https://www.scmp.com/rss/326573/feed Iris is a technology reporter at the Post. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s top economic planner denied pressuring domestic tech companies to turn down foreign investment amid rising concerns sparked by its recent blocking of Facebook owner Meta Platforms’ proposed buyout of Chinese-founded AI start-up Manus. “We have never required Chinese tech firms not to accept foreign investment,” Li Chao, spokesman for the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said at a press conference on Friday. “We support Chinese firms to integrate into the global... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3354547/despite-blocking-metas-manus-deal-china-says-door-open-foreign-tech-investment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3354547/despite-blocking-metas-manus-deal-china-says-door-open-foreign-tech-investment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 10:30:04 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng In a significant leap for green-energy tracking, researchers from Peking University and Alibaba Group’s Damo Academy have used AI to map hundreds of thousands of solar and wind installations across China. The initiative resulted in a first-of-its-kind national inventory designed to help coordinate the country’s ambitious green transition. By leveraging a self-developed AI model from Damo, the research team processed a massive 7.56 terabytes of satellite imagery. The algorithm identified 319,972... https://www.scmp.com/business/climate-and-energy/article/3354387/ai-gives-china-gods-eye-view-solar-wind-installations-data-centre-demand-booms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/climate-and-energy/article/3354387/ai-gives-china-gods-eye-view-solar-wind-installations-data-centre-demand-booms?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 13:00:07 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Demand for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), tiny electronic components found in everything from smartphones to electric vehicles, is surging as the artificial intelligence boom triggers new production. MLCCs, which act as electrical buffers in circuit boards, are increasingly deployed in massive volumes in high-performance servers, emerging as the latest AI-driven investor darling following memory chips and optical modules. The AI hardware boom was squeezing production capacity as MLCC... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3354168/how-tiny-capacitors-became-latest-ai-driven-investor-darling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3354168/how-tiny-capacitors-became-latest-ai-driven-investor-darling?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 03:22:03 +0000 Ben Jiang,Iris Deng Ben Jiang,Iris Deng Baidu has reached a historic milestone as its artificial intelligence businesses surged to become its primary revenue driver in the first quarter, despite a 2 per cent dip in overall income, the Chinese tech giant said on Monday. The company’s AI-related businesses, including AI cloud, AI applications and AI marketing services, saw revenue grow to 13.6 billion yuan (US$2 billion), a 49 per cent year-on-year increase. “AI-powered business exceeded half of Baidu’s general business revenue for the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353928/baidu-says-ai-now-primary-revenue-driver-despite-2-drop-first-quarter-revenue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353928/baidu-says-ai-now-primary-revenue-driver-despite-2-drop-first-quarter-revenue?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 09:57:52 +0000 Ben Jiang,Iris Deng Ben Jiang,Iris Deng China’s technology titans from Alibaba Group Holding to Tencent Holdings are locked in a race to decide who will own the digital front door of the future, as they pour billions of dollars into generative artificial intelligence, betting that whoever builds the most seamless AI-powered gateway will influence how the country’s 1.4 billion people shop, work, and communicate. Over the past decades, the gateway to the internet has shifted form – from the early web portals to the search engine era,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353869/chinese-tech-giants-alibaba-tencent-race-dominate-ai-powered-digital-gateways?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353869/chinese-tech-giants-alibaba-tencent-race-dominate-ai-powered-digital-gateways?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s industrial sectors are racing to integrate artificial intelligence to boost efficiency, bolstered by state support, but experts warn that critical vertical markets – such as healthcare and aerospace – may be too “high risk” for the shift towards autonomous agents. Hailed as the driver of a “fourth industrial revolution”, AI is shifting away from chatbots to agentic AI – systems capable of independent execution within a workflow, industry experts said at the International Data Corporation... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353797/ai-agents-face-trust-issues-high-risk-industrial-sectors-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353797/ai-agents-face-trust-issues-high-risk-industrial-sectors-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 07:00:05 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings are doubling down on a massive artificial intelligence spending spree, betting that a new wave of Chinese-made chips will break the supply bottlenecks stifling their ambitions. While both Chinese tech giants saw revenues trail expectations this past quarter, they pledged an aggressive acceleration in capital expenditure, as home-grown silicon from Huawei Technologies and Alibaba’s in-house labs begins to reach scale. Alibaba was likely to “overshoot”... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353573/alibaba-tencent-signal-ai-spending-surge-despite-earnings-pressure-china-chips-ramp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353573/alibaba-tencent-signal-ai-spending-surge-despite-earnings-pressure-china-chips-ramp?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 10:02:45 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Facing scrutiny and persistent questions over its track record in artificial intelligence, Tencent Holdings’ co-founder and CEO Pony Ma Huateng offered this candid assessment to shareholders on Wednesday: “A year ago we thought we were on the boat, then we found it was leaking.” Speaking at the firm’s annual general meeting at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong, Ma signalled the beginnings of a turnaround, saying that the company had finally found its footing but was “not yet seated”, according... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3353445/tencents-misses-first-quarter-revenue-estimates-bets-ai-new-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3353445/tencents-misses-first-quarter-revenue-estimates-bets-ai-new-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 10:38:25 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Tencent Holdings has secured conditional approval to acquire online audio platform Ximalaya after a nearly year-long review by China’s antitrust watchdog, a move set to expand the Shenzhen-based tech giant’s footprint in China’s digital content ecosystem. The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) cleared the deal on Tuesday, but imposed five conditions covering pricing and exclusivity to “effectively mitigate the potential negative impacts” of the acquisition, according to an... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3353315/china-clears-tencents-ximalaya-acquisition-strict-bans-exclusive-deals-fee-hikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3353315/china-clears-tencents-ximalaya-acquisition-strict-bans-exclusive-deals-fee-hikes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 13:48:30 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Kuaishou Technology’s shares jumped as much as 10 per cent on Tuesday morning after reports that the Chinese short-video platform was raising new funding for its Kling AI unit at a valuation of US$20 billion. Kuaishou – often seen as a rival to ByteDance-owned Douyin in China – plans to spin off its video generation service, according to a report by Chinese technology news outlet The LatePost on Monday, citing anonymous sources. The company is in talks with potential investors, including Tencent... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3353214/kuaishou-stock-surges-reports-kling-ai-unit-spin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3353214/kuaishou-stock-surges-reports-kling-ai-unit-spin?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 03:04:15 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Huawei Technologies’ little-known chip research lab has been thrust into the national spotlight as Beijing flexes its technology muscles ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to China later this week. The Chip Fundamental Technology Research Laboratory was featured for the first time on national television on Friday, when Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei hosted Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang at the firm’s Lianqiu Lake campus in Shanghai, according to footage aired on China Central... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3353161/huaweis-secretive-chip-lab-featured-prime-time-tv-ahead-trumps-trip-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3353161/huaweis-secretive-chip-lab-featured-prime-time-tv-ahead-trumps-trip-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Huaqiangbei, home to the world’s largest electronics marketplace in southern China’s tech hub Shenzhen, is reinventing itself as the world’s artificial intelligence showroom, drawing back foreign traders and tourists hunting for the latest gadgets. For first-time visitors like Abigail Slagveer from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the sheer scale of Huaqiangbei’s electronics market is overwhelming. “I came here one and a half hours ago through that front door,” she said, pointing to an entrance just... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3352938/chinas-huaqiangbei-bets-ai-innovations-revive-global-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3352938/chinas-huaqiangbei-bets-ai-innovations-revive-global-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 07:00:05 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng While the world’s largest memory-chip makers are reaping record profits from the artificial intelligence boom, traders in Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei electronics market are being left to deal with the fallout of a speculative frenzy that has sharply reversed, wiping out much of the value of their inventories since late 2025. “The market surge last year became so frantic that everyone from shoemakers to fishmongers piled into memory-chip speculation,” a trader surnamed Liu said from his cramped stall... