https://www.scmp.com/rss/330292/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang The US is preparing offensive weapons to blind China’s military satellites in any future conflict, even as the two sides lack reliable channels to manage risks in an increasingly crowded orbit, defence analysts said on Tuesday. Kari Bingen, director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and a former US deputy under secretary of defence for intelligence, said that Washington was openly debating how to “hold at risk” the satellites that... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3354956/us-weighs-offensive-space-tactics-china-satellite-rivalry-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3354956/us-weighs-offensive-space-tactics-china-satellite-rivalry-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 21:44:06 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu Shenzhen recorded the largest increase in permanent residents among Chinese cities in 2025, a rare bright spot as some megacities lose their appeal amid a deepening demographic shift. The southern tech hub added 259,000 permanent residents last year, bringing its total population to 18.25 million, according to a notice released by the local government on Monday. Designated as China’s first special economic zone in 1980, Shenzhen has since evolved into one of the country’s most powerful... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354884/how-shenzhens-growing-population-defies-chinas-urban-demographic-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354884/how-shenzhens-growing-population-defies-chinas-urban-demographic-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 09:00:06 +0000 Howard Liu Howard Liu Unitree Robotics, a luminary in China’s humanoid robot boom, has reported a sharp plunge in first-quarter profits just days before its crucial listing hearing, casting a shadow over its Star Market initial public offering (IPO) as soaring expenses and a brutal price war catch up to the industry’s hype. The Shanghai Stock Exchange’s listing committee is scheduled to review Unitree’s IPO application on June 1, according to an exchange notice on Monday. The company, based in Hangzhou, the capital... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3354855/unitree-robotics-reports-plunge-first-quarter-profits-days-crucial-ipo-hearing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3354855/unitree-robotics-reports-plunge-first-quarter-profits-days-crucial-ipo-hearing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 05:12:25 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen On the first leg of his four-day China visit, Pakistan’s prime minister – famed for “Sharif speed”, a term describing his swift execution of development projects – met his match in a leading AI tool. Shehbaz Sharif, keen on accelerating his nation’s digital economy with the help of Chinese firms, issued a surprise request during his visit to Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou on Sunday afternoon. “I want a comprehensive strategic agreement,” Sharif challenged Joe Tsai, Alibaba Group chairman,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354778/alibabas-qwen-catches-sharif-speed-help-forge-pakistan-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354778/alibabas-qwen-catches-sharif-speed-help-forge-pakistan-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 11:30:05 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China is looking to give every humanoid manufactured in the country a digital identity, as it seeks promote growth in the rapidly growing sector through establishing industry standards and strengthening regulation. The country launched a national initiative on Friday, dubbed the Humanoid Full Lifecycle Management Service Platform, to assign human-shaped and artificial intelligence-driven bipedal robots unique codes. The numbers will then be used to track the robots throughout their lifecycle,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3354747/china-give-every-humanoid-robot-digital-id-push-boost-industry-standards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3354747/china-give-every-humanoid-robot-digital-id-push-boost-industry-standards?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 08:31:57 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is visiting China as the country seeks support for its efforts to mediate in the conflict between Iran and the United States. The visit also coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic ties between the two countries, which are expected to use the occasion to upgrade their already close relationship. One Chinese analyst said Beijing was willing to offer its support for the peace efforts – and also help resolve Pakistan’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354631/pakistani-prime-minister-shehbaz-sharif-visits-china-amid-ongoing-middle-east-peace-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354631/pakistani-prime-minister-shehbaz-sharif-visits-china-amid-ongoing-middle-east-peace-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 11:55:15 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Alibaba Group Holding’s heavy investments in artificial intelligence have moved beyond the “initial” phase and entered “full-scale commercialisation”, the Chinese e-commerce and cloud computing giant says in a shareholder letter as it doubles down on AI as its next major growth engine. “We expect the addressable market for companies like Alibaba that provide full-stack AI capabilities is poised to grow exponentially,” chairman Joe Tsai and CEO Eddie Wu Yongming said in a joint shareholder letter... