https://www.scmp.com/rss/320645/feed DiDi operates the dominant ride-hailing app in China and operates elsewhere in Asia-Pacific as well as in Latin America and other regions. It offers other mobility-related services including taxi-hailing, chauffeur-rental, carpooling, bike-sharing as well as food and freight delivery. The company conducted an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021 amid concerns over national security by the government, which was followed by an order by Chinese regulators for its apps to be removed from app... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Wency Chen Wency Chen Manycore Tech, a Hangzhou-based developer of spatial design software, has passed its listing hearing in Hong Kong, moving a step closer to an initial public offering (IPO) as it pushes deeper into what it calls “spatial intelligence” – the integration of artificial intelligence with the physical world. The company is one of Hangzhou’s “Six Little Dragons” – a group of rising start-ups that includes AI developer DeepSeek, robotics firms Unitree Robotics and Deep Robotics, Black Myth creator Game... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348377/firing-manycore-first-hangzhous-six-little-dragons-near-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348377/firing-manycore-first-hangzhous-six-little-dragons-near-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s market regulator has told companies including electric vehicle maker BYD and battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL) to compete healthily when expanding overseas, amid mounting accusations of unfair competition, subsidies and dumping levelled at Chinese companies in global markets. Chinese firms should standardise their competitive behaviour and “build a healthy competition ecosystem” in their overseas expansion, the State Administration for Market Regulation said in an... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348163/chinese-market-regulator-tells-firms-focus-healthy-competition-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348163/chinese-market-regulator-tells-firms-focus-healthy-competition-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hong Kong cabbies are counting down to the end of the “keep the change” tradition as the industry prepares for a mandatory shift from cash-only payments to electronic settlements. In the weeks leading up to April 1, taxi drivers are racing to install e-payment tools, while service providers say 90 per cent of the cabbies have already adopted such solutions. Chau Kwok-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association, said the transition to digital payments meant cabbies... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3345811/keep-change-no-more-hong-kong-taxi-drivers-prepare-shift-e-payments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3345811/keep-change-no-more-hong-kong-taxi-drivers-prepare-shift-e-payments?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:30:11 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s top market regulator has summoned the country’s leading tech companies to demand an end to “involutionary” competition, at the time when the companies are pouring billions of yuan into a Lunar New Year promotional blitz to win over users for services including artificial intelligence apps. The companies summoned on Friday were Alibaba Group Holding, ByteDance’s Douyin, Baidu, Tencent Holdings, JD.com, Meituan and Taobao Instant Commerce, Alibaba’s on-demand delivery unit, the State... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343614/beijing-warns-tech-giants-curb-involution-amid-ai-giveaway-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343614/beijing-warns-tech-giants-curb-involution-amid-ai-giveaway-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 06:30:07 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng As the Lunar New Year holiday approaches, the Chinese government has summoned Meituan, Alibaba Group Holding, Didi Chuxing, SF Express and other logistics firms to ensure the welfare of the tens of millions of gig workers who keep the country running during the rush. The “employment administrative guidance” session, held recently by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, in coordination with six other government agencies, called on 16 major Chinese platform and logistics operators... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3342989/china-calls-delivery-ride-hailing-firms-respect-gig-worker-rights-ahead-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3342989/china-calls-delivery-ride-hailing-firms-respect-gig-worker-rights-ahead-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 02:37:35 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow A former People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldier has been sentenced to eight months in prison for illegally carrying passengers in his Tesla Model S luxury car using a ride-hailing platform while in Hong Kong as a tourist. Fanling Court on Monday heard that Zeng Yulin, 39, travelled to Hong Kong from Shenzhen between June and August last year to offer paid rides using online mapping service Amap, earning more than HK$73,000 (US$9,400) in two months. He told Acting Principal Magistrate Veronica... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3341221/ex-pla-soldier-jailed-8-months-offering-illegal-ride-hailing-trips-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3341221/ex-pla-soldier-jailed-8-months-offering-illegal-ride-hailing-trips-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 05:35:21 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Uber Technologies’ strategic partnership with Tencent Holdings’ super app WeChat is yielding significant dividends for the ride-hailing operator as it meets a critical demand for Chinese travellers overseas. Since Uber launched a mini-program on WeChat in July, travellers from the mainland have been actively using Uber’s services via the new channel in 20 markets, said Anthony Wong, who leads Uber’s partnership with Tencent, on Thursday. While the ride-hailing service provider operates in 70... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340037/ubers-wechat-tie-pays-demand-chinese-tourists-rises-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340037/ubers-wechat-tie-pays-demand-chinese-tourists-rises-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:00:12 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat With their domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter. The “Made in China” label has evolved considerably in recent decades. Mostly found affixed to low-cost goods of relative simplicity in China’s early years as a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3333074/chinas-companies-become-industry-leaders-where-world-are-they-going?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3333074/chinas-companies-become-industry-leaders-where-world-are-they-going?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 07:52:55 +0000 Lam Ka-sing,Ambrose Li Lam Ka-sing,Ambrose Li Hong Kong’s taxi industry is gearing up for a new battle over fair competition in the wake of a ride-hailing bill’s passage, demanding a meeting with transport officials and warning that the government’s franchised fleet initiative may be undermined. While industry bodies on Thursday broadly welcomed the long-awaited legal framework, they also raised unresolved details, saying the new law would be meaningless without strict and equitable rules on licensing, vehicle standards and operational... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3329285/taxi-industry-shifts-focus-fair-play-after-hong-kong-passes-ride-hailing-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3329285/taxi-industry-shifts-focus-fair-play-after-hong-kong-passes-ride-hailing-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 13:12:23 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Ride-hailing companies are expected to be licensed by the fourth quarter of next year after legislators passed a bill establishing a regulatory framework for the services in Hong Kong, a step that should bring to an end a long-running acrimonious dispute with the taxi trade. By a show of hands, lawmakers passed the Road Traffic Amendment Bill on Wednesday, and it will be sent to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu for his signature before being gazetted. “The passage of the bill marks a new... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3329141/milestone-law-ends-decade-limbo-ride-hailing-services-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3329141/milestone-law-ends-decade-limbo-ride-hailing-services-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:50:54 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Super Typhoon Ragasa disrupted production of Apple’s iPhones in Shenzhen and crucial pre-holiday shipments by cross-border e-commerce merchants, as the year’s strongest storm barrelled towards southern China with heavy rain and hurricane-force winds. The world’s largest electronics contract manufacturer, Foxconn Technology Group, on Tuesday suspended assembly work at its Shenzhen unit – the innovative Product Enclosure Business Group, responsible for high-speed connectors, memory and other... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3326663/super-typhoon-ragasa-disrupts-iphone-production-cross-border-e-commerce-southern-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3326663/super-typhoon-ragasa-disrupts-iphone-production-cross-border-e-commerce-southern-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 09:00:19 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Hello, a Chinese bike-sharing and ride-hailing firm backed by fintech giant Ant Group, unveiled its first driverless taxi on Thursday, intensifying competition with local rivals Baidu, WeRide and Pony.ai. The vehicle, Hello Robot1, is based on the Venucia VX6 SUV produced by a joint venture between China’s Dongfeng Motor and Japan’s Nissan, according to Yu Qiankun, co-founder of Hello’s self-driving unit, who presented the car at an event in Shanghai. Equipped with 14 high-resolution cameras,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3325186/ant-group-backed-hello-launches-robotaxi-challenge-baidu-weride-ponyai-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3325186/ant-group-backed-hello-launches-robotaxi-challenge-baidu-weride-ponyai-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 10:00:22 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong Hong Kong authorities could use their right to control ride-hailing prices to prevent excessive and reductive competition, or involution, the Post has learned, but a lawmaker warned on Sunday that this could cause legal problems and suggested regulation through controlling the number of licences issued instead. A source said that the government could, under an existing section of the Road Traffic Ordinance, set a minimum price for ride-hailing services to avoid involution among ride-hailing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3324643/hong-kong-may-set-ride-hailing-floor-price-prevent-involution-post-learns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3324643/hong-kong-may-set-ride-hailing-floor-price-prevent-involution-post-learns?