https://www.scmp.com/rss/501072/feed Ann Cao is a Shanghai-based technology reporter for the Post, covering technology start-ups and policies in the city and eastern China. She graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a master's degree in journalism. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 Sylvia Ma,Ann Cao Sylvia Ma,Ann Cao When US President Donald Trump’s delegation touches down in Beijing on Wednesday night, he looks to be flanked by a cadre of corporate executives, headlined by a man seen by much of the Chinese public as the most familiar American entrepreneur of his generation: Elon Musk. The Tesla and SpaceX chief’s presence alongside Trump for meetings with President Xi Jinping adds a distinctive commercial and personal layer to a diplomatically delicate trip. “Musk’s inclusion in Trump’s China delegation has... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353293/elon-musk-joins-trumps-beijing-delegation-natural-bridge-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353293/elon-musk-joins-trumps-beijing-delegation-natural-bridge-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 13:30:07 +0000 Ben Jiang,Ann Cao Ben Jiang,Ann Cao Chinese online shopping giant JD.com reported a 53.2 per cent year-on-year decline in first-quarter profit to 5.1 billion yuan (US$750.2 million) due to protracted competition on the e-commerce and food delivery fronts. The company was able to swing back to profitability after posting a loss in the previous quarter. Under non-generally accepted accounting principles which excludes one-off costs and non-cash items, JD.com posted a net income of 7.4 billion yuan in the March quarter, compared with... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353291/jdcom-swings-back-profitability-first-quarter-though-profits-tumble-53?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353291/jdcom-swings-back-profitability-first-quarter-though-profits-tumble-53?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 10:50:16 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao The founder of China’s largest contract chipmaker has urged the country’s semiconductor industry to pursue breakthroughs in niche markets such as mature chips, citing their importance for “supply chain security”. Richard Chang Rugin, 78, former CEO of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), cautioned against blindly chasing industry hype around cutting-edge process nodes. The industry veteran stressed the value of investing in mature nodes and specialty processes, which accounted... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353188/chinese-chip-pioneer-calls-focus-pragmatic-breakthroughs-over-chasing-2nm-hype?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353188/chinese-chip-pioneer-calls-focus-pragmatic-breakthroughs-over-chasing-2nm-hype?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 23:30:06 +0000 Ann Cao,Ji Siqi Ann Cao,Ji Siqi US President Donald Trump’s landmark visit to China comes as the US-Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, fuels economic uncertainty and adds fresh strain to Washington-Beijing ties. In this story, part of a series examining how rivalry, interdependence and geopolitical crises are reshaping the relationship between the two powers, we examine how artificial intelligence (AI), chip controls and competing technology ecosystems are redefining US-China rivalry. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353180/chinas-ai-ascent-leaves-trump-stark-choice-escalate-or-relax-chip-controls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353180/chinas-ai-ascent-leaves-trump-stark-choice-escalate-or-relax-chip-controls?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao In China, computing facilities have emerged as a new form of infrastructure over the past two years, sparking an arms race among cities and technology companies to build 10,000-card computing clusters. These clusters – which link 10,000 or more artificial intelligence accelerator chips – enable faster iteration of AI capabilities and significantly reduce model training times. Domestic champions, from tech giants such as Huawei Technologies and Alibaba Group Holding to graphics processing unit... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3352200/supersized-and-scaling-china-pushes-10000-card-computing-clusters-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3352200/supersized-and-scaling-china-pushes-10000-card-computing-clusters-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, South Korea’s two memory chip giants, are warning of a prolonged and severe global supply crunch, weeks after the two companies disclosed increased investments in their China wafer fabs to meet surging artificial intelligence demand. During Samsung’s first-quarter earnings call on Thursday, the company said its order fulfilment rate had plunged to a “record low”. In a rare move, customers worried about shortages were already pre-booking memory capacity for 2027,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3352001/samsung-sk-hynix-flag-record-supply-squeeze-memory-market-ai-demand-soars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3352001/samsung-sk-hynix-flag-record-supply-squeeze-memory-market-ai-demand-soars?