China news roundup / Nachrichten 2025-11-01/02

China manufacturing slump deepens to 6-month low in October, as PMI misses estimates

"The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index came in at 49.0 [...] The latest reading reversed the recovery in recent months, after the PMI rose to a six-month high of 49.8 in September, compared to 49.4 in August and 49.3 in July. The sub-indexes tracking production, new orders, raw material inventory and employment all sunk further into contraction, official data showed, pointing to a deeper manufacturing slowdown and softer demand"

--- That recovery is still going great, it seems. And if you trust a "private" survey, the numbers are even positive: China's October factory activity expansion slows, private PMI shows

Trump says China's Xi has assured him that he won't take action on Taiwan during Republican's term

"“He has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘We would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said"

--- Even if the Emperor Xi said anything like this - which is dubious -, what makes you think you can trust him? Speaking of trust:

China to ease chip export ban in new trade deal, White House says

"There had been concern that a lack of chips from Nexperia, which has production facilities in China, could create global supply chain issues. Nexperia is a Chinese-owned company, but is based in the Netherlands. About 70% of Nexperia chips made in Europe are sent to China to be completed and re-exported to other countries. The fact sheet states that China will "take appropriate measures to ensure the resumption of trade from Nexperia's facilities in China, allowing production of critical legacy chips to flow to the rest of the world"."

--- Will China do that?

"It follows Beijing saying on Saturday that it was considering exempting some firms from the ban."

--- "Considering", "some firms": that doesn't really sound very promising.

Trump says China, other countries can't have Nvidia's top AI chips

"Questions have also swirled about whether Trump would allow shipments of a scaled-down version of Blackwell chips to China since August, when he suggested he might allow such sales. Trump told CBS he would not allow the sale of the most advanced Blackwells to Chinese companies, but he did not rule out a path for them to obtain a less capable version of the chip. "We will let them deal with Nvidia but not in terms of the most advanced," he said"

--- From what I have heard, China would get chips with half the power for half the price. So essentially the same stuff. Moronic.

Chinese buyers purchase Brazilian soybeans as prices fall amid US-China trade thaw

"Brazilian soybeans had traded at higher prices than US supplies in recent weeks as steep Chinese tariffs curbed demand for US beans. “Brazil is now cheaper than US Gulf, and buyers are taking this opportunity to book cargoes,” said a trader at an international company that runs oilseed processing plants in China. “We are seeing increased demand for Brazilian beans since last week.” Beijing agreed to expand farm trade with Washington after US President Donald Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea last week. The White House subsequently released details of the agreement revealing China will purchase at least 12 million metric tons of US soybeans in the final two months of 2025 and at least 25 million tonnes in each of the next three years."

--- I have a slight suspicion that they will NOT buy at least 12 million tons this year.

China warns of growing foreign espionage in seed, grain sector

""In recent years, foreign intelligence agencies have intensified their infiltration into China's grain sector, illegally obtaining genetic data from crops such as soybeans, corn, and rice, posing a serious threat to the country's food security," the ministry said in a statement published on its official WeChat account."

--- Yeah, those ugly foreigners, taking all food away.

China intimidated UK university to ditch human rights research, documents show

"China waged a campaign of harassment and intimidation directed at a UK university to get it to shut down sensitive research into alleged human rights abuses, documents seen by the BBC show. Sheffield Hallam University staff in China were threatened by individuals described by them as being from China's National Security Service who demanded the research being done in Sheffield be halted. And access to the university's websites from China was blocked, impeding its ability to recruit Chinese students, in a campaign of threats and intimidation lasting more than two years. In an internal email from July 2024, university officials said "attempting to retain the business in China and publication of the research are now untenable bedfellows"."

--- And so instead of getting out of China and losing some Chinese students... ...you gave up on your research. Suckers.

US and China agree to set up direct military communication channels, says Pentagon chief

300 million tourists just visited China's stunning Xinjiang region. There's a side they didn't see

--- China Uncensored featured the usual weekend news variety:

--- China Uncensored: "This Was So Dumb. So Dumb I Can't Even Breathe"

--- China Uncensored:Inside China’s “Sex Warfare” Strategy Against the U.S.

--- ABC: Australia sells China critical minerals vital for Beijing's weapon programs

E-Busse in Norwegen: Fernsteuerung aus China möglich

"Bei dem niederländischen Fahrzeug von VDL gab es keine Auffälligkeiten. Wohl aber bei dem Yutong-Bus aus China: Er hat eine Funktion, über die Updates via Mobilfunknetz eingespielt werden können - ohne dass ein Werkstattbesuch nötig ist. Und darüber hinaus sei es theoretisch möglich, so schreibt die Verkehrsbehörde Ruter in einer Pressemitteilung, dass "dieser Bus vom Hersteller gestoppt oder unbrauchbar gemacht werden" könnte. Er könne zum Beispiel die Fahrertüren öffnen oder schließen und sie sogar verriegeln. [...] Der Zugriff über diese sogenannte "OTA"-Schnittstelle (für "over the air") ist nicht auf Busse beschränkt - im Gegenteil. Sehr viele moderne Pkw haben diese Schnittstelle auch. Darüber können die Autohersteller beispielsweise ohne Werkstattbesuch Updates einspielen oder neue Funktionen freischalten - und vorhandene Funktionen deaktivieren"

--- Wer irgendetwas Chinesisches kauft, das mit dem Internet verbunden ist, ist selber schuld.

Keine US-Zusatzzölle gegen China bis Ende 2026

"China wiederum hatte zugesagt, wieder Sojabohnen aus den Vereinigten Staaten zu kaufen"

--- Stattdessen greift man jetzt bei den billiger gewordenen brasilianischen Soja-Bohnen zu. Es darf also bezweifelt werden, dass China dieses Jahr, wie versprochen, 12 Millionen Tonnen in den USA kaufen wird.