China
CNBC’s The China Connection newsletter: China’s AI race enters a new phase
A robot band from LinkerBot performs at a robot 6S store on Jan. 29, 2026 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province of China. Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images Hi, this is Evelyn, writing to you from Beijing. Welcome to the latest edition of The China Connection — a succinct snapshot of what I’m seeing […]
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China’s factory activity returns to growth, expanding at its sharpest pace in a year
LIANYUNGANG, CHINA – FEBRUARY 28: Employees produce stuffed toys for export at a toy factory on February 28, 2026 in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province of China. Si Wei | Visual China Group | Getty Images China’s official gauge for manufacturing activity climbed more than expected in March to mark its best performance in a year and snapping […]
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China suppliers warn of higher prices for Americans due to Strait of Hormuz closure
Pickleball paddle producer Devi Wei has a message for U.S. shoppers. “Americans will have to pay more,” the Chinese businessman told CNBC at a Beijing trade show last week at the China International Exhibition Center. Because of the recent swings in oil prices resulting from the Iran war and closure of the Strait of Hormuz, […]
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This Chinese gold play is attractive even as the metal sees big price swings, analysts say
Chinese jewelry company Laopu Gold still has significant upside, despite recent volatility in prices of the precious metal, analysts said. In the last two years, Hong Kong-listed Laopu has become an upstart in China’s luxury scene , drawing local crowds — and reportedly LVMH Chair Bernard Arnault — for its artisanal take on gold jewelry. […]
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Worried about Strait of Hormuz inflation to come? The world economy has one word for you: Plastics
Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images The price of naphtha may not keep you up at night when you think about the inflation yet to hit the economy from the U.S.-Iran war and Strait of Hormuz closure, but perhaps it should. As gas prices continue to rise alongside crude oil, costs of petroleum derivatives […]
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How Chinese, Russian Arctic ambitions are fueling a U.S. polar icebreaker mission
The once-impenetrable Arctic waters have become the latest battleground for sea dominance among military and maritime vessels, as increased activity by both the Chinese and Russian Coast Guard and naval ships in recent months has raised concern in the U.S. The Northwest Passage, a sea route extending north of Canada that connects the Arctic Ocean […]
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China’s BYD sees first profit drop since 2021, even as the Tesla-rival takes global EV crown
BYD new energy vehicles awaiting shipment for export in Yantai Port, Shandong, China on March 26, 2026. CFOTO | Future Publishing | Getty Images Chinese automaker BYD said Friday its annual sales rose to a record $116 billion, outpacing Tesla’s, but its profit fell for the first time since 2021 under pressure from cutthroat competition. BYD, the largest […]
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Beijing’s surprise intervention on Meta’s Manus rattles tech founders, VCs eyeing ‘China shedding’
CHONGQING, CHINA – JANUARY 07: In this photo illustration, the Manus logo is displayed on a smartphone screen, with the Chinese national flag visible in the background, on January 7, 2026 in Chongqing, China. Cheng Xin | Getty Images News | Getty Images Tech circles from Silicon Valley to Shenzhen buzzed when Meta acquired Manus, […]
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The Tech Download: How Russia could profit from Iran war helium supply chain disruption in the chip sector
This report is from this week’s The Tech Download newsletter. Like what you see? You can subscribe here. Helium has emerged as a key focus for the tech sector as industry watchers cast their minds to the implications of a prolonged Iran war. A byproduct of natural gas production, helium is crucial to semiconductor manufacturing and […]
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‘Not unlike tariffs’: Iran war threatens to deepen Asia private equity’s worst fundraising slump in a decade
Blackstone Group’s logo on display during the opening of the company’s new office in Singapore. Munshi Ahmed | Bloomberg | Getty Images Since the pandemic, private equity funds focused on Asia have struggled to raise money, as the industry sat on massive unsold assets and idle dry powder. Signs of growing confidence began to emerge […]
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