7 h. ago Chinese EV giant BYD is a buy — and not just for its cars, Bernstein says

Chinese EV giant BYD is a buy — and not just for its cars, Bernstein says  CNBC

Politics

6 d. ago Ant International teams up with Google on use of Universal Commerce Protocol

Ant International, the Singapore-based spin-off of Chinese fintech giant Ant Group, has teamed up with Google on standards for artificial intelligence agents that complete online shopping tasks for users, as AI continues to transform the e-commerce sector. Ant International said in a statement on Monday it would endorse the US search and AI giant’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard that powers agentic commerce. “By leveraging our leading payment capabilities, Ant International...

Politics

6 d. ago Hong Kong stocks edge higher on tech and pharmaceutical gains

Hong Kong stocks edged higher on Monday, lifted by gains in technology and biopharmaceutical shares that helped push the benchmark index up. The Hang Seng Index rose 0.3 per cent to 26,308.4 as of 9.45am, the Hang Seng Tech Index rose 0.7 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index was little changed and the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.2 per cent. Chinese delivery giant Meituan led the tech share gains by rallying 4.2 per cent to HK$102.60. Kuaishou Technology, the short-video platform...

Politics

6 d. ago Hong Kong stocks edge higher on tech gains and stabilising China inflation data

Hong Kong stocks edged higher on Monday, lifted by gains in technology shares and stabilising China inflation data. The Hang Seng Index rose 0.9 per cent to 26,456.22 at the noon break, while the Hang Seng Tech Index climbed 2.1 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index advanced 0.4 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.7 per cent. Chinese delivery giant Meituan led the tech share gains by rallying 7.3 per cent to HK$105.70. Kuaishou Technology, a short-video platform operator,...

Economics

9 d. ago China’s Xpeng unveils hybrid SUV version boasting world’s longest driving distance

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant Xpeng Motors has launched a new hybrid version of its G7 that it says offers the world’s longest range among SUVs, capable of covering the distance from Seattle to Los Angeles without charging. The updated G7 could travel 1,704km – longer than the distance between Beijing and Shanghai – with a 60-litre fuel tank and a 55.8kWh pack, the company said at a launch event in Guangzhou on Thursday. The model combines batteries with a small petrol engine that...

Politics

1 week ago ByteDance boosts Shenzhen presence with ‘second headquarters’ for Douyin operations

Chinese short video giant ByteDance is setting up a “second headquarters” for its flagship Douyin business in Shenzhen, less than a year after its first regional headquarters in the city began operations. Once completed, the new base will support “research and development of core products such as Douyin and Jinri Toutiao, and new business areas such as digital payments”, as well as house “new AI research and SaaS [software-as-a-service] platform service centres to support the buildout of a...

Culture

1 week ago It’s HAL out there: Tencent AI chatbot tells user to ‘get lost’ in rare angry outburst

Chinese social media and gaming giant Tencent Holdings apologised after its artificial intelligence chatbot Yuanbao was accused of “verbally insulting” a user, fuelling online debate about the risks posed by fast-evolving generative AI tools. Yuanbao is among China’s most popular AI chatbots. Embedded in Tencent’s WeChat and used by tens of millions of people each day, there have been no previous reports of the assistant generating insulting replies in user conversations. The complaint surfaced...

Politics

2 w. ago A tiny U.S. territory in the Pacific doubles down on a giant Chinese casino

A tiny U.S. territory in the Pacific doubles down on a giant Chinese casino  The Washington Post

Politics

2 w. ago China’s DRAM giant CXMT plans US$4.2 billion IPO on Shanghai’s Star Market

CXMT Corporation, parent of Chinese memory chip giant ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), aims to raise 29.5 billion yuan (US$4.2 billion) from an initial public offering in Shanghai to fund technology upgrades, as Beijing presses ahead with its drive for tech self-reliance amid geopolitical tensions. The Shanghai Stock Exchange received CXMT’s application for a listing on the Nasdaq-style Star Market, a filing on the bourse’s website showed on Tuesday night. This marks a critical step towards...

Economics

2 w. ago Airbus scores major win in China with orders for 145 A320 aircraft

European aviation giant Airbus won another two major orders from Chinese clients for a total of 90 A320neo aircraft on Tuesday, just a day after receiving orders for 55 passenger jets of the same model from two other Chinese airlines. The orders came weeks after Airbus’ CEO accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron on a state visit to China and mark a big win for the European manufacturer over its American competitor Boeing in one of the world’s biggest aviation markets. Air China, Beijing’s...

