china

After electrifying cars, China is targeting trucks. It is a slap in the face to global diesel consumption

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China is one of the oil monsters. Not so much in generation, where they want to start being a powerbut in consumption. It is the fuel of hundreds of millions of vehicles They hit the road every day, but things are changing. Although the Asian giant has become one of the powers in car electrification, diesel seemed to have a break thanks to trucks. Not even that anymore. Diesel down. China is second diesel consumeronly behind the United States. transportation concentrate between 70 and 80% of that final consumption, but in recent years, the market has been going down. It is estimated that, in June 2024, diesel consumption fell to 3.9 million barrels per day. It’s still stupid, but it was 11% less than during the same period the previous year. It was the biggest drop since mid-2021 (logical because of the pandemic and the world situation) and despite the industrialization of the country and the rise of both national and international trade, this consumption has remained at a “plateau” for more than a decade. That is to say: it should be much greater than 10 years ago, but that is not the case. Another fact: in August 2024, 8% of new trucks were electric, but in August 2025, the figure was 28%. electric trucks. He rise of electric cars could explain this negative trend in diesel consumption, but as we say, the boats and, above all, trucks continued to support the market. That is no longer so clear, especially with the recent involvement of the Government. In April this year, the Ministry of Transport published, with the support of other government departments, a program to encourage the majority of new truck sales to be new energy by 2035. To achieve this, there are objectives, such as that by 2027 the share of electrical energy in final transport consumption must be 10% and the proportion of new new energy vehicles must be increased each year. The heavy truck seemed to be the bastion of diesel, but now it is one of the central pieces of this decarbonization of transportation. Paradigm shift. To achieve this, in addition to direct aid for the purchase of heavy electric trucks, China has launched a specific action to eliminate and replace old diesel trucks, with subsidies for their removal and replacement with new energy units. In fact, there are advantages: freer access to restricted urban areasfewer time limitations and discounts on tolls. In a report by The Associated Press This paradigm shift is reflected: if in 2020 almost all new trucks in China were diesel, by 2025 electric trucks already represent 22% of new heavy truck sales. As our colleagues point out Motorpassionthe arrow is inverse to that of diesel consumption: in the same period of 2024, that percentage was 9.2%. And the load? It represents a paradigm shift and there are analysts who predict that, by 2026, diesel will only account for 40% of sales. The rest: electric and gas trucks. Is the charging infrastructure? Because we are seeing advances in the development of solid state batteries that will allow greater autonomy, but until they arrive, it is necessary that there be numerous charging points to support the electrification of transport. The National Energy Administration and the Ministry of Transportation have already affirmed that 98% of highway service areas already have charging points, with widespread installation of 120 kW chargers and, in some segments, 600 and 800 kW chargers. The intention is for there to be some 28 million charging points throughout the country by 2027, and one of the key pieces in that expansion is CATL. The company is one of those leads the battery sector worldwideand is currently tracing a “green corridor” that will cover the major freight hubs to facilitate loading, but also to implement its battery exchange system that speeds up the process. Green curve… and economic. This electrification of commercial transportation would add to the objectives of decarbonization of the countrybut obviously truckers and companies also see a benefit in their pockets, or so they esteem. Although electric trucks are between two and three times more expensive than diesel trucks and cost 18% more than LNGare more efficient, have less maintenance and can help save between 10% and 26% over their useful life. Horizon. This change to the electrification of trucks would already be reducing the demand for oil in the equivalent of more than a million barrels per day, and that a giant like China stops depending on crude oil for its trucks is something that can shake the market internationally. And that ambition is not going to stay within its borders. If in recent months we have seen that China has flooded Europe with his electric carswe can expect something similar for 2026, but with trucks. And, furthermore, it has torn off in Hungary the construction of a factory for electric trucks and buses. It is evident that this path started by cars will be followed by trucks, which in the end are a important source of emissions in a world with increasingly global trade. Specificallya third of all transport-related carbon emissions in 2019. Images | Volvo, Cheng Long In Xataka | China’s energy paradox: an ‘electrostate’ that continues to feed on coal

China is sending drones to an island 100 km from Taiwan. The problem is that Japan and the US are filling it with missiles