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3352642/after-frenzy-fallout-why-chips-are-down-shenzhens-tech-traders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3352642/after-frenzy-fallout-why-chips-are-down-shenzhens-tech-traders?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 13:00:13 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s smartphone and electronics supply chain is adapting its expertise to support the country’s fledgling but fast-growing humanoid robotics industry, as component suppliers seek new growth beyond a slowing mobile market. The sector received a glimpse of that crossover after Honor’s humanoid robot D1, a dark-horse entrant from the smartphone maker, won Beijing’s recent robot half-marathon, beating established Chinese robotics names such as Unitree. Honor entered the humanoid robotics sector... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3352212/phones-robots-chinas-supply-chain-eyes-next-growth-curve-humanoid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3352212/phones-robots-chinas-supply-chain-eyes-next-growth-curve-humanoid?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 04:00:17 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Wingtech Technology, the Chinese owner of chipmaker Nexperia, is facing the risk of delisting from the Shanghai Stock Exchange due to an audit failure, as the company remains embroiled in a power struggle for control of its Dutch subsidiary. The risk was triggered after Wingtech’s auditor issued a “disclaimer of opinion”, citing restrictions in verifying the financial records of Nexperia’s overseas operations, according to a company filing to the Shanghai bourse on Wednesday. The audit failure... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3351967/wingtech-faces-delisting-risk-due-audit-failure-wake-nexperia-saga?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3351967/wingtech-faces-delisting-risk-due-audit-failure-wake-nexperia-saga?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:00:14 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s home-grown software and operating systems like Huawei Technologies’ HarmonyOS are gaining traction, according to an official of China’s technology ministry, as the country accelerates its push to cut reliance on foreign technology. More than 55 million smartphones ran on the HarmonyOS mobile platform as of the end of March, according to Ke Jixin, vice-minister of industry and information technology. “Domestic software like operating systems and databases has been improving steadily,” Ke... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3351837/huaweis-harmonyos-more-55m-phones-china-steps-push-domestic-software?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3351837/huaweis-harmonyos-more-55m-phones-china-steps-push-domestic-software?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 23:30:07 +0000 Daniel Ren,Iris Deng Daniel Ren,Iris Deng Physical artificial intelligence (AI) – the marriage of advanced machines with “brains” that allow them to interact with their environment – is expanding rapidly in China. It’s fuelling the development of smarter robots, drones and driverless cars that are appearing on roads and factory floors, in the skies and even on stage. Delivery drones have taken flight over cities like southern China’s Shenzhen, while delivery bots are riding city subways. The first autonomous vehicles are plying public... https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/big-tech/article/3351514/chinas-physical-ai-progress-seen-roads-skies-and-factories?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/big-tech/article/3351514/chinas-physical-ai-progress-seen-roads-skies-and-factories?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 04:26:07 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Shares of Moore Threads, one of China’s Nvidia challengers, jumped as much as 12.5 per cent on Monday morning on the back of a swing to a profit in the first quarter, as domestic graphics processing unit (GPU) champions capitalised on surging computing demand amid Beijing’s push for chip self-sufficiency. The Beijing-based firm reported a net profit of 29.4 million yuan (US$4.3 million) for the January to March 2026 period, compared with a net loss of 112.5 million yuan a year earlier, according... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351492/moore-threads-posts-us43m-profit-nvidia-rival-surges-amid-beijing-chip-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351492/moore-threads-posts-us43m-profit-nvidia-rival-surges-amid-beijing-chip-push?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng OpenClaw has adopted DeepSeek’s new V4 Flash as the default model for the popular artificial intelligence agent, while the global tech community scrutinises the implications of the Chinese AI firm’s major update optimised to run on Huawei Technologies’ chips. In an update on Sunday, OpenClaw said it had expanded its catalogue to include DeepSeek’s V4 Flash and its flagship V4 Pro models, and had integrated other capabilities such as Google Meet into the agent. OpenClaw also optimised how... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3351471/openclaw-adds-deepseek-v4-models-tech-world-assesses-huawei-tie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3351471/openclaw-adds-deepseek-v4-models-tech-world-assesses-huawei-tie?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:24:39 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Inside the busy aisles and booths of the Fair Plus robotics trade show in Shenzhen this week, the usual stunt spectacle was replaced by practical tasks: robots sorting supermarket stock, serving popcorn and transporting oversized boxes. Among them, Shenzhen-based X Square Robot showed the real-world ability of its wheel-based humanoids, using the firm’s self-developed Wall-A embodied foundation model to pick up rubbish from the floor and place it in a bin. Currently deployed in on-demand... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3351462/supply-chain-record-growth-shenzhen-dominates-chinas-robotics-landscape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3351462/supply-chain-record-growth-shenzhen-dominates-chinas-robotics-landscape?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 06:25:18 +0000 Iris Deng,Coco Feng Iris Deng,Coco Feng In the southern tech hub of Shenzhen, a simmering rivalry between DJI and Insta360 has transformed their shared neighbourhood into a high-stakes corporate battleground. Both companies have long been hailed as the city’s poster children for Chinese innovation. DJI dominated the skies as the world’s undisputed leader in consumer drones, and Insta360 captured the niche market of panoramic cameras. Now they find themselves locked in a crosstown struggle for market supremacy that some say could... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351291/dji-duels-insta360-china-sharpens-global-hardware-edge-amid-us-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351291/dji-duels-insta360-china-sharpens-global-hardware-edge-amid-us-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Ann Cao,Iris Deng Ann Cao,Iris Deng The distant geopolitical conflict in the Middle East is sending shock waves through Asia’s semiconductor industry, exposing fresh vulnerabilities in the supply chain as shortages of photoresist – a critical chipmaking material – emerge as the latest weak link. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed since early March, supplies of naphtha – a key feedstock for specialty chemicals used in semiconductor production including photoresist – have been sharply curtailed. Produced during the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351192/asias-chipmakers-feel-heat-naphtha-crunch-hits-photoresist-supply?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351192/asias-chipmakers-feel-heat-naphtha-crunch-hits-photoresist-supply?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Huawei Technologies has launched its first artificial intelligence glasses, as the Shenzhen-based tech giant joins an intensifying battle with US leader Meta and domestic peers including Alibaba Group Holding and Rokid in smart eyewear. Priced from 2,499 yuan (US$367), the new eyewear weighed just 35.5 grams and featured various AI functions ranging from voice interaction to payments, Huawei said in a launch event. Powered by Huawei’s self-developed chip designed for eyewear, the glasses enable... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350768/chinas-huawei-debuts-ai-glasses-challenge-meta-alibaba-and-rokid-crowded-arena?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350768/chinas-huawei-debuts-ai-glasses-challenge-meta-alibaba-and-rokid-crowded-arena?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:00:13 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng For pet food container seller Chen Junbin, customs used to be a major bottleneck when shipping from Shenzhen in southern China to his customers in the US. “In the past, we had to handle all the paperwork and coordinate with multiple logistics suppliers ourselves; a single [customs] inspection could delay our shipment by a week,” said Chen, founder of Shenzhen Lightning Technology. As one of the first sellers to test Amazon’s Global Warehousing and Distribution (GWD) facility, the US giant’s new... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350409/how-amazon-uses-closer-china-supply-ties-counter-tariffs-shein-and-temu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350409/how-amazon-uses-closer-china-supply-ties-counter-tariffs-shein-and-temu?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:00:09 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng US e-commerce giant Amazon has launched its first smart warehouse in Shenzhen, aiming to cut storage costs for local merchants by up to 45 per cent as competition with Chinese rivals Shein and PDD Holdings’ Temu intensifies in cross-border trade. The facility – Amazon’s first Global Warehousing and Distribution (GWD) centre – will serve as an “all-in-one” logistics hub for Chinese sellers targeting US customers, located at the heart of Shenzhen’s manufacturing base, the company said at a launch... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350199/amazon-bets-shenzhen-smart-warehouse-cut-merchant-storage-costs-45-cent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350199/amazon-bets-shenzhen-smart-warehouse-cut-merchant-storage-costs-45-cent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:18 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese energy storage firm Sigenergy has ignited a market frenzy with its initial public offering (IPO) plan in Hong Kong, drawing an oversubscription of over 1,000 times, while its listed peer Guoxia Technology enjoyed a rally, as the duo capitalise on the artificial intelligence boom. Shanghai-based Sigenergy, which aims to raise HK$4.4 billion (US$561.6 million) in its IPO, is expected to be 1,414 times oversubscribed, as retail investors borrowed HK$358.6 billion from 17 brokerages,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350082/how-chinese-energy-storage-firms-sigenergy-guoxia-excited-investors-leveraging-ai-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350082/how-chinese-energy-storage-firms-sigenergy-guoxia-excited-investors-leveraging-ai-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:21:33 +0000 Iris Deng,Yeon Woo Lee,Coco Feng Iris Deng,Yeon Woo Lee,Coco Feng Samsung Electronics faces a “strategic dilemma” over whether to defend its shrinking footprint in China or redeploy resources to bolster global competitiveness, analysts say, as speculation grows that the tech giant may scale back parts of its mainland operations and double down on semiconductors. The South Korean firm was considering a broad restructuring of its China business, potentially exiting segments such as home appliances and displays while retaining smartphones and storage as core... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349728/samsung-weighs-china-retreat-focus-shifts-global-chip-race-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349728/samsung-weighs-china-retreat-focus-shifts-global-chip-race-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 05:08:28 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Yang Zhilin, founder of fast-rising start-up Moonshot AI, has become the latest artificial intelligence entrepreneur to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang, as Beijing steps up its push to accelerate the digital transformation of manufacturing. The 32-year-old was among a select group of business leaders and experts invited to a high-level symposium on Friday, where participants offered views on China’s economic resilience and future growth drivers. Li acknowledged that the external environment had... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349707/chinas-li-qiang-urges-faster-industrial-ai-adoption-meeting-moonshot-ai-founder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349707/chinas-li-qiang-urges-faster-industrial-ai-adoption-meeting-moonshot-ai-founder?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:30:08 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese e-commerce and AI giant Alibaba Group Holding has set up a high-level technology committee led by CEO Eddie Wu Yongming, as part of a broader restructuring to sharpen its focus on artificial intelligence amid intensifying competition. The Hangzhou-based company formed the Alibaba Group Technology Committee as part of its efforts to accelerate AI development, according to an internal letter from Wu to staff on Wednesday. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. The committee brings... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349428/alibaba-creates-ceo-led-technology-committee-amid-intensifying-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349428/alibaba-creates-ceo-led-technology-committee-amid-intensifying-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:27:07 +0000 Iris Deng,Ann Cao Iris Deng,Ann Cao China is ramping up efforts in the AI race, as tech giants Alibaba Group Holding and Huawei Technologies deploy massive computing clusters in the push to develop home-grown infrastructure. E-commerce giant Alibaba has announced the deployment of a 10,000-card intelligent computing cluster powered by the Zhenwu AI chips developed by its T-Head semiconductor design arm. Launched in collaboration with China Telecom in the Shaoguan data centre in Guangdong province, the “fully domestic” cluster was... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349335/ai-race-us-intensifies-chinas-alibaba-launches-10000-card-computing-cluster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349335/ai-race-us-intensifies-chinas-alibaba-launches-10000-card-computing-cluster?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:30:08 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s hunt for semiconductor talent has intensified as Beijing aims to achieve artificial intelligence breakthroughs amid deepening tech rivalry with the US, but the plans have triggered fresh probes by Taiwanese authorities into talent poaching by mainland Chinese firms in what analysts describe as a “quiet tech war” over the human capital. A total of 11 new mainland Chinese firms were put under investigation for allegedly poaching semiconductor and other hi-tech talent, according to Taiwan’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3349072/semiconductor-ai-talent-race-heats-taiwan-tightens-crackdown-alleged-poaching?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3349072/semiconductor-ai-talent-race-heats-taiwan-tightens-crackdown-alleged-poaching?