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Sep 2025 06:03:34 +0000 Jiang Chuqin Jiang Chuqin E-payment service provider AlipayHK will continue to waive fees for Hong Kong taxi drivers to encourage them to use its system, with the company saying the penetration rate has remained low due to cabbies’ persistent reluctance. Simon Leung, alternate chief executive of AlipayHK, said that the company had implemented several measures to boost adoption. These included enhancing the ride-hailing experience within its payment app for customers and providing drivers with QR codes that came with no... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3321351/alipayhk-extends-fee-waivers-hong-kong-cabbies-amid-e-payment-reluctance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3321351/alipayhk-extends-fee-waivers-hong-kong-cabbies-amid-e-payment-reluctance?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Aug 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Cao Li Cao Li Star investment banker Bao Fan – who helped introduce many of China’s largest technology companies to the capital markets of Hong Kong and New York – has been set free, more than two years after he started “cooperating” in an unspecified investigation launched by mainland authorities. According to a report by Chinese financial media outlet Caixin, which cited multiple sources, the 54-year-old founder of China Renaissance Holdings “has recently been released”. China Renaissance did not... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3321273/china-renaissance-founder-bao-fan-released-more-2-years-after-sudden-disappearance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3321273/china-renaissance-founder-bao-fan-released-more-2-years-after-sudden-disappearance?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Aug 2025 12:54:48 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Andrew Yiu* is at a crossroads about whether to continue his job as a full-time Uber driver, as the Hong Kong government plans to regulate ride-hailing platforms and impose requirements such as vehicle age limits. The city is set to legalise ride-hailing platforms in the first half of next year, ending over a decade of operating in a grey area. Among affected stakeholders are ride-hailing drivers like Yiu, who has earned HK$32,000 to HK$36,000 (US$4,076 to US$4,586) a month since joining Uber... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3319707/very-troublesome-will-hong-kong-ride-hailing-rules-turn-uber-drivers-away?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3319707/very-troublesome-will-hong-kong-ride-hailing-rules-turn-uber-drivers-away?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jul 2025 01:00:17 +0000 Harvey Kong Harvey Kong Hong Kong’s proposed regulation of ride-hailing services shows that the government intends to take a slice of the market while reining in platforms and supporting the taxi trade, but the plan hinges on balancing the competing interests of all players, experts have said. Industry insiders added that the Transport and Logistics Bureau faced several challenges in achieving all three objectives. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan, who took office last December, told lawmakers on Friday... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3319012/can-taxis-and-ride-hailing-services-co-exist-hong-kong-under-new-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3319012/can-taxis-and-ride-hailing-services-co-exist-hong-kong-under-new-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 01:30:15 +0000 Harvey Kong,Ng Kang-chung Harvey Kong,Ng Kang-chung While the hurricane-force winds and torrential rains of Typhoon Wipha battered Hong Kong on Sunday, some continued to work, and many restaurants remained open, supported by limited rail services. Among the restaurants that operated as usual was Chung Kee congee shop in Whampoa, as the operator said it did not expect the typhoon would escalate to a No 10 level. “Originally, we thought it would be just a No 8 typhoon signal. We are close to an MTR station, so we thought we would open and see what... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3318918/hong-kong-businesses-and-workers-weather-storm-typhoon-wiphas-fury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3318918/hong-kong-businesses-and-workers-weather-storm-typhoon-wiphas-fury?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jul 2025 13:03:59 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Ride-hailing giant Uber has urged the Hong Kong government not to over-regulate industry platforms, saying its own data shows that services and drivers need flexibility, with the city set to legalise such firms next year after operating in a grey area for a decade. US-based Uber, the dominant player in Hong Kong, submitted a document to the legislature on Wednesday to show the importance of ride-sharing as a critical income source for residents, a day after the government revealed a legal... