Day: January 31, 2026

China’s Wingtech, owner of Nexperia, expects wider loss amid row over Dutch chipmaker

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Wingtech Technology, the Chinese owner of chipmaker Nexperia, is expected to post a loss of between 9 billion yuan (US$1.3 billion) and 13.5 billion yuan in 2025, owing to the Dutch government’s takeover of the semiconductor firm, the Shanghai-listed company said in a statement on Friday. Wingtech said that its authority over the chipmaker continues to be “temporarily restricted” since the October 7 ruling of the Dutch Enterprise Chamber, a special division of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal, remained in place, despite the government’s suspension of its September 30 order…

Starmer hopes his China trip will begin the thaw after recent ice age

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The last British prime minister to visit China was Theresa May in 2018. Before the visit, she and her team were advised to get dressed under the covers because of the risk of hidden cameras having been placed in their hotel rooms to record compromising material. Keir Starmer, in Beijing this week, was more sanguine about his privacy, even though the security risks have, if anything, increased since the former Tory prime minister was in town. China has been accused of spying on parliament, has sanctioned British MPs and peers,…

China’s factory activity contracts in January on weak domestic demand

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China’s factory activity faltered in January as weak domestic demand dragged down production at the start of the new ‍year, an official survey showed on Saturday. The official purchasing managers’ index (PMI) dropped to 49.3 in January, from 50.1 in December, below the 50-mark separating growth from contraction. It missed a forecast of 50 in a Reuters poll of analysts. Sub-indexes of new orders and new export orders also saw declines, respectively, down to 49.2 from 50.8 ⁠in December and 47.8 from 49.0 in December. Advertisement The non-manufacturing PMI, which…

Miner Chemaf emerges as first test of US-DR Congo minerals deal

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Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free Your guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the world The Democratic Republic of Congo is nearing a decision on the sale of Chemaf, the miner that has become a litmus test for the country’s new minerals partnership with the US. Chemaf, which owns the Mutoshi copper and cobalt project, has become a political lightning rod as at least six bidders have emerged for the struggling company that was put up for sale in 2023.  The troubled asset…