2026 Issue 17

Keith Bradsher at the New York Times reports on the cracks forming in the PRC economy as the war in the Middle East drags on, while the Wall Street Journal reports on the collapse of BYD’s profits.

As President Trump prepares to meet with Xi Jinping in Beijing, the PRC orders the unwinding of a Meta acquisition, tightens restrictions on technology to the United States, and imposes additional sanctions on U.S. companies.  At the same time, the U.S. Government is interdicting vessels carrying Chinese goods to Iran, ordering chip-making equipment companies to halt their sales to the PRC and accusing the PRC of stealing from American AI companies. 

The FT releases a detailed report on the PRC’s plans to build weapons for space and the German broadcaster DW explains the significance around the PRC’s nuclear weapons build-up.