China Pulse Digest

March exports disappoint at 2.5% growth, a five-month low vs. 21.8% in Jan-Feb and 8.3-8.6% forecasts—AI demand hit by Iran war's energy...

Pivotal guilty plea by Hui Ka Yan to embezzlement and bribery in Shenzhen court signals accountability in China's property meltdown.

Key fallout:
-...

• China's semiconductors booming despite US export controls progressively tightened since 2020 to slow advanced tech progress
• In practice,...

Beijing's trade arsenal grows: Nearly tripled export restrictions to 30 from 2021-2025, targeting supply chain chokepoints like rare earths.

• New...

• Viral trend: 'Trump chickened out' surges on Chinese social media, with posts calling him a child who flip-flops.
• Beijing's denial: No US tariff...

• New targets: PM2.5 limits drop from 35 to 30 μg/m³ by 2030, then 25 μg/m³ after—as 2025 average hit 28 μg/m³.
• Shift to sustainability: From rapid...

Cheng's China trip was all about optics, timed amid April's sensitive period where major PLA drills historically cluster around political triggers—like the 2025 Strait Thunder precedent.

European diplomatic shift: Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez pushes China for a bigger global role amid US tensions post-Trump.

• Key plea: Fill US...

• Teleprompting edge: Rokid's virtual screen for speeches boosts sales over Alibaba's cheaper glasses; popular with execs and officials.
• Outpacing...

Key shifts in US tech curbs on China:

• Transactional pivot: Trump admin eases Nvidia H200 exports to China with 25% tariffs and caps, eyeing $50B...

Key reforms reshape FIE setup under Foreign Investment Law and Amended Company Law:

• Local entity essential for VAT invoices, RMB payments, and...

Trump threatens 50% tariffs on China if caught supplying weapons to Iran. The Fox News comments follow failed US-Iran talks amid rising tensions over potential Chinese military assistance, heightening US-China frictions.

Media contrast on Beijing's defensive expansion amid sanctions:

• Core action: Premier Li Qiang signed decree for Regulations countering unjustified...

China's AI regulatory trend signals leadership in balancing innovation and safety:

• Global frontlines: Leading efforts to govern AI amid 'common...

• Qualcomm-CXMT collab accelerates access: US firm partners with China's 4th-largest DRAM maker on custom mobile LPDDR chips, building on prior...

Multiple breakthroughs drive China's decarbonization:

• Renewable surge: Capacity reached 2.26M MW in 2025, growing 24-26% yearly vs. prior 13.6%.
  -...

Bureaucratic bottlenecks at the US Bureau of Industry and Security are amplifying US-China tech decoupling:

• 19% staff reduction (101 employees lost...

Chinese heavy machinery leader Sunward launches SWDM 420E, 520E, and 620E rotary rigs, blending electric drive with onboard generators for flexible,...

• Full tariff elimination on all products from 53 African countries starts May 1, expanding December 2024 zero-tariff policy for 33 least-developed...

Classic cartographic trick: NYT's oversized AIS dots fuse scattered vessels into a fake 200-mile "line"; proper scaling shows discrete clusters.

-...