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
- Ford Will Partner More With Chinese Automakers Overseas — CEO Jim Farley says the automaker will expand tie-ups while developing a plan for Chinese competition in the U.S.
- Opinion: Now China Is Taking Jimmy Lai’s Property — Chinese authorities plan to seize ‘offense-related assets’ of the imprisoned dissident. By Mark L. Clifford and L. Gordon Crovitz.
The Financial Times
- Inside China’s probe of Meta’s ‘conspiratorial’ $2bn Manus deal — The landmark tech exit has quickly become central to China’s national security agenda.
The New York Times
- Why China Won’t Lean Hard on Iran — Despite the economic risks from the war, Beijing will likely stick to a hands-off approach. It is wary of being entangled in a conflict it opposed and has little sway over.
- Opinion: Iran Resisted a Powerful Attacker. Taiwan Can Too. — If the United States and its allies internalize these lessons, they can help Taiwan transform itself into a far more formidable obstacle to Chinese aggression. By Daniel Byman and Seth G. Jones.
Caixin
- Energy Storage Startup Sigenergy Surges 103% in Hong Kong Debut — Shares of Sigenergy Technology Co. Ltd., a Chinese residential energy storage manufacturer, surged more than 100% during its Hong Kong trading debut.
- China’s Nuclear Power Investment Hits Record in 2025 — China’s investment in domestic nuclear power construction hit a record 161 billion yuan ($23.6 billion) in 2025, up 10% from the previous year.
- Analysis: Why China’s Export Boom Isn’t Contributing More to Economic Growth — China’s exports surged in the first quarter, yet their contribution to economic growth was relatively limited.
South China Morning Post
- China’s AI firms scaled up on open-source models. The next phase may be different — Free models helped Chinese firms find rapid success – but thin margins are forcing a shift towards hybrid business strategies.
- China willing to ‘buy’ or ‘steal’ US tech to get ahead in AI race, Congress told — US lawmakers, experts accused Beijing of buying ‘what they can’ and stealing ‘what they cannot’ from America to advance their AI technology.
- US will help Peru ‘take back’ Chancay port from China, Congress chair says — Maria Elvira Salazar warns port’s ‘dual usage’ potential could enable Chinese submarines, carriers and warships to operate from Peru.
Nikkei Asia
- China’s unfinished buildings continue to haunt real estate market — Government push to get apartments to buyers has some developers cutting corners.
- Kweichow Moutai sees 1st fall in revenue, profit amid corruption crusade — Favored liquor brand for China banquets never had double decline since 2001 listing.
- Spanish PM’s 4th China trip yields deals of little substance, analysts say — Sanchez calls for Beijing to play bigger global role, but risks annoying EU, US.
Bloomberg
- China Steps Up Outreach to Italy During Trump’s Rift With Meloni — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged to deepen relations with Rome in a meeting with his Italian counterpart.
- China to Commission Seven Nuclear Reactors in 2026, CCTV Says — Seven nuclear power reactors are scheduled to be completed and commissioned in China this year.
- China Lifts Green Push With Plan to Double Clean Energy by 2035 — China will seek to double its supply of non-fossil fuel energy by 2035, in a plan that analysts see as a boost to Beijing’s green targets.
Reuters
- China turns Taiwan’s own voices against it in information war — As Chinese warships and fighter jets staged massive drills around Taiwan in December, a parallel action was unfolding on smartphone screens.
- Apple’s iPhone shipments in China surge 20% in Q1, data shows — Apple’s iPhone shipments surged 20% in China in the first quarter, for the strongest growth among major vendors, despite an overall decline.
- U.S. lawmakers scale back bill targeting Chinese chipmaking — The latest version is more tailored, with narrower potential impact.
- Opinion: China changes tactics on Taiwan and Japan amid Middle East chaos — But host of uncertainties challenge Chinese aspirations of influence. By Peter Apps.
Other Publications
- Brookings: Competing AI strategies for the US and China — China’s focus on these dimensions of AI development is the result of several factors, including industry constraints—particularly access to large-scale compute and capital—as well as Beijing’s policy priorities.
- Wired: 6,000 Meters Under the Pacific, Japan Seeks Independence From China on Rare Earths — Tokyo is succeeding where the rest of the world has failed, reducing its reliance on Beijing for crucial rare earth elements—thanks to an enormous underwater deposit discovered on a remote island.
- BBC: Chinese carmaker patents voice-controlled ‘in-vehicle toilet’ — Chinese carmaker Seres has been granted a patent for what it calls an “in-vehicle toilet” that slides under a passenger’s seat for visits to the loo.
- Time: How Hormuz Could Shape China’s Taiwan Strategy — China has a better option—one that Iran, in a cruder form—is demonstrating before our eyes now.
- Foreign Affairs: The Iran War Is a Win for China — At a Meeting With Xi Next Month, Trump Will Be on the Backfoot.