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The small Japanese island by Yonagunilocated just over 100 kilometers away from Taiwan, has gone in a matter of months from being a remote enclave with a modest self-defense detachment to becoming one of the most sensitive points of the strategic balance in Asia. The United States, China and Japan itself are carrying their disputes to the small enclave. An island as a front. The intensification of chinese drone flights over the island and the strait, intercepted on two consecutive occasions by Japanese fighters, has reinforced the perception in Tokyo that the first island chain is entering a phase of chronic instability. Japan, aware of the real possibility of a conflict around Taiwan, has decided to turn Yonaguni into a defensive node fully integrated: a place where operates a FARP American that extends the range of Marine Corps helicopters, where capabilities are consolidated electronic surveillance and where the installation of air defense missiles is progressing like the Type 03 Chu-SAM. Weapons and more weapons. This system, capable of tracking one hundred simultaneous targets and shooting down twelve of them with Mach 2.5 missilesimplies that Japan is beginning to give teeth to a position whose mere proximity to the democratic island makes it an advanced platform to detect, deter or even respond to a possible Chinese attack. For Tokyo, reinforcing Yonaguni is not a provocation but a life policy national: any attack on Taiwan, as as stated the new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, would constitute an existential threat to the archipelago. Yonaguni Beijing’s reaction. China, which interprets any Japanese defensive measure as one more step in a strategic siege promoted by the United States, has reacted with increasing hardness. From historical comparisons to veiled threats, including the summoning of the Japanese ambassador and the suspension of economic exchanges, Beijing frames the installation of missiles in Yonaguni as an “offensive act” that violates the spirit of the bilateral normalization of 1972. The rhetoric has gone in crescendo after Takaichi’s words about the possibility of Japan intervening militarily in the event of an attack on Taiwan, something that China considers a space invasion diplomat reserved for Washington. The climate has deteriorated to such a level that a Chinese diplomat even published (and removed) a direct threat against the prime minister, while the central government canceled meetings, stopped imports and called for boycott trips to Japansinking the influx of Chinese tourists who represented almost a third of foreign visitors. In parallel, China has intensified its military demonstrations, spreading videos YKJ-1000 hypersonic missile destroying Japanese targets, a message designed to emphasize that any expansion of the Japanese military footprint will be met with a response. The strategic dilemma. Far from backing down, Japan has adopted a tone unusually firm. Under the leadership of Takaichi, the political heir to Shinzo Abe’s strategic nationalism, Tokyo has made Yonaguni the tangible manifestation of a doctrinal turn: accept that Japanese stability requires preventing China from dominating the Taiwan Strait. from there the proliferation of radar installations, electronic warfare capabilities and additional plans that contemplate systems such as US Patriots, US Army Typhon, HIMARS and the NMESIS equipped with NSM missiles, capable of denying access to Chinese ships around the Taiwanese eastern coast. USA discreetly supports this redesign: approved sales of NASAMS and spare parts to the Taiwan Air Force, deployed CH-53E helicopters in Yonaguni (an unprecedented milestone) and coordinates with Japan a doctrine that assumes that, in the event of an outbreak of hostilities, the Marines must operate from the lethality zone itself of Chinese missiles. All of this positions Yonaguni not only as an advanced observatory, but as a critical point whose defense and survival would determine the first stages of any crisis in the strait. Yonaguni Taiwan’s hardening. While Japan reinforces the front line, Taiwan assumes that time to prepare is running out. President Lai Ching-te has announced a massive increase in military spending, raising it by $40 billion until 2033, with a roadmap that will place it at 3.3% of GDP in 2026 and with the declared ambition of reaching 5% before 2030. What Taipei is proposing is not a simple rearmament, but a comprehensive redesign: new missiles and drones, integrating AI into existing systems, protecting against infiltration operations, dramatically improving procurement (often delayed in the United States), and measures against transnational Chinese repression targeting Taiwanese abroad. For Lai, the most dangerous threat is not a Chinese landing but internal erosion: that Taiwan “gives up” due to psychological or economic pressure. It flatly rejects the “one country, two systems” model and affirms that the only way to maintain peace is to make an invasion too costly for Beijing. The United States, through its de facto representation, has described the decision as a crucial step to strengthen deterrence. A strategic powder keg. The juxtaposition of Japanese military movements, Chinese threats and unprecedented rearmament of Taiwan produces a “traffic” that raises the risk of calculation errors. The experts warn that a poorly calibrated comment, a overflight unreported or a maritime incident could accelerate a spiral that is difficult to contain, especially when Beijing tries to use its contacts with Washington to simultaneously pressure Tokyo and Taipei. In this context, Yonaguni becomes symbol and detonator: too close to Taiwan to be irrelevant, too exposed to be invulnerable, and too strategic for either side to relinquish control or influence. Plus: the island is both within immediate range of Chinese missiles and within the American concept of advanced distributed operationsmeaning it could be both a multiplier of Allied defense and a priority objective in the first minute of a war. A fragile balance. In short, China hardens his stanceJapan resignation definitely to ambiguity, Taiwan accelerate the shielding of its sovereignty and the United States consolidates its role as operational guarantor. In the midst of all this, Yonaguni emerges as a microcosm where the resistance of that regional order is tested. An enclave of barely 1,700 inhabitants that, due to its geographical positionhas become a thermometer, border and barrier. Its immediate … Read more

China does not want to give up ground as the world’s factory. Their plan involves deploying a legion of industrial robots with AI