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 08:30:28 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Lightelligence, the first mainland Chinese photonics chipmaker to go public in Hong Kong, saw its share price surge by nearly 400 per cent in its trading debut on Tuesday, as investors banked on the country’s quest for a fast-growing alternative to conventional electronic semiconductors in artificial intelligence data centres. The Shanghai-based company opened at HK$880, versus the offer price of HK$183.20 – the top of its marketed range of HK$166.60 to HK$183.20. It raised HK$2.4 billion... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3351551/lightelligence-jumps-hong-kong-debut-amid-ai-driven-demand-photonics-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3351551/lightelligence-jumps-hong-kong-debut-amid-ai-driven-demand-photonics-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:03:55 +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 Ann Cao,Xinmei Shen Ann Cao,Xinmei Shen Say “open source” and “China” and most people will think of its world-conquering artificial intelligence (AI) large language models. Its open-source computer chips are just as significant. These chips are based on the RISC-V architecture (pronounced risk-five). At last month’s Zhongguancun Forum science festival in Beijing, experts celebrated the establishment in China of a complete RISC-V ecosystem. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) researchers recently unveiled their latest Xiangshan processor... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/science/article/3350802/china-bets-risc-v-global-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/science/article/3350802/china-bets-risc-v-global-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 02:44:47 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) expects a revenue surge of more than 30 per cent in 2026 as the world’s largest contract chipmaker “pulls in all equipment” to ramp up supply, as management downplayed the impact of memory price hikes and Middle East tensions. During its first-quarter earnings call on Thursday, company executives voiced optimism for the year ahead anchored by the global AI frenzy, attributing the expected revenue surge to strong demand for artificial intelligence and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350346/tsmc-targets-over-30-revenue-surge-2026-ramps-capex-amid-booming-ai-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350346/tsmc-targets-over-30-revenue-surge-2026-ramps-capex-amid-booming-ai-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:07:11 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Chinese chip start-up Dishan Technology has achieved a breakthrough in designing a 2-nanometre artificial intelligence chip, according to local media reports. Shanghai-based Dishan, which focuses on the development of high-performance computing chips and sensor chips, was now in the crucial prototype verification stage for its first 2nm AI graphics processing unit (GPU), the Shanghai Morning Post reported recently. The GPU was unveiled by the company last July. The company then said it had... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350050/chinas-dishan-technology-nears-2nm-ai-chip-breakthrough-reports-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350050/chinas-dishan-technology-nears-2nm-ai-chip-breakthrough-reports-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:59:56 +0000 Ann Cao,Themis Qi Ann Cao,Themis Qi Printed circuit boards (PCBs) – unsung core components in all electronic devices – are emerging as the latest source of excitement in China’s chip supply chain, as domestic companies capitalise on surging global demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure to pursue share listings. Victory Giant Technology, a PCB supplier to US chip champion Nvidia, kicked off bookbuilding in Hong Kong on Monday for an initial public offering (IPO) that aims to raise up to HK$17.49 billion (US$2.2... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349924/victory-giant-joins-ipo-push-chinas-circuit-board-makers-amid-ai-frenzy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349924/victory-giant-joins-ipo-push-chinas-circuit-board-makers-amid-ai-frenzy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:00:08 +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 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding’s cloud and artificial intelligence unit is expected to remain a prime engine for the March quarter, with the growth rate forecast to accelerate as the company steps up AI monetisation and reshuffles its AI businesses, according to analysts. Cloud revenue growth was projected to increase to around 40 per cent during the period, up from 36 per cent in the December quarter, analysts said. The growth momentum was expected to be supported by “a robust surge in token usage”,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349508/alibaba-cloud-growth-forecast-accelerate-ai-push-higher-service-charges-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349508/alibaba-cloud-growth-forecast-accelerate-ai-push-higher-service-charges-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:30:13 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao The latest bill proposed by US lawmakers to further restrict China’s access to advanced chipmaking equipment marks a fresh escalation in Washington’s efforts to throttle the country’s semiconductor ambitions, as it seeks to bring allies such as the Netherlands and Japan into closer alignment on export controls, analysts said. Introduced last week by Republican Representative Michael Baumgartner, the Multilateral Alignment of Technology Controls in Hardware (Match) Act aims to close “critical... