La subida de los precios del petróleo y del gas natural a causa de la guerra de Irán comienza a pesar en la economía china: ha desacelerado aún más el ya débil gasto de los consumidores y ha perjudicado a sectores exportadores fundamentales.

Las ventas de automóviles cayeron en marzo y se desplomaron aún más en abril. Los restaurantes y los hoteles reciben menos clientes a medida que los hogares se vuelven cautelosos. En el sur de China, miles de trabajadores de fábricas de juguetes protestaron la semana pasada después de que sus empresas colapsaran por el aumento de los costos del plástico y los aranceles vigentes en Estados Unidos.

Los primeros signos de tensión ponen de manifiesto que incluso China, con sus vastas reservas estratégicas de petróleo y enormes inversiones en energías renovables, no es inmune a las fuerzas que presionan a las economías de todo el mundo.

Durante muchas semanas, China había parecido soportar las consecuencias de la guerra, una opinión reforzada por datos económicos bastante sólidos hasta marzo. Pero con la guerra en su novena semana sin un final claro, empiezan a aparecer grietas.

“La economía se está desacelerando”, dijo Alicia García-Herrero, economista jefa para Asia-Pacífico de Natixis, una empresa financiera francesa. China podría tener dificultades para alcanzar el objetivo de crecimiento del 4,5 por ciento o más para este año, añadió.

Uno de los signos más claros de la incipiente debilidad se observa en las ventas y la producción de automóviles, a menudo considerados indicadores tempranos de problemas. Los coches son la segunda compra más importante para muchos hogares chinos, después de las viviendas, y el sector exige acero, vidrio y otros materiales.

Las ventas minoristas de automóviles en China cayeron un 26 por ciento en los primeros 19 días de abril respecto al año anterior, según la Asociación China de Automóviles de Pasajeros. Aunque parte de la caída se debe al debilitamiento de las ventas de vehículos eléctricos tras el vencimiento de los incentivos fiscales en diciembre, los coches de gasolina tuvieron peores resultados, con una caída de casi el 40 por ciento.

La caída de las ventas ha provocado que los concesionarios estén llenos de coches sin vender, lo que ha provocado recortes en la producción. Las fábricas chinas de automóviles fabricaron un 27 por ciento menos de coches en las dos primeras semanas de abril que el año anterior, un fuerte retroceso incluso aunque aumenten las exportaciones.

A primera vista, la economía aún parece resistente. Pero una mirada más atenta sugiere una debilidad subyacente.

Este mes, China dijo que su economía creció a un ritmo anualizado del 5,3 por ciento durante los tres primeros meses de este año. Pero la mayor parte de la fortaleza se produjo en enero y febrero.

Las ventas al por menor se desaceleraron en marzo, con un aumento de tan solo el 1,7 por ciento interanual. La Federación China de Logística y Compras informó que los inventarios de productos sin vender siguieron aumentando. Michael Pettis, economista de Pekín, dijo que el aumento de los inventarios podría lastrar el crecimiento futuro.

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El lunes, los datos de las ganancias industriales mostraron una fortaleza continuada hasta marzo, lo que ofreció un posible amortiguador contra una desaceleración. Pero gran parte de ese aumento procedió de las empresas químicas y energéticas, que se beneficiaron de una ganancia extraordinaria derivada de la subida de los precios del petróleo y el gas, tras haber almacenado a bajo precio antes de la guerra.

Las reservas estratégicas de petróleo de China y sus enormes refinerías la dejan mucho menos expuesta que sus vecinos asiáticos. China también ha protegido a los consumidores del impacto total del aumento de los costos del combustible, lo que ha permitido que sus compañías petroleras controladas por el Estado trasladen solo la mitad de cualquier aumento de los precios del petróleo.

El panorama es más sombrío en la industria del juguete.

Miles de trabajadores que perdieron sus empleos salieron a la calle la semana pasada en el sur de China, y organizaron protestas diarias para exigir salarios atrasados e indemnizaciones a varias fábricas de juguetes que cerraron repentinamente el 20 de abril.

Los cierres se produjeron cuando los costos del plástico, que se fabrica con petróleo y gas natural, se dispararon tras la desaceleración del tráfico a través del estrecho de Ormuz, la vía navegable que conecta el golfo Pérsico con los compradores de energía de todo el mundo. La industria juguetera china ya estaba sometida a la presión del aumento de los costos, la competencia extranjera y los aranceles del presidente Donald Trump.

Las fábricas cerradas se encuentran en la ciudad de Yulin, un centro de fabricación de juguetes con bajos salarios situado a casi 420 kilómetros al oeste de Hong Kong.

