Good morning ☕ Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Here’s your quick-hit news digest — what’s new and noteworthy across global news, markets, and tech.

🌍 NEWS & GLOBAL

• Li Qiang warns global economy about tariff fallout China’s Premier said today that the “mutually destructive consequences of tariffs” have become increasingly evident over 2025, in remarks made at a major global-economic forum in Beijing. ([Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/chinas-li-says-tariff-consequences-increasingly-evident-2025-12-09/?utm_source=cbox"China"s Li says tariff consequences increasingly evident")) He also stressed that artificial intelligence is becoming central to trade — citing AI-powered manufacturing systems and smart devices as drivers of structural change. ([Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/chinas-li-says-tariff-consequences-increasingly-evident-2025-12-09/?utm_source=cbox "China"s Li says tariff consequences increasingly evident"))

• Combustion-engine cars making a comeback — globally According to a report from EY, many buyers worldwide are returning to traditional gasoline cars, citing doubts about EV infrastructure, costs, and shifting regulatory tides. (Reuters) Their data suggests nearly half of car-buyers plan to go for combustion-engine cars in the next two years — a significant swing away from EVs and hybrids. (Reuters)

• Tech supply chains under pressure: U.S. military to cut reliance on Chinese display tech by 2030 A new defence bill in the U.S. would require the Ministry of Defense to end reliance on Chinese (and other foreign) display-technology — affecting everything from phones to fighter-jet HUDs — by 2030. (Reuters) The measure reflects growing concern over supply-chain dependencies and national-security implications of foreign tech manufacturing. (Reuters)

💹 FINANCE & MARKETS

• Markets on edge as the Federal Reserve decision looms Investors globally are uneasy ahead of the Fed’s two-day meeting, widely expected to deliver a 25-basis-point rate cut later this week. The real scrutiny — though — is on what the Fed says afterwards, and how many cuts it signals for 2026. (Reuters) That uncertainty has weighed on Asian markets: equities slipped today, while bond-market players rotated away from long-duration U.S. Treasuries. (Reuters)

• Riskier tone for AI-linked tech financing — some investors getting cautious The CIO of Australian pension fund Aware Super sounded the alarm bells: with soaring valuations in AI-related firms and complex financing structures emerging, some funding paths now “flash orange.” ([Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/aware-super-cio-warns-orange-lights-ai-financing-valuations-soar-2025-12-09/?utm_source=cbox.com "Aware Super CIO warns of "orange" lights in AI financing as …")) The concern is that if one of the “pillars” underpinning high valuations — data-center buildouts, AI-infrastructure investments, or cloud-computing demand — falters, broader wealth effects and market confidence could slip. ([Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/aware-super-cio-warns-orange-lights-ai-financing-valuations-soar-2025-12-09/?utm_source=cbox.com "Aware Super CIO warns of "orange" lights in AI financing as …"))

🧑‍💻 TECHNOLOGY & TECH TRENDS

• AI-infrastructure boom — but with growing risk signs As AI investments surge, data-center infrastructure and financing have ballooned. Still, some major funds are growing wary, warning that inflated valuations may not survive if profitability doesn’t follow. ([Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/aware-super-cio-warns-orange-lights-ai-financing-valuations-soar-2025-12-09/?utm_source=cbox.com "Aware Super CIO warns of "orange" lights in AI financing as …"))

• Global policy & manufacturing shifts reshape tech landscape The U.S. military’s push to cut reliance on foreign (especially Chinese) display tech by 2030 underlines how supply chains and national security concerns are reshaping long-term tech sourcing. (Reuters) At the same time, global automobile demand trends — including a renewed interest in combustion-engine cars — could signal slower adoption of many “green tech” sectors, potentially shifting strategic planning for automakers and suppliers. (Reuters)

🔭 WHAT TO WATCH

• The Fed’s announcement (likely rate cut) and especially its forward outlook — markets are primed for volatility depending on the dot-plot and commentary from Chair Jerome Powell.
• Whether AI-infrastructure investments begin to show real earnings, or whether valuation-fuelled optimism meets a correction — with “orange lights” already up for some.
• How global manufacturing and trade-policy shifts (tariffs, supply-chain reshoring, defense sourcing) will impact long-term demand for EVs, tech devices, and EV-heavy supply chains.
• Geopolitical and macroeconomic ripple effects from China’s renewed push on trade governance and global economic cooperation — especially as other major economies react.