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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.

A lobster-shaped cutout representing OpenClaw stands outside the Baidu offices in Beijing, March 17, 2026. Photo: Reuters

Tech Trends

Chinese AI rivals clash over Anthropic’s OpenClaw exit amid global token crunch

Chinese companies are competing to offer the cheapest alternatives to premium US services from the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic.

China’s Li Qiang hosts Moonshot AI chief, urges faster industrial AI roll-out

Tencent moves to rein in AI content flood on WeChat with stricter rules

Tech Trends

Alibaba takes on Seedance as AI rivalry offers glimpse into race for top talent

HappyHorse’s debut on the global stage has put the spotlight on its creator, Zhang Di, who has been away from Alibaba for five years.

HappyHorse 1.0 was developed under the newly formed Alibaba Token Hub (ATH) business group. Photo: Handout
HappyHorse 1.0 was developed under the newly formed Alibaba Token Hub (ATH) business group. Photo: Handout

Banking & Finance

China healthcare stocks shine in Hong Kong amid Middle East turmoil

Hang Seng Healthcare Index outpaces broader market as Akeso, Innovent, Hansoh provide refuge for global investors.

Big Tech

Alibaba’s Qwen family captures over 50% of global open-source downloads: report

Qwen hits nearly 1 billion cumulative downloads, far surpassing rivals like Meta Platforms’ Llama and DeepSeek, researchers say.

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China Business

Solid-state battery firms in China and US charged up for IPO run

A trio of battery developers are advancing listing plans as high oil prices and geopolitical tensions boost interest in energy storage.

Geopolitical tensions and elevated oil prices fuel demand for more energy-efficient technologies. Photo: Shutterstock
Geopolitical tensions and elevated oil prices fuel demand for more energy-efficient technologies. Photo: Shutterstock

China Business

China amps up battery buildout to ‘10 times US 2025 capacity’

China’s battery expansion plans highlight a widening gap with the US, as renewable energy demand fuels rapid growth in storage systems.

Tech

Alibaba cloud growth forecast to climb with AI push, higher charges: analysts

The company’s cloud and AI businesses are gaining speed, with token usage and pricing changes fuelling growth, analysts say.

Banking & Finance

Mainland China and Hong Kong IPOs drive Citic to the top of banking fee rankings

Citic leads Asia-Pacific in fees in the first quarter as IPOs in Hong Kong and mainland China offset weaker debt and M&A activity.

Citic Securities led Asia-Pacific with a 6.4 per cent share of the total investment banking fee pool in the first quarter: Photo. Reuters

Tech

Unitree to debut cheapest humanoid robot globally via Alibaba: sources

The international launch of the company’s cheapest humanoid robot next week is expected to cover North America, Europe, Japan and Singapore.

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Unitree Robotics’ R1 is one of the world’s most affordable humanoids. Photo: Handout
Unitree Robotics’ R1 is one of the world’s most affordable humanoids. Photo: Handout

China EVs

Volkswagen tests China’s appetite for locally developed EVs

The three models, which will be launched over the next two weeks, use technology developed by Volkswagen’s Chinese partners.

Banking & Finance

Everest’s US$250 million buy signals rising global appetite for China biotech

Sovereign wealth funds from Singapore and Abu Dhabi join Chinese state capital as cross-border biotech licensing reaches record highs.

Global Economy

China powers up major Southeast Asian solar project amid Iran war shock

The installation boasts more than two million solar panels and comes online as global fossil fuels face unprecedented disruption.

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China General Nuclear Power Group’s solar project in Laos. Photo: CCTV

Big Tech

AI fuels global trade growth as China-US flows shift, McKinsey finds

Data-centre expansion and AI investment push global trade ahead of economic growth, consultancy says.

AI-linked goods accounted for about one-third of global trade growth last year, according to McKinsey. Photo: AFP
AI-linked goods accounted for about one-third of global trade growth last year, according to McKinsey. Photo: AFP

Policy

China’s Zhipu AI open-sources GLM-5.1, raises prices to trim gap with US rivals

The company’s second price increase this year signals a push to monetise advanced AI models while keeping costs below US peers.

Policy

China’s DeepSeek adds expert chatbot mode ahead of much-awaited V4 release

The Hangzhou start-up’s latest chatbot update sparks speculation over whether the expert mode is linked to the long-delayed V4 model.

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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
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
Clarissa Lui

Opinion | To make AI safe, put women and girls at the heart of the technology

Clarissa Lui
Matt Terrell

Opinion | Journalists must confront the real risks of AI: fabricated facts

Matt Terrell
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