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China targets influencers with audits amid domestic slump

China has ramped up audits involving online influencers and high-wage earners, reports the South China Morning Post. The move looks to recover billions in unpaid levies amid slumping land sales and value-added tax revenue decline. As China’s digital infrastructure matures, top-tier influencers are leveraging massive audience engagement to generate premium earnings. Consequently, they have become a […]

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Economics & Policy Economics & Trade Politics & Society Takeaway

Record surplus

China has reported a record trade surplus of nearly $1.2 trillion for 2025, which comes as it seeks to diversify away from the US to other markets, and also seeks to downplay exports in favor of domestic consumption. The first is working to some extent but the second is not. Outbound shipments in December hit […]

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Brief Economics & Policy Economics & Trade Law & Regulation Politics & Society Tech, Media & Telecom

US gives green light on Nvidia H200 chips exports to China

The Trump administration has formally approved China-bound sales of second most powerful AI chips, reports Reuters. The approval comes with conditions and is expected to kickstart shipments of the H200 despite deep concerns among China hawks in Washington. According to the regulations, the chips will be reviewed by a third-party testing lab to confirm their technical AI […]

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Brief Economics & Policy Law & Regulation Politics & Society Tech, Media & Telecom

Beijing to limit Nvidia chip purchases to “special circumstances”

The Chinese government this week told some tech companies it would only approve their purchases of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips under special circumstances, such as for university research, reports Reuters, citing unnamed sources quoted in The Information. The move signals Beijing is remaining cautious about fully reopening the Chinese market to Nvidia, whose semiconductors are pivotal in […]

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Economics & Policy Politics & Society Takeaway Tech, Media & Telecom

Counting the chips

The US has formally approved sales of Nvidia’s second most powerful chip, the H200 to China, albeit with conditions that both ensure there are enough chips for the US market, and that they won’t fall into any kind of military use. Meanwhile, Reuters has cited unnamed sources stating that Beijing would approve sales only under […]