local courier group iFood and China-backed Keeta trade claims of corporate espionage and underhand tactics.
- Renewable jet fuel may face price war with China, warns top producer — Neste chief calls for a ‘level playing field’ following heavy investment.
- China’s economy rebounded ahead of Iran crisis — Beijing warns of geopolitical risks even as key indicators show growth.
- Donald Trump throws US-China reboot off course by saying he could delay Xi Jinping summit — President casts doubt on visit with Chinese leader as officials from both countries lay groundwork for improved relations.
- China’s answer to Amazon launches rival European ecommerce service — JD.com will launch service under its Joybuy brand after previously trying to crack market in 2022.
The New York Times
- Nations Respond With Caution to Trump’s Call to Send Warships to Strait of Hormuz — President Trump has urged China, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea to send warships to help reopen the waterway, even though they were not involved in the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.
Caixin
- Chinese Women Face ‘Invisible Screening’ and New AI Threats in the Workplace, Reports Show — The workplace environment for Chinese women is showing incremental progress, though significant hurdles remain.
- China Household Borrowing Posts Record Drop — Chinese household borrowing posted a record drop in February, underscoring weak consumer demand even as strong corporate lending supported overall credit.
- Former Deputy Head of Chinese Forestry Agency Indicted in Bribery Scheme — Chinese prosecutors have indicted Li Chunliang, former deputy director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, on charges of accepting “particularly huge” bribes.
- China’s New Five-Year Plan Maps Overhaul of Property Sector — China has outlined a sweeping overhaul of its real estate sector in its new five-year plan, prioritizing risk reduction and reforms such as changes to housing finance and sales systems over growth-driven property expansion.
South China Morning Post
- China and US begin fresh round of trade talks in Paris — Discussions expected to focus on trade, investment and rare earths ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to China later this month.
- Top nuclear weapons, radar and missile experts vanish from Chinese Academy of Engineering site — Former CAE vice-president Zhao Xiangeng is among a number of academicians no longer profiled on the body’s website.
- Inside the coconut cartel: how Chinese money squeezes Thai farmers — With Chinese investors seizing the supply chain, Thai coconuts now fetch less than a piece of chewing gum, wiping out profits for growers.
- China mall shuffle: as EVs exit, who’s filling the ground-floor showrooms? — New demand for mall space comes from brands riding fresh trends, including Unitree Robotics, Pop Mart and Lululemon.
Nikkei Asia
- China retail sales rise, boosted by Lunar New Year holiday — Goods sales grow 2.8% but still weakest for Jan-Feb period in decades, excluding COVID.
- Opinion: Iran war reveals the Indo-Pacific’s mosaic of interests — Diverse stances may frustrate US policymakers seeking unified backing. By Derek Grossman.
Bloomberg
- Opinion: An Energy Shock Lesson From China’s Dash for Gas — The conflict in the Middle East is revealing the shaky bridge that gas is between coal and renewables. By David Fickling.
- Alibaba Creates AI Tool for Companies to Ride China Agent Craze — The company plans to integrate the AI agent with other services, including Taobao and Alipay, and the tool was developed by the team that runs Alibaba’s DingTalk platform.
- Chinese Economy Surprises With Rebound But War Risks Loom — The improvement in the economy may delay the rollout of stimulus as policymakers assess the situation in the Middle East.
- Trump Floats Xi Summit Delay If China Doesn’t Help in Hormuz — Trump stressed China’s dependence on oil from the Middle East and reiterated a demand for Beijing to help unblock the key waterway, saying it’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there.
- China’s ‘Supergrid’ Gives Xi Buffer Against Energy Shocks — China plans to spend roughly 5 trillion yuan into electricity networks over the next five years to build a supergrid and ensure renewable generation is properly transported.
Reuters
- Vietnam braces for flight cuts from April after China, Thailand ban jet fuel exports — Vietnam imports more than two-thirds of its jet fuel needs, with 60% coming from China and Thailand.
- China’s No. 2 chipmaker readies 7 nm production as Beijing ramps up self-sufficiency drive — China’s Hua Hong Group has developed advanced chip manufacturing technologies that can be used to produce artificial intelligence chips.
- US, China seek to wrap Paris talks on managed trade, agriculture deals for Xi-Trump summit — Top U.S. and Chinese economic officials were due to conclude talks in Paris on Monday, with potential areas of agreement in agriculture, critical minerals and managed trade.
- China argues US ‘abusing’ Section 301 again — China has made representations to the United States against its unfair trade investigation looking into forced labour.
Other Publications
- Politico: Top US allies are turning toward China instead. Blame Trump. — European allies broadly support building closer ties to China — and believe America’s role as a global superpower is fading.
- CNN: Trump needs China’s help fixing the global oil crisis. It’s unlikely to play along — China is better positioned than the rest of Asia to endure a prolonged energy crisis.
- Business Insider: Cyber pets, blind dates, and stock trading: How Chinese users are jumping on the OpenClaw craze — For the past few weeks, China has been swept up in a “lobster” craze.
- The Diplomat: The China–Iran Partnership and the Limits of Beijing’s Non-Interference Alliance Model — A preference for strategic flexibility has left Beijing dependent on a narrow set of “allies” whose usefulness is limited – especially in times of crisis.
- Foreign Policy: ‘Made in America’ Should Accept Chinese Investment — Private Chinese capital is being locked out of mutually beneficial opportunities.