Transport

2 w. ago Airbus scores major win in China with orders for 148 A320 aircraft

European aviation giant Airbus won another two major orders from Chinese clients for a total of 90 A320neo aircraft on Tuesday, just a day after receiving orders for 55 passenger jets of the same model from two other Chinese airlines. Also on Tuesday, China Express Airlines announced it was purchasing three A320 planes at a list price of between US$390 million and US$420 million. The orders came weeks after Airbus’ CEO accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron on a state visit to China and...

Transport

2 w. ago China food delivery platform names Jay Chou as brand ambassador, supported by lookalikes

A quartet of singer Jay Chou lookalikes in China has produced a video supporting the pop idol’s new role as a delivery brand ambassador, sending social media into a frenzy of laughter. On December 18, the Chinese delivery giant Meituan unveiled Chou as its brand ambassador following their high-profile partnership with actress Liu Yifei. Known as the “King of Mandopop”, the Taiwanese singer-songwriter has amassed more than 23 million followers on mainland social media thanks to his musical...

Politics

2 w. ago ByteDance’s Volcano Engine lands exclusive AI cloud slot at Spring Festival Gala

Volcano Engine, the cloud computing unit of Chinese tech giant ByteDance, said on Monday it has secured an “exclusive AI cloud partnership” with the Spring Festival Gala – a marquee slot that underlines the company’s ambition to turn its artificial intelligence cloud business into a national-scale platform. Volcano Engine said the deal – built on “cutting-edge multimodal large models and cloud computing technologies” – would see it “play a pivotal role in broadcasting, online interactions and...

Culture

3 w. ago GLOBALink | Giant "snow aircraft carrier" created in Chinese university

GLOBALink | Giant "snow aircraft carrier" created in Chinese university  Xinhua

Transport

3 w. ago How Algeria could help China plug iron ore gaps and gain pricing power

In the heart of Algeria’s Sahara Desert, Chinese state-owned giant China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) has completed laying track on the PK330 Bridge, a final and critical link in a new railway designed to unlock the nation’s mineral wealth. The 6km (3.7-mile) bridge is part of the 950km railway linking the Gara Djebilet iron ore deposit in southwestern Tindouf province to the industrial hub of Bechar in the northeast. It was the “most technically demanding railway engineering feat...

Politics

3 w. ago Chilean firms partner to form giant company to exploit lithium

Chile’s state-owned Codelco, the world’s leading copper producer, and private miner SQM, which features Chinese capital, announced on Saturday the creation of a giant company to exploit lithium, a lightweight metal used in batteries for electric vehicles. The South American country is the world’s second-largest producer of lithium, a key component of EVs (electric vehicles) and other clean technologies, and has about 40 per cent of the world’s lithium reserves. The partnership between the firms...

Politics

3 w. ago Chinese EV battery giant CATL and Guoxin Micro set up a new automotive chip firm

Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), the world’s largest maker of electric vehicle batteries, has partnered with semiconductor developer Unigroup Guoxin Microelectronics to form a new automotive chip firm in Beijing. CATL-owned Wending Investment, Guoxin Micro subsidiary Tongxin Micro and five affiliates have agreed to establish Tongxin Micro Technology with a registered capital of 300 million yuan (US$43 million), according to a Thursday filing to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. With its 153...

Politics

3 w. ago Chinese EV battery giant CATL and Guoxin Micro set up new automotive chip firm

Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), the world’s largest maker of electric vehicle batteries, has partnered with semiconductor developer Unigroup Guoxin Microelectronics to form a new automotive chip firm in Beijing. CATL-owned Wending Investment, Guoxin Micro subsidiary Tongxin Micro and five affiliates have agreed to establish Tongxin Micro Technology with a registered capital of 300 million yuan (US$43 million), according to a Thursday filing to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. With its 153...

Politics

3 w. ago From Shein to Labubu, French shoppers are buying Chinese for Christmas

The first physical store of Chinese-owned fast-fashion giant Shein – which opened in central Paris in November amid heated protests – has become a new retail destination for many denizens of the French capital as they rush to finish their Christmas shopping. Hundreds of customers wandered among the racks of clothing, rifling through items carrying tags with rock-bottom prices, including a €66.99 (US$79) leather jacket and a €78.99 puffer coat. Those wishing to use the fitting rooms at the Shein...

Economics

3 w. ago Burglary of JD.com warehouse in France prompts investigation, speculation

Following the burglary of a warehouse belonging to Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com on Monday, a judicial source has confirmed an investigation has begun on charges of theft by an organised gang. The incident came in the middle of the Christmas shopping season and took place in the town of Dugny, a northern suburb of Paris that serves as a midpoint between the French capital and its main freight hub, Charles de Gaulle Airport. Suspects neutralised the warehouse’s video surveillance system, with...

Events