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For years, looking at the label of any device, garment or charger has been almost a formality. The answer used to be the same: “Made in China“. That phrase became silent proof that the Asian giant had managed to establish itself as the factory of the world. From American brand mobile phones to small components of European appliances, much of what we use every day has come from Chinese production lines. But that reality is beginning to change. China’s industrial leadership is no longer sustained solely by abundant labor and low costs, and the model that dominated the last decades needs to be transformed. The shift is not only economic, but also social. Fewer and fewer young Chinese want to work in factoriesa phenomenon that in the United States follows similar patterns: physical jobs, long hours and little professional projection. In both cases, the industry is no longer synonymous with progress for many and is perceived more as a destiny from which one tries to escape. Even so, both China and the United States consider that manufacturing remains strategic, either to maintain global influence or to reduce dependence on foreign countries. Everything indicates that none of them are trying to recover the model of the past, but rather to build a new one based on automation and artificial intelligence. Robots and factories to avoid losing “Made in China” When the Chinese Vice Minister of Industry, Zhang Yunming, said that Adopting artificial intelligence is a necessary and not optional task, I was not speaking only in technological terms. He was referring to protecting one of the country’s great assets: its manufacturing industry, which represents around 25% of the national economy, well above the world average. China remains the world’s largest producer, but it can no longer rely solely on volume or labor. The challenge now is to maintain that leadership by manufacturing with fewer people and more artificial intelligence. In this context, China is responding decisively. The pace at which it is deploying industrial robots is unmatched. Last year alone it installed 295,000 units, almost nine times more than the United States and more than the rest of the world combined. according to the International Federation of Robotics. In some facilities there is already talk of “dark factories”, operations so automated that the plants can operate with minimal human intervention. The Wall Street Journal mentions the Baosteel caseone of the largest steel plants in the country, where workers only intervene every half hour, when before they did so every three minutes. Automation no longer consists only of mechanical arms that repeat movements, but of connected plants, capable of making decisions. The aforementioned newspaper points out how Midea uses an AI system that coordinates robots, sensors and virtual agents to detect failures, assign tasks and adjust processes without human intervention. In the textile industry, Bosideng uses AI models developed with Zhejiang University to conceptualize and design garments, reduce development times and cut costs. This type of solutions not only speeds up production, it also generates a competitive advantage over Western manufacturers that implement changes more slowly. Where China’s industrial ambition is also clearly seen is in the ports. In Tianjin, a fleet of autonomous trucks moves containers without visible human presencewhile artificial intelligence optimizes variables such as ship arrival times and crane capacity. The system, called OptVerse AI Solver, has compressed planning tasks that previously took 24 hours to about ten minutes. PortGPT, a system developed together with Huawei to analyze images and monitor security operations, has also been deployed. The American discourse is based on the idea of ​​sovereignty: manufacturing more within the country to depend less on the outside. The Trump administration has raised that strategy through tariffs on China, Vietnam and other Asian economieswith the aim of attract factories and rebuild supply chains. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick maintains that automation is not incompatible with employmentbut it can generate better-paid technical professions. In an interview he stated that “it is time to train people for the jobs of the future, not for those of the past,” and defended that these factories could support families for several generations. One of the differences between the two models is clearly seen in the ports. While China has deployed autonomous trucks, AI-based planning systems, and tools like PortGPT without significant union opposition, in the United States automation is subject to collective bargaining. The International Longshoremen’s Association and port operators they agreed to veto new automated terminals until the end of 2030, also limiting the use of artificial intelligence in administrative tasks. For unions, automation means losing jobs and bargaining power. For China, it is a national strategy. China wants to continue being the world’s factory, but not exactly the same. It is no longer about cheap labor, but about factories capable of producing more with fewer people and with more artificial intelligence. The United States seeks its own path, with more work conditions and a different rhythmbut with the same objective of not depending on the outside. What is at stake is not just where it is manufactured, but how. And it is possible that, in a few years, the label we find will not only be “Made in China”, but a different form of manufacturing where robots will no longer be accessories, but protagonists. Images | Homa Appliances | Xataka with Gemini 3 In Xataka | Nexperia China has been trying to contact the Dutch headquarters for days. The only response has been absolute silence

Nexperia China has been trying to contact the Dutch headquarters for days. The only response has been absolute silence

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After the escalation of tension, andThe Dutch government suspended the order to control Nexperia and Nexperia China resumed shipments of critical chips. The European automotive industry could breathe and everything was being resolved, everything except the relationship between the two Nexperias. The conflict has left an internal war that does not seem to have an easy or quick solution. what’s happening. They count in South China Morning Post that Wingtech, the company that owns Nexperia in China (we will call it Nexperia China for simplicity), has been trying to contact Nexperia Netherlands for days and has not received any response. Nexperia China called this silence “deeply regrettable and disconcerting.” Take control. Nexperia China’s intentions are not simply to have a chat. a few days ago They published a statement in their WeChat account in which they assured that “control of Nexperia has not returned to its rightful owner” and expressed their intention to use “all legal avenues” to achieve this. It seems that in Holland they do not agree with these statements and have chosen silence in response. Nexperia Netherlands. His latest official statement It is from November 19, the same day that the Dutch government announced the suspension of the control order over the company. In it, they noted that Nexperia China had stopped “operating within the established corporate governance framework and are ignoring legal instructions from Nexperia’s global management” and provided several examples, such as creating unauthorized bank accounts for clients to make payments, sending letters to clients “with false information” and misappropriating corporate seals. Current status. The conflict put the European automotive industry in checkwhich depends on Nexperia chips for electronic modules and control units of many vehicles produced on the old continent. The Dutch government revoked the order and China lifted the veto it imposed in response. Chips are flowing into factoriesbut the conflict has left a deep scar on the company whose solution seems far away. Recently Nexperia China has appointed Sophie Shen Xinjia as president expert in legal advice and law graduate, so everything indicates that there will be a legal battle for control of the company. Image | Nexperia In Xataka | China has so many electric cars running on its streets that it is going to use them to generate energy for homes

