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
- Taiwan Cracks Down on Chinese ‘Gray Zone’ Espionage — President accused Beijing of exploiting Taiwan’s democracy to sow division, create unrest and destabilize the island.
- Chinese Shares Surge on Hopes for RRR Cut, Consumption Boosting Policies — There has been speculation that the People’s Bank of China could move to ease liquidity in the Chinese banking system.
- Tesla Develops Cheaper Model Y in China to Battle Growing Competition — Stripped-down SUV aims to recover market share from Chinese makers offering less-expensive models.
- CK Hutchison Shares Drop After Beijing Signals Unhappiness Over Panama Ports Deal — The deal came after President Trump raised the Panama ports as a security concern because of their connection to China.
- Li Auto Squeezed by Price War as Profit Drops Despite Record Revenue — The Chinese automaker’s American depositary receipts fell about 3.3% in premarket trading after the results.
- If You Want to Beat China, Invest in Renewables, Says John Kerry — The former climate envoy said President Trump’s attempts to undermine the energy transition will harm U.S. efforts in global infrastructure and manufacturing.
The Financial Times
- CK Hutchison shares fall after Beijing urges group to ‘think twice’ on Panama deal — Commentary says $22.8bn deal with US asset manager BlackRock ‘disregards national interests.’
- DeepSeek focuses on research over revenue in contrast to Silicon Valley — Chinese start-up to concentrate resources on building machines with humanlike cognitive capabilities.
- Inside the downfall of Hong Kong trading titan Simon Sadler — He was a heavyweight in Hong Kong finance and a hometown hero. Now he faces the possibility of jail.
- Taiwan’s president seeks to bring back military courts — Lai Ching-te’s plans aim to strengthen armed forces against threat from China but could widen country’s partisan divide.
- Chinese stocks hit highest level this year — Shares surge as authorities plan press conference on ‘boosting consumption.’
- Opinion: The Indo-Pacific grapples with a reckless China and feckless US — Increasing uncertainty clouds the region’s future as it tries to decipher Trump’s line on Beijing. By Michael Fullilove.
The New York Times
- Why China Is Worried About Trump’s Tariffs on Mexico — China’s exports to developing markets have soared, opening indirect routes to the U.S. market that officials in Beijing worry may be closed under pressure from President Trump.
- China Backs Iran in Nuclear Talks, Slams ‘Threat of Force’ From the West — Beijing sought to position itself as a key player in negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, as President Trump called for talks with Tehran.
- China Condemns CK Hutchison-BlackRock Panama Canal Deal — The Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison’s planned sale of ports in Panama to a group led by BlackRock, the American finance giant, is under fire from Beijing.
Caixin
- Alibaba to Cut Stake in YTO Express as It Scales Back Non-Core Investments — Move is in line with Alibaba’s strategy to focus on e-commerce and AI businesses.
- Chinese Startup Zhipu AI Raises $207 Million Funding in Less Than a Month — Deal comes amid intensified efforts by China’s provinces to advance AI and robotics industries.
South China Morning Post
- Chinese scientists create nuclear battery that could last for a century — Battery based on carbon is designed to last 50 years and could be used to power pacemakers, spacecraft and devices in extreme environments.
- U.S. House Republicans set to introduce bill to block Chinese from student or research visas — Legislation comes as Trump administration reportedly weighs travel ban for citizens from a select group of countries.
- How China’s slowing consumer spending is affecting the recovery of F&B firms — Analysts warn that targeted measures are needed to revive the industry, as companies like Nayuki and Xiabu Xiabu report losses and closures.
Nikkei Asia
- DeepSeek effect fuels rise of China’s answer to ‘Magnificent Seven’ — Newly christened ‘Seven Titans’ have sped ahead of U.S. tech giants.
- German lawmakers oppose Chinese wind project on sabotage fears — Military warns of remote control and data leakage from China-made turbines.
- Pony.ai and WeRide eye secondary listings in Hong Kong — U.S.-listed self-driving companies looking to grow robotaxi fleets in China.
Bloomberg
- China’s Biggest Challenge Now Is Finding Way to Spend More Money — Authorities are struggling both to generate income and find enough viable investment projects that can produce a decent return.
Reuters
- Exclusive: Major US toymaker speeds up plan to move manufacturing out of China — California-based MGA Entertainment is taking steps to move 40% of its manufacturing to India, Vietnam and Indonesia within six or so months.
- Donald Trump makes Chinese stocks (somewhat) great again — Investors see plenty of upside after a major rally in tech shares.
- After DeepSeek, Chinese fund managers beat High-Flyer’s path to AI — An AI arms race among mainland asset managers could shake up the country’s $10 trillion fund management industry.
Other Publications
- Rest of World: China’s AI frenzy: DeepSeek is already everywhere — cars, phones, even hospitals — Chinese companies, as a signal of patriotism, are racing to build services on top of the homegrown AI model that has taken the world by storm since January.
- The Information: Oracle Is Leading Contender to Help Run TikTok in New Deal — While a new entity, partly owned by U.S. companies, is likely to be formed to oversee TikTok U.S., it’s unclear what that entity would house.
- The Economist: China’s super-smart Tesla-killers — Carmakers are pushing for autonomous driving’s “ChatGPT moment.”
- The Economist: American politics prompt some Chinese to explore historical taboos — Comparisons with the Cultural Revolution abound.
- CSIS: Sealing the Interagency Cracks: The United States in Oceania — Competition with China in Oceania requires a new government approach.
