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
- How China Miscalculated Its Way to a Baby Bust — A missile scientist used mathematical models to push the nation’s one-child policy. Its legacy is proving hard to shake.
- Can the U.S. Break China’s Grip on Solar? — China controls the bulk of the world’s solar supply chain. Now, the U.S. is trying to build its own. It will be tough.
- China’s Carbon Emissions Are Set to Decline Years Earlier Than Expected — China’s rollout of 300 gigawatts of new wind and solar power last year was for the first time enough to cover its new electricity demand.
- U.S.-China Tensions Have a New Front: A Naval Base in Africa — American officials urge leaders in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea to reject Beijing’s overtures for a military presence on their Atlantic coastline.
- GOP Rising Star and China Watchdog Mike Gallagher to Quit Congress — Wisconsin representative has been courted for Senate run, but plans not to seek re-election and to leave Washington.
The Financial Times
- China’s consumers tighten belts even as prices fall — Shoppers hold back as gloom persists about world’s second-largest economy.
- Supply chains: when the chips are down — Teaching case study: what US-China tensions mean for technology companies.
- China’s lunar new year travel set to hit ‘historic’ levels — Authorities hope festive season will lift the world’s second-largest economy out of deflation.
- BASF to sell holdings in two Xinjiang chemical plants — German group’s move follows media reports in home country alleging human rights abuses by staff of local partner in China.
- Opinion: It pains me to say Hong Kong is over — The stock market is likely to remain in the mire until we see convincing economic measures from Beijing. By Stephen Roach
The New York Times
- How China Built BYD, Its Tesla Killer — The leading Chinese electric vehicle company, with origins as a battery maker, has posted two years of million-car growth in sales.
- China Keeps Building Stadiums in Africa. But at What Cost? — This year’s Africa Cup of Nations, like several previous editions, played out in Chinese-built arenas. It will end with familiar questions about their legacy.
Caixin
- China’s Power Reforms: Climate Crises, Supply Shocks Energize Push for Unified Market — “Unifying the power market system,” the stated aim of the government, could hedge against growing external risks and dramatically reduce China’s carbon emissions.
- China Releases Draft Regulations for After-School Tutoring Industry — China’s ministry of education has released draft regulations for the country’s after-school tutoring industry, the first of its kind on a national-level stipulating the regulatory framework for the once booming sector.
- Vanke Offloads Shanghai Mall at Discount — China Vanke Co. Ltd. is selling its entire stake in a Shanghai retail complex to Link Real Estate Investment Trust (Link Reit) at a discount, as the indebted developer offloads assets to ease liquidity crunch.
South China Morning Post
- Chinese scientists say new calcium-based battery offers ‘cheaper, safer’ alternative to lithium-ion cells — With calcium 2,500 times more abundant than lithium, battery offers viable option with theoretically comparable energy density, Fudan University scientists say in paper for Nature.
- China displays FC-31 fighter at Saudi defence show in bid to increase exports as Middle East nations explore options — The threat of a wider conflict could encourage nations in the region to expand their fighter jet forces but China has challenges in eroding US dominance.
- Chinese start-up Galactic Energy plans reusable rocket debut this year — It would make Pallas-1 the first reusable rocket developed in China to reach orbit, but it’s not clear if it will be recovered during the flight.
Nikkei Asia
- Pacific nations caught in China-U.S. rivalry try to balance ties — PNG aims for stable relations with both, while Palau awaits Washington funding.
- CATL, BYD, others unite in China for solid-state battery breakthrough — Beijing forms national alliance in all-out effort to revolutionize the EV market.
- Chinese EVs set to make bigger splash in Europe with huge new ships — BYD, SAIC tackle transport bottleneck that has held them back.
Bloomberg
- In Trump-Biden Rematch, the Only Sure Loser Is China — Trump vows massive tariffs that could shrink US-China trade to practically nothing — and Biden has new restrictions ready to roll before election day.
- Abu Dhabi AI Firm to Pare Back China Presence in Pivot to US — Abu Dhabi’s G42 is paring back its presence in China and has pledged to invest in key Western markets in an effort to assuage US concerns over the artificial intelligence firm’s ties to Beijing.
- Taylor Swift Wows Chinese Women Tired of Xi’s Conservative Era — Fans praise pop star for raising gender issues, empowerment.
Reuters
- China’s Pan sets 100 metres freestyle world record — China’s teen sensation Pan Zhanle set the men’s 100 metres freestyle world record at the swimming World Championships in Doha on Sunday with a stunning leadoff swim in the 4x100m relay to power his nation to the title.
- Battle-scarred Taiwanese islands star in Oscar nominated film — A film about frontline Taiwanese islands repeatedly fought over with China during the height of the Cold War is vying to win an Oscar this year, with its director hoping the attention will help better explain tensions over Taiwan to a broader audience.
- Philippines accuses China of dangerous manoeuvres near Scarborough Shoal — The Philippines’ coast guard (PCG) on Sunday accused China of “dangerous and blocking” manoeuvres while its vessel patrolled near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea this month.
Other Publications
- Washington Post: Trump dreamt of a ‘Huawei killer.’ Biden is trying to unleash it. — The Biden administration has committed more than $1.5 billion to try to persuade the world to use a technology that might allow American businesses back into the telecommunications equipment race. By Eva Dou
- POLITICO: The Biden campaign joins TikTok — The move comes about a year after the Biden White House demanded federal agencies remove the app from federal government devices.
- The Guardian: China wants us to buy its electric cars. Should you hit the road in one? — BYD is increasingly dominating the world market and now wants to persuade UK motorists to snap up its vehicles.
- CNBC: China may be making more advanced chips despite U.S. sanctions — but it still faces big problems — China’s biggest chipmaker SMIC seems to have been manufacturing advanced chips in the last few months — defying U.S. sanctions designed to slow down Beijing’s progress.
- Lowy Institute: What constrains and restrains China on Taiwan? — This is the better question to ask when assessing the prospects of a war over the Strait in the coming decade. By Jared McKinney