A silent operation has compromised thousands of ASUS routers. Investigators target groups linked to China

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Few devices are as stable and discreet as the router. We barely think about them, we rarely review their configuration, and we rarely consider them part of the security debate. They are just there, connecting. This condition makes them ideal terrain for those seeking to go unnoticed. A recent investigation has revealed that ASUS routers are being used as part of a remote operating structure. They don’t cause problems, but they are no longer just an internet access point. According to SecurityScorecardthe signal reveals the existence of something more than a specific failure. The researchers observed that a significant volume of ASUS routers exhibited the same TLS certificatewith a validity of one hundred years, which does not fall within the usual parameters of this type of equipment. This coincidence made it possible to identify a structured campaign, called WrtHug, and conclude that the devices had been altered in a coordinated manner to remain connected and operational without alerting their owners. How WrtHug works. According to the analysis, the campaign is based on vulnerabilities present in ASUS routers and in the service AICloudwhich allows remote access to files and connected devices from outside the home network. By leveraging that channel, attackers can execute system-level commands and modify settings without requiring user intervention. The presence of the shared TLS certificate acts as a sign of this alteration and shows how the routers become part of an intermediary infrastructure, useful to hide the real origin of the activity. AiCloud is a function integrated into ASUS routers that allows you to access files stored on USB drives connected to the router or in shared folders on a computer from outside the home. It can be used from a browser or through a mobile application, making it easy to view documents, photos or videos without being physically on the local network. That legitimate remote connection capability, intended for convenience, also means that any alteration to the system has broader consequences if an external actor comes to control it. Which models are at risk. SecurityScorecard identifies several affected ASUS models, many of them old or end-of-life. Among those registered are: 4G-AC55U 4G-AC860U DSL-AC68U GT-AC5300 GT-AX11000 RT-AC1200HP RT-AC1300GPLUS RT-AC1300UHP Some are still used in homes, but others are installed in small offices or businesses that have never renewed the equipment. It should be noted that although ASUS has published security patches and the vulnerabilities are officially corrected, research indicates that the majority of compromised devices are EoL (end of life) or outdated models. This combination of lack of support and obsolete equipment multiplies the risk that the problem persists over time. Where the operation has been detected. The researchers observed that the compromised routers are concentrated in Asia-Pacific, with an especially high presence in Taiwan and other countries in the region such as South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong. Active devices were also registered in Russia, the United States and several Central European countries. A map with the concentration of infected devices | Image: A notable element of the report is that no cases were identified in mainland China, which analysts interpret as a contextual clue, although not proof of authorship. The geographical scope confirms that this is not a local phenomenon, but rather a distributed infrastructure. What researchers say about China. SecurityScorecard does not definitively attribute the campaign, but notes that the behavior observed on the routers coincides with tactics previously used by actors associated with China. Researchers speak of “low-moderate confidence” that WrtHug is an ORB facilitation campaign operated by a pro-China actor, that is, a network of compromised devices that act as intermediate nodes to conceal the real origin of future operations. Among the technical parallels, analysts highlight similarities with a campaign called AyySSHush and the use of vulnerability CVE-2023-39780. What to do if I have an ASUS router. Detecting if a device is compromised is not easy, because the changes introduced by WrtHug do not affect its operation. The first thing is to check if the model is among those that have stopped receiving support and install, if it exists, the latest version of firmware available from the ASUS website, following the recommendations of its security notices. As additional measures, it is advisable to disable remote services that are not used, such as AiCloud, review possible unauthorized access and consider replacing the equipment if it is already at the end of its life. WrtHug shows that home routers are no longer a neutral element. They are devices always on, connected and with sufficient capacity to sustain discrete operations without altering their operation. This combination makes them useful pieces within a digital dashboard that previously seemed reserved for more complex systems. Images | ASUS | SecurityScorecard In Xataka | Correos and the DGT are already widely seen, so the scammers have changed their objective: an app to pay for parking

Germany is trying to stop its electricity dependence on China. The question is whether that is even possible.

