Good morning and welcome back to FirstFT Asia. In today’s newsletter: Shein’s mysterious founder emerges China hits Japanese companies with export curbs Trump’s Iran ‘crisis of his own making’ We start in Guangzhou, where the mysterious founder of fast-fashion giant Shein used his first major public appearance yesterday to stress the company’s Chinese roots. What

Iran is nearing a deal with China to acquire CM-302 anti-ship cruise missiles, aiming to enhance its military capabilities. The missiles, which have a range of 290 kilometers and are designed to evade ship defenses, could pose a serious threat to US naval forces in the region, Reuters reported on February 24. The potential sale comes amid heightened tensions between the US and Iran, with China asserting its role in the

An Australian naval warship sailed through the South China Sea despite warnings and monitoring by Chinese forces, highlighting ongoing tensions over freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most strategically contested waterways, according to reporting by the UK Defence Journal on February 24. The Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigate HMAS Toowoomba conducted what Canberra described as a routine and lawful transit through the region on February 12. We

China stated that it supports all efforts toward a peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine and advocates for continued dialogue between the parties. Beijing advocates for a steady dialogue between the parties to reach a diplomatic conclusion to the war, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on February 24. We bring you stories

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email China‘s recent nine-day Lunar New Year holiday has delivered a significant boost to domestic travel and consumer spending, successfully fulfilling government hopes that an extended break would encourage households to explore,

BEIJING — China has prohibited the export of dual-use items to 20 Japanese entities that it says supply Japan’s military, the commerce ministry said Tuesday, in the latest escalation of a dispute with Tokyo. China is using its influence over supply chains to ratchet up pressure on Tokyo even after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. The mysterious founder of fast-fashion giant Shein has used his first major public appearance to stress the company’s roots in China’s southern Guangdong province and to hail communist and government officials for their support in

Published: 24 Feb. 2026, 17:03 Updated: 24 Feb. 2026, 17:25 Humanoid robots made by China’s EngineAI showcase their boxing capabilities during the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas on Jan. 7, 2026. [YONHAP]   China has surpassed Korea in terms of competitiveness in most advanced manufacturing industries, except for memory chip technologies, a local

Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison said Tuesday that Panama authorities had threatened its employees with criminal prosecution if they defied orders to leave two strategic canal ports at the center of a legal battle that has embroiled Beijing and Washington. CK Hutchison said Panama’s decision to cancel key port contracts and grant temporary licenses to