Los trabajadores colgaron pancartas en las puertas de las fábricas con lemas como: “Devuélvanme el dinero de mi sangre y sudor”. En los videos, los manifestantes se arremolinan en silencio mientras policías con uniformes azules y chalecos reflectantes permanecen cerca.

En China han circulado por internet numerosos videos cortos de las protestas. Aunque las muestras de malestar público suelen censurarse, estos vídeos se han mantenido, posiblemente porque las protestas son pacíficas y Pekín ha instado a las empresas a cumplir sus obligaciones con los trabajadores.

Las repetidas llamadas realizadas el viernes y el lunes a las oficinas del gobierno y del Partido Comunista en la ciudad de Yulin no obtuvieron respuesta. Las fábricas cerradas pertenecen a Wah Shing Toys, con sede en Hong Kong, que no respondió a las llamadas telefónicas ni a un correo electrónico para hacer comentarios.

La filial de la empresa en Yulin emitió un comunicado a los trabajadores, que se difundió rápidamente por internet, en el que decía que cerraba fábricas y se declaraba en quiebra debido a las difíciles condiciones en el extranjero. El comunicado citaba “la escalada de las fricciones comerciales entre China y Estados Unidos en los últimos años” y un difícil entorno empresarial en el extranjero, y señalaba que las facturas impagadas de clientes extranjeros habían afectado a su flujo de caja.

El aumento de los precios del plástico se ha convertido en un problema para la industria juguetera china, incluso para otro grupo de fabricantes de Shantou, ciudad situada a unos 305 kilómetros al noreste de Hong Kong, que produce un tercio de los juguetes del mundo.

Diez días después de que empezara la guerra, el 28 de febrero, la Asociación del Juguete de Shantou Chenghai advirtió del “acaparamiento y el pánico”, al dispararse los precios del plástico.

*Murphy Zhao y Ruoxin Zhang colaboraron con reportería e investigación.

When a bullet grazed President Donald Trump’s ear, Congress immediately launched investigations into how a gunman was able to pull the trigger. Two attempts later, and lawmakers are now less interested in taking swift action.

There have been few calls to hold hearings or launch probes into the latest incident as conspiracies swirl online after the third alleged assassination attempt over the weekend at the White House Correspondent’s Association Dinner.

«I just happen to think it’s — for the most part, it’s a waste of time,» Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told Fox News Digital. «Security held. The guy didn’t get through. Wasn’t even close.»

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Top lawmakers on the House Oversight and Senate Judiciary committees met with Secret Service Director Sean Curran this week for briefings, but have so far stopped short of calling for hearings or full-scale investigations.

Two years ago, when a gunman tried and failed to assassinate Trump on the campaign trail in Butler, Pennsylvania, two major bipartisan investigations were launched to address failures by the Secret Service and other agencies and find out how a gunman got so close to ending Trump’s life.

And in the case of Ryan Routh, who was caught with a rifle in another attempt against Trump while he was golfing at his club in Florida just months after the shooting at Butler, lawmakers folded that investigation in with their ongoing inquiry into the first attack.

Following the weekend shooting at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) Dinner, where a gunman was foiled while attempting to enter a packed ballroom where Trump, his Cabinet, Vice President JD Vance and several journalists sat, lawmakers aren’t rushing to figure out what happened this time.

Trump’s appearance on Saturday marks the first time he decided to go to the dinner while serving as president — he has been twice in the past. He also promised at a press conference after the dinner was canceled to reschedule the event within the next 30 days.

The alleged shooter, Cole Allen, bolted past a security check point with a rifle, handgun and several knives on his person. But the Secret Service was able to neutralize the suspect before he ever entered the ballroom where Trump was sitting.

Still, some Republicans are demanding that the incident be given a thorough review, or at least a hearing.

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Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., questions acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. and Deputy FBI Director Paul Abbate during a joint Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Government Affairs committees hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 30, 2024. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

«I mean, this is the third assassination attempt on the life of the president in two years,» Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital. «You know, we need to look carefully at all of the procedures and protocols.»

Hawley wants Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chair Rand Paul, R-Ky., to hold a hearing on presidential security in the aftermath of the shooting.

The very same committee led an investigation into the Butler attempt and determined that the shooting was preventable and caused by a series of failures in security protocol, planning and funding, among several others.

The bipartisan investigation landed on more than 40 recommendations for actions that should be taken in the future to prevent a repeat.

Paul didn’t appear ready to rush into a hearing on the matter. He told Fox News Digital that lawmakers investigated that attempt for over a year and believed that the probe «arrived at several bits of wisdom, insight, and advice.»

«I think there will be items from this that need to be reviewed and made better,» Paul said. «We’re gonna get a briefing from the Secret Service on what to learn from this attempt, and we’ll decide after that if we need to do anything further. But absolutely, the Secret Service needs to investigate and see what they can do to make the president safer.»

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Like Hawley, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., has several questions about how a gunman was able to blow past security measures and fears what could come next.

«When is it going to be a suicide bomber? When is it going to be an army of people behind the one person that went in and blow up the whole building? Look, that’s where we are, and I have questions about the three assassination attempts,» Norman told Fox News Digital.

Sen. Rand Paul talks to reporters before entering the Senate Chamber to vote at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2026. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, there is a growing wave of skepticism online about whether the latest attempt on Trump’s life was even real. Many users are claiming that the incident was «staged.»

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Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital that «some of these people need… serious help.»

Moreno was comfortable that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles would lead a «necessary and important conversation» about the correspondents’ dinner incident, but rebuked any attempt by Democrats to push for answers.

«If there’s a Democrat having that conversation, you can shut the f— up given that they won’t fund [the Department of Homeland Security],» Moreno said.

Leaked remarks from Britain’s ambassador to the U.S. suggesting Washington’s «one true special relationship» is with Israel — not the United Kingdom — have sparked political backlash in London.

Sir Christian Turner reportedly told a group of British students earlier in 2026 that the United States’ one true «special relationship» is «probably Israel,» not the United Kingdom, according to leaked audio first reported by the Financial Times. 

The remarks, made privately but leaked publicly during King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s high-profile visit to Washington and New York amid efforts to repair strained relations, have placed fresh scrutiny on Britain’s standing in Washington at a particularly sensitive diplomatic moment.

Turner reportedly stressed that Britain’s ties with the U.S. remain deeply intertwined, particularly on defense and security. 

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«There is a deep history and affinity between us. Particularly on defence and security, we are intertwined,» according to leaked audio cited by British media. «The relationship will carry on, if you want, being ‘special,’ but I think it’s going to have to be different.» 

Turner also said, according to the transcript, that Britain and Europe must «work to redefine» their relationship with Washington, particularly in terms of defense, rather than relying on a U.S. security umbrella. 

The leak comes after recent strains between Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, including disagreements over Britain’s posture toward U.S.–Israeli military action against Iran. Trump previously criticized Starmer publicly, saying he was «not Winston Churchill.»

An embassy spokesperson and a U.K. Foreign Office spokesperson sought to distance the government from the leaked remarks, telling Fox News Digital: «These were private, informal comments made to a group of U.K. sixth-form students visiting the U.S. in early February. They are certainly not any reflection of the U.K. government’s position.»

The wide-ranging informal discussion, the spokesperson explained, focused on diplomacy and the political issues of the day that students asked questions about, stressing that the remarks were clearly never intended as on-record statements of government policy.

PRINCE WILLIAM VIEWS TRUMP RELATIONSHIP AS KEY TO MONARCHY’S FUTURE: EXPERT

President Donald Trump speaks with Britain’s King Charles III during a state dinner in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., April 28, 2026. (Aaron Schwartz/AFP)

Still, the controversy raises broader questions that extend beyond diplomatic optics: whether the symbolic «special relationship» between Washington and London has been eclipsed by more immediate U.S. strategic priorities, particularly Israel’s central role in American Middle East security calculations.

Barak Seener, senior fellow at the London-based Henry Jackson Society, said Turner’s remarks reflected a hard strategic reality rather than a diplomatic blunder.

«Ambassador Christian Turner was giving a realistic assessment that echoed President Trump’s criticism of NATO, calling it a ‘paper tiger’ for not contributing to joint U.S.-Israel-led operations against Iran,» Seener told Fox News Digital.

Seener pointed to his recent report, «Israel 2048: A Blueprint for an Asymmetric Geopolitical Power,» arguing that Israel’s expanding military capabilities increasingly function as a force multiplier for U.S. regional interests. By contrast, Seener argued, Britain’s modern strategic value has weakened despite its historic rhetoric.

«King Charles, in his recent speech to the U.S. Congress, was forced to emphasise the U.K. and U.S.’s shared culture and history rather than recent military contributions simply because the U.K.’s naval and military capabilities have been completely hollowed out,» Seener said.

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King Charles made history as the second British monarch to address Congress, after his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, first did so in 1991. (Henry Nicholls/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

He added that Charles’ invocation of past joint sacrifices «does not bear any relevance to today» given Britain’s reported refusal to allow U.S. use of Royal Air Force bases for strikes on Iran.

The White House, however, emphasized continuity over controversy, telling Fox News Digital that, «President Trump has enjoyed welcoming Their Majesties to the White House this week, including yesterday morning, when he highlighted the historic, special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom,» White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.

«The events of this visit are unprecedented in scope and spectacle, and the President enjoyed hosting a beautiful State Dinner yesterday evening,» she added.