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Almost four years ago, Germany learned a painful lesson: your industry cannot depend on the energy of a geopolitical rival. The Russian gas crisis after the invasion of Ukraine forced the Germans to make more than one sacrifice while the country’s energy model was transformed. Now, at the gates of 2026, Friedrich Merz’s government faces a déjà vu disturbing. The same stone twice. Germany may have become independent of Gazprom’s gas pipelines, but its solar panels and grid technology bear, directly or indirectly, China’s stamp. Good: Berlin has just hit the brakes. The collapse of a seemingly innocuous financial operation last week has revealed that Germany is carefully reviewing every watt that enters its system to avoid repeating the historic Russian gas mistake. The trigger. The Italian company Snam SpA intended to acquire a minority stake in Open Grid Europe (OGE), one of the largest gas network operators in Germany. On paper, it was an investment between European partners. In practice, the German Economy Ministry saw the shadow of Beijing. The problem was not Snam, but its shareholders. The state-owned State Grid Corporation of China owns 35% of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, which in turn owns a third of Snam. For the Merz government, that was risk enough. Given Berlin’s refusal to accept the proposed solutions, Snam withdrew its offer last week. A clear message. Berlin does not want companies with Chinese state participation to have access to the country’s energy arteries, even indirectly, which marks a change in doctrine compared to the era of Olaf Scholz, who at the time allowed the Chinese shipping company Cosco to enter the port of Hamburg. The current executive is much more defensive: national security takes precedence over capital. The question is… Too late? If blocking the purchase of a gas network is relatively simple, unraveling technological dependence on China is a logistical and economic nightmare. 95% of the photovoltaic cells installed in Germany come from Chinese manufacturers. And almost the entire wind industry, especially offshore, depends on rare earths controlled by China. The German energy transition is based on Asian hardware. Germany needs Chinese technology to meet its climate goals. And he doesn’t hide it. The German government has already raised this concern in international forums, denouncing the Chinese overcapacity in sectors such as electric mobility and solar energy. Technology that is needed but now considered a “systemic risk.” Is decoupling possible? In 2018, the German government already had to intervene so that the state bank KfW bought a stake in the network operator 50Hertz, preventing it from falling into the hands, again, of the Chinese State Grid. Seven years later, the strategy of “patching” individual acquisitions seems insufficient in the face of structural dependence. If the experience with Russia is any guide, Berlin seems to have decided that, this time, the price of security must be paid in advance, before anyone decides to turn off the tap. But today, the reality of the market is stubborn: replacing Chinese hardware means, almost invariably, paying more and taking longer to deploy renewables. Image | rawpixel In Xataka | If you were expecting cheap electricity this winter, we have bad news: Holland

The first autonomous robot waiter in China served me. It’s nothing more than a glorified vending machine

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A few weeks ago I was in Beijing. I went to take photos with a preliminary version of the Realme GT8 Probut there was time to walk around there. I was hoping to find things that would surprise me, like the external batteries that are in every corner of the citybut I came across something unexpected: the Galbot G1. It is a humanoid robot very different from the rest of humanoid robots. Because? Because this is already working. And not in a warehouse or factorylike so many others, but in a much more demanding position: facing the public. He is tending a drinks stand in a very large shopping center. It does this without any human intervention. And… the waiters can rest easy. The robot that serves you bottles of water Before we get into the robot, let’s go with some context. Galbot is another of the many Chinese companies that They are researching robotics. They are focusing not so much on the moving parts as on the ‘brain’ of these robots: the language models connected with a vision system that allows the robot to manipulate objects in a general way. This means you can break away from pre-programmed routines to react in real time. Your brain is powered by hardware NVIDIA Jetson Thorwhich is what allows you to execute that LLM in real time, and has two keys: Navigate without the need for markers on the ground. It does not do it with legs, but with a base that gives it less flexibility, but greater autonomy and stability. Your system allows you to perceive what is around you, “understand” it, and react based on that perception. In short: thousands and thousands of dollars invested in creating a robot with one objective: serving me a bottle of water. Image | Xataka When we stumbled upon the stall, it was by chance. There was no one ordering, all the rows of bottles were intact and it was even strange. But since science doesn’t do itself, I approached, determined to buy the cheapest bottle of flavored water available to do the test. The process couldn’t be simpler: You choose product. You pay with AliPay/WeChat. The robot does its thing. You leave. The problem is that I may be defining the work of a robot that has cost a fortune, but I may also be describing the process of purchasing from a Goya vending machine. There are two differences: the robot is cooler… and it takes much longer. How much? Here it is: As a bartender, meh. In a warehouse it makes sense The truth is that my feeling was strange and the first thing I thought was “the waiters can rest assured because this is not a threat.” But I also wondered to what extent the Galbot G1 that had served me was nothing more than a proof of concept in the real world and the company’s intentions are different. And, indeed. All that technology and reasoning in real time, with perception of physical space thanks to its numerous cameras and sensors located in various parts of the body, is not there to serve me bottles of a few cents, but to carry out work in environments in which it can really be useful: logistics. Because facing acrobaticsthis G1 (because the Unitree is also a G1) is committed to demonstrating its viability in real commercial uses today. One is “light” hospitality, such as the kiosk where I bought, but also logistics in controlled spaces in the last mile. Applications targeted by Galbot It is the video demonstration just above these lines, where we see the adaptability of the Galbot when they move the boxes. The response time in which it analyzes the situation is similar to the one I saw when I ordered my little bottle, and those sales stands in some areas of China are nothing more than training, or that’s what I get the feeling, for its artificial intelligence model. The queue that was set up just when I ordered. Before it was empty. Image | Xataka For now, curiosity, a Furbyan attraction, but in certain environments, it can be very useful. As a machine vendingNo, although it attracts a lot of attention, and a good queue formed not to buy… but to see how he bought. Images | Xataka In Xataka | A robot called “Sardinator” circulated through the streets of Malaga promoting a beach bar. Until the police arrived