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3349413/washington-pushes-allies-match-tougher-china-chip-curbs-under-new-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3349413/washington-pushes-allies-match-tougher-china-chip-curbs-under-new-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:02:26 +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 Ann Cao Ann Cao China is looking to the ocean to power its artificial intelligence computing ambitions, as it seeks new ways to meet soaring demand for computing power through underwater data centres in eastern and southern China. Shanghai’s Lingang Special Area, a government-designated free-trade zone designed to attract advanced manufacturing and hi-tech industries, recently saw an underwater data centre (UDC) begin operation, marking the first such facility in the world to be directly linked to an offshore... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349280/china-turns-offshore-wind-farms-subsea-data-centres-ease-ai-computing-bottleneck?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349280/china-turns-offshore-wind-farms-subsea-data-centres-ease-ai-computing-bottleneck?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 23:30:08 +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 Ann Cao Ann Cao OpenClaw, the open-source autonomous artificial intelligence agent, is stepping up efforts to tap into China’s user base as it works more closely with Chinese tech giants including Tencent Holdings and ByteDance. A version update of OpenClaw released on Tuesday included Tencent’s QQ, making the long-standing messaging app the first Chinese social media platform to be natively integrated with OpenClaw’s official platform. QQ bot, a versatile bridging service that connects the popular messaging... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3348829/openclaw-deepens-china-footprint-through-native-tencent-bytedance-integrations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3348829/openclaw-deepens-china-footprint-through-native-tencent-bytedance-integrations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:11:13 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s third-largest chip foundry, Nexchip Semiconductor, filed for a Hong Kong listing on Tuesday as domestic wafer fabs race to expand production capacity amid surging artificial intelligence demand and Beijing’s push for greater chip self-sufficiency. Nexchip, a smaller rival to SMIC and Hua Hong Semiconductor, is seeking a dual listing in Shanghai and Hong Kong, signalling the state-backed foundry’s latest effort to strengthen its position in China’s mature-node chipmaking sector. The move... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348687/chinas-nexchip-files-hong-kong-listing-chip-expansion-race-heats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348687/chinas-nexchip-files-hong-kong-listing-chip-expansion-race-heats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:00:12 +0000 Ben Jiang,Ann Cao Ben Jiang,Ann Cao Biren Technology and Iluvatar CoreX, two Chinese graphics processing unit (GPU) champions that are seen as potential alternatives to Nvidia, saw their revenues surge in 2025 amid China’s accelerated push for chip self-sufficiency, according to their first earnings reports since listing in January. Biren’s annual revenue surged 207.2 per cent from a year ago to 1.03 billion yuan (US$149 million), beating the consensus estimate of 954.5 million yuan, while its crosstown rival Iluvatar CoreX posted... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3348446/biren-iluvatar-corex-post-triple-digit-revenue-growth-losses-persist-ai-chip-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3348446/biren-iluvatar-corex-post-triple-digit-revenue-growth-losses-persist-ai-chip-race?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:45:09 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding is set to launch a new service that provides AI agents for millions of merchants on its Taobao and Tmall platforms, as the tech giant capitalises on the recent frenzy fuelled by OpenClaw to secure its lead in e-commerce. The new feature, slated for release by the end of March, will provide agentic AI services based on its merchant tool Business Advisor, aiming to give them a 24/7 autonomous “digital workforce” that can automate operation processes including offering... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348237/alibaba-deploy-ai-digital-workforce-millions-merchants-taobao-tmall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348237/alibaba-deploy-ai-digital-workforce-millions-merchants-taobao-tmall?