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354324/alibaba-signals-next-phase-ai-growth-investment-commercialisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354324/alibaba-signals-next-phase-ai-growth-investment-commercialisation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 06:00:41 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese artificial intelligence heavyweight DeepSeek has recruited a former Jane Street star engineer to its new AI “harness” team, as it looks to ensure it does not fall behind in the agentic AI era. Cui Tianyi joined the Hangzhou start-up in March, according to a post on his LinkedIn profile on Tuesday, after four years at Hong Kong-based quantitative trading firm TSY Capital, which he co-founded in 2022. The engineer previously spent nearly nine years as a software developer and researcher at... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354113/deepseek-recruits-former-jane-street-engineer-catch-ai-agents-revenue-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354113/deepseek-recruits-former-jane-street-engineer-catch-ai-agents-revenue-race?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 10:30:28 +0000 Kristen Cheung Kristen Cheung The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has opened the city’s first full-stack interactive robotics lab, partnering with 24 tech firms, mostly from mainland China, to train talent and develop humanoid robots over the next five years. The Hong Kong Embodied AI Lab, established by CUHK’s Hong Kong Centre for Logistics Robotics under the government’s InnoHK initiative, has already introduced upgraded versions of the city’s first locally developed AI-powered robotic arms and a quadruped robot,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353951/hong-kongs-cuhk-aims-bring-ai-life-humanoid-focused-robotics-lab?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353951/hong-kongs-cuhk-aims-bring-ai-life-humanoid-focused-robotics-lab?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 07:52:16 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng A second airport has become an eagerly sought feature for several of China’s largest cities, reflecting a broader shift towards airspace competition and multi-centre aviation networks. With dual-airport systems already in place in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu, new projects in Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Chongqing are advancing even as concerns mount over long-term fiscal viability and regional traffic shifts. Second airports are being framed by local governments not only as capacity-expansion... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353103/chinas-high-flying-cities-set-their-sights-second-airports-competition-soars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353103/chinas-high-flying-cities-set-their-sights-second-airports-competition-soars?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 04:00:07 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding expects its annualised recurring revenue from AI models and applications to hit 30 billion yuan (US$4.42 billion) by the year’s end, as the company ramps up its AI commitment. AI products are projected to generate more than 50 per cent of Alibaba’s cloud-computing revenue within the next year, as the tech giant looks to step up its AI monetisation efforts. Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu Yongming said the company was likely to “overshoot” the original capital-expenditure target of 380... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353451/alibaba-ai-revenue-logs-triple-digit-growth-11th-quarter-amid-strategic-reshuffle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353451/alibaba-ai-revenue-logs-triple-digit-growth-11th-quarter-amid-strategic-reshuffle?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 10:57:52 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Chinese satellite imagery firm MizarVision, which rose to fame with its analysis of American military deployments in the US-Israel war on Iran, is treating its addition to the US sanctions list as a badge of honour in its hiring campaign. The open-source intelligence (OSINT) start-up, formally known as Meentropy Technology Hangzhou Co Ltd, specialises in analysing data from commercial satellites and has conducted several observations of US military movements in recent months. It was added to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3353282/chinese-company-tracked-us-bombers-over-iran-wears-sanctions-pride?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3353282/chinese-company-tracked-us-bombers-over-iran-wears-sanctions-pride?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang In China, a grey market of API relay platforms is thriving, allowing local developers to bypass restrictions to access top-tier overseas AI models such as Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini, which are not officially supported in China, despite an escalating crackdown by the foreign providers. Such relay stations, which route access to overseas AI models through proxy servers hosted outside mainland China, are becoming a go-to place for developers wanting to use US AI models for tasks such as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353002/shadow-apis-how-chinese-developers-bypass-restrictions-access-claude-and-gemini?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353002/shadow-apis-how-chinese-developers-bypass-restrictions-access-claude-and-gemini?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 07:00:05 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu Robots are beginning to reshape everyday life in China as the country accelerates its embrace of embodied artificial intelligence, handling tasks from cleaning homes and directing traffic to repairing equipment in hazardous factory settings. Embodied AI refers to AI embedded in physical machines, such as robots, that can sense their environment, make decisions and act in the real world. A cleaning service that launched in March on 58.com, a Chinese classifieds platform, pairs a human cleaner... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3352368/chinas-robots-step-real-world-roles-cleaning-directing-traffic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3352368/chinas-robots-step-real-world-roles-cleaning-directing-traffic?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu A court in China has ruled it illegal for a company to terminate an employee on the grounds that an artificial intelligence replacement would be cheaper, affirming limits on AI-driven job displacement amid a wave of anxiety over the technology’s potential to fuel unemployment. A 35-year-old worker surnamed Zhou who oversaw AI-generated responses at a fintech firm in Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang province, was fired after refusing a demotion and pay cut. The company told him his role... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3352327/ai-cost-cutting-not-legal-excuse-fire-workers-chinese-court-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3352327/ai-cost-cutting-not-legal-excuse-fire-workers-chinese-court-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 07:42:16 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye Hang Lung Properties has unveiled its flagship Hangzhou development with a noticeably lighter luxury mix, signalling a pivot towards lifestyle and experience-led retail as consumer tastes in mainland China evolve. Westlake 66, located in Hangzhou’s Wulin central business district, spans about 390,000 square metres (4.2 million sq ft) and comprises a 105,900 square metres shopping mall, five prime office towers and a 194-room Mandarin Oriental hotel slated to open in 2027. “Hangzhou has a highly... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3352125/hong-kongs-hang-lung-trims-gloss-turn-experience-hangzhou-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3352125/hong-kongs-hang-lung-trims-gloss-turn-experience-hangzhou-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong DeepSeek’s launch of its latest artificial intelligence model could likely trigger a broad reassessment of stocks across the industry chain from chipmakers to large language model developers, analysts say, with the breakthrough poised to drive demand for computing power and more commercial adoption. The unveiling of the V4 series marked another milestone for the Hangzhou-based start-up, which described the model as the most powerful open-source platform capable of challenging US rivals such as... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3352126/who-could-gain-deepseeks-v4-china-chips-poised-stronger-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3352126/who-could-gain-deepseeks-v4-china-chips-poised-stronger-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 23:00:10 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong As the US-Israel war in Iran drags into its third month, sulphuric acid – a chemical ingredient critical for fertiliser production and metal processing that has seldom grabbed global headlines – has become a keenly watched commodity. The military conflict in the Gulf and the effective blockage of the Strait of Hormuz initially triggered a squeeze on sulphuric acid, with prices on the rise after shipments in the region – which accounts for a quarter of global production – were largely stalled... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351630/how-chinas-reported-ban-sulphuric-acid-exports-could-have-overseas-buyers-reeling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351630/how-chinas-reported-ban-sulphuric-acid-exports-could-have-overseas-buyers-reeling?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Vincent Chow,Minxiao Chang Vincent Chow,Minxiao Chang The potential emergence of a new DeepSeek spokesman has sparked intrigue as speculation over the whereabouts of founder and CEO Liang Wenfeng continues, more than a year after his last public appearance. While the Hangzhou start-up’s latest V4 model did not make the same waves as its breakout moment a year earlier, the much-anticipated release still grabbed headlines through a collaboration with domestic tech giant Huawei Technologies and its remarkably low prices. For the traditionally... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351700/deepseek-mystery-who-speaking-start-ceo-liang-wenfeng-remains-out-sight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351700/deepseek-mystery-who-speaking-start-ceo-liang-wenfeng-remains-out-sight?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:00:15 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang China has launched a comprehensive national campaign against Alzheimer’s, as projections warn the degenerative brain disease could affect nearly 10 per cent of citizens by 2050. With the world’s fastest-growing dementia caseload set to sharply grow by mid-century, China is mobilising top scientific institutions, major biotech firms and dozens of experts to accelerate the development of original treatments. This urgent initiative aims to avert a looming public health and economic crisis, driven... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351070/china-launches-war-alzheimers-may-affect-10-cent-population-2050?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351070/china-launches-war-alzheimers-may-affect-10-cent-population-2050?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 01:00:20 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee Once a niche destination, Central Asia is quickly emerging as a key market for Chinese travellers, supported by robust traffic growth, expanding air links and deeper economic ties under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, according to analysts. Data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China showed that passenger traffic to Central Asia grew 59.3 per cent in 2025 from a year earlier, marking one of the fastest growth rates among all regions tracked, said Mayur Patel, commercial and industry... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351340/chinese-travellers-flock-central-asia-flight-bookings-soar-120-pre-covid-levels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351340/chinese-travellers-flock-central-asia-flight-bookings-soar-120-pre-covid-levels?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 08:00:11 +0000 Yulu Ao Yulu Ao Chinese chipmakers rallied on Friday while artificial intelligence application firms retreated, as investors rotated into semiconductor stocks on expectations of stronger demand for computing power following a new model release by start-up DeepSeek. Shares of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp rose 10 per cent by the close in Hong Kong, while Hua Hong Semiconductor surged 15 per cent, extending a broader rally among mainland chipmakers. In contrast, several AI application developers... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3351328/investors-rotate-chinas-chipmakers-deepseek-intensifies-ai-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3351328/investors-rotate-chinas-chipmakers-deepseek-intensifies-ai-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:03:43 +0000 Wency Chen,Ben Jiang Wency Chen,Ben Jiang Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek has begun raising external capital for the first time, but is keeping its initial fundraising round deliberately small to limit equity dilution while retaining key talent, according to people familiar with the matter. The Hangzhou-based company, a spin-off from hedge fund High-Flyer, is seeking to sell no more than 3 per cent of its equity, said three investors with direct knowledge of the plans, who requested anonymity as the information is... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351004/why-chinas-cash-rich-ai-firm-deepseek-still-shopping-funding-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351004/why-chinas-cash-rich-ai-firm-deepseek-still-shopping-funding-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:00:10 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong There is a tendency to portray the global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape as consisting of two bitter rivals – China and the United States. The remaining 80 per cent of the world’s population, by virtue of their supposed dearth of scale, research and other critical overheads, are purportedly followers with no agency. The reality is more complex. The emerging global AI order is neither unipolar nor strictly bipolar. Instead, it is characterised by a swathe of middle powers hedging their... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350129/hong-kong-can-advance-ai-beyond-confines-geopolitical-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350129/hong-kong-can-advance-ai-beyond-confines-geopolitical-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Wency Chen,Yulu Ao Wency Chen,Yulu Ao Manycore Tech, a design software developer hailed as one of Hangzhou’s “Six Little Dragons”, made its trading debut in Hong Kong on Friday, with shares rising 172 per cent at the open, as the company positions itself at the intersection of artificial intelligence and the physical world. The stock opened at HK$20.70, surging 172 per cent from its HK$7.62 offer price before ending the day at HK$18.60, up 144 per cent. The firm raised HK$1.09 billion (US$160 million) from its initial public... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3350387/manycore-one-hangzhous-six-little-dragons-surges-hong-kong-ipo-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3350387/manycore-one-hangzhous-six-little-dragons-surges-hong-kong-ipo-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 01:32:52 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Non-invasive brain-computer interfaces (BCI) that read neural signals through the skin could help patients manage symptoms for some brain conditions, according to BrainCo, a Harvard-incubated start-up. BrainCo’s BCI technology could “read brain neural signals and translate them into commands to control machines to modulate brain function and help cure some brain diseases”, said Nyx He, a partner and senior vice-president of BrainCo, at the HSBC Global Investment Summit on Thursday. The... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3350315/braincos-brain-computer-interface-wows-hsbc-summit-mind-controlled-hand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3350315/braincos-brain-computer-interface-wows-hsbc-summit-mind-controlled-hand?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:10:34 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong China’s reported decision to halt sulphuric acid exports, together with the failure of peace talks between the United States and Iran over the weekend, risks driving prices higher and disrupting global mining and fertiliser supply chains that have few readily available alternatives. Beijing had indicated it would halt shipments of sulphuric acid from May, according to reports from Acuity Commodities and Bloomberg, though no official announcement has been made. Economists said food security sat... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349884/china-iran-war-and-chemical-suddenly-stoking-global-supply-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349884/china-iran-war-and-chemical-suddenly-stoking-global-supply-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:00:01 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek is ramping up recruitment in Inner Mongolia, signalling a potential expansion of its data centre footprint ahead of the much-anticipated release of its V4 model. The Hangzhou-based company is recruiting for two new roles – server maintenance engineers and delivery managers to oversee data centre launches – in Ulanqab, in Inner Mongolia, according to recent job postings. The move marks the first time DeepSeek has publicly advertised on-site roles... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349741/deepseek-ramps-hiring-ahead-v4-launch-questions-swirl-over-chip-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349741/deepseek-ramps-hiring-ahead-v4-launch-questions-swirl-over-chip-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 08:37:34 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Unitree Robotics, one of China’s largest robot makers, will debut the R1, its cheapest humanoid model, on the international market via Alibaba Group Holding’s AliExpress marketplace next week, according to two sources familiar with the matter on Thursday. The launch would cover major overseas markets including North America, Europe, Japan and Singapore, one of the sources said. The product would later be available on other channels, the second person said. The R1, launched in mainland China last... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349489/chinas-unitree-debut-cheapest-humanoid-robot-globally-alibaba-site-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349489/chinas-unitree-debut-cheapest-humanoid-robot-globally-alibaba-site-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:30:11 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd, or CATL, plans to buy a 45 per cent stake in the parent of a Shenzhen-listed renewable-energy company, as the world’s biggest maker of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles seeks to expand its investments in green energy amid the global oil shock. CATL signed a framework agreement with two shareholders of Hangzhou Zhonhen Technology Investment on Wednesday, agreeing to pay 4.09 billion yuan (US$598.5 million) for the deal, Hangzhou Zhonhen Electric, the... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349465/catl-buys-45-stake-hangzhou-green-energy-company-us598-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349465/catl-buys-45-stake-hangzhou-green-energy-company-us598-million?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:05:49 +0000 Wency Chen,Yulu Ao Wency Chen,Yulu Ao Manycore Tech, a spatial design software developer and one of Hangzhou’s fast-rising “Six Little Dragons”, launched its Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) on Thursday, aiming to raise about HK$1.02 billion (US$130 million). Manycore is issuing about 161 million shares, of which 90 per cent have been set aside for institutional investors and the rest for retail investors in Hong Kong. The shares are priced between HK$6.72 and HK$7.62 each, valuing the company at between HK$11.4 billion and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349471/hangzhou-six-little-dragons-member-manycore-seeks-us130m-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349471/hangzhou-six-little-dragons-member-manycore-seeks-us130m-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 05:09:20 +0000 Christopher DeWolf Christopher DeWolf Greenery used to be a nice thing to have in an architectural project. Now it’s the star of the show. In many Asian cities, new developments are treating nature as more than just decoration, orienting themselves around green spaces that are at once useful to humans and beneficial to the environment. At least, that’s the idea. Reality is more complicated. Integrating nature and architecture “[is] always a challenge”, says Stephen Buckle, design director of Chinese studios for Aspect, a global... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/article/3349397/rewilding-city-urban-forests-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/article/3349397/rewilding-city-urban-forests-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow DeepSeek has introduced new “instant” and “expert” modes to its chatbot, the most significant update to its user interface since the Hangzhou-based start-up gained global recognition. The changes come ahead of the much-anticipated release of DeepSeek’s next-generation flagship model V4 this month, more than a year after its R1 version made it a household name. On Tuesday, the company added the two modes to its website and mobile app, giving users the choice of settings. Instant mode was designed... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3349345/chinas-deepseek-adds-instant-and-expert-chatbot-modes-ahead-much-awaited-v4-release?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3349345/chinas-deepseek-adds-instant-and-expert-chatbot-modes-ahead-much-awaited-v4-release?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 10:00:09 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Rokid, a Hangzhou-based maker of smart glasses, is preparing to file for a Hong Kong listing as early as the end of April, according to sources familiar with the matter, as artificial intelligence-powered eyewear gains traction in the mainstream market. The planned listing comes as global and domestic technology groups including Meta Platforms and Apple, as well as China’s Alibaba Group Holding – through the brand name Quark – Baidu, Xiaomi and Huawei Technologies, all rush into the market.... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349267/chinese-ai-glasses-maker-rokid-planning-hong-kong-ipo-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349267/chinese-ai-glasses-maker-rokid-planning-hong-kong-ipo-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:30:08 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Chinese ride-hailing company CaoCao, backed by Geely, is betting on a heavy-asset strategy to emerge as a leading robotaxi operator, with plans to deploy 100,000 autonomous vehicles by 2030 as competition intensifies and self-driving technology matures. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, CEO Gong Xin said the future of robotaxis hinged on an asset-management model built around a closed-loop “trinity” of vehicle manufacturing, autonomous driving technology and fleet... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348985/hong-kong-listed-caocao-hails-fleet-first-strategy-chinas-robotaxi-race-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348985/hong-kong-listed-caocao-hails-fleet-first-strategy-chinas-robotaxi-race-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 07:00:09 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong’s No 2 official has pledged to fast-track a new university town’s development following a visit to similar projects in mainland China, saying authorities will devise a strategy to attract top institutions from across the border and overseas to take part. Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki and his working group on the university town’s planning and construction, which falls under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis, concluded their three-day visit to the mainland... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3348906/university-town-be-fast-tracked-eric-chan-says-after-mainland-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3348906/university-town-be-fast-tracked-eric-chan-says-after-mainland-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 05:55:23 +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 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 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek suffered a prolonged outage overnight that extended into early Monday morning, disrupting service for hundreds of millions of users, according to a company notice and user feedback. The Hangzhou-based AI lab’s namesake chatbot website and app were offline from Sunday evening, with the company continuing to investigate while issuing fixes from between 1am and 9am on Monday, according to service maintenance records the company published online. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348345/deepseek-outage-leaves-millions-cut-and-sparks-complaints-rivals-gain-ground?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348345/deepseek-outage-leaves-millions-cut-and-sparks-complaints-rivals-gain-ground?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 03:41:43 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Beijing Tong Ren Tang Healthcare Investment, a provider of healthcare services based on traditional Chinese medicine, postponed its Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) on Friday amid tepid investor demand for its shares. The delay is the first of its kind during the current IPO boom. New share offerings in the city raised about US$11.64 billion as of March 18 this year, up 385 per cent from about US$2.4 billion a year earlier, according to LSEG Data & Analytics. Tong Ren Tang was one of six... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3348101/tong-ren-tang-healthcare-unit-pulls-hong-kong-ipo-scheduled-monday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3348101/tong-ren-tang-healthcare-unit-pulls-hong-kong-ipo-scheduled-monday?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 06:30:18 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Unitree Robotics, a Hangzhou-based maker of quadruped and humanoid robots, has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) on Shanghai’s Star Market, seeking to raise 4.2 billion yuan (US$610 million) as revenue and profits surge on the back of rising interest in embodied artificial intelligence. The listing application has been formally accepted by Shanghai’s exchange following a “preliminary review” on Friday. The 10-year-old company recorded revenue of 1.71 billion yuan last year, up 335 per... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3347365/chinas-unitree-robotics-rides-humanoid-tide-it-targets-us610m-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3347365/chinas-unitree-robotics-rides-humanoid-tide-it-targets-us610m-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 13:00:16 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang More than 10 loss-making biotechnology companies have filed for Hong Kong stock exchange listings this year, bringing cutting-edge drugs and artificial intelligence-powered drug discovery platforms to market, as the city’s bourse presses ahead with reforms aimed at supporting the real economy. The latest applications came as healthcare and biotechnology equity capital market activity – stock sales by companies and their shareholders – in Hong Kong reached US$15.6 billion last year, the second... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3346710/hong-kong-attracts-wave-biotech-ipo-filings-amid-ai-drug-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3346710/hong-kong-attracts-wave-biotech-ipo-filings-amid-ai-drug-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 05:07:12 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang By the time software programmer Guo Cancan realised something had gone horribly wrong with OpenClaw – the task-executing AI agent that has ignited a fervour across China – the damage was already done. While on holiday over the Chinese New Year, Guo was tinkering with the autonomous open-source program. When he attempted to resolve an error that it had made, OpenClaw responded by deleting nearly everything on his computer’s D: drive – a major storage partition – wiping out years of personal data... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346513/inside-openclaw-mania-gripping-china-security-fears-surge-alongside-enthusiasm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346513/inside-openclaw-mania-gripping-china-security-fears-surge-alongside-enthusiasm?