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 Nationals Win Math’s Prestigious Fields Medal for First Time — The two U.S.-based mathematicians have become the first Chinese nationals to earn the honor considered math’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
- Running, Rock Climbing and Other Sports Are Taking Off in China. Pricey Workout Clothes, Too. — “Health is kind of the new wealth in China,” said one athletic apparel executive.
- Inside China’s All-Out Push to Catch Up With American AI Chips — Xi confidant leads fevered effort for domestic alternatives to win AI race. Chinese AI companies get warned that anyone who resisted using local chips was a traitor.
The Financial Times
- Chinese AI models will slash adoption costs, says Singapore’s GIC — Sovereign wealth fund expects strong growth in Chinese AI companies but is cautious about start-ups.
- Hong Kong stock exchange relaxes listing rules to compete with U.S. rivals — Global competitiveness drive comes despite bourse being increasingly dominated by Chinese companies.
- China’s Xi pursues AI diplomacy to woo global south — Beijing makes most ambitious offer yet to build alternative global order.
- Opinion: The U.S. may find it hard to shrug off Moonshot’s AI shockwaves — The latest Chinese models such as Kimi K3 look set to bring greater price competition. By Richard Waters.
- Opinion: The U.S. needs a new Manhattan Project for fusion energy — If we are to outpace China and own the future of this technology, we must fund it properly. By Carlos Paz-Soldan.
The New York Times
- China Rewrites the ‘Soft Power’ Playbook for the A.I. Age — China is seeking global influence and good will with its open, low-cost artificial intelligence software.
Caixin
- China Shuts Multibillion-Dollar Loophole to Offshore Markets — The latest restrictions followed online discussion highlighting TRS as one of the few remaining routes for investors seeking overseas assets.
- Foreign Carmakers Turn China Joint Ventures Into Export Bases — The shift underscores how global carmakers are drawing on Chinese research, development and manufacturing capabilities as they contend with shrinking market share in China.
- Opinion: America Risks an AI Bubble While China Risks Falling Behind — The U.S. and China are running neck and neck in the global artificial intelligence race. Yet beneath the surface of this technological rivalry, a stark divergence is emerging. By Peng Wensheng.
South China Morning Post
- Why PLA fighter jet sorties near Taiwan dropped to a 3-year low in the first half of 2026 — Beijing is shifting cross-strait military strategy, halving aerial missions and increasing coastguard patrols in the waters near the island.
- U.S. slaps fresh tariffs on China, over 50 other economies in latest wave — ‘Forced labour’ duties replace Trump administration’s original sweeping levies but are unlikely to generate the same level of global shock.
- U.S. senators clash over scope of Chinese connected-vehicle ban — Senator Ted Cruz, chairman of U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, warns substantial revisions will be needed before bill can become law.
Nikkei Asia
- World Bank moves to phase out China loans by 2031 — Beijing’s rise from aid recipient to development financier reshapes global landscape.
- Rags-to-riches Chinese fentanyl maker carries $5m bounty on his head — Chemical manufacturer Wuhan Yuancheng wrote a playbook copied by rural criminal networks.
- Opinion: Trump’s ‘transactionalism’ entirely misses the big picture — China and Russia taking advantage of the U.S.’s lack of strategy. By Michael Miklaucic.
Bloomberg
- China Seeks U.S. Clarity on AI Talks as Sanction Threats Loom — Chinese officials are seeking clarity on what the U.S. expects from upcoming AI talks, as the Trump administration escalates pressure on China’s fast-rising AI sector.
- Chinese EV Drivers Are Ditching Hotels for High-Tech Car Camping — High-tech SUVs are becoming bedrooms on wheels as budget-conscious travelers skip hotels and fuel a multibillion-dollar camping economy.
- Opinion: Humanoids Have Bodies. They Still Need Brains — While Moonshot’s Kimi K3 was blowing up online, at China’s biggest AI summit in Shanghai, hundreds of humanoid robots clanking around the exhibition hall stole the show. By Catherine Thorbecke.
Reuters
- How the ‘twin stars’ of China, CXMT and YMTC, changed the chip game — The chipmakers plan to expand manufacturing capacity, which could allow them to serve China and overseas markets as soon as 2027, when new fabrication plants come online.
Other Publications
- Foreign Affairs: America Still Has the Upper Hand Over China — Washington Can Win If It Works With Allies.
- Foreign Policy: Beijing Is Celebrating a Race It Never Ran — A new Pew survey shows the world likes China more than the United States. Look closer, and the win belongs to nobody.
- The Economist: The Chinese economic experiment that failed — Shantou was once at the forefront of reforms. Now it is a backwater.
- The Economist: China is gaining troubling military know-how from Russia — It is learning how to improve its drones, nuclear subs and air defence.
