Author: Media Library

TikTok’s new owners, eyes on Greenland, US farmers’ plight: 7 US-China relations reads

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We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump sells tariffs as farmers’ win in Iowa, but many aren’t buying it Photo: Randall Shelby In January, US President Donald Trump said farmers were “going to be the biggest beneficiary” of his tariff policy, even if it was “going to take a little while to kick in”. But many remained anxious that they could once…

Why Chinese electronics makers are betting on a TV revival

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. People are watching less television than they used to. Streaming and smartphones have become a replacement, especially for younger viewers. It isn’t hard to see why traditional leaders such as Sony, which is spinning out its TV and home audio operations into a joint venture with China’s TCL Electronics, are retreating. The real question is why Chinese manufacturers are buying in. What was once a lucrative business, dominated by Japanese…

As great powers bet on AI, what of the workforce holding it together?

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Artificial intelligence (AI) may look automated, but it runs on human labour. Behind every chatbot and image generator are thousands of people labelling images, tagging text, moderating content and training systems to understand language and culture. This invisible workforce has quietly become a critical layer of the global AI economy. India has emerged as a major hub for this work. Its large English-speaking workforce and long history in information technology outsourcing have made it a go-to location for data annotation, content moderation and AI training support. However, much of this…

China moves to boost cybercrime penalties by adding exit ban after sentences

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China is looking to escalate measures against cybercriminals operating inside and outside its borders by banning convicted citizens from leaving the country, even after they have completed their sentence. The draft Cybercrime Prevention and Control Law bill comes as China doubles down on working with Southeast Asian countries to crack down on cross-border online fraud. The bill, which aims to impose an exit ban on Chinese found guilty of cross-border online crimes for up to three years after serving their sentence, was announced by Beijing’s public security ministry on Saturday.…

India weighs lifting foreign ownership cap in state-owned banks

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Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Indian business & finance myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. India’s government is weighing raising the foreign direct investment cap in publicly owned banks to 49 per cent from 20 per cent, in a move that would mark a significant step in the opening of the sector to overseas capital. The proposal, raised by federal banking secretary M Nagaraju on Monday, reflects a broader shift in policy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi to liberalise the financial sector. New…

Toyota has ‘no intention’ to raise $34bn take-private offer after Elliott challenge

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Toyota has said it has “no intention” of raising its ¥5.4tn ($34bn) offer to take its largest subsidiary private, setting up a showdown with activist investor Elliott Management, which has staunchly objected to the carmaker’s price. Toyota Asset Preparatory, an entity formed to take control of car parts supplier Toyota Industries, said on Monday that its offer of ¥18,800 a share was its “best possible price”. “The tender offer price…

Toyota has ‘no intention’ of raising $34bn take-private offer after Elliott challenge

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Toyota has said it has “no intention” of raising its ¥5.4tn ($34bn) offer to take its largest subsidiary private, setting up a showdown with activist investor Elliott Management, which has staunchly objected to the carmaker’s price. Toyota Asset Preparatory, an entity formed to take control of car parts supplier Toyota Industries, said on Monday that its offer of ¥18,800 a share was its “best possible price”. “The tender offer price…

China navigates US threats to anchor global shipbuilding dominance in 2025

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China secured the most new shipbuilding orders globally in 2025 despite a slight dip in market share, showing enduring market dominance amid industry turbulence sparked by US threats targeting the Chinese maritime sector, official data showed. Chinese shipyards secured 107.8 million deadweight tonnage (DWT) in new orders in 2025 – a 4.6 per cent year-on-year decline – accounting for 69 per cent of the global market, down from a 74.1 per cent share in 2024, according to data released on Sunday by the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry…