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
- Pernod Ricard’s Brighter Outlook Prompts Cheer — The distiller expects improving sales trends in the second half of fiscal 2026 following continued weak demand in China and further inventory destocking in the U.S.
- Li Auto Flags Weaker Sales After Earnings Miss, Signaling Challenging Outlook — Li Auto guided for lower sales in the third quarter as it reported weaker profit and revenue amid intense competition in China’s auto market.
- Even Nvidia Has Speed Limits — Nvidia said that it has yet to see any published regulations regarding the 15% cut the Trump administration has demanded of any sales of AI chips to China.
- Three Accused of Stealing TSMC Chip Secrets to Aid Japanese Supplier — Taiwanese officials say the theft of trade secrets has grown over the past decade and point most of the blame at China.
- Kim and Putin to Join Xi in Show of Unity at Beijing Military Parade — Chinese leader takes opportunity to present his country as a global power.
- China’s BYD Outsells Tesla in Europe Again — New-car registrations for BYD models more than tripled on year across the EU in July, while registrations for Tesla models contracted more than 42%.
- Chinese Spies Hit More Than 80 Countries in ‘Salt Typhoon’ Breach, FBI Reveals — The campaign also touched some 600 companies, and went beyond conventional espionage, an FBI official says.
- Opinion: Beijing’s ‘Legal Great Wall’ Helps Fleece U.S. Investors — The SEC may close a regulatory loophole. That isn’t enough. It should stop Chinese firms from listing on U.S. exchanges. By Jesse M. Fried and Matthew Schoenfeld.
The Financial Times
- Meituan shares plunge as China’s delivery price wars escalate — Alibaba and JD.com battle incumbent for share of market where consumers expect lightning-fast delivery.
- China won the rare earths race. Can it stay on top? — Western efforts to create a rival supply chain and break Beijing’s dominance will come up against challenges of cost and scale.
The New York Times
- Nothing Could Topple the ‘Queen of Heels.’ Then Trump Came Along. — The president’s steep tariffs and erratic moves have turned manufacturing abroad into a minefield, even for entrepreneurs who set up in countries viewed as safe alternatives to China.
- Kim Jong-un and Putin Top List of U.S. Rivals Convening in Beijing Next Week — They will join China’s leader, Xi Jinping, and about 20 other heads of state, some of whom share a strong distrust of the United States.
- Jimmy Lai’s Freedom May Now Hinge on Beijing and Trump — As the outspoken Hong Kong publisher awaits a verdict, his trial has become a test of China’s resolve to crush dissent, and of whether President Trump can free him.
- Opinion: What’s Next, Comrade Trump? — Trump’s meddling in our most important economic institutions is so extreme that at times it resembles China’s state-directed capitalism. By Steven Rattner.
- Opinion: America and China Have Placed Their Wagers. Now We Wait. — The two superpowers have made different wagers. But their fates are intertwined. By David Wallace-Wells.
Caixin
- China’s Largest Home-Built Floating LNG Facility Sets Course for West Africa — Chinese shipbuilders move into floating LNG unit business, a market once dominated by Western and Asian rivals.
- As Chinese Companies Grow Overseas, Knowing Who Owns What Is Crucial, Professor Says — Peking University’s Zha Daojiong warns that newly elected governments can often overturn contracts or even seize assets.
- How Wahaha Founder’s Daughter Took Control Amid a Family Squabble — Zong Fuli has pushed a series of corporate reforms to secure her leadership at the company as her half-siblings sue for a share of their father’s fortune.
- China Pushes Minimum Wage Hikes to Spur Sluggish Consumption — The moves, which will affect millions, signal a renewed effort by authorities to address wage stagnation and stimulate consumer spending.
- Top Chinese Students Forgo Elite Universities for Vocational Schools — For generations of Chinese students, the path to success ran through the gates of a prestigious university. Now, a growing number are taking a detour.
South China Morning Post
- Beijing slams Washington after Panama lawmakers join ‘anti-China’ group — Beijing has dismissed the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China as a tool of Washington and accused it of spreading disinformation.
- 80 years on from WWII, has China become a main guarantor of the post-war order? — Experts say the country’s wartime sacrifice makes it a steward, not a disruptor, of the international system.
