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
- Chinese Chip Assembler’s Strong Debut Vaults Market Cap Past $20 Billion — Shares of SJ Semiconductor soared almost fourfold, reflecting strong investor appetite for companies that can help power Beijing’s AI ambitions.
- Rules of Origin Set Up U.S.-China Clash in Asia — Many countries are caught in a vice: Washington wants them to strip Chinese content from their supply chains, and Beijing is warning them not to.
- Victory Giant Shares Surge in Hong Kong’s Largest Listing This Year — The Chinese printed-circuit board maker’s shares surged 53% in early trading.
- Chinese Robot Beats Human Best Time in Half-Marathon, After a Stumble — Tech companies are making progress in fixing humanoid runners’ malfunctions.
The Financial Times
- China links tough new trade rules to Iran war and Panama port dispute — Beijing threatens companies with harsh punishments, including exit bans, to protect against foreign sanctions.
- Will China get richer before it gets much, much smaller? — In an age where Chinese humanoid robots are performing kung fu on state-run Chinese media, maybe people are just set to become less important to the Middle Kingdom’s position in the world.
The New York Times
- Xi Calls For Hormuz to Reopen as China Balances Its Gulf Interests — The comments on the Strait of Hormuz by China’s leader, Xi Jinping, reflect Beijing’s complex relations with Iran and other Persian Gulf nations.
- Japan to Sell More Weapons Abroad, Breaking With Postwar Pacifism — Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reversed limits on arms exports as Japan faces rising threats from China and unpredictability from its main ally, the United States.
Caixin
- Dim Sum Bonds Shift Toward Main Course From Niche Appetizer — Offshore yuan debt issuance surges, with major deals from Chinese tech giants marking a shift in the market from policy obligation to genuine financing tool.
- China’s Youth Unemployment Rises After Six-Month Decline — Jobless rate for the 16-to-24 age group, excluding students, snapped a six-month decline as officials pointed to a delayed post-holiday job hunting season.
- War-Driven Fuel Crunch Boosts China’s Electric Two-Wheeler Exports to Southeast Asia — Soaring pump prices and shortages push consumers toward electric mobility, driving a sharp rise in Chinese shipments to the region.
South China Morning Post
- China calls for US ‘sincerity’ on Iran and warns of Japan’s ‘dangerous’ nuclear ambitions — Beijing also outlines progress in disarmament and its long-standing policies in first such report since 2021.
- How China is reinforcing its ‘legal shield’ against foreign pressure — New rules take aim at sanctions and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’, and the Strait of Hormuz crisis could provide a high-stakes testing ground.
- China threatens EU firms over cybersecurity plans targeting Chinese companies — China’s commerce ministry warns broad retaliation is on the table if firms such as Huawei and ZTE are penalised by proposed law.
- Why leading Chinese scientists are rising to the top in the Communist Party — The number of members from the country’s elite research academies in a key decision-making body has doubled in the course of a decade.
- China bets on RISC-V in global AI race — RISC-V, an open-source chip architecture, has gained popularity in China in reaction to widening US restrictions on exports of advanced technology.
Nikkei Asia
- China’s coal conversion boom underpins security in Iran war’s shadow — Buildup in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia raises concerns over impact on minorities.
- China cuts gasoline price for 1st time this year despite Iran war — Move eases pressure on refiners’ margins as ceasefire deadline looms.
- Opinion: Beijing’s new Taiwan strategy runs through the ballot box — Cheng Li-wun’s visit shows how Xi is shifting from coercion to shaping the island’s political center. By Robin Hu.
Bloomberg
- TikTok Makes Americans Want Chinese EVs They Can’t Have — Chinese brands are winning over American consumers on social media, undermining US efforts to keep them out.
- The US Has a Chance to Rival China in Rush for Longer-Lasting Batteries — A growing long-duration energy storage sector is an opportunity for competitors to challenge Beijing’s grip on clean technology.
- China Flashes New Tech Swagger to World Markets Convulsed by War — The Canton Fair in China’s southern metropolis of Guangzhou has a different look this year, with a brash new generation of tech companies standing out.
Reuters
- With tariffs stalled, Trump’s China policy drifts — The administration’s erratic moves toward Beijing have been on full display in recent months, including adding top Chinese companies to a military blacklist only to withdraw the list moments later.
- China flexes energy leverage as the Philippines, US start annual war games — Relations between China and the Philippines have deteriorated over the two countries’ competing claims in the South China Sea, particularly over Second Thomas Shoal.
- Germany’s big carmakers used to lead the race in China, but now they’re ‘for the parents’ — The combustion-engine heritage of “Made in Germany” no longer holds as much sway in China where local automakers are rolling out flashy, affordable EVs.
Other Publications
- The Economist: The world wants Chinese tech. China is determined to keep it — China’s rivals are learning how to get what China won’t share.
- Brookings: As the US steps out of UNESCO, China steps up — In an AI age, a withdrawal from UNESCO risks forgoing an opportunity to share and learn from other countries—while potentially ceding ground to China.
- The Washington Post: Opinion: What Chinese officials told me about Trump’s bewildering war in Iran — In Beijing, officials, think-tank scholars and business leaders see risks — and opportunities. By Fareed Zakaria.