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang In the high-stakes race for radar supremacy, China could leap two generations ahead of the United States following an advancement in semiconductor technology published last month that is poised to redefine the future of military electronics. While the US Air Force struggles to modernise its fighter fleet with gallium nitride-based radar systems, Chinese engineers are already pioneering the next frontier: gallium oxide semiconductors with built-in data storage capabilities. Today’s Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346507/could-chinas-gallium-oxide-leap-leave-us-f-22-radar-2-generations-behind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346507/could-chinas-gallium-oxide-leap-leave-us-f-22-radar-2-generations-behind?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong A private company in China providing intelligence-gathering services to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) claims to have intercepted radio signals from American stealth bombers that struck Iran on March 1 as part of the US-Israel military action. Jingan Technology, a defence technology firm based in east China’s Hangzhou, also asserted that it detected signals linked to US military activities well before tensions with Iran escalated, using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse early... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346200/chinese-firm-claims-it-intercepted-b-2-radio-signal-during-us-strike-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346200/chinese-firm-claims-it-intercepted-b-2-radio-signal-during-us-strike-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang China’s highest court says that while it handles AI-related cases with care it has allowed room for the country’s artificial intelligence industry to innovate and make mistakes, according to its annual report. Supreme People’s Court president Zhang Jun told the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislative body, on Monday that the court had “promoted the orderly development of artificial intelligence” last year. Delivering the supreme court’s work report, Zhang said China’s courts... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345999/chinas-top-court-says-it-treats-ai-cases-care-without-stifling-growth-or-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345999/chinas-top-court-says-it-treats-ai-cases-care-without-stifling-growth-or-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:12:01 +0000 Yulu Ao,Ann Cao,Wency Chen Yulu Ao,Ann Cao,Wency Chen China’s most powerful economic regions – the Yangtze River Delta and the Greater Bay Area – are racing to meet President Xi Jinping’s call for breakthroughs in core technologies including artificial intelligence, as Beijing maps out priorities for the coming 15th five-year plan during the “two sessions”. As part of the annual meeting on Friday, provincial and municipal leaders of Zhejiang province outlined an ambitious strategy to become a key area of AI development and cement the province’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345770/chinas-zhejiang-guangdong-provinces-vie-heed-xi-jinpings-call-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345770/chinas-zhejiang-guangdong-provinces-vie-heed-xi-jinpings-call-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:41:21 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. She hated working at her parents’ Chinese restaurant. Now she’s made it viral Anna Peng shares the daily joys and challenges of running Canada’s Great Fountain Fast Food to its nearly 40,000 followers on Instagram. 2. Why Michael Tse, Hong Kong actor behind Laughing Gor, is a lesson in resilience Michael Tse’s journey... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3345530/viral-hong-kong-eatery-canada-actor-michael-tses-resilience-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3345530/viral-hong-kong-eatery-canada-actor-michael-tses-resilience-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Shen Wei Shen Wei When German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Beijing for his first visit to China last week, it came at a moment of heightened geopolitical attention. With US President Donald Trump expected to visit Beijing in late March or early April, European leaders are watching closely for possible shifts in transatlantic relations and trade policy. Against this anxious backdrop, Merz’s meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing offered something the global stage has been deeply... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3345145/merzs-china-visit-shows-pragmatic-diplomacy-still-matters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3345145/merzs-china-visit-shows-pragmatic-diplomacy-still-matters?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Chinese billionaire Jack Ma and the core leadership of Alibaba Group Holding and Ant Group spent over an hour with teachers in Hangzhou on Tuesday, discussing the profound challenges and opportunities brought about by artificial intelligence. Ma told the group that the impact of AI was “immense”, but so were the “opportunities” and that teenagers held the greatest hope and opportunity for adapting to and enabling transformation in the AI era, according to a statement issued by Hangzhou Yungu... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345343/jack-ma-alibaba-executives-meet-teachers-discuss-how-education-should-adapt-ai-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345343/jack-ma-alibaba-executives-meet-teachers-discuss-how-education-should-adapt-ai-era?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 03:37:00 +0000