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:00:12 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Tencent Holdings has launched a new OpenClaw tool for enterprises that promises easy deployment of the artificial intelligence agent as part of the Chinese internet giant’s efforts to capitalise on the “lobster” frenzy in the country. ClawPro, launched in public beta by Tencent’s cloud unit on Thursday, works as an AI agent management platform for enterprises, allowing them to deploy OpenClaw templates, select models and agents, track token consumption and manage security settings. Tencent said... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348942/tencent-expands-openclaw-suite-enterprise-tool-amid-chinas-lobster-craze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348942/tencent-expands-openclaw-suite-enterprise-tool-amid-chinas-lobster-craze?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Shares of Hong Kong-listed UBTech jumped after the robotics firm reported a surge in 2025 revenue, driven by an explosive 23-fold rise in humanoid robot sales as China’s robotics sector moves into large-scale production. Revenue from full-size embodied intelligent humanoid robots and related services reached 820 million yuan (US$119 million) last year, making it UBTech’s largest business line. That marked a 2,203 per cent increase from a low base of 35.6 million yuan in 2024, according to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348635/ubtech-surges-leaps-and-bounds-humanoid-robot-sales-jump-23-fold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348635/ubtech-surges-leaps-and-bounds-humanoid-robot-sales-jump-23-fold?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 06:59:28 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Huawei Technologies maintained “steady” recovery momentum in 2025, with its profit rising 8.6 per cent, as the Chinese telecommunications gear maker doubled down on chip development and smartphones in defiance of US sanctions. Net profit came in at 68 billion yuan (US$9.8 billion) last year, compared with 62.6 billion yuan a year earlier, according to the Shenzhen-based company’s annual report released on Tuesday. Total revenue in 2025 reached 880.9 billion yuan, up 2.2 per cent from 862.1... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348558/huaweis-profit-rises-86-2025-overall-performance-remains-steady?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348558/huaweis-profit-rises-86-2025-overall-performance-remains-steady?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies has launched the Atlas 350 accelerator card for inference, boasting higher computing power for artificial intelligence applications and better performance than US rival Nvidia’s H20, as AI rapidly advances into the agentic era. The Atlas 350 AI accelerator card would be powered by Huawei’s latest Ascend 950PR chip, designed to deliver enhanced computing power and storage for AI inferencing, said Ma Haixu, a vice-president at Huawei, at the firm’s China... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347346/huawei-challenges-nvidia-powerful-new-ai-accelerator-card?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347346/huawei-challenges-nvidia-powerful-new-ai-accelerator-card?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 13:00:18 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese telecommunications gear giant Huawei Technologies is capitalising on the OpenClaw frenzy with new enterprise agent tools and a series of Kunpeng and Ascend compute offerings, as it bets on surging demand for agentic artificial intelligence services. The Shenzhen-based company announced at its China Partner Conference on Thursday that it would launch AgentArts, an agent development platform for enterprises, on April 30 for public beta testing, followed by the official release of the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347160/huawei-capitalises-openclaw-frenzy-boost-computing-demand-its-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347160/huawei-capitalises-openclaw-frenzy-boost-computing-demand-its-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Tencent Holdings pledged to double its investment in artificial intelligence products and models in 2026, a bigger bet from the tech giant as it gains greater confidence in the technology’s capability to drive future growth across its businesses. The Shenzhen-based company dedicated 18 billion yuan (US$2.6 billion) to the development of new AI products in 2025, including 7 billion yuan in the fourth quarter alone, said Tencent president Martin Lau Chi-ping at a media briefing on Wednesday. “We... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347023/chinas-tencent-meets-expectations-fourth-quarter-results-ai-wave-lifts-all-boats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347023/chinas-tencent-meets-expectations-fourth-quarter-results-ai-wave-lifts-all-boats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 08:52:11 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings has integrated its QClaw AI agent as a mini-program in its flagship WeChat app as it pushes to expand adoption of its OpenClaw-based tool. It said QClaw was now accessible as a mini-program inside WeChat after an upgrade on Wednesday that allowed users to transfer files to their personal computers. QClaw was launched last week as an OpenClaw-based artificial intelligence agent for personal computers that users could control remotely from WeChat on their... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346994/lobster-fever-grips-china-tencent-makes-openclaw-based-tool-available-wechat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346994/lobster-fever-grips-china-tencent-makes-openclaw-based-tool-available-wechat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 06:58:57 +0000 Iris Deng,Wency Chen Iris Deng,Wency Chen Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group Holding are set to report quarterly earnings this week, against a backdrop of an artificial intelligence boom that is reshaping the global economy and fuelling a frenzy in China around open-source AI agents such as OpenClaw. The South China Morning Post examines market expectations for their results and the key themes investors will be watching. What are the expectations for top line and bottom line performances? Shenzhen-based Tencent, operator of China’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346920/tencent-and-alibaba-quarterly-earnings-preview-key-things-watch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346920/tencent-and-alibaba-quarterly-earnings-preview-key-things-watch?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 01:00:15 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese smartphone maker Oppo is mounting a fresh challenge in the foldable handset market after launching the latest product in its Find N series, as the industry faces rising memory prices and anticipation builds around Apple’s foldable iPhone. Find N6, launched globally on Tuesday, featured upgraded hinge technology designed to make the crease on the foldable screen “virtually imperceptible”, according to the company. “While foldables offer the advantage of a larger display, the crease has... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346829/chinas-oppo-doubles-down-foldable-smartphones-potential-apple-entry-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346829/chinas-oppo-doubles-down-foldable-smartphones-potential-apple-entry-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings has become a sponsor of OpenClaw after public complaints from the creator of the popular open-source artificial intelligence agent. Tencent and its cloud computing unit officially became sponsors of OpenClaw on Monday, as featured on the project’s GitHub page alongside OpenAI and Chinese AI giant Baidu. The GitHub page has a section that lists the project’s sponsors. Earlier on Sunday, an account belonging to Tencent Cloud Lighthouse – the tech giant’s team... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346796/tencent-sponsors-openclaw-after-creators-complaints-copying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346796/tencent-sponsors-openclaw-after-creators-complaints-copying?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:44:50 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s industrial robot production accelerated in the first two months of the year, according to government data, amid Beijing’s policy support and industry efforts to promote wider adoption. China produced 143,608 industrial robots in January and February, an increase of 31 per cent from the same period last year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. The growth outpaced the 27 per cent increase in the same period last year, when production totalled 91,088... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346775/chinas-industrial-robot-output-accelerates-factories-ramp-deployment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346775/chinas-industrial-robot-output-accelerates-factories-ramp-deployment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 13:30:11 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng The mobile industry buzzed with excitement over the artificial intelligence revolution showcased at MWC Barcelona 2026, but the optimism was overshadowed by the Middle East crisis and a memory crunch that could reshape the global smartphone supply chain. The AI showcase drew a large crowd, including King Felipe VI of Spain, to the booth of Chinese smartphone maker Honor, which displayed its “Robot Phone” with a built-in camera gimbal designed to become a companion to users. “This brings a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345760/middle-east-crisis-global-memory-crunch-dim-ai-smartphone-buzz-mwc-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345760/middle-east-crisis-global-memory-crunch-dim-ai-smartphone-buzz-mwc-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Iris Deng,Themis Qi Iris Deng,Themis Qi Leading Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD has unveiled a new-generation battery featuring charging speeds that the company says can rival a refill at a petrol station. BYD’s Blade Battery 2.0, launched on Thursday, can be charged from 10 per cent to 70 per cent in five minutes, and to 97 per cent in nine minutes, which the company said was the world’s fastest charging speed for a mass-manufactured unit. Even in extreme weather, with temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345652/chinas-byd-looks-make-electric-vehicle-charging-fast-filling-petrol?