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3318461/flexible-ride-hailing-rules-are-needed-uber-tells-hong-kong-authorities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3318461/flexible-ride-hailing-rules-are-needed-uber-tells-hong-kong-authorities?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jul 2025 10:51:03 +0000 Denise Tsang,Cannix Yau Denise Tsang,Cannix Yau Hong Kong is set to legalise ride-hailing services as early as the first half of next year, paving the way for online platform operators to compete head-on with taxis after having existed in a grey space in the city for a decade. But authorities have stressed that taxis must also be allowed to survive and that ride-hailing platforms must abide by a set of standards and responsibilities, according to a much-awaited paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Tuesday ahead of a panel discussion... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3318229/hong-kong-ride-hailing-rules-must-ensure-safety-fair-competition-taxis-john-lee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3318229/hong-kong-ride-hailing-rules-must-ensure-safety-fair-competition-taxis-john-lee?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 03:58:54 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Operators of ride-hailing platforms and vehicles in Hong Kong will need to apply for renewable rather than permanent licences under a proposed regulatory framework, to prevent speculative trading that is rampant in the city’s taxi trade, the Post has learned. An insider said on Thursday that the ride-hailing platforms would need to pay for the licences, which would have a validity of five years. The number of vehicles operating under each platform would also be capped, and the owner of each... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3317670/ride-hailing-operators-vehicles-hong-kong-need-renewable-licences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3317670/ride-hailing-operators-vehicles-hong-kong-need-renewable-licences?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 07:06:06 +0000 Harvey Kong Harvey Kong Nearly 80 per cent of more than 4,800 Uber drivers polled in Hong Kong are worried that a strict quota or high licensing fees under coming new regulations for ride-hailing platforms will threaten their livelihoods. The results of the poll conducted by platform operator Uber in June were revealed on Tuesday, just days after Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan announced that a highly anticipated regulatory proposal would be submitted to the legislature before the end of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3317361/80-hong-kong-uber-drivers-worried-about-quota-and-fees-under-new-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3317361/80-hong-kong-uber-drivers-worried-about-quota-and-fees-under-new-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jul 2025 07:29:18 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin A regulatory proposal on ride-hailing services in Hong Kong will be submitted to the legislature before the end of the month, the transport minister has said, months earlier than the original plan amid calls to accelerate the process. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said on Sunday that the authorities would provide more comprehensive and concrete details on regulating ride-hailing platforms, drivers and vehicles as they strived to roll out the proposal within this month. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3317130/hong-kong-government-accelerates-plan-ride-hailing-legislation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3317130/hong-kong-government-accelerates-plan-ride-hailing-legislation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 06:58:35 +0000 Cannix Yau Cannix Yau Ride-hailing firm Uber has warned users in Hong Kong of potentially higher fares and longer wait times, and its drivers of possible loss of income, under the government’s proposed regulations for online platforms. In an email to its 30,000 drivers and 1.5 million users in Hong Kong, the US-based firm said on Thursday that authorities were considering new rules for ride-hailing platforms that might restrict the number of ride-sharing drivers or vehicles on the road. “We support efforts to bring... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3315043/uber-warns-hong-kong-users-higher-fares-longer-wait-times-under-proposal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3315043/uber-warns-hong-kong-users-higher-fares-longer-wait-times-under-proposal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jun 2025 07:25:43 +0000 Harvey Kong Harvey Kong Hong Kong’s leader has rejected a proposal from the taxi industry for the government to repurchase licences that have depreciated in recent years due to competition from online ride-hailing services, saying the documents have always given cabbies exclusive rights. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Tuesday that online ride-hailing was an “irreversible trend”, as he pledged to provide a regulatory framework for such platforms as soon as possible while urging taxi drivers to improve... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3313818/hong-kong-leader-rejects-taxi-licence-buy-back-amid-irreversible-ride-hailing-trend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3313818/hong-kong-leader-rejects-taxi-licence-buy-back-amid-irreversible-ride-hailing-trend?