China's Geopolitical & Economic Troubles
China faces a trifecta of bad news: a collapsing car market driving desperate EV exports to Europe, a soft-power self-own triggered by Mbappé's Mao comment, and Kimi AI's reputation damaged by distilling a US frontier model.
What we know
An account on X RTed a viral observation that China was on the cusp of winning global soft power when footballer Mbappé called Mao a dictator — triggering an overreaction that alienated normies worldwide. On the economic front, another account on X RTed warnings about Chinese EV exports to Europe carrying surveillance and bricking risks, driven by a collapsing domestic car market. On AI, another account on X RTed a report that Kimi 3.1 Pro distilled GPT-6 Astra (a US frontier model), adding to reputational damage for the Chinese AI lab.
By the Global Eye 24 desk, with AI assistance. Updated as the story develops. Spot an error? Write to corrections@globaleye24.com.