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 13:00:29 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s ambition to cut its reliance on foreign semiconductor technology achieved a notable milestone this week, with the launch of two powerful chips based on the open-source RISC-V architecture. Xiangshan, a high-performance processor unveiled by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) at the Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing on Thursday, is the latest effort to push the boundaries with RISC-V architecture. With the central processing unit (CPU) core achieving a score of 16.5 points/GHz under SPEC... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348168/chinas-tech-self-sufficiency-drive-reaches-new-milestone-powerful-risc-v-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348168/chinas-tech-self-sufficiency-drive-reaches-new-milestone-powerful-risc-v-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:30:07 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) launched an action plan to enhance its current businesses and seek new growth in 2026, as the largest contract chipmaker in China aims to solidify its role as the backbone of the country’s self-sufficiency drive. Released alongside its annual report for 2025, the plan outlined a commitment to “optimising existing stock and digging for new increments”, the company said in a stock exchange filing on Thursday. The company said two trends would... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348044/chinas-top-chip-foundry-smic-unveils-action-plan-seizing-new-growth-opportunities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348044/chinas-top-chip-foundry-smic-unveils-action-plan-seizing-new-growth-opportunities?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 03:00:08 +0000 Ben Jiang,Ann Cao Ben Jiang,Ann Cao Chinese food and on-demand delivery giant Meituan reported on Thursday its second consecutive quarterly loss since 2022, as intense competition and a prolonged price war with Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com last year squeezed margins. The company reported a 15 billion yuan (US$2.2 billion) adjusted net loss – worse than the 12.9 billion yuan average estimate by analysts – for the fourth quarter ended December 31, compared with adjusted net profit of 9.8 billion yuan a year earlier. Its... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348017/meituan-posts-second-consecutive-quarterly-loss-amid-costly-instant-commerce-battle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348017/meituan-posts-second-consecutive-quarterly-loss-amid-costly-instant-commerce-battle?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:22:19 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Agentic artificial intelligence and advanced packaging technology will be key growth drivers for China’s chip industry in coming years, as the country is expected to increase its share of chipmaking capacity to nearly half of the world’s total by 2028. According to data revealed at Semicon China, the world’s largest chip industry trade show, China’s share of wafer fabrication capacity for mainstream processes was expected to reach 42 per cent of global capacity by 2028. That would mark a rapid... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347902/semicon-china-ai-advanced-packaging-set-drive-countrys-chip-industry-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347902/semicon-china-ai-advanced-packaging-set-drive-countrys-chip-industry-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:13:25 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding’s research arm Damo Academy has unveiled a chip designed to fuel artificial intelligence agents, as the tech giant bets on open-source RISC-V architecture to ride the wave of agentic AI. XuanTie C950, the latest flagship in Alibaba’s XuanTie RISC-V series, was introduced at the company’s annual ecosystem conference in Shanghai on Tuesday. Designed for high-performance tasks in cloud computing and AI computing, the C950 is a “CPU core” – the fundamental architecture for a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347684/alibaba-debuts-its-latest-risc-v-based-chip-amid-shift-ai-agents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347684/alibaba-debuts-its-latest-risc-v-based-chip-amid-shift-ai-agents?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 08:00:11 +0000 Ann Cao,Enoch Yiu Ann Cao,Enoch Yiu Last week, Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC) announced the establishment of the Hong Kong RISC-V Alliance. The move follows Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s earlier pledge to actively promote collaboration among industry, academia and the investment sector to develop the open-source chip technology. In this explainer, the South China Morning Post takes a closer look at RISC-V, why it is important and why HKIC is interested. What is RISC-V technology? RISC-V, an open-standard... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347614/why-hong-kong-betting-risc-v-build-global-open-source-chip-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347614/why-hong-kong-betting-risc-v-build-global-open-source-chip-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:30:08 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao As China undergoes a sweeping economic transition, its regions are also in the process of embracing change. The powerhouses of yesteryear must adapt or risk falling behind, as traditional industries become less reliable growth drivers and new sectors take prominence. In this series, we explore three representative areas of the country as they attempt to navigate this rapidly changing environment. After a 900km (559-mile) journey at the end of last month’s Chinese New Year holiday, 24-year-old Ma... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347381/kunshan-chinas-foxconn-nerve-centre-old-tech-tries-learn-new-tricks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347381/kunshan-chinas-foxconn-nerve-centre-old-tech-tries-learn-new-tricks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says the US robotics industry will have to rely on China’s supply chain despite the US pioneering the market, as the company bets on physical AI and looks to return to the Chinese market. “I think China is formidable,” Huang said when asked about the country’s rise in the robotics industry during a podcast hosted by Silicon Valley tech executives. “The reason for that is because their microelectronics, motors, rare earth and magnets – which are foundational to robotics –... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347427/nvidias-huang-calls-china-formidable-robotics-company-bets-physical-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347427/nvidias-huang-calls-china-formidable-robotics-company-bets-physical-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 10:18:16 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s push for semiconductor self-sufficiency is shifting from broad aspiration to a precision strike on chokepoint materials, with photoresist – the light-sensitive chemical essential for etching microscopic circuits onto silicon wafers – emerging as a new battlefield. The sector, which provides the key material for lithography, was expected to enter a critical stage of “accelerated breakthroughs and large-scale application” over the coming years, according to Fu Zhiwei, chairman of Xuzhou... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346555/precision-strike-china-targets-us-japan-stranglehold-photoresist-supply?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346555/precision-strike-china-targets-us-japan-stranglehold-photoresist-supply?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Ann Cao,Ben Jiang Ann Cao,Ben Jiang China’s OpenClaw craze has taken an ironic turn, with social media platforms now flooded with paid services offering to uninstall the artificial intelligence (AI) agent after users initially paid to have it installed. On Xianyu, the second-hand marketplace under Alibaba, the keyword “uninstall OpenClaw” was trending on Thursday, based on a search by the South China Morning Post. Records showed that a Shanghai-based seller named “mojito lime water” charged 299 yuan ($43.55) to uninstall the agent... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3346397/chinas-openclaw-users-paid-install-viral-ai-agent-now-they-spend-remove-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3346397/chinas-openclaw-users-paid-install-viral-ai-agent-now-they-spend-remove-it?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 12:00:14 +0000 Wency Chen,Ann Cao Wency Chen,Ann Cao A wave of caution is sweeping through China’s financial and state institutions over OpenClaw, the open-source artificial intelligence (AI) agent that has recently gone viral. Several brokerages, banks and government bodies have moved to restrict staff access. At one of China’s leading brokerages, an employee, who asked not to be named, said the firm had issued an explicit risk warning earlier this week, banning OpenClaw from company computers. Staff who had already installed it were told to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346331/chinas-financial-institutions-regulators-draw-line-openclaw-ai-frenzy-spreads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346331/chinas-financial-institutions-regulators-draw-line-openclaw-ai-frenzy-spreads?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 07:20:55 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s chip exports jumped in the first two months of the year, according to the latest customs data, underscoring how Beijing’s push for semiconductor self-sufficiency is boosting both domestic demand and global market growth. Integrated circuit (IC) exports reached US$43.3 billion in January and February, an increase of 72.6 per cent from a year earlier, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday. It far outpaced China’s overall export growth of 21.8 per cent in the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3346073/chinas-chip-exports-surge-73-ai-demand-fuels-semiconductor-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3346073/chinas-chip-exports-surge-73-ai-demand-fuels-semiconductor-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:58:12 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Representatives of China’s semiconductor industry are calling for stronger state backing in artificial intelligence chips and critical materials, aiming to fast-track core technology breakthroughs. During last week’s “two sessions” – the annual meetings of China’s top legislature and advisory body – scholars and entrepreneurs in the semiconductor sector urged Beijing to leverage the nation’s advantage in strategic chip raw materials and accelerate the commercial application of AI chips to secure... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345997/chinas-chip-industry-seeks-more-state-support-ai-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345997/chinas-chip-industry-seeks-more-state-support-ai-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:00:12 +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 Coco Feng,Mia Nurmamat,Ann Cao Coco Feng,Mia Nurmamat,Ann Cao China’s policymakers want the digital economy to account for 12.5 per cent of gross domestic product by 2030, as Beijing accelerates its push to build a modern industrial system anchored in advanced manufacturing. The goal represents a significant increase from the 10.5 per cent share achieved in 2025, which was announced on Thursday during the annual “two sessions” parliamentary meetings and exceeded the initial target. A large part of China’s digital economy – activities facilitated by data,... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345611/china-bets-ai-manufacturing-integration-narrow-digital-economy-gap-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345611/china-bets-ai-manufacturing-integration-narrow-digital-economy-gap-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Wency Chen,Ann Cao,Ben Jiang Wency Chen,Ann Cao,Ben Jiang Wang Jian, a prominent Chinese artificial intelligence scholar and director at Zhejiang Lab, said China had both the “resources and responsibility” to make AI more accessible globally at a time when other countries, such as the US, were increasingly acting in their own interests. Speaking to the South China Morning Post on Wednesday on the sidelines of China’s annual legislative “two sessions” meetings in Beijing, Wang said the world remained far from the goal of turning AI into an... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345451/china-poised-expand-global-access-ai-despite-rivalry-us-wang-jian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345451/china-poised-expand-global-access-ai-despite-rivalry-us-wang-jian?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:01:18 +0000 Wency Chen,Ann Cao Wency Chen,Ann Cao China’s tech leaders, including Xiaomi’s Lei Jun, 360 Security Technology’s Zhou Hongyi and Xpeng’s He Xiaopeng, have put forward policy proposals ahead of the “two sessions”, as Beijing seeks to accelerate development in strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence and robotics. The executives aim to promote the industrial use of humanoid robots, speed up the deployment of AI agents and expand computing infrastructure – areas increasingly viewed as key battlegrounds in the global... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3345372/chinas-tech-leaders-urge-faster-ai-humanoid-robot-adoption-two-sessions-proposals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3345372/chinas-tech-leaders-urge-faster-ai-humanoid-robot-adoption-two-sessions-proposals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 06:37:05 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has stepped up its overseas expansion with the global launch of its flagship Xiaomi 17 series in Barcelona, in its latest effort to challenge Apple and Samsung in the premium segment. The launch event, held on Saturday ahead of MWC Barcelona, marked the overseas release of Xiaomi 17 and Xiaomi 17 Ultra, months after the company launched the Xiaomi 17 series domestically. As with the domestic versions, both models are powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345016/chinas-xiaomi-launches-premium-smartphone-17-series-globally-challenge-apple-samsung?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345016/chinas-xiaomi-launches-premium-smartphone-17-series-globally-challenge-apple-samsung?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:00:09 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Semiconductor designer Moore Threads Technology has achieved full-stack compatibility between its flagship MTT S5000 graphics processing unit (GPU) and Alibaba Cloud’s Qwen3.5-series artificial intelligence models, as China’s tech self-reliance efforts gather pace. Beijing-based Moore Threads, founded by former Nvidia executive James Zhang Jianzhong, on Thursday said the firm’s flagship AI chip was now compatible with the three new models under the latest Qwen series – Qwen3.5-35B-A3B,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344877/moore-threads-flagship-ai-chip-compatible-alibaba-models-tech-self-reliance-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344877/moore-threads-flagship-ai-chip-compatible-alibaba-models-tech-self-reliance-push?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 09:26:06 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited China’s eastern tech hub of Hangzhou on Thursday and met leading figures including those from Alibaba Group Holding and Unitree Robotics, signalling growing international recognition of the country’s robotics and artificial intelligence technologies. Merz had lunch and took group photos with local entrepreneurs, including Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu Yongming and Unitree founder and CEO Wang Xingxing, according to a social media account run by Chinese state... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3344835/germanys-merz-meets-chinas-tech-vanguard-including-alibaba-and-unitree-ceos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3344835/germanys-merz-meets-chinas-tech-vanguard-including-alibaba-and-unitree-ceos?