China Inc by BBW

The value of McDonald's China operation has plunged by more than half in the last year. What's causing the indigestion? And 91 companies get their drugs added to China's national health plan. But are the steep discounts needed to make the cut really worth it?

A company called Huoli has applied to become China's online travel agent to list in quite some time. Will investors buy into its story, especially as the travel market starts to slow? And auto trader Cango is trying to export used Chinese cars in its pivot from the slowing domestic car market. Will foreign buyers be interested in owning such cars?

Donald Trump wasn't too friendly to Chinese companies his first time as president, trying to ban TikTok and delist many firms from Wall Street. Can we expect more of the same in Trump 2.0? And a property developer called CIFI has advanced a plan to reorganize its offshore debt at lightning speed. Could this mark the start of new era for Chinese developers in resolving their huge foreign debt?

CICC has been fined for its lax due diligence with IPO candidate S2C. Does this signify the start of a new regulatory crackdown? And Huawei beta tests the latest rendition of its Harmony smartphone operating system. Does it have a realistic chance of competing with Apple's iOS and Android?

Horizon Robotics and WeRide have raised more than $1 billion combined in their IPOs in Hong Kong and New York. Does this mark the start of a new listing wave? And Alibaba looks to sell Sun Art, owner of the RT-Mart hypermarket chain. Does this mean Alibaba's "new retail" vision is dead?

China's car sales returned to growth in September, finally reversing six months of declines. Is this the start of a turnaround for the sputtering industry? And Delta will resume its L.A.-to-Shanghai flights after more than a three years suspension. Why are the US-to-China routes taking so long to come back?

China and the EU are trying to reach a deal to avoid EU tariffs on Chinese EVs. But is there too much distance between the two sides? And Indonesia asks Apple and Google to evict China's popular Temu e-commerce app from their local app stores. Will the two app store giants comply?

China's securities regulator puts the brakes on new bubble tea IPOs in Hong Kong. Is this China's latest step to assert its authority over the former British colony? And former drug making highflyer Ascletis has become revenue-less after its earlier drugs fizzled. Now the company is hoping to revive its fortunes with a new weight-loss drug from the same class as Ozempic.

Uber will offer WeRide robotaxi services starting in the UAE. Is this a big deal, or mostly symbolic? And Starbucks names a new China CEO to revive its flagging local operation. Will that be enough to tackle the challenge from low-price companies like Luckin and Cotti?

PwC has received a record fine in China for lapses in its audits of failed developer Evergrande. Is this the end of the road for PwC in China? And EV battery system maker Octillion finds new life in India after its biggest China customer hits the skids. Is this the road to the future for Chinese EV component makers?

The US closes a loophole that allowed Temu and Shein to import goods duty-free. How will this impact their sales? And sales of Chinese EVs passed gas-powered cars for a second straight month in August. Has the EV era finally arrived?

Commercial planemaker Comac has delivered its first C919 jets to China Southern and Air China. When will foreign airlines start to consider buying these challengers to Boeing and Airbus? And sanitary products maker Hengan sees a big future in adult disposable diapers as China's population ages. But will consumers really consider such a product?

A growing number of Chinese solar panel makers are falling into the red due to huge overcapacity and resulting price wars. What's needed to bring the industry back to health? And the Xinhua news agency warns against the addictive nature of 'blind box' collectible toys. Does this signal a new government crackdown ahead?

Bondholders of struggling developer Sino-Ocean have flatly rejected its debt restructuring proposal. Does that spell the end for the company? And Alibaba's shares could become available to Mainland investors as soon as the end of this month. What kind of upside could that bring to the sagging stock?

Index compiler MSCI has removed nearly 200 China stocks from its indexes this year. Why the sudden change of heart on China? And YXT.com stock drops 9% in its Nasdaq trading debut after pricing weakly. Why are investors worried about this adult education company?

A popular livestreaming host parts ways with e-commerce company East Buy. How will the company move past the crisis? And solar farm operator Xinyi Energy sings the profit blues. Why is China's solar energy market suddenly looking far less bright?

Luckin's same-store sales and margins plunged in the second quarter. Will it fall into the red under the challenge from upstart rival Cotti Coffee? And China imposes export restrictions on drone components with defense applications. Will that have any impact on the West?

China trials a plan to prop up its property market with affordable housing plan. But will it solve the oversupply problem? And lithium miners are singing the blues as prices plunge from recent highs. What's behind the bubble for this important new energy metal?

EU nations are divided on whether to levy long-term tariffs on Chinese EVs. What's behind the divisions? And Shanghai looks to attract more global performers like Taylor Swift. What's behind the change of heart?

A year and a half after ending its Covid restrictions, flights between China and Europe are still well below pre-pandemic levels. What's holding things back? And a steady flow of autonomous driving companies are suddenly accelerating towards IPOs in the US and Hong Kong. What's fueling the drive, and will investors buy into it?

After getting rejected in the U.S. and hitting headwinds in London, fast fashion sensation Shein may be taking its mega-IPO to Hong Kong. But will investors buy into its profitable but controversial story? And hotpot chain Haidilao steps up its global expansion with spinoffs and separate listings for its Super Hi brand. Will this become China's first overseas restaurant success story?

China is on track to reach its 2030 goal for solar and wind power installations by the end of this year, and could double the figure by 2030. What's driving this massive new energy buildup? And DiDi is back on a growth track with revenue zooming ahead 15% in the first quarter. Will the company seize the momentum to relaunch its stalled IPO plan?

The EU slaps Chinese EVs with tariffs of up to 38%. How will China respond? And Lenovo enters a major new partnership with Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. What's driving this alliance?

A growing number of foreign law firms are leaving Shanghai. Is the exodus due to slowing business, or are political forces at work? And Hello Group, often called the Tinder of China, reports a third year of revenue contractions. Why aren't young Chinese in the mood for love?

China has set up a $50 billion fund to support its microchip sector. Will the big bucks be enough to overcome U.S. sanctions? And a growing number of Chinese companies dump PwC as their auditor. Is the flight related to PwC's role as auditor for insolvent developer Evergrande?