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 Ban on Meta-Manus Deal Shows Strains in U.S.-China Business Ties — National-security concerns are increasingly weighing on commercial ties.
- House Lawmakers Urge Trump to Prohibit China’s Automakers From Building Cars in the U.S. — Several dozen U.S. representatives told the White House that blocking Chinese cars should be a ‘firm and non-negotiable priority.’
- The U.S. Wants to Ban China’s High-Tech Cars, but They’re Already Here in El Paso — Mexican dealers are selling cutting-edge Chinese cars that U.S. consumers can’t buy. Americans are warming to the idea of them.
- Crypto Venture Linked to Men Sanctioned in Scam-Ring Probe Partnered With Trump Firm — AB last fall enabled the use of World Liberty Financial’s USD1 stablecoin on its network.
- Rare-Earth Stocks Rise as China Looks to Tighten Production Oversight — Beijing plans to implement fines on unauthorized production of rare earths and violations of quotas.
- Geely Auto’s Revenue Rises but Profit Falls on Currency Effects — New energy vehicles now make up more than half of Geely’s sales volume.
- China Says Hostile Foreign Forces Are Driving Its Youth to Slack Off — Country’s spy agency urges young people to work hard and resist ‘lying flat.’
The Financial Times
- Goldman stops bankers using Anthropic’s Claude in Hong Kong — Employees were unable to access company’s AI models as of a few weeks ago.
- China poised to restart exporting jet fuel, diesel and gasoline — Beijing signals relaxation of export ban imposed at start of Iran conflict.
- Chinese wind turbine maker accuses UK of ‘politicisation’ over product ban — Ming Yang warns setback will not stop company’s expansion plans in Europe.
- China’s Mao-era regulator in a stand-off with Meta over AI — National Development Reform Commission is becoming Beijing’s chief enforcer.
- Chinese green technology poses national security problem for Europe, report warns — European countries want to accelerate the shift to solar, wind and other energy sources whose supply chains are dominated by China.
- Beijing’s blunt message to its tech sector — China’s ban on Meta-Manus deal is a warning to keep AI innovations at home. By The Editorial Board.
The New York Times
- Treasury Issues More Sanctions on Iranian Oil Exports — The measures aim to crack down on Iran’s shadow banking system and Chinese purchases of Iranian oil.
- Paraguay Says It’s Not Abandoning Taiwan. China Has Other Plans. — Beijing is trying to unravel an unlikely long-distance relationship that has endured for decades. Could Paraguay be tempted to stray?
- Supreme Court Appears Skeptical of Falun Gong Lawsuit Against Tech Company — The court’s decision could have broader implications for lawsuits seeking to hold companies liable for international human rights abuses.
Caixin
- China Cracks Down Nationwide on Illegal EV Battery Recycling — Five government bodies will target illegal trading, substandard production and environmental violations in a two-month campaign to clean up an industry plagued by unlicensed workshops.
- EU Carbon Rules Give China’s Auto Exports a Higher Bar to Clear — As the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is implemented, Chinese carmakers are grappling with decarbonizing their supply chains and the rising costs of compliance to keep vehicle shipments growing.
- Chinese Automakers Unveil Big Global Expansion Plans at Beijing Auto Show — Driven by stronger margins and growing demand, Chinese legacy carmakers and electric vehicle upstarts are betting bigger on overseas markets with aggressive sales targets, despite regulatory uncertainties.
South China Morning Post
- China taps the brakes on robotaxi licences after Wuhan incident: sources — Licensing curbs follow a Wuhan system failure that stranded passengers, as authorities shift focus from rapid roll-out to safety oversight.
Nikkei Asia
- What China holds in store for Apple’s new CEO — John Ternus set to take reins as India shift struggles, iPhone pressure mounts.
- Homegrown AI powers China’s ambitions, from classroom to home — Future of human intelligence: National strategy aimed at children, starting at age 3.
- Foreign coffee chains take fresh crack at China via new cities, formats — Premium purveyors seek growth areas away from price war.
- Japan turns to Chinese petrochemicals amid naphtha crunch — Middle East turmoil spurs soaring imports of polyethylene and paint thinner xylene.
Bloomberg
- China’s Meta Backlash Renders Manus Model ‘Officially Dead’ — The regulatory setbacks usher in an uncertain era for the country’s rapidly expanding AI industry.
- China-U.S. Tensions Build Over Iran and AI Before Trump Meets Xi — The Trump administration has ramped up scrutiny of Beijing’s ties with Tehran in the past week.
Reuters
- Exclusive: Big Chinese tech firms scramble to secure Huawei AI chips after DeepSeek V4 launch, sources say — The scramble for Huawei’s chips underscores how DeepSeek’s release last week has turbocharged demand for domestic Chinese AI hardware.
Other Publications
- The Economist: Why DeepSeek’s sequel failed to impress — The AI lab faces stiffening competition and a meddling state.
- CFR: DeepSeek V4 Signals a New Phase in the U.S.-China AI Rivalry — The latest Chinese model trails U.S. competitors on benchmarks. But it may not have to win the performance race to reshape the geopolitics of artificial intelligence.
- Rest of World: The quiet layoffs sweeping China’s tech giants — Alibaba reduced its head count by a third in 2025, while Baidu’s workforce declined nearly 7%. “There’s constant churn,” a Chinese tech worker said.
- Foreign Affairs: The Real Threat to Taiwan — America Is Preparing for the Wrong Kind of Crisis.
- Foreign Policy: Japan and China Are Edging Dangerously Close to Conflict — Beijing is ready to take risks as Tokyo backs Taiwan.