Italy has been importing its famous “Italian” tomato paste from China for years. And now China has a problem

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The powerful tomato sector Chinese faces turbulence. After achieving a prominent position in the global market and becoming the largest tomato orchard in the world, the Asian giant has encountered a drop in sales in a strategic market: the European market. More specifically in Italy, where the demand for vegetables from Xinjiang has deflated at the stroke of controversies. The data is quite eloquent. Only during the third quarter of 2025 did sales of Chinese tomato paste in Italy decrease about 80%. Tomato ‘made in China’? It comes with taking a look at the maps from World Population Review to understand the enormous weight that China has achieved in the world tomato market. According to its latest data, in 2023 the nation produced about 70.1 million tons. This places it considerably above India, which occupies second place with 20.4 million tons, Turkey (13.3 million), the US (12.4 million) or Egypt (6.2 million), which complete the ‘TOP 5’. Also from Spain, which occupies ninth place, with nearly four million. Extremaduran farmers warned about the growing threat from China a few months ago, who recognize that the competition exerted by the Asian tomato is already their “biggest problem”. It’s not just that China harvests tons and tons of vegetables, it’s that it does so at such low costs that they make its tomato paste (a fundamental product for the food industry) unbeatable. Click on the image to go to the tweet. Is he that attractive? Yes. And it is not something that is observed only in Extremadura. Just a year ago Francesco Mutti, CEO of the sauce manufacturer that bears his last name, recognized that much of the cheap tomato paste coming from China is produced in the Xinjiang region with “very, very low labor costs.” something similar they slid in 2016 from Las Marismas (Andalusia): “They ask us for European quality at the price of Chinese tomatoes, something impossible taking into account the costs.” In practice this means that China exports every year tons and tons of tomato to the European market, which in turn generates a lucrative business. OEC calculate That last year the Asian giant exported processed tomatoes worth 1.21 billion dollars. If we look at its main destinations, Italy occupied a priority place, with a value of 83.8 million dollars. And what has happened? That although China is a gigantic exporter and has managed to differentiate itself in prices, its product has been compromised by an unexpected factor?: controversy. I told it a few days ago Financial Times. News about the use of forced labor in Xinjiang (a region that has attracted attention of the UN for alleged human rights violations against the Uyghur minority) and the lack of clarity The labeling with which some Italian companies identify the origin of their products has conditioned Chinese pasta exports, in which large state companies play a crucial role. Result? Against this backdrop, to which is added the campaign of the Italian agricultural association Coldiretti, China has encountered a problem: a ‘pinch’ in exports that has left it with a huge stock of processed tomatoes. Financial Times assuresciting data from the platform Tomato News, that the Asian giant has a reserve of between 600,000 and 700,000 tons of tomato paste. To understand its scope, it is equivalent to six months of exports. Has demand dropped that much? Yes. The data shows that the Western market seems to want to move away from the doubts that shadow the Chinese product. In general, Chinese tomato paste exports decreased by 9% year-on-year during the third quarter of 2025, but if we focus specifically on sales to Western EU countries, that percentage rises to 67%. In the specific case of Italy, purchases plummeted by 76%. “It is clear that Europe has become a difficult place to export,” recognize to Financial Times Martin Stilwell, head of Tomate News, the source of the data. Do we handle more data? Yes. There are two other reveals. The first has to do with the value of processed tomato exports to Italy. If between January and September 2024, Chinese customs recorded about 75 million dollars, this year, during the same period, it did not even reach 13. The other data has to do with the volume of fresh tomato processed to turn it into pasta: 4.8 million tons in 2021, 11 million in 2024 and 3.7 this year (estimate). For Stilwell, the reading is clear: faced with the difficulties of selling, China chooses to cut expenses instead of increasing its stock. What does China say? That accusations about the use of forced labor in Xinjuang are “a lie” created and propagated by “anti-Chinese forces” to harm the country. The truth is that years ago the US decided to turn its back on imports of tomato paste from that region of the Asian giant and in the case of Italy they weigh somewhat more than the suspicions of the UN. In 2021 the Caribineri ‘hunted’ a company that labeled its canned tomato as “100% Italian” when in reality it included product from China. “If we assume that Italy has 80 companies related to tomato processing, three, four or five have committed dishonest practices,” Mutti assureswho regrets the damage this does to the reputation of the Italian sector. Images | Tom Hermans (Unsplash) and Arthur Wang (Unsplash) In Xataka | Four nations are fighting over a fruit that smells like rotten eggs. China has turned it into its gastronomic phenomenon