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jun 2025 06:55:52 +0000 Jeffrey Wu Jeffrey Wu In just two months, we’ve had news that US venture capital company Andreessen Horowitz is reportedly launching a US$20 billion megafund to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) and Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL) completed a US$5.2 billion initial public offering (IPO) – the world’s largest this year and a major boost to Hong Kong’s subdued markets. But behind these headlines, venture funding across Asia fell to just US$65.8 billion last year, its lowest... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3312938/geopolitics-hits-venture-capital-asia-must-start-funding-its-own-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3312938/geopolitics-hits-venture-capital-asia-must-start-funding-its-own-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jun 2025 08:30:07 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Amap, the mapping and local services business under Alibaba Group Holding, has introduced a ride-hailing feature on the platform’s English version, allowing foreign visitors in mainland China to get transport in more than 360 domestic cities. The new feature, which comes months after Amap’s English-language version was launched in February, is accessible via a button on the homepage. Initially, the app will accept users’ registered mainland, Hong Kong and Macau phone numbers. Payments can be... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3311612/alibabas-amap-offers-ride-hailing-function-catering-foreign-visitors-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3311612/alibabas-amap-offers-ride-hailing-function-catering-foreign-visitors-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 May 2025 01:00:17 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong’s taxi industry should value negative feedback from passengers and express its views rationally to help the government develop regulations for ride-hailing services, the city’s leader has said. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday also pledged to crack down on unlicensed drivers, four days after more than 30 disgruntled taxi drivers held a demonstration outside government headquarters and petitioned for tougher law enforcement against illegal ride-hailing services. He said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3311051/hong-kongs-taxi-drivers-should-use-negative-feedback-improve-services-john-lee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3311051/hong-kongs-taxi-drivers-should-use-negative-feedback-improve-services-john-lee?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 May 2025 07:24:15 +0000 Cannix Yau Cannix Yau Hong Kong’s taxi trade and ride-hailing services can coexist and survive together, the transport chief has said, pledging to prioritise the public’s travel needs in the coming regulation of online platforms. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan made the reassurance on Saturday, a day after more than 30 disgruntled taxi drivers demonstrated outside government headquarters and called for tougher law enforcement against illegal ride-hailing services. Chan reiterated that the rules... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3310760/taxis-and-ride-hailing-services-can-coexist-hong-kong-transport-chief-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3310760/taxis-and-ride-hailing-services-can-coexist-hong-kong-transport-chief-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 May 2025 09:57:50 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong authorities have warned ride-hailing platform operators to ensure their services are legal before a meeting with industry members, as more than 30 disgruntled taxi drivers held a demonstration outside government headquarters and petitioned for tougher law enforcement against illegal services. In a statement issued on Friday morning, the Transport and Logistics Bureau expressed concerns about illegal platforms and the private car drivers who used them to offer services without the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3310571/hong-kong-authorities-warn-ride-hailing-firms-about-legality-taxi-drivers-petition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3310571/hong-kong-authorities-warn-ride-hailing-firms-about-legality-taxi-drivers-petition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 May 2025 03:22:26 +0000 Derek Chan Derek Chan Over the past decade or so, ride-hailing apps which allow people in Hong Kong to call private cars as a means of point-to-point transport have raised issues concerning the service’s legality. Despite issues over the legality of this mode of transport service, demand for it has only increased since its introduction almost a decade ago. Now that the government has indicated its clear intention to regulate car-hailing platforms, there is no better time to discuss possible challenges in formulating... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3308595/hong-kong-ride-hailing-regulations-can-draw-lessons-us-uk-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3308595/hong-kong-ride-hailing-regulations-can-draw-lessons-us-uk-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 May 2025 01:30:16 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Beijing Smart Walnut Education Technology, a provider of services that help children learn to code, is one of several Chinese firms considering initial public offerings (IPOs) in the United States, despite market turmoil and friction between Washington and Beijing, according to people familiar with the matter. Walnut Coding, as the firm is known, could seek to raise about US$100 million in a US listing, the people said, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are private. Other... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3307452/chinese-tech-companies-eye-us-listings-amid-market-turmoil-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3307452/chinese-tech-companies-eye-us-listings-amid-market-turmoil-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Apr 2025 09:23:37 +0000 China’s policymakers are increasingly lauding online platforms as an important driver of consumption and job creation, in another sign of the government’s shifting attitude towards the sector. Top officials have made a string of supportive comments in recent months as Beijing mounts a charm offensive aimed at shoring up economic growth, attracting investment and boosting domestic demand amid an intensifying trade war with the United States. Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing called on tech platforms to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3303977/china-mends-fences-big-tech-consumption-employment-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3303977/china-mends-fences-big-tech-consumption-employment-push?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Mar 2025 11:00:09 +0000 Harvey Kong Harvey Kong Hong Kong’s leader warned on Tuesday that any drastic action by taxi drivers would not gain the public’s support as he raised the possibility that a strike proposed by a major union could be “hijacked” by those with ulterior motives. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu made the remarks a day before a strike deadline set by an influential taxi union. Lee also revealed that the government’s Transport Advisory Committee would meet representatives from the taxi sector and ride-hailing platforms on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3299098/hong-kong-leader-warns-against-drastic-action-taxi-union-threatening-strike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3299098/hong-kong-leader-warns-against-drastic-action-taxi-union-threatening-strike?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2025 04:37:41 +0000 Oscar Liu,Harvey Kong Oscar Liu,Harvey Kong Hong Kong’s ride-hailing firms are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel after more than a decade of operating mostly illegally and locking horns with the taxi industry. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan is intent on legalising ride-hailing and opening the sector to all players. A framework for regulating the platforms is expected to go before lawmakers this year and, going by the experience of other jurisdictions, Hong Kong is unlikely to limit the number of ride-hailing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3298535/how-should-hong-kong-regulate-uber-and-other-ride-hailing-apps-amid-taxi-fury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3298535/how-should-hong-kong-regulate-uber-and-other-ride-hailing-apps-amid-taxi-fury?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:30:08 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng The Lunar New Year holiday is among the priciest time to travel in China, but this year, Chinese internet user Lan He managed to score a one-way flight ticket from Kunming, Yunnan province, to her parents’ home about two hours away in Jian, Jiangxi province, for less than 500 yuan (US$68). The trick? Fool the algorithms, according to Lan. Before Lan booked her flight, she unleashed a string of social media posts complaining about costly holiday airfares. “I’m not going because flight tickets are... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3296092/chinas-lunar-new-year-travellers-try-outsmart-algorithms-cheaper-fares?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3296092/chinas-lunar-new-year-travellers-try-outsmart-algorithms-cheaper-fares?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jan 2025 02:00:08 +0000 Denise Tsang Denise Tsang Hong Kong will regulate platforms offering ride-hailing services based on three criteria, including safety and quality, but does not intend to limit the number of operators, the city’s transport minister has said, adding that a proposed framework is on track to be unveiled this year. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said on Thursday that regulating ride-hailing platforms would mean starting a new legal regime before resolving teething issues such as hire-car permits. It is... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3295962/hong-kongs-new-ride-hailing-regime-be-open-all-players?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3295962/hong-kongs-new-ride-hailing-regime-be-open-all-players?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jan 2025 08:30:12 +0000 A Singapore-based ride-hailing service provider has launched in Hong Kong ahead of a government plan to regulate operators, with the newcomer providing fresh competition for market leader Uber. Tada, which touts a zero-commission model for drivers, began operating in the city on Thursday and will allow customers to pay by cash or credit card in its beta launch covering Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the airport. The platform will not serve the New Territories. The Transport and Logistics Bureau... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3290376/singapores-tada-launches-hong-kong-driving-fresh-competition-uber?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3290376/singapores-tada-launches-hong-kong-driving-fresh-competition-uber?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Dec 2024 23:30:09 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu Newly appointed transport minister Mable Chan has said she will prioritise residents’ travel needs in designing a regulatory framework for Hong Kong’s growing ride-hailing industry, earning praise from a lawmaker for having the “right attitude” in her approach. Chan also acknowledged on Saturday that ride-hailing services were popular with residents, whereas the city’s taxi licensing system had hampered efforts to innovate in the sector. It is illegal in Hong Kong for drivers of private vehicles... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3289812/hongkongers-travel-needs-come-first-developing-ride-hailing-regulations-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3289812/hongkongers-travel-needs-come-first-developing-ride-hailing-regulations-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Dec 2024 07:31:33 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Autonomous-driving truck start-up Autra.tech has scaled back its operations amid a cash crunch, according to local media reports, as the United States prepares to ban China-made software for connected vehicles. Beijing-based Autra.tech’s current challenges in financing and tight cash flow cannot support its research and development plans, product outlay and operations, chief executive Fei Ding wrote in an internal letter to employees in September, according to a report this week by Chinese news... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3285318/chinese-self-driving-truck-start-autratech-scales-down-operations-amid-cash-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3285318/chinese-self-driving-truck-start-autratech-scales-down-operations-amid-cash-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Nov 2024 12:00:26 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng China’s biggest autonomous driving tech companies, including Baidu and Didi Chuxing, have drastically scaled back road tests in the US, and in some cases have ended them altogether, according to industry reports and company sources. The cutbacks, made over the past few years, preceded the announcement by the US Commerce Department last month that it would ban autonomous driving software from China. That means many of the Chinese players will not be affected as the regulation only applies to new... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3280781/chinas-biggest-self-driving-tech-firms-pull-out-us-amid-rising-geopolitical-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3280781/chinas-biggest-self-driving-tech-firms-pull-out-us-amid-rising-geopolitical-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Oct 2024 10:00:09 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Global on Wednesday said that both order volume and transaction value reached record highs during the three months through June. Orders in both China and overseas markets rose 17.4 per cent to nearly 3.9 billion, while gross transaction value (GTV) reached 96.3 billion yuan (US$13.5 billion), up 14.7 per cent from a year earlier, according to its latest earnings report. “Transactions and GTV also saw healthy growth, and both reached new record highs during the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3275378/chinese-ride-hailing-giant-didi-reports-record-transaction-value-june-quarter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3275378/chinese-ride-hailing-giant-didi-reports-record-transaction-value-june-quarter?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2024 14:09:24 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le Ahead of Tuesday’s release of China’s first AAA video game, Black Myth: Wukong, Chinese brands are rushing to link themselves to the highly anticipated title through partnerships and product tie-ins. Lenovo Group, Luckin Coffee and Didi Bike are among those giving their products a design makeover drawing inspiration from what could become China’s first blockbuster game to become a global hit, generating excitement among domestic gamers. Inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3275044/chinas-first-aaa-game-black-myth-wukong-has-both-fans-and-brands-excited?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3275044/chinas-first-aaa-game-black-myth-wukong-has-both-fans-and-brands-excited?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Aug 2024 11:00:15 +0000 Chinese autonomous-driving company WeRide is seeking to raise as much as US$440 million in a US initial public offering (IPO) and concurrent private placement. WeRide – a Cayman Islands holding company whose operations are mainly conducted by Guangzhou Wenyuan Zhixing Technology and its subsidiaries in mainland China – is offering 6.45 million American depositary shares (ADS) at US$15.50 to US$18.50 each, according to a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Friday, confirming an... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3273991/chinese-autonomous-driving-firm-weride-seeks-us440-million-us-ipo-placement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3273991/chinese-autonomous-driving-firm-weride-seeks-us440-million-us-ipo-placement?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Aug 2024 03:26:48 +0000 Autonomous driving technology start-up WeRide has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) on the Nasdaq stock market, which could be the biggest flotation in the United States of a Chinese company since ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing’s ill-fated listing in 2021. WeRide – a Cayman Islands holding company whose operations are mainly conducted by Guangzhou Wenyuan Zhixing Technology and its subsidiaries in mainland China – did not provide the amount of money it aims to raise from the Nasdaq... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3272206/autonomous-driving-unicorn-weride-files-us-ipo-amid-expansion-plans-china-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3272206/autonomous-driving-unicorn-weride-files-us-ipo-amid-expansion-plans-china-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jul 2024 09:40:33 +0000 Authorities found the body of a 23-year-old woman who went missing in northern Mexico days after she used the ride-hailing app Didi, a case that has sparked outrage in the Latin American country where gender violence is prevalent. Education student Paola Banuelos had not been seen since getting into a car hailed via the Chinese app early Monday after leaving a bar in the city of Mexicali on the US-Mexico border, across from Calexico, California. On Thursday, her body was found in a remote area... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3270332/body-found-woman-who-went-missing-after-taking-didi-ride-mexico?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3270332/body-found-woman-who-went-missing-after-taking-didi-ride-mexico?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jul 2024 03:04:11 +0000 A Singapore-based ride-hailing platform will join the Uber-dominated Hong Kong market by year end, as the government maps out a regulatory framework for the sector. Tada, which offers zero-commission ride-hailing services, said the move marked its latest attempt to extend its presence beyond Southeast Asia after obtaining a licence in Thailand earlier this year. Tada CEO Sean Kim said his firm saw immense potential in Hong Kong with its robust economy, dense population and strong demand for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3270130/singapore-based-ride-hailing-service-enter-uber-dominated-hong-kong-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3270130/singapore-based-ride-hailing-service-enter-uber-dominated-hong-kong-market?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jul 2024 14:18:53 +0000 The mercantile history of Guangzhou, the city once called Canton that is about two hours’ drive from Hong Kong, can be traced back to Wu Bingjian, one of the richest men to have ever lived on Earth. Better known among foreigners as Howqua, the 18th-century merchant accumulated enormous wealth running one of the 13 trading houses, or hong, that were granted exclusive rights by the Manchu rulers in Peking to sell tea, porcelain, silk and other exotic goods to Westerners, until the Opium War... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3269291/chinas-guangzhou-web-factories-gives-rise-fast-fashion-juggernaut-shein?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3269291/chinas-guangzhou-web-factories-gives-rise-fast-fashion-juggernaut-shein?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jul 2024 04:00:14 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang US venture capital firm Matrix Partners has rebranded its regional entities in India and China, stopping short of a full spin-off à la Sequoia Capital and GGV Capital, amid a deepening technology divide between the US and China. The venture firm said its India operations are now called Z47, while the China affiliate will be renamed simply MPC, shortening it from Matrix Partners China, the investor announced in a statement published to its website on Saturday. The original US entity will keep the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3268763/matrix-partners-rebrands-china-venture-unit-amid-geopolitical-tensions-after-sequoia-ggv?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3268763/matrix-partners-rebrands-china-venture-unit-amid-geopolitical-tensions-after-sequoia-ggv?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jul 2024 01:30:20 +0000 Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing, whose New York initial public offering (IPO) in 2021 triggered a cybersecurity investigation by mainland authorities that led to its delisting and a $1.2 billion fine, said it has no specific timing for its plans to float shares in Hong Kong. “The company has been maintaining regular communications with investors to keep them updated on business progress,” Didi said in a statement on Tuesday, after a recent report by The Information said the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3267050/chinese-ride-hailing-giant-didi-chuxing-says-it-has-no-timetable-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3267050/chinese-ride-hailing-giant-didi-chuxing-says-it-has-no-timetable-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jun 2024 09:30:10 +0000