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345652/chinas-byd-looks-make-electric-vehicle-charging-fast-filling-petrol?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 03:15:28 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Tencent Holdings plans to expand its cloud-computing presence in Europe with new data centres in Germany, as the Chinese tech giant rides on the rising demand for artificial intelligence services globally. The Shenzhen-based company will open a new availability zone – a cluster of physically independent data centres – in the second quarter this year in Frankfurt, adding to the existing two in Germany, Tencent’s cloud-computing unit announced on Monday at MWC Barcelona. The move aimed to meet the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3345069/tencent-expands-cloud-computing-presence-europe-new-data-centres-germany?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3345069/tencent-expands-cloud-computing-presence-europe-new-data-centres-germany?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:00:09 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese telecommunications gear giant Huawei Technologies is introducing its latest supernode computing clusters to the international markets at this year’s MWC Barcelona, aiming to offer an alternative to US-led artificial intelligence (AI) systems from rivals such as Nvidia. The Shenzhen-based firm plans to debut the Atlas 950 SuperPoD, a system powered by 8,192 neural processing unit cards, as well as TaiShan 950 SuperPoD, its general-purpose compute cluster, among its other computing... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345064/huawei-holds-global-debut-ai-computing-clusters-challenge-nvidia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345064/huawei-holds-global-debut-ai-computing-clusters-challenge-nvidia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 07:53:09 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese smartphone maker Honor has unveiled a “robot phone” and its first humanoid assistant ahead of MWC Barcelona, alongside its latest foldable handset, in an aggressive bet on artificial intelligence-powered hardware to stand out in the fierce Android competition. Honor’s AI Robot Phone, which featured a motorised, three-axis gimbal arm, could track motion and interact with users through camera movement, the company said in a preview of the handset on Sunday in Barcelona. The camera arm and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345042/chinas-honor-debuts-robot-phone-and-humanoid-companion-push-ai-hardware?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345042/chinas-honor-debuts-robot-phone-and-humanoid-companion-push-ai-hardware?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 13:01:07 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese smartphone makers are set to introduce their latest handsets at MWC Barcelona, as the mobile industry navigates an ongoing memory crunch and a pivot to artificial intelligence. Some Android phone makers are also expected to showcase experimental robots and other AI devices at the annual trade show formerly known as Mobile World Congress, which will run from March 2 to 5. Honor, an independent brand formerly under Huawei Technologies, will unveil more details about its highly anticipated... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344960/mwc-2026-chinese-smartphone-makers-bet-pivot-ai-weather-memory-chip-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344960/mwc-2026-chinese-smartphone-makers-bet-pivot-ai-weather-memory-chip-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 09:00:09 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Huawei Technologies is aiming for a major international comeback, with the overseas release of its latest flagship smartphone, the Mate 80 Pro, alongside a new smartwatch and the addition of a “wheelchair mode” to its wearable devices. Powered by the company’s self-designed, China-made Kirin 9030 Pro processor, the overseas version of its Mate 80 Pro handsets will run on the Android-based EMUI 15 operating system, Huawei announced at a launch event in Madrid, Spain, on Thursday. While the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344774/huawei-targets-global-comeback-mate-80-pro-smartphone-new-smartwatch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344774/huawei-targets-global-comeback-mate-80-pro-smartphone-new-smartwatch?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 16:01:08 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng On a crisp January afternoon, the Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre, just a stone’s throw from Tencent Holdings’ headquarters, was packed with employees gathering for a party featuring celebrity cameos and prizes. But before the fun started, they witnessed a round of sober self-reflection from their low-profile leader. The New Year address by co-founder, chairman and CEO Pony Ma Huateng is an annual tradition for the social media and video gaming giant, offering its 115,000 employees rare insight into... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344113/chinas-ai-crossroads-3-divergent-paths-race-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344113/chinas-ai-crossroads-3-divergent-paths-race-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 03:00:14 +0000