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’s DeepSeek Launches Long-Awaited AI Model — The preview versions of the V4 model breaks months of silence from one of the country’s most closely watched AI labs.
- Chinese Satellites Over Mideast Battlefield Put U.S. on Edge — Chinese satellite imagery of the conflict zone is potentially offering battlefield guidance to Iran and other U.S. adversaries.
- Iran War Complicates Contingency Plans to Defend Taiwan, Some U.S. Officials Say — The U.S. has burned through so many munitions in Iran that some administration officials assess that America couldn’t fully execute contingency plans to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion if it occurred in the near term, U.S. officials said.
- PwC to Pay $166 Million to Settle Hong Kong Evergrande Audit Probe — PricewaterhouseCoopers has been penalized U.S.$166 million by Hong Kong regulators over its audit of China Evergrande Group.
- Opinion: Trump’s Research Cuts Play Into China’s Hands — Democrats need to get back to basics and adopt policies that encourage faster economic growth. By Rahm Emanuel.
The Financial Times
- White House accuses China of ‘industrial-scale’ theft of AI technology — Trump official Michael Kratsios says Chinese entities stealing from American labs.
- Chinese bid for UK chemical plant condemned as threat to competition — World’s largest producer of titanium dioxide to acquire facility in North East of England.
- Goldman leads record renminbi borrowing by U.S. banks — Bank joins ‘frenzy’ as China’s low interest rates draw in more foreign issuers.
- China hackers steal western secrets by targeting consumer gadgets — Compromised home internet routers and smart fridges are being used in cyber attacks, intelligence agencies warn.
- Opinion: China’s own Mythos is coming — America must prepare — The U.S. needs to block Chinese access to the most advanced technology. By Chris McGuire.
- Opinion: Europe’s resistance to Chinese investment has stalled — The European Commission’s repeated attempts to run a coherent green industrial strategy are showing few results. By Alan Beattie.
The New York Times
- DeepSeek’s Sequel Set to Extend China’s Reach in Open-Source A.I. — Chinese companies have embraced making their most advanced artificial intelligence models available to all.
- War and Sanctions Accelerate China’s Currency Push — China’s bid to build a renminbi-based financial system beyond the U.S. dollar’s reach is gaining traction as a way to sidestep sanctions.
- Trump Reposts Tirade Against Chinese and Indian Immigrants — The president touched off a furor with his post sharing a podcast episode in which the host referred to China and India as “hellhole” places.
- Iran War Has Drained U.S. Supplies of Critical, Costly Weapons — The Pentagon’s rush to rearm its Mideast forces makes it less ready to confront potential adversaries like Russia and China, administration and congressional officials say.
- China Publishes Maps Detailing Minerals on the Ocean Floor — The new deep-sea atlas underscores Beijing’s interest in ocean mining, its military ambitions and its claims to disputed waters.
Caixin
- China Moves to Tighten Oversight of Cutting-Edge Biomedical Therapies — Draft rules define what qualifies as a ‘new technology,’ aiming to curb regulatory loopholes while supporting innovation in fields such as gene therapy and brain-computer interfaces.
- State-Owned Exec Hit With Rare Negligence Charge After $249 Million Acquisition Flops — Case suggests Beijing is growing less tolerant of negligence at state-owned firms.
- China Tightens Crackdown on Deceptive Trademarks — Regulators are targeting a widespread practice where consumer brands exploit loopholes to make false claims about ingredients or production methods.
- China’s CRRC Dropped From Lisbon Rail Deal Following EU Subsidy Ruling — Mota-Engil swaps Chinese supplier for Polish firm to secure regulatory approval under Foreign Subsidies Regulation.
- China Campaign Against Graft Is Targeting More Senior Officials — Authorities placed 30 high-ranking officials under investigation nationwide and punished 56 in the first quarter, both higher than in recent years.
South China Morning Post
- Trump ally Steve Daines to visit China as U.S. turns up pressure before May summit — Republican senator to lead bipartisan delegation to China next week; visit will begin on May 1, with stops planned in Shanghai and Beijing.
- ‘Undeniable reality’: why China should be wary of U.S. focus on global maritime chokepoints — The Iran war reflects Washington’s greater emphasis on implementing its maritime security strategy, analyst says.
- China plans to invest billions on a robot army to run its power grid — China’s grid operators plan to purchase thousands of robots in 2026 alone, including devices to inspect and maintain vital infrastructure.
Nikkei Asia
- From VW to Nissan, automakers bet on ‘in China, for global’ strategies — Foreign brands to tap China’s low-cost manufacturing, in-car tech for exports.
- Australian dollar, Brazil real rise as investors favor China ties — Mexican peso and Canadian dollar soften as currencies diverge in U.S.-China rivalry.
- Opinion: China’s humanoid robotics boom is no startup success story — Unitree’s rise reveals a state architecture that cultivates industrial champions before global rivals notice. By Christopher Nye.
Bloomberg
- China to Curb U.S. Investment in Tech Companies After Meta Deal — The previously unreported move stems from Meta’s controversial $2 billion acquisition of startup Manus earlier this year.
- Trump Stumbled Into a Global Economic War. Xi Jinping Was Ready — As the U.S. and Chinese leaders prepare to meet, the Iran conflict underscores Beijing’s resilience and the limits of Washington’s leverage.
- U.S. Moves to Stop China Rivals’ ‘Exploitation’ of American AI — The Office of Science and Tech Policy will promote information sharing and help the industry detect unauthorized extraction of AI models, and work to determine how to rein in such abuses.
Reuters
- Singapore emerging as neutral ground as AI firms navigate Sino-US rivalry — The city-state is increasingly being seen as a place to keep both China and the U.S. at bay, rather than acting as a bridge, as the superpowers vie for technological superiority through avenues such as export and talent control.
- UK investigates after big health dataset listed for sale on China’s Alibaba — Britain is investigating how data from a health charity came to be advertised on China’s Alibaba, including one dataset that appeared to contain information from 500,000 people.
- China teases new aircraft carrier in video, vows to build up islands — China teased in a video an aircraft carrier using nuclear power, while vowing to further build up its islands, as it looks to boost maritime power, secure resources and bolster territorial claims.
Other Publications
- Foreign Affairs: The Other China Flash Point — Like Taiwan, the South China Sea Could Spark a U.S.-China War.
- The Economist: Chinamaxxing is starting to catch on, in China — It’s a boon for the tourist trade.
