China

China's August 2026 trade data show exports growing 25% year on year and a monthly surplus of $119.1 billion, with the January-through-August cumulative surplus approaching $806 billion. Imports rose 28.2% but missed the 30% consensus forecast, which analysts read as a sign of subdued domestic demand and continued reliance on export-led growth. The figures arrive ahead of a planned but not yet officially confirmed Xi-Trump meeting on September 24, where trade and AI are expected to be central topics.

China's Ministry of Commerce imposed provisional anti-dumping deposit rates of up to 99.2% on Japanese dichlorosilane imports effective September 8, 2026, with Shin-Etsu Chemical facing the highest rate and Denal Silane assigned 80.8%. The measure raises immediate costs for Chinese importers of a chemical used in semiconductor thin-film deposition, while a final determination is expected by January 7, 2027, with a possible six-month extension. No public disclosures from Chinese chipmakers confirm operational disruptions, and no alternative supplier has been verified as offering equivalent semiconductor-grade purity.

Chinese regulators are reportedly increasing scrutiny of humanoid robotics IPO applications following Unitree Robotics' first-day gain of 460% above its 150.8-yuan offer price, according to Reuters citing The Information. No formal regulatory document, named affected applicants, or specific new requirements have been identified, leaving open whether the shift constitutes informal guidance or exchange-level feedback. Several other humanoid robotics firms including Deep Robotics, Leju Robotics, and Yunshen Technology have active applications at Chinese exchanges, but none has been publicly delayed, rejected, or withdrawn in connection with the reported change.

Over 100 Chinese military procurement notices, academic papers, and defense-industry filings confirm the PLA is investing in humanoid-robot perception, teleoperation, and training-data systems, with activity accelerating through 2025 and 2026. No armed humanoid robot has been fielded with an operational PLA unit, and Reuters found the machines remain power-intensive and unreliable outside controlled settings. A widely cited five-to-ten-year figure comes from a single NUDT modeling paper, not from any confirmed PLA deployment schedule or official ministry policy.