British authorities may have well-founded concerns about the cyber-spying threat from vehicles made in China, but it turns out the country’s manufacturers have security worries of their own. Insurers have told Chinese carmakers they need certain critical modifications for vehicles on British streets: namely, tougher locking devices to make them harder to steal. With an average of 11 reported vehicle thefts an hour in the UK, and car crime comparatively rare under Beijing’s strict authoritarian regime, industry sources said it had been a “swift learning curve”. Additions to cars exported…
Day: September 14, 2025
What will China’s travel warnings about the Philippines mean for business ties?
China has issued four travel advisories warning of risks in the Philippines since April, with analysts saying that two-way trade, investment and higher education exchanges could slow if they are heeded by Chinese citizens. Advertisement The latest notice, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 30, described public security in the Philippines as “unstable” with “numerous crimes targeting Chinese citizens”. A similar advisory went out on April 1, and the Ministry of Education issued warnings in April and August for Chinese students in the Philippines. Analysts say the…
China says TikTok’s continued US operation a must for trade talks progress
China said TikTok’s continued operation in the United States would be a prerequisite for any progress when trade negotiators open a new round of the coming Sino-US talks in Madrid. Advertisement China emphasised its openness to dialogue with the US on trade issues, but said Washington must adhere to principles and provide “open, fair, non-discriminatory conditions” for Chinese enterprises, including the Chinese-owned short-video platform. “If the US insists on harming the legitimate interests of Chinese companies, China will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard national interests and the legal rights…
In ageing Japan, warehouse work becomes a job for machines
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Ageing Japan is becoming a test bed for whether logistics companies can overcome labour shortages and maintain faster delivery times, as the bulk of the sector lags behind Amazon in embracing robots. At its fulfilment centre in Chiba near Tokyo, where robots outnumber the 2,000 employees and storage capacity is 40 per cent higher than a regular warehouse, Amazon showcased a new paper wrapping machine that automatically adjusts to the…
Pakistan battles resurgent opium trade
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Surveillance drones hover over white-and-pink poppy fields in rural Pakistan, guiding men armed with assault rifles, weedicide sprayers and weed whackers — all part of a government operation to search out and destroy the farms that supply the key ingredient for opium and heroin. Since Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers banned the lucrative crop three years ago, Pakistan has emerged as one of the world’s biggest suppliers of opium, with output increasing…