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 06:23:19 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Semiconductor designer Hygon Information Technology and supercomputer maker Sugon, two stalwarts of China’s tech self-reliance efforts, reported surging revenue for 2025 amid strong domestic demand for home-grown computing systems. The two Shanghai-listed companies’ latest financial results reflect a broader trend across China’s public and private sectors to increase engagement with domestic technology suppliers, as artificial intelligence development projects in the country... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344729/china-computing-stalwarts-hygon-sugon-post-revenue-surge-ai-boom-tech-self-reliance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344729/china-computing-stalwarts-hygon-sugon-post-revenue-surge-ai-boom-tech-self-reliance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 09:05:11 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Nvidia has yet to generate any revenue from its H200 chips in China and does not know if any sales will be allowed in the country, the company said, as the US chip giant reported record quarterly revenue on surging demand for data centre processors. While the Santa Clara-based tech giant remains the primary beneficiary of the global generative artificial intelligence boom, its ability to navigate the US-China tech war has become a challenge, with the pipeline for the H200 – Nvidia’s second-most... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3344663/china-freeze-h200-chip-sales-clouds-nvidias-record-earnings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3344663/china-freeze-h200-chip-sales-clouds-nvidias-record-earnings?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 02:00:05 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao SJ Semiconductor, a key player in China’s advanced chip packaging sector, has received approval to list on Shanghai’s Nasdaq-style Star Market on Tuesday, marking a fresh step in the country’s push for semiconductor self-reliance amid US restrictions. Its planned initial public offering (IPO) marks a significant milestone for China’s chipmaking industry, as Beijing pivots towards the high-stakes field of advanced packaging. The move also reflects how companies across China’s semiconductor supply... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344610/why-sj-semiconductor-matters-chinas-race-build-home-grown-ai-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344610/why-sj-semiconductor-matters-chinas-race-build-home-grown-ai-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Chinese tech giants claimed a victory after a promotional giveaway campaign for their artificial intelligence services during the Lunar New Year, touting surging user numbers and the adoption of AI as part of holiday consumption. During the period, Alibaba Group Holding’s AI app Qwen saw nearly 200 million orders placed, according to data released by the company on Monday. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. Among the users were more than four million people aged 60 and above who... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3344432/ai-apps-soar-china-lunar-new-year-giveaway-battle-boosts-user-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3344432/ai-apps-soar-china-lunar-new-year-giveaway-battle-boosts-user-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:30:09 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,Ann Cao Xiaofei Xu,Ann Cao As American figure skater Ilia Malinin launched into a quad – a jump with four airborne revolutions – at this month’s Winter Olympics, millions of television viewers witnessed something brand new: a replay of the jump separated into frames that appeared to orbit the athlete. It was just one of many new perspectives offered to viewers thanks to the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, where the technology is not only enhancing broadcasts but also helping... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344139/how-chinese-artificial-intelligence-put-new-spin-winter-olympics-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344139/how-chinese-artificial-intelligence-put-new-spin-winter-olympics-action?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:00:09 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Chinese memory firms GigaDevice Semiconductor and Montage Technology have emerged as new heavyweights in the domestic semiconductor industry, as these companies founded by US-returned Chinese engineers capitalise on the global memory supercycle. Since the two Shanghai-listed companies completed their dual listings in Hong Kong recently, investors have driven up the shares of GigaDevice and Montage by 151 per cent and 97 per cent, respectively. The companies’ listings in January and February... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3343706/how-chinas-gigadevice-and-montage-earned-place-memory-chip-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3343706/how-chinas-gigadevice-and-montage-earned-place-memory-chip-market?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 06:00:09 +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