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 Destroyer’s Live-Fire Drill Draws Protest by Japan — Tokyo lodged a formal complaint with Beijing, the latest point of contention in the tense relationship between the two countries.
- Top American AI Execs Sound Alarm on Chinese Models — The White House is divided on how to respond to recent advances in Chinese AI and has weighed crackdown measures.
- Wanted for Rearming Against Russia and China: More Cotton — To fire big ammunition, militaries need explosive chemicals derived from natural fibers that suddenly are in short supply.
- China’s Top AI Event Delivers Message to the U.S.: We’re Coming for You — Alibaba, Moonshot release new models seen as competitive with America’s best.
- Opinion: Trump to China: Deal Me In — Did America get anything in return for the huge concession it made to Beijing? By William McGurn.
The Financial Times
- China weighs tighter export controls on AI models and chips — Beijing consults companies on ways to stop west acquiring its advanced technologies and star start-ups.
- The factory on the front line of Europe’s economic battle with China — The survival of Citribel’s citric acid plant in Belgium is a test of whether the EU can still defend its basic industrial base.
- Opinion: Why the world trusts China more than America — Countries suspicious of the U.S. are to be found on every continent, not just in its own back yard. By Edward Luce.
The New York Times
- Philippines Says Sailor Was Injured in Skirmish With Chinese Coast Guard — China said it was not the aggressor in the episode, which was the latest flare-up in the South China Sea between the two countries.
- China Has a Real Chicken-and-Egg Problem — China consumes more eggs per capita than almost every other country, so a recent spike in costs is touching a nerve.
Caixin
- Shanghai Eclipses Beijing as China’s AI Talent Flocks to Manufacturing Hubs, Report Says — Tech workers are migrating to the Yangtze River Delta as the industry shifts its focus from writing algorithms to building physical applications.
- China’s Vaccine Doses Plunge to Record Low Amid Demographic Crisis — Doses administered fell below 400 million, forcing domestic manufacturers to pivot toward adult immunizations and overseas markets to offset the demographic shock.
- Louis Vuitton’s Trademark Win Sparks Backlash in China — The win has ignited a fierce public debate in China over how far foreign brands should be allowed to claim exclusive rights to motifs rooted in shared cultural traditions.
South China Morning Post
- EU lawmakers arrive in China for high-stakes talks to manage mounting tensions — Wang Yi calls on delegation to strengthen exchanges across Chinese society for ‘a genuine, multi-dimensional and evolving perspective’.
- Trump order targets China-linked military mineral supply chains — U.S. defence contractors must identify critical mineral sources and reduce dependence on Beijing-linked materials.
- Opinion: To win the chip war, China needs a multinational strategy — Beyond GPU supremacy, America’s greatest asset lies in its leverage over its allies’ critical technologies and capacities. By Winston Mok.
Nikkei Asia
- BYD’s hiring of Hungary’s ex-top diplomat deepens security fears — Orban ally Szijjarto negotiated China deals, allegedly leaked EU info to Russia.
- China’s high-rise pig farming leads to pork glut, falling prices — Changing dietary habits and rising living standards contribute to demand shift.
- Chinese-backed online broker Moomoo tests Japan’s market-entry regime — Regulatory action revives concerns over foreign acquisitions of Japanese brokerages.
Bloomberg
- China at Risk of 20% Youth Joblessness as Labor Distress Spreads — China’s unemployment among young people could be headed for levels last seen more than three years ago, as a record number of graduates prepare to enter the labor market.
- DOJ Probes Harvard Financial Aid, Alleging China Donor Influence — The DOJ has launched a new investigation into Harvard University, alleging that some of its financial aid programs violate civil rights law by excluding American citizens.
- Cancer Drug Approvals in China Outpace Those in U.S., Study Finds — China’s biotechnology industry is becoming more competitive globally, and Chinese firms becoming important development partners for pharma companies around the world.
Reuters
- U.S., China to hold AI talks in September, sources say — Beijing and Washington are weighing how to regulate advanced AI models that could strengthen military capabilities, enable cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and disrupt labour markets.
Other Publications
- Brookings: Will China replace America on the world stage? — China’s behavior in the world may shift as the global order changes, with Beijing potentially taking a more active role in the world as the U.S. retreats.
- Rest of World: China’s AI talent race is starting in high school — As demand for elite AI engineers outpaces supply, companies are recruiting teenagers through camps, research programs, and guaranteed job pipelines.
- MIT Technology Review: China’s AI models have Trump’s AI world at war with itself — Kimi and other free models from China have again been seen as a wake-up call. But for what?
- The Information: China’s Windrose Needed U.S. ID Numbers. So It Borrowed a Georgia Address — At least two of the four Windrose trucks currently in the U.S. bear these falsified identifiers, obscuring their actual country of manufacture.
