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China Future Tech

China Future Tech

Key Industries:
EVs
AI
Semiconductors
Aerospace
Robotics
Biomedicine
Live Q&A webinars

As China bets on tech and innovation to drive its growth, it has placed its chips on several industrial sectors that are expected to play increasingly important roles in development and trade, which will bring fresh opportunities and challenges for stakeholders. SCMP’s China Future Tech is your go-to destination for the latest news, insights, and opinions on these select industries. Explore in-depth coverage of EVs, AI, semiconductors, aerospace, robotics and biomedicine sectors. Follow us to stay ahead in China's evolving competitive landscape.

Starting this year, models from Chinese companies have intermittently ranked among the global top tier in token usage. Photo: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Tech

Can ‘token exports’ give China an edge in the AI era?

As AI tokens emerge as a new commodity, China’s cost advantage is reshaping global model competition, though monetisation gaps remain.

Chinese EV makers target global expansion at Auto China amid energy shock

Why China’s optical communications sector is the latest AI boom beneficiary

China Economy

Why China is spending billions on a robot army to run its power grid

China’s grid operators plan to purchase thousands of robots in 2026 alone, including devices to inspect and maintain vital infrastructure.

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An employee of China Southern Power Grid demonstrates controlling a humanoid robot at the company’s robotics laboratory in Guangzhou. Photo: Reuters
An employee of China Southern Power Grid demonstrates controlling a humanoid robot at the company’s robotics laboratory in Guangzhou. Photo: Reuters

China Business

Huawei earmarks US$11.7b for training of autonomous-driving systems

Company claims it will outspend all rivals combined to boost computing power, which is essential to enhance advanced driving systems.

Big Tech

DeepSeek unveils next-gen AI model as Huawei vows ‘full support’ with new chips

The company says its cost-efficient new V4 model is competitive with top closed-source models from OpenAI and Google DeepMind.

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China Business

Chinese EV makers bet on in-house chips to make cars smarter and more autonomous

Chinese EV makers are showcasing advanced in-house chips at Auto China, powering smarter vehicles and challenging global tech leaders.

Hesai CEO David Li speaks at the lidar maker’s tech open day in Shanghai, on April 17, 2026. Photo: Reuters
Hesai CEO David Li speaks at the lidar maker’s tech open day in Shanghai, on April 17, 2026. Photo: Reuters

China Economy

China targets greener AI data centres, heavy industry to meet 2030 climate goals

New emission rules for strategic sectors come as the Iran war reinforces the need for energy security.

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Tech Trends

Why Anthropic’s Mythos has energised China’s cybersecurity industry

Following the Mythos announcement on April 7, shares of major Chinese cybersecurity firms rose for several consecutive days.

China Business

China’s premium EVs mount tech-powered challenge to BMW, Mercedes-Benz at expo

10-day show in Beijing, the world’s largest, to feature 1,451 models and exhibition area of 380,000 square metres.

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A worker puts the finishing touches on the China International Exhibition Centre in Beijing on Wednesday ahead of Auto China 2026. Photo: AFP

Big Tech

Tencent unveils first flagship AI model under former OpenAI researcher

The model is relatively small with only 295 billion parameters, bucking a recent trend of large models with trillions of parameters.

Tencent headquarters in Shenzhen. Photo: Shutterstock Images
Tencent headquarters in Shenzhen. Photo: Shutterstock Images

China Business

AI-driven Hong Kong stock inflows from mainland China slow as options multiply

Wave of listings provides more ‘pure-play’ AI investment options across mainland and Hong Kong exchanges, BNP Paribas says.

Big Tech

Alibaba opens Qwen app to partners with China Eastern Airlines tie-up

Company pledges more partnerships to expand the agentic capabilities of its flagship consumer chatbot app.

China EVs

China’s low-cost EVs to be fitted with lidar systems, usually saved for lux cars

Intense competition, rapid tech advancement and falling costs allow the superior driving systems to be fitted into budget-price vehicles.

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An exhibitor introduces a dynamic perception lidar which can be applied to self-driving systems and robots at the Zhongguancun Exhibition Centre, Beijing, on March 25, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

Banking & Finance

Biotech-led boom as 8 China firms flock to Hong Kong’s thriving stock market

AI-powered drug developer Metis TechBio leads group that includes developers of autonomous driving technology and industrial robots.

Healthcare led liquidity growth on the Hong Kong stock market over the past decade, with trading turnover for the sector surging more than 11-fold between 2015 and 2025. Photo: Shutterstock
Healthcare led liquidity growth on the Hong Kong stock market over the past decade, with trading turnover for the sector surging more than 11-fold between 2015 and 2025. Photo: Shutterstock

Tech Trends

Anthropic’s Mythos is stoking cybersecurity fears. What does it mean for China?

Given cybersecurity risks in critical software, Mythos has sparked debate about whether its capabilities should be shared with China.

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China Business

How China’s ‘landmark’ drug pricing guidelines could be a boon for biotech

State Council calls for ‘value-based pricing’ for innovative drugs, a move researchers said would benefit private healthcare players.

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China Business

Wuxi AppTec’s upbeat business update boosts stock despite US bill

A presentation persuaded investors that risk of a potential US blacklisting is low while growth in some business areas is ‘unprecedented’.

Shares in Chinese drug research and development group Wuxi AppTec closed up 23.9 per cent on Friday, the most since its listing in 2018. Photo: Reuters
Shares in Chinese drug research and development group Wuxi AppTec closed up 23.9 per cent on Friday, the most since its listing in 2018. Photo: Reuters

Big Tech

China Telecom say AI model with 1 trillion parameters trained with Chinese chips

The state-owned telecoms operator did not reveal what chips it used for its 1 trillion-parameter model, but it has a partnership with Huawei.

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Tech War

Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou back at the helm of firm ahead of next smartphone launch

In her latest tenure as rotating chairwoman, Meng is expected to oversee the launch of Huawei’s next flagship 5G smartphone series, the Mate 70.

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China Business

5 Chinese EV makers set monthly sales records as discounts draw buyers

BYD, Li Auto, Xpeng, Zeekr and Leapmotor posted new monthly delivery records in September as new models and promotions proved enticing.

Employees work on an EV production line at a Leapmotor factory in Jinhua, in China’s eastern Zhejiang province, on September 18, 2024. Photo: AFP
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Oppo expects to roll out generative artificial intelligence functions to its 50 million smartphone users by the end of this year. Photo: Shutterstock

Oppo enters tech pact with top EV maker BYD, acquires AI start-up

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OPINION
Tang Meng Kit

Opinion | Engine dilemma lies at heart of successful take-off for China’s C919

Tang Meng Kit
Jeffrey Wu

Opinion | US controls chips in the AI race, but China controls the scoreboard

Jeffrey Wu
Teng Bingsheng

Opinion | China’s next growth engine? An AI-powered intelligence dividend

Teng Bingsheng
Ke Meng

Opinion | How to assess China’s real chance of winning AI race against US

Ke Meng
Andy Xie

Opinion | As oil-shocked world turns to renewables, China will reap the rewards

Andy Xie
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Emma Zang

Opinion | Why China’s AI automation push is a risky social experiment

Emma Zang
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