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
- American Brands Used to Be ‘Sexy’ in China. No Longer. — Nike, Guess’s travails show how superpowers’ economies are growing further apart ahead of Trump’s visit.
- Xi Ousts Politburo Member in Deepening Purge of China’s Top Ranks — Former Xinjiang chief Ma Xingrui becomes third member of elite body removed in recent months.
- Under the Skin of America’s Humanoid Robots: Chinese Technology — Tesla and others turn to suppliers in China for components in an industry seen as strategic by Washington and Beijing.
- U.S. Repatriates Chinese Drug Fugitive in a Sign of Stabilizing Ties — Rare move points to cooperation ahead of planned Trump-Xi summit.
- U.S. Weighs Banning Chinese Air-Bag Parts After 10 Fatalities — Safety regulators have been investigating parts that exploded in otherwise survivable crashes.
- China Service Sector Gauge Signals Slower But Continued Growth as Risks Rise — Businesses stayed upbeat on the outlook for the next 12 months.
The Financial Times
- Opinion: Trump’s protectionist Nixon redux takes a darker turn than the original — Tricky Dick’s trade and currency war gave way to a pivot towards the multilateral. By Alan Beattie.
The New York Times
- Rival Nations Seize On Choke Points to Counter Trump — From Iran to China, President Trump’s global aggression has encouraged other countries to search for new ways to pressure the U.S. economy.
- Cosmopolitan Shanghai Is an Uneasy Fit in China’s Narrative of Western Sins — Shanghai’s many layers of architecture, culture and politics have made it a difficult fit for the Communist Party’s preferred narrative of Chinese victimhood and Western sins.
Caixin
- China’s Sci-Tech Bond Boom Conceals Sidelined Private Sector — Issuance soared nearly 90% in 2025 following a major policy shift, but most of the proceeds flowed to state entities.
- China Probes Official Linked to State Investment in Evergrande-Tied Firm — Probe likely linked to his tenure in Zhuhai, where state investors took control of a firm hit by mounting losses as Evergrande’s crisis unfolded.
- How ZXMOTO’s Founder Built the Bike That Took the Moto Racing World by Storm — The Chinese startup’s middleweight title win at the Superbike World Championship was the culmination of Zhang Xue’s 20-year journey, which started with a stint as a stunt racer before he turned his passion into a thriving business.
South China Morning Post
- China, Europe and why Beijing took a swing at Iran over the Strait of Hormuz — Beijing takes a stand at the United Nations at the closure of shipping lanes.
- Chinese airlines shed weight, add flights over Russia to trim fuel costs amid Iran war — Some carriers have even removed non-essential items like in-flight magazines from their planes.
Nikkei Asia
- China embraces spring break for schools. Will it boost consumption? — Lack of time off for parents complicates extra holiday travel.
- AI startup trains Chinese humanoid robots in Japanese hospitality — Japan companies eye tech from China despite security risks due to lack of options.
- Chinese coal miners eye comeback as Iran war shakes energy market — Shares rise as top players turn bullish after pressure from overcapacity, renewables.
Bloomberg
- U.S. Lawmakers Propose Crackdown on Chip Tool Sales to China — The bill would strengthen existing restrictions on semiconductor manufacturing equipment from ASML and Tokyo Electron.
- Chinese Robot Pioneer UBTech Offers $18 Million for AI Scientist — The advertised salary is unusual for a Chinese AI industry that’s eschewed mega pay packages.
Reuters
- Awaiting justice — How Hong Kong’s national security crackdown stifled the city’s democratic opposition.
- China moves to regulate digital humans, bans addictive services for children — The measures reflect Beijing’s efforts to maintain control in the face of advances in artificial intelligence.
Other Publications
- Foreign Policy: How China Reinvented the BRI — Western tariffs accelerated its transformation into a sophisticated extension of China’s industrial policy.