Luxury was the last industry where Europe, because it was Europe, had a competitive advantage in China. Until now

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For decades, China was known as the country where the world’s luxury products were made, not where they were designed. The “Made in China” lived years associated with mass productionto the workshops that supplied Europe and to the supply chains that kept the pace of the sector alive. The great Western houses dependedand still depend— of its manufacturing capacity. But what almost no one saw coming is that that same country, which built the industrial muscle of global luxury, would begin to develop its own brands capable of not only imitating, but directly competing. A market that no longer responds to the previous rules. According to data published by Bloombergspending on Western brands within China has slowed down in a huge market—around $49 billion—while several local firms are growing with a strength that surprises the industry itself: Laopu Gold, artisanal aesthetic jewelry, has multiplied by ten its online sales in just two years, compared to the 57 million of Van Cleef & Arpels, one of the most recognized names in Western fine jewelry. Songmont, specialized in bags with clean lines and minimalist design, is close to 90% growth in e-commerce. In contrast, Gucci’s drop in the same channel exceeds 50%. Mao Geping—a local brand with a strong Chinese theatrical aesthetic— doubles income by Bobbi Brown on the platform. And all this happens while giants like LVMH or Kering are experiencing sharp declines in the stock market compared to their highs in 2023 and 2021 respectively. As Chosun Biz points outmany consumers who previously reserved their large purchases for foreign brands are now choosing local firms. A simple phrase, but one that reveals a profound cultural change. Luxury is no longer defined only by Europe. The transformation is not explained solely by the economic context, because otherwise the phenomenon would be limited. However, local brands are succeeding because they offer something that the young Chinese consumer recognizes as their own: an aesthetic and a cultural story that does not seek to appear Western. There are different examples, such as Songmont building its brand around “oriental beauty” and designing spaces inspired by calligraphy. To Summer creates fragrances with ingredients that are part of Chinese sensory memory—tea, osmanthus, preserved citrus—and presents them in Jingdezhen porcelainindisputable reference of the country’s ceramics. ICICLE bases its entire design on principles of harmony and simplicity rooted in local philosophy. This approach connects with a generation that no longer considers European logos as automatic symbols of taste. They look for beauty, yes, but a beauty that belongs to their culture. Luxury Society adds that local brands They have become experts in building coherent, deep brand universes full of cultural references that are natural, not forced. Meanwhile, foreign firms have been trying to adapt for years, often with superficial interpretations of Chinese symbolism. The rise of national pride. EITHER guochao, born as a movement roots that vindicate the aesthetics and identity of the Asian giant. A term that has become a purchasing criterion for many young people. It is not about rejecting what is Western, but about valuing what arises in the country’s own companies. Western houses try to adapt. The big foreign brands have begun to react. Digitalizing document a change in the way in which Louis Vuitton, Prada or Loewe relate to Chinese culture: they no longer only launch thematic collections on Lunar New Year, but they open stores that interpret local architectural languages, collaborate with artisans of intangible cultural heritage, produce content about Chinese cities and organize parades in enclaves that dialogue with the country’s history. The reality is that they have to respond to an increasingly demanding market and a consumer who has reduced his enthusiasm for luxury in the midst of an uncertain economic climate, marked by youth unemployment and the fall of confidence. The point is that, although Western localization is increasingly sophisticated, Chinese brands have an advantage because they start from a native understanding of their own aesthetic. They are not imitating the global language of luxury: they are proposing a new one. From followers to creators. The ecosystem is reminiscent of the process that Japan experienced decades ago. As some analyzes showfirst came the fascination with European luxury, then an economic crisis, and finally the rise of local brands that redefined modern Japanese aesthetics. China is going through a similar cycle, but with a level of global ambition that Japan did not have from the beginning. Furthermore, the picture is complicated by another key movement: according to Luxury SocietyChinese luxury spending has not disappeared, but has shifted abroad following the post-pandemic reopening. Japan is now one of the favorite destinations, where up to 80% of customers in some luxury stores are Chinese, it also happens in Singapore and Thailand. This makes the sales decline within China seem more serious than it is. Even so, at home, the preference for local brands is a cultural phenomenon, not a situational one. Can Chinese luxury consolidate itself as a global competitor? The potential is there, but the challenges are great. According to figures cited by Bloombergno Chinese brand in the sector has yet exceeded 0.5% global share or 10 billion yuan in annual revenue. The growth of recent years starts from small bases and there is still no truly global Chinese brand. The economy doesn’t help either. Consumer confidence is fragile and an important part of the local boom depends on a cultural pride that could fluctuate if the domestic situation worsens. The brands themselves recognize, in interviews collected by the same medium, that they need international talent and expansion outside of China to consolidate themselves. However, their advantage is powerful: they dominate the supply chain, manufacturing and, now, increasingly, aesthetics. The case of Shajuanstudied by researchers at Fudan University, shows how vertically integrated brands can control design, production and narrative more effectively than many international firms. A new global aesthetic emerges from China. The Asian giant is no longer just a key market for Western luxury; It is a creator of trends, … Read more