- What does SpaceX’s Starship test success mean for the US-China moon race? — The near-flawless flight revives hopes for Nasa’s Artemis III plans for 2027 but analysts warn Chinese momentum could win lunar prize.
- Chinese envoy warns against sowing ‘fear and hostility’ as US plans visa revamp — After release of plans to tighten visa rules, Xie Feng says people-to-people exchanges should be encouraged ‘rather than erect barriers’.
- Opinion: China offers South Asia a choice between swords and ploughshares — Wang Yi’s recent visits to India, Afghanistan and Pakistan signalled a specific message for each country, and the wider region. By Imran Khalid.
Nikkei Asia
- Rapidly warming Japan-South Korea ties leave China uneasy — Lee Jae Myung has yet to RSVP to Xi Jinping’s military parade invitation.
- IEA chief expresses concern over China’s dominance in strategic minerals — International Energy Agency’s Fatih Birol calls for diversified supply chains.
- China drives Asia-to-Europe container volume to record high — Trump tariffs force Chinese cargo to be diverted away from US market, analysts say.
- Shippers flock to China-backed high-tech port in Peru — Despite US concerns, official at operator CSPCP says naval use of Chancay ‘impossible’.
- China’s insurers pile into red-hot stocks as bond returns fade — China Life eyes more tech opportunities, Ping An calls market values ‘reasonable’.
Bloomberg
- Mexico to Raise Tariffs on Imports From China After US Push — The nations are also preparing to review the free-trade deal between them.
- Secret Xi Letter Revived India Ties After Trump Tariff Barrage — Back in March, when US President Donald Trump was ratcheting up his trade war with China, Beijing began a steady and quiet outreach to India.
- Former PBOC Chief Zhou Pushes Back Against China Stablecoin Idea — China’s former central bank chief Zhou Xiaochuan issued a warning about the potential dangers of stablecoins, putting him in opposition to growing calls by policy advisers and economists for China to consider their use.
- China’s Didi Pays $740 Million to Settle Lawsuit Over US IPO — Didi’s shares now trade over-the-counter in New York and remain significantly below its IPO price of $14, and the company aims to list on the Hong Kong stock exchange.
- Opinion: China Gets Closer to Finding Its Own Nvidia — Cambricon’s success shows how to foster future national champions. By Shuli Ren.
Reuters
- What role do farm products have in US-China trade deal? — Farm products are the biggest U.S. export to China and a commitment by Beijing to increase purchases is likely to feature in a broad trade deal.
- Russia eyes China trade revival as Putin prepares for Xi summit, sources say — When Western partners cut ties with Russia, China came to the rescue, buying Russian oil and selling goods from cars to electronics that pushed trade to a record $245 billion in 2024.
- TikTok owner ByteDance eyes valuation of over $330 billion as revenue surpasses Meta — In the first quarter, ByteDance’s revenue rose to more than $43 billion, making it the world’s No. 1 social media company by sales, topping Facebook and Instagram owner Meta’s $42.3 billion in that period.
- COSCO facing ‘challenges’ with international investments amid US trade pressures — COSCO said challenges it faced included a “volatile geopolitical environment” and, when expanding abroad, a tightening regulatory environment against foreign investment in many countries.
- China’s major airlines stay in red in first half on oversupply, low fares — The carriers have blamed losses on imbalanced supply and demand, more price-sensitive travellers and competition from China’s ever-expanding high-speed rail network.
Other Publications
- Foreign Policy: China and India May Be Moving Toward a More Coordinated Foreign Policy — What to watch for during Modi’s first trip to China since 2018.
- Foreign Policy: Why India Should Not Walk Into the China-Russia Trap — New Delhi has other options, and the standoff with Washington may not last.
- The Economist: Even as China’s economy suffers, stocks soar. What’s going on? — The Shanghai composite is defying gravity.
- Brookings: Military parades and memory wars: China and Russia commemorate history to reimagine international order — China and Russia are offering a preferred alternative history to the Western narrative of the Allied victory, a narrative that heavily features the U.S. and Western European roles.
- Rest of World: Chinese EV makers are cashing in on Western luxury knockoffs — As the mainland’s electric-vehicle industry expands globally, design mimicry is reshaping competition.
