60 h. ago US venture capital firm to unload stakes in 40 Chinese tech start

Shares of a few dozen China-based start-ups may be up for grabs as their investor, US venture-capital firm Eight Roads, plans to exit its Chinese technology holdings. The move, reported by Bloomberg on Tuesday, comes as geopolitical tensions and a sluggish Chinese economy prompt some global investors to retreat. Domestic and government-backed funds and financing products would increasingly drive start-up funding in the world’s second-largest economy, analysts said. Fidelity Ventures-backed Eight...

Politics

4 d. ago US vows reprieve on some tech export restrictions as talks with China begin in London

Top economic officials from Washington and Beijing have launched a high-stakes round of trade talks in London, with a senior White House official signaling soon after the start that the US will ease some tech export restrictions on China, adding that he expected the Chinese government to ramp up rare earth mineral exports to American markets. The Chinese and American delegations – led by China’s vice-premier, He Lifeng, alongside US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard...

Politics

4 d. ago US hints at reprieve on some tech export restrictions as talks with China begin

Top economic officials from Washington and Beijing launched a high-stakes round of trade talks in London, with a senior White House official signalling soon after the start that the US would ease some tech export restrictions on China, adding that he expected the Chinese government to ramp up rare earth mineral exports to American markets. The Chinese and American delegations – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng, alongside US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick...

Politics

1 week ago A tale of two cities: why views of China differ so much in Barcelona and Prague

In a gleaming white technology campus half an hour’s drive north of Barcelona, Josep Maria Gomes wants to turbocharge an already thriving partnership between Spain and China. His job at TecnoCampus, a hybrid facility housing a university and business and technology park in the city of Mataro, is to connect local start-ups with cutting edge tech innovations. More and more these days, he sees these coming from China. “In sectors like cybersecurity, Internet of Things, sensory robotics and...

Politics

1 week ago Legal action over DR Congo lithium project on hold as US challenges China

Perth-based AVZ Minerals has suspended its arbitration case against the Democratic Republic of Congo until later this month, following US encouragement to resolve the dispute over the massive Manono lithium project. The suspension, announced last week, comes as the US backs start-up KoBold Metals – funded by tech billionaires including Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos – to acquire AVZ’s stake in Manono. If successful, KoBold will pledge US$1 billion (7.2 billion yuan) to develop the project, countering...

Politics

3 w. ago Hong Kong to be global hub for ‘patient capital’ by nurturing tech start

City will support tech start-ups with long-term investments and strategic partnerships, Chan says.

Science

3 w. ago Hong Kong to be hub for ‘patient capital’ by nurturing start

Hong Kong is in a prime position to be a global hub for “patient capital”, an investment strategy that takes a longer view and is driven by “purpose and impact”, as it continues to advocate for technology start-ups, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Thursday. Patient capital plays a critical role in supporting innovation, though it carries higher risks because of extended time frames and uncertain outcomes, Chan said at the inaugural International Forum for Patient Capital hosted by...

Politics

3 w. ago China’s industrial robot output soars, as Unitree and UBTech take lead

China’s production of industrial robots surged by more than 50 per cent in April compared with a year earlier, according to official data, highlighting the growing demand driven by a national frenzy for robotics. The national output of industrial robots jumped 51.5 per cent year on year to 71,547 units last month, according to the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday. The growth outpaced the 16.7 per cent increase seen in March and the 27 per cent growth recorded...

Politics