The Daily Roundup - The Wire China
July 23rd, 2026 | 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.
July 23rd, 2026. Good Morning. Welcome toThe Wire’sdaily 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. Paid subscribers automatically have this list emailed directly to their inboxes every day by 10 a. m. EST. Subscribe here. The Wall Street JournalFord and Geely Agree to Spanish Manufacturing Tie-Up— The deal is the latest move by a Western automaker to open its factory gates to Chinese competitors as they look to fill capacity and secure the future of their production sites. China’s XPeng Charts Course From EVs to Robots— Chinese carmakers spent the past decade replacing gasoline engines with batteries. The next will be about integrating cars with robotics, XPeng’s chief executive says. Chinese Carmakers Log Surge in European Monthly Sales— Chinese carmakers recorded another jump in European monthly sales in June, solidifying their position as mighty competitors for local auto companies that are seeking to reinvigorate growth. The Financial TimesFord hopes Spain tie-up with China’s Geely will revive European business— Two carmakers say they will form a manufacturing joint venture at U. S. group’s Valencia plant. EU urged to use more ‘clout’ against Beijing— Former trade commissioner Karel De Gucht says bloc should form alliance of open trading nations. China’s assault on Europe’s car market has barely begun— The first in a series on Chinese carmakers in Europe examines the overseas ambitions of Xiaomi, Xpeng, Li Auto and Aito. Mercedes risks U. S. sales ban under Senate China bill— Commerce panel to vote on legislation barring companies with significant Chinese ownership from U. S. market. Opinion: How long can China defy history and logic with its imbalances?— The country is demanding far too much of a world fixated on cheap consumer goods. By Stephen Roach. Opinion: Why the U. S. is losing Chinese AI stars— More entrepreneurs from China believe there are now greater opportunities at home than in Silicon Valley. By Zijing Wu. The New York TimesRubio and Chinese Diplomat Make Plans for Trump and Xi’s Washington Summit— Marco Rubio spent much of a meeting with China’s foreign minister discussing the summit, but did not bring up Trump’s claims of election interference by China. Iran, China, Canada? A Defense of Trump’s Grand Strategy— A Pentagon official argues that “people can no longer take the United States for granted. ”Opinion: China’s A. I. Has a Winning Formula. America, Don’t Panic. — Open-weight models have been the underlying strength of Chinese artificial intelligence strategy. America should take cues. By Jason Hsu. CaixinVolkswagen Strengthens Self-Driving Partnership With Horizon Robotics— The move highlights the auto giant’s urgent need to accelerate its shift toward EVs and reverse its plunging sales in its largest market following years of software development struggles. China Offers Brand-Name Drugmakers a Lifeline in Bulk-Procurement Tender— The latest national drug tender seeks to curb destructive price competition while tightening quality requirements for generic medicines. Medical Degrees in China’s College Admissions— Falling scores for standard clinical-medicine programs underscore concerns over long training periods, uncertain hospital jobs and weaker income prospects. South China Morning PostWhat is Beijing thinking? Why Washington is struggling to understand its rival— Language is important in U. S. -China diplomacy, but funding cuts and dwindling student exchanges have left a ‘major gap’ in capabilities. U. S. Congress explores new tariffs, sanctions to counter China’s shipbuilding dominance— U. S. lawmakers search for ways to tackle Beijing’s rapid rise in commercial shipbuilding and restore America’s diminished commercial fleet. U. S. -China trade war reaches India’s streets as Modi weighs risks of Washington bet— Indian leader faces ‘perfect storm’ at home as proposed U. S. trade deal sparks backlash and Trump ramps up pressure over Russian oil and China. Why Trump’s claim that Beijing meddled in U. S. election hasn’t put ties on ice— Leaders’ commitment to stability holds as China likely views his remarks as domestic political theatre, analysts say. Trump tech official accuses China’s Moonshot AI of stealing from Anthropic— Michael Kratsios alleges Beijing-based company targeted Anthropic’s most powerful model, Claude Fable 5, through large-scale ‘distillation’. Nikkei AsiaXi Jinping moves to bury a scandal that reaches his inner circle— Politburo member purged ahead of APEC summit in Xi family stronghold of Shenzhen. How fentanyl-linked crypto fraud ties back to a Chinese drug kingpin— Japan outpost used to move funds, direct trafficking likely part of a larger operation. Opinion: Japan, China need an economic hotline as well as a defense one— The more Beijing puts pressure on rare-earth exports, the less effective the leverage. By David Tingxuan Zhang. BloombergChinese Brands Resort to Crude Insults to Hawk LED Signs and Charging Cables— To stand out from a glut of competitors, China’s small industrial enterprises are using epithets and provocations to grab the internet’s attention. Lawmakers Worry Trump’s Team Isn’t Closing China Chip Curbs Gap They Created— Lawmakers are pressing President Trump’s team to close a loophole they say the administration created in China tech restrictions, but which a key agency denies exists. Opinion: From Napoleon to Moonshot, China Is Doing It Again— The Five-Year Plan to create a technological powerhouse is off to a great start. By John Authers. ReutersChipmaker CXMT debut spotlights China’s state-funded path to tech power— CXMT is central to China’s push for AI self-sufficiency because advanced AI processors require massive amounts of high-speed memory. India’s solar push idles factories unable to shake reliance on China— Manufacturers lacking facilities face waiting periods of up to 8 months for domestic cells, which boost the cost of domestically made panels to almost double those that use Chinese cells. Intel, AMD sign long-term server CPU deals with Chinese clients as prices surge— Demand has spread beyond AI accelerators to memory, networking gear and server processors, giving suppliers greater leverage to seek long-term purchase deals. Other PublicationsForeign Affairs:China’s Moment of Weakness— Economic Decay and America’s Strategic Opening. The New Yorker:How a Chinese Immigrant Driver Got Entangled in a Drug Bust— In early 2025, a man from Queens arranged to pick up a passenger in New York’s North County. He’s been in jail upstate ever since. The Economist:Can China dominate AI exports, too?— Robotaxis offer an early test case. The Guardian:Democratic lawmakers propose bank funded by China tariffs to boost U. S. manufacturing— Ro Khanna says ‘reindustrialization’ effort would provide grants, loans and investments to smaller businesses. Cover StoryThe Return of the Taiwan TigerTaiwan’s “tiger” economy is back and burning bright. Driven by U. S. demand for Taiwan tech products, the island’s economy grew almost 15 percent in the first quarter of this year and it now exports more goods to America than China does. It is all part of a decade-long strategic pivot by Taiwan’s last two presidents away from China and towards the U. S. Corporate Risk Intelligence for National Security, Compliance & Due DiligenceLearn More