The name China does not appear, everything else reminds us of Beijing

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By 2025, countries like Finland, Sweden and Lithuania had published guides for its population focused on concern about a possible war with Russia. In Taiwan they have gone a little further if possible. The nation has decided to publicly assume something that until a few years ago was avoided even being mentioned: that the military threat from China is no longer a remote hypothesis, but rather a daily pressure that forces to prepare to the entire population to stages. And they have done so without naming Beijing at any time. A manual for an island. The guide has a “trap”, since there are scenarios that range from natural disasters to a coordinated invasion by land, sea, air and cyberspace. That said, it is the first time that the Government sends a security manual to every home in the country (23 million inhabitants), an unprecedented gesture that reveals both the seriousness of the strategic situation and the political determination to show that civil society will not be a weak link in the event of conflict. The guide, redesigned to be understandable for any citizen, combines practical instructions, technological warnings, psychological guidelines and a central idea that structures the entire message: the defense of Taiwan depends on each person knowing what to do from the first minute of a crisis. Prepare at home. The manual starts from a basic principle: In a real crisis, public infrastructure may be disrupted and initial survival will depend on each family’s ability to be self-sufficient for at least a week. The guide explains how to evaluate the logistical needs of the home, from dry food, water and medicines to batteries, radios, hygienic materials and basic utensils for cooking without electricity. It is requested to maintain a “revolving stock”consuming and replenishing so that reserves are never lacking. It also introduces the need for consider vulnerable people (seniors, babies, dependents) and to always have chargers, cash, copies of documents and alternative means of communication in case the internet or mobile phones are sabotaged. Emergency luggage. The heart of the manual is the go-bag preparationa kit that should be able to be picked up and carried in seconds if the situation forces you to leave home. It includes water, ready-to-eat food, basic first aid kit, clothing for rain and cold, flashlight, radio, chargers, documents, simple tools and paper maps. This section insists that the population must internalize the logic of immediate mobilityunderstanding that in the first moments of a crisis, speed can be the difference between being trapped or reaching a safe point. Threat scenarios. One of the most striking new features is the explicit enumeration of hostile scenariosall of them based on patterns already observed in Chinese military exercises or on forms of coercion that Taipei identifies as part of a sustained hybrid war. They include the cable sabotage submarines, maritime blockades disguised as inspections, the creation of false no-fly zones, intrusive drones over Taiwanese space, disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks and the possibility that enemy forces try to infiltrate or simulate identities to confuse the population. The manual warns that, in such an environment, distinguish allies and enemies can be difficult, so the rule is simple: stay away from any detected military activity and do not broadcast images that could reveal Taiwanese defensive movements. Taiwanese army training How to act during bombings. The document also pragmatically details how survive an air raid If there is no time to reach underground shelter: move away from windows and walls, lie down on the ground, cover your head and open your mouth slightly to cushion the impact of the shock wave. For those who are on the street, we insist on adopting a protective position and facing the opposite direction to the explosion. The manual, in addition, updates evacuation routeshelp points and location of shelters, and highlights the importance of establishing three previously agreed upon family meeting places to avoid the fragmentation of groups in the midst of chaos. The psychological dimension. Another essential part is emotional management. It is encouraged to reduce exposure to irrelevant news to avoid saturation, to maintain rest and eating routines, and to talk openly about fear as a way to prevent it from growing uncontrollably. In the case of children, the guide recommends including them in the preparation of go-bags, explain to them what is happening with appropriate language and teach them to identify fake news, a threat that Taiwan suffers every day as part of the information harassment from abroad. Cybersecurity and technology. The manual dedicates an entire section to warning about the risks of using applications and technological devices linked to Chinese companies. The guide points out platforms such as TikTok, WeChat, RedNote or AI tools such as DeepSeek, and remembers that certain devices with cameras can be vectors for data collection. The instruction is clear: reduce its use, deactivate sensitive functions and be wary of any anomalous behavior in electronic equipment. Civic offensive. If you also want, the most relevant thing about this massive deployment is not only its content, but its strategic significance: Taiwan wants to show Beijing that its society is not passive or fragile, that it knows what to do and that the human, social and political cost of an invasion would not be low. The campaign, which will distribute more than 11 million of copies, seeks to reinforce the idea that the defense of the island does not depend solely on its army, but also on a prepared, conscious and coordinated civil fabric. The political message is explicit: the Taiwanese resistance does not expect a “D-Day”, possibly because it already lives under daily threat, but is willing to assume the consequences of defending itself if that day arrives. Image | 總統府, 總統府 In Xataka | Communist countries have a very long tradition of military purges. And China is joining it In Xataka | A phrase from Japan has put Pacific peace in suspense. China’s response has been to launch its drones and warships

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