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 Scolds ‘Two-Faced’ U.S. in Rebuke of Trump’s Agenda — The Chinese foreign minister said Washington is taking an errant approach, from trade wars to Gaza.
- China’s Export Growth Disappoints Amid Trade Tensions — China’s export growth over the first two months of the year was weaker than expected, as shipments were curtailed by rising trade tensions with the U.S.
- Panama Port Deal Plants U.S. Flag in China-Dominated Sector — BlackRock’s move reflects the view that America’s best chance to counter China will hinge on private investment.
The Financial Times
- China slams ‘two-faced’ Trump as export growth slows — Beijing’s foreign minister Wang Yi criticises US president over increasingly hostile trade relations.
- Opinion: Trump needs to find a solution for Intel — Has the White House given up on trying to create a US national champion in chip manufacturing? By Richard Waters.
- Opinion: BYD’s share sale spotlights Hong Kong’s revival — The city is still the place to go for Chinese companies seeking capital and access to international investors. By Lex.
- Opinion: Trump’s tariffs are America’s own worst enemy — The White House reprieve on auto levies shows how self-inflicted damage beats retaliation from trading partners. By Alan Beattie.
The New York Times
- China Says It Will ‘Resolutely Counter’ U.S. Tariff Pressure — China’s top foreign affairs official, Wang Yi, cast his country as a force for peace and order even as Beijing provokes its neighbors and fuels trade tensions.
- Taiwan President Defends TSMC’s $100 Billion U.S. Chip Investment — The Taiwanese chip giant TSMC’s plan to invest $100 billion in the United States has been met with anxiety and criticism in its home country.
- Opinion: What Democrats Get Wrong About Tariffs — Instead of reflexively condemning tariffs, Democrats should embrace them as part of a smarter strategy to revitalize American manufacturing. By Chris Deluzio.
Caixin
- China’s Commerce Minister Vows Stronger Support for Trade as U.S. Tariffs Escalate — ‘China hasn’t put all its eggs in one basket, which shows our resilience in trade,’ says Wang Wentao.
- Stock Investment Drives Growth in China’s Mutual Fund Sector — Equity-focused funds saw their assets under management grow by nearly 60% in 2024.
- Policymakers Fret Over How to Manage ‘Standalone’ Grids Plugged Into Renewables — Standalone power grids powered by renewable energy sources such as wind and solar are poised to disrupt China’s power market.
- Higher Profits, Returns Mask Solvency Problems in China’s Insurance Sector — Profits jumped as investment returns benefited from the 2024 fourth-quarter stock market revival and from a change in accounting rules.
- Fanfare Over Unitree’s G1 Shows Growing Interest in Chinese Robotics — A Chinese-made humanoid robot took center stage at this week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, reflecting growing interest in the robotics technology coming out of China.
South China Morning Post
- Why does Trump want to torpedo China’s shipbuilding industry? — The US president plans to establish a shipbuilding office to reward domestic producers and chip away at China’s global market dominance.
- Beijing renews warning to Tokyo: don’t stir up trouble with Taiwan — China’s ties with Japan are improving as Tokyo has doubts about US commitments to the region, analyst says.
- Trump job cuts may blind US Space Force to China’s moves in the sky, mission chief warns — Staff cuts under Pentagon’s hiring freeze straining ability to monitor foreign threats in orbit, Space Rapid Capabilities Office chief says.
- China’s ‘world’s factory’ eyes industry modernisation with economic crown on the line — Guangdong aspires to be the vanguard of China’s technological and industrial innovation, the province’s top official says.
- China pledges to help Africa develop as ‘land of hope for the 21st century’ — Foreign Minister Wang Yi stresses support for an African ‘voice in international affairs’ as ‘crucial to the shared destiny of humanity’.
Nikkei Asia
- Chinese local officials visit U.S. seeking path through fog of trade war — Jiangxi delegation to LA nets $116m in cooperation deals despite Trump tariffs.
- China’s Wang Yi lauds Russia, pans ‘two-faced’ U.S. policy at NPC — Top diplomat strikes firm tone on Taiwan and Japan in history-laden remarks.
- The next DeepSeek? Startup Manus becomes China’s latest AI darling — AI shares surge as investors and Beijing bet on advances in the sector.
- U.S., EU and Japan increase naval deployments in South China Sea — Missions aim to send ‘message’ to Beijing to respect sovereignty, diplomats say.
- Pakistan separatists launch new ‘army’ in war on Chinese interests — Alliance joins South Asian nation’s ‘most lethal’ militant factions, experts say.
Bloomberg
- Alibaba’s Sudden ADR Discount Shows Fear of US-China Decoupling — Donald Trump’s push to restrict US investments in China is testing what in theory should be an ironclad financial relationship — the tight link between Chinese shares trading in New York and Hong Kong.
- Philippines Probing Network of Hundreds of Alleged Chinese Spies — Philippine authorities have uncovered a network of hundreds of alleged Chinese spies, a senior official said, a much more extensive operation than previously disclosed that adds to tensions between the countries.
- China Had Record $540 Billion of Exports in Rush to Beat Tariffs — China’s exports reached a record so far this year as higher US tariffs, and the threat of more to come, drove frontloading of shipments.
Reuters
- Brazil braces for more Chinese demand, higher food prices amid US trade war — Brazil, the world’s largest exporter of soy, cotton, beef and chicken meat, is expected to ship more to China as importers there seek tariff-free imports.
- Taiwan fears Beijing is taking independence crackdown overseas — Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to “implement” the guidelines in countries friendly to China, according to a government memo reviewed by Reuters.
- China loses private jets as other Asian growth spots emerge — At the end of last year there were a third fewer private jets based in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau than the 2017 peak of 481 planes, according to data from business aviation consultancy and broker Asian Sky Group.
Other Publications
- Foreign Policy: How U.S.-Russia-China Ties Would Impact the Indo-Pacific — While U.S. allies worry, other states would welcome better great-power relations.
- Foreign Policy: China Is Exploiting America’s Social Divisions — Beijing-backed groups are using Asian American concerns for leverage.
- Foreign Affairs: The Limits of a U.S.-China Deal — Even If Trump Wants a Grand Bargain, the Countries’ Economies Will Keep Drifting Apart.
- The Economist: Chinese warships circumnavigate another island: Australia — An ominous new display of long-range naval power.
- Brookings: Should China have a role in ending the war in Ukraine? — To explore China’s role in Ukraine, the Global China project convened six Brookings experts with a range of backgrounds and areas of expertise: Pavel Baev, Robin Brooks, Jon Czin, Patricia Kim, Michael O’Hanlon, and Constanze Stelzenmüller.
- CSIS: Chinese Ports in Panama Come Under New Management — These ports have been at the epicenter of U.S.-Panama tensions wherein Washington alleged the Hong Kong–based company could provide a backdoor through which the People’s Republic of China (PRC) could exploit ports along the Panama Canal to the detriment of U.S. strategic interests.
- The Information: How China’s Tech Titans Swallowed Their Pride and Embraced DeepSeek — The breakout success of DeepSeek has triggered soul searching among Chinese tech giants including ByteDance, Alibaba Group, Tencent Holdings and Baidu.
