China news roundup / Nachrichten 2026-06-09/10

20 days ago (Edited)

China May wholesale inflation hits near 4-year high on Iran war-led higher input costs, AI boom

"China’s wholesale prices rose at the fastest pace in nearly four years in May, driven by surging raw material costs due to the Iran war and an artificial intelligence investment boom, while consumer inflation came in below estimates."

--- If there is any inflation at all, then it is foreign induced. The Chinese economy itself is obviously still not doing well.

"Economists have warned that supply-driven reflation risks further pressuring companies’ profit margins and dampening household consumption demand"

--- You don't say.

China’s May shipments to U.S. clock 5-year high growth at 35% as overall exports jump on tech boost

"The import surge has largely been driven by higher input costs and narrowly concentrated in select categories, particularly semiconductor chips and gold, but “hardly a sign of rebalancing,” according to economists at Bank of America Global Research.
“With weak overall demand and ongoing domestic substitution, genuine trade rebalancing remains distant,”
[...] A persistently weak jobs market has also compounded the pressure on consumer spending. “Despite soaring exports, the number of manufacturing jobs continues to contract,”"

--- That's how it looks. Inflation is not the same as inflation. Some inflation shows that the economy is doing well because there is demand. Other kinds of inflation are actually quite negative. For example, when it is coming from abroad.

BYD and Alibaba among big names aiding China’s military, Pentagon says

"The US added Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba, internet search provider Baidu and carmaker BYD to a list of companies it believes are aiding Beijing’s military"

--- Which they most probably do.

"Alibaba said in a statement there was “no basis” for its inclusion on the list. “Alibaba is not a Chinese military company nor part of any military-civil fusion strategy. We will take all available legal action against attempts to misrepresent our company,”"

--- Well, the thing is, the Chinese military-civil fusion strategy is virtually all encompassing and goes for the whole of the economy. As soon as a company is important or big enough, it will be included in any strategic planning by the CCP.

Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un vow stronger ties as North Korea visit wraps up

"On Tuesday, both leaders paid a visit to the Friendship Tower, which commemorates Chinese soldiers who fought in the Korean war. They also dropped by Pyongyang's top cadre school, where they planted a fir tree symbolising their evergreen friendship"

--- Yes, that was definitely freshly planted. Then, by a communist miracle, it grew into a full tree just in seconds.

The Philippines protests China’s floating ‘structure’

China summons state construction giants over safety failures

--- China Uncensored: "It Might Be a Chinese Psyop"

--- China Uncensored: "The CCP Is Eating Its Own"

--- China Uncensored: "China’s Economy Just Crossed a Dangerous Line"

Diese Ziele verfolgt Xi mit seinem Besuch bei Kim

"China will weltweit als verantwortungsvolle und friedliebende Macht wahrgenommen werden - als Gegenpol zu den USA.
Mit Blick auf Nordkoreas Atom- und Raketenprogramm hat nicht nur der südkoreanische Präsident Lee Jae Myung China mehrmals gebeten, seinen Einfluss auf Kims Regime geltend zu machen. Für Südkorea und die Region stellt die aggressive Aufrüstung des nördlichen Nachbarn eine unmittelbare Bedrohung dar.
Auch die USA fordern eine Denuklearisierung Nordkoreas. Und auch China lehnt das wachsende Atomwaffenarsenal seines Nachbarn offiziell ab, obschon die Kritik in den letzten Jahren leiser geworden ist. Auch an Tag zwei von Xis Nordkorea-Besuch war von chinesischer Kritik am wachsenden Atomwaffenprogramm Nordkoreas öffentlich nichts zu hören."

--- Aha, aber inwiefern hilft dies dem Eindruck, eine verantwortungsvolle und friedliebende Macht zu sein?