Made in China’s success story is tentative at best

The world’s second-largest economy posted a record $1 trln trade surplus for the first 11 months of 2025. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how Beijing’s plan to make high-end tech goods has paid off, and why a US trade war could spoil the party. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The storied movie studio has inked mega-mergers with Time, AOL, AT&T and Discovery. All ended poorly. In this week’s Viewsroom, Breakingviews columnists discuss its latest $83 bln deal with Netflix, a gatecrash bid from a rival, and whether a happier ending could be in store. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump is pushing to broker an end to Russia’s deadly invasion, on terms that have caused alarm in Europe. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss what a truce would mean for markets, and why they won’t just go back to normal. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Titans such as Google, Meta, Oracle and Amazon may spend $600 bln in 2026 on data centres. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain why juicy profits will not be enough to fund their rapid expansion. But raising debt will only extend contagion risk. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finance minister Rachel Reeves, seeking to bridge a 20 bln pound budget gap to meet byzantine rules, is already wavering on raising income taxes and other policies. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss what to expect and why the economic picture is so glum. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the dot-com bust to the 2008 crisis to the AI mania, our columnists have seen and shaped the conversation about the biggest moments in finance. In this anniversary edition of Viewsroom, they reflect on continuity and change in a quarter-century of agenda-setting insight. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tech giants in the world’s second largest economy are rapidly rolling out new machine learning models at a fraction of the price of US rivals. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain how this cheaper offering may give Beijing more soft power globally. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Javier Milei’s party stormed to victory in midterm elections, helping to secure $20 bln or more of US support. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how the iconoclast’s somewhat conventional economic plan might nonetheless struggle from here. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world’s two largest economies are ratcheting up tensions amid a tussle over access to rare earths and chips. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain why both sides need to give ground, what a deal might look like, and what happens if it all falls apart. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In many cases, the market charges nearly triple what others do, a discrepancy that has put President Trump on the warpath. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how Americans subsidize novel treatments and how tricky it will be to spread the burden. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices