https://www.scmp.com/rss/519364/feed Danielle is a technology reporter at the BizTech desk, having joined the team after completing the year-long Graduate Trainee program in 2025. She holds a Bachelor of Honours Arts from the University of Toronto and was recognised with the Emerging Journalists Bursary from the Canadian Journalism Foundation. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Mercedes-Benz on Thursday said it completed the acquisition of a 3 per cent stake, worth 1.34 billion yuan (US$191 million), in motorcycle maker-turned-autonomous driving systems developer Chongqing Qianli Technology, three months after the deal was first announced. The transaction involved Mercedes-Benz Digital Technology, the German carmaker’s tech unit, and Shanghai-listed Lifan Holdings, which transferred 135.6 million shares of Qianli at 9.87 yuan per share. Before the transaction, Lifan... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337719/mercedes-benz-acquires-stake-chinese-autonomous-driving-developer-us191-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337719/mercedes-benz-acquires-stake-chinese-autonomous-driving-developer-us191-million?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 13:00:08 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov A Chinese combat robot tore through the competition at the Games of the Future Abu Dhabi 2025 on Sunday, sealing the Battle of the Robots title in a shower of sparks after slamming its rival into the glass wall of the arena. The robot, dubbed Deep-Sea Shark 3, was built by a China-based student team calling itself Fierce Roc, which was crowned champion, according to organisers. The contest was staged as part of a multi-sport festival of so-called “phygital” games – sport that blends real-world... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3337337/chinese-team-slams-rival-glass-wall-sparks-fly-robot-showdown-abu-dhabi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3337337/chinese-team-slams-rival-glass-wall-sparks-fly-robot-showdown-abu-dhabi?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 23:00:10 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov China has pulled far ahead in the race to build humanoid robots, issuing five times as many related patents as the United States over the past five years, Morgan Stanley said in its latest Robot Almanac. In “Robot Almanac, Volume 3: Humanoids & Industrial Robots”, released on Tuesday as part of a six-volume series, Morgan Stanley said China recorded 7,705 humanoid patents over the past five years, compared with 1,561 in the US. Japan ranked next with 1,102, followed by the World Intellectual... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3337151/china-packs-patent-punch-race-build-humanoid-robots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3337151/china-packs-patent-punch-race-build-humanoid-robots?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 23:30:08 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov China’s robotics industry is turning into a humanoid arms race as start-ups – fresh from big funding rounds – are rolling out new robots in a bid to beat tech giants to real-world deployment. Beijing-based Noetix Robotics this week unveiled Hobbs W1, a service humanoid with a lifelike female face, a black bob and dexterous hands, as a new wave of venture-backed companies pushes into increasingly humanlike designs. Noetix billed Hobbs W1 as its most humanlike robot to date. The humanoid pairs a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3337098/chinas-humanoid-arms-race-start-ups-debut-robots-stores-offices-and-factories?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3337098/chinas-humanoid-arms-race-start-ups-debut-robots-stores-offices-and-factories?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 23:00:12 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Humanoid robot maker Unitree Robotics has teased what it calls the world’s first humanoid robot “app store”, a developer platform designed to bring embodied intelligence into everyday life by allowing users to access and control robots directly through their smartphones. The Hangzhou-based robotics unicorn unveiled a centralised programme, dubbed the Unitree Robotics Developer Platform, offering functions such as datasets and remote control programmes for humanoids. Unitree called it the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3336380/chinas-unitree-teases-platform-allowing-users-control-robots-through-smartphones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3336380/chinas-unitree-teases-platform-allowing-users-control-robots-through-smartphones?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 08:49:43 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Deep Robotics – one of the “Six Little Dragons” from Hangzhou, the capital of eastern Zhejiang province – on Tuesday said it had raised 500 million yuan (US$70 million) in fresh funding from a group of Chinese investors. According to the company’s statement, its latest round of financing was led by CMB International, China Asset Management and funds under state-owned telecommunications network operators China Telecom and China Unicom. Deep Robotics founder and CEO Zhu Qiuguo, who also serves as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3335806/chinas-deep-robotics-raises-us70-million-fresh-funds-sector-draws-more-investors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3335806/chinas-deep-robotics-raises-us70-million-fresh-funds-sector-draws-more-investors?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 01:00:21 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov DeepSeek’s founder and CEO, Liang Wenfeng, has been listed among the top 10 “people who shaped science in 2025” by the British journal Nature, which hailed the 40-year-old entrepreneur as a “Chinese finance whizz” whose breakthrough artificial intelligence models had stunned the world. The Nature’s 10 profile of Liang recognised the disruption caused in January by the release of DeepSeek-R1, a reasoning model that showed how “the United States was not as far ahead in AI as many experts had... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3335748/deepseeks-liang-wenfeng-makes-cut-top-10-people-who-shaped-science-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3335748/deepseeks-liang-wenfeng-makes-cut-top-10-people-who-shaped-science-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 10:00:16 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov A Shenzhen-based humanoid robotics start-up, known for the dexterity of its robots, has received fresh funding from a fund under China Mobile, demonstrating how Chinese state and private sector money is pouring into robotics. Daimon Robotics Technology, co-founded by Wang Yu, dean of the robotics institute at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and his student Duan Jianghua, said in a statement on Wednesday that Lianchang Fund, backed by China’s largest mobile operator,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3335084/shenzhen-robotics-start-daimon-secures-china-mobile-backing-ai-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3335084/shenzhen-robotics-start-daimon-secures-china-mobile-backing-ai-push?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 12:00:14 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Chinese regulations that propose tighter technical specs for portable power banks are stirring unease among producers and consumers, as they could mean passengers are no longer allowed to bring such products on board flights. According to a draft document from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which is soliciting feedback until December 11, all Chinese portable power banks would be required to disclose their battery type, production date and offer a recommendation for... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3334511/will-power-banks-be-banned-flights-chinas-draft-regulations-worry-producers-consumers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3334511/will-power-banks-be-banned-flights-chinas-draft-regulations-worry-producers-consumers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 09:00:09 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov In a rare instance of China-US cooperation on a sensitive frontier technology, Tencent Holdings’ cloud unit has struck a partnership with San Francisco start-up Cartesia to develop next-generation voice artificial intelligence applications. Tencent Cloud said in a statement on Tuesday that it had formed a “strategic partnership” with Cartesia, which last month raised US$100 million for its text-to-speech model, Sonic 3. Tencent’s “enterprise-grade global real-time communication infrastructure”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-future-tech/ai/article/3334115/tencent-cloud-and-cartesia-find-rare-common-voice-ai-speech-applications?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-future-tech/ai/article/3334115/tencent-cloud-and-cartesia-find-rare-common-voice-ai-speech-applications?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Alibaba Group Holding’s logistics arm, Cainiao, has expanded its parcel delivery service to eight African countries – including Morocco, Ghana and Nigeria – as it races to give Chinese e-commerce merchants a cheaper, more reliable way to reach the fast-growing continent. The company planned to extend the service to South Africa and Egypt by the end of December, Cainiao said in a statement over the weekend. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. Cainiao said underdeveloped logistics... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3333972/alibabas-cainiao-expands-small-parcel-service-africa-demand-china-goods-surges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3333972/alibabas-cainiao-expands-small-parcel-service-africa-demand-china-goods-surges?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 11:04:20 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Wingtech Technology, the Chinese owner of Nexperia, said it had received no meaningful reply after reaching out to the Dutch chipmaker’s headquarters for talks. “It is deeply regrettable and puzzling that, despite our utmost sincerity, the Dutch side of Nexperia has not made any substantive response to our proposal for communication,” Wingtech said on Sunday. The Shanghai-listed company did not disclose the details of its outreach efforts, but urged Nexperia’s headquarters to present “a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3333912/nexperias-chinese-owner-wingtech-says-dutch-headquarters-remains-silent-call-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3333912/nexperias-chinese-owner-wingtech-says-dutch-headquarters-remains-silent-call-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 07:00:36 +0000 Aileen Chuang,Danielle Popov Aileen Chuang,Danielle Popov China has cemented its position as a global leader in artificial intelligence, while Hong Kong is carving out a niche as a specialised innovation hub, underpinned by the country’s strong governance and regulatory competitiveness, according to a global index. Technology breakthroughs such as the low-cost, highly efficient AI models introduced by start-up DeepSeek, combined with national support, propelled China to the forefront of the global AI race, alongside the US, the European Union and... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3333433/china-cements-global-ai-leadership-hong-kong-builds-niche-innovation-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3333433/china-cements-global-ai-leadership-hong-kong-builds-niche-innovation-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 11:15:04 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Fintech giant Ant Group, an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, has unveiled what it called China’s first multimodal artificial intelligence assistant capable of producing code-driven outputs, including “flash apps” in as little as 30 seconds. LingGuang, described as a next-generation multimodal AI assistant, was designed to help users create a variety of simple apps – including a calorie tracker, a Pac-Man-style game and a Chinese character memorisation tool – based on natural language prompts,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3333228/ant-group-launches-lingguang-ai-assistant-capable-building-simple-apps-30-seconds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3333228/ant-group-launches-lingguang-ai-assistant-capable-building-simple-apps-30-seconds?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 07:30:09 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Tesla, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz have become the first foreign carmakers approved to deploy artificial intelligence chatbots in their vehicles in China, marking a potential acceleration of Beijing’s vetting process for AI services. The Cyberspace Administration of Beijing said in a notice that it registered the “Mercedes-Benz virtual assistant” as a generative AI service on Tuesday, the same day the Shanghai cyberspace administration approved Tesla Shanghai’s xBot service and Volvo’s local chatbot... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3332674/tesla-volvo-and-mercedes-benz-win-chinas-approval-deploy-ai-chatbots-cars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3332674/tesla-volvo-and-mercedes-benz-win-chinas-approval-deploy-ai-chatbots-cars?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 11:26:25 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Volcano Engine, the cloud unit of TikTok owner ByteDance, has launched a new coding agent priced at just 9.9 yuan (US$1.30) for the first month of subscription – underscoring the fierce competition in China’s booming AI developer tools market. The Doubao-Seed-Code model, released on Tuesday, carries a standard monthly fee of 40 yuan, according to a company statement. The company unveiled its discounted one-month promotion on November 11, China’s annual Singles’ Day shopping festival. ByteDance... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3332365/bytedance-unveils-chinas-most-affordable-ai-coding-agent-just-us130-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3332365/bytedance-unveils-chinas-most-affordable-ai-coding-agent-just-us130-month?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 01:00:21 +0000 Danielle Popov,Cheryl Arcibal Danielle Popov,Cheryl Arcibal Currency exchange shops, once a ubiquitous feature of Hong Kong’s retail landscape, are in a gradual, irreversible decline, with their closure precipitated by the pandemic, stricter licensing regulations and adoption of an array of convenient digital payment systems. The number of registered currency exchange shops in the city has more than halved to around 1,050 from a peak of nearly 2,500 in 2018, before the social unrest and border closures brought tourism to a standstill for three years,... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3331890/record-rent-retreat-hong-kongs-currency-exchange-shops-have-become-dying-breed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3331890/record-rent-retreat-hong-kongs-currency-exchange-shops-have-become-dying-breed?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2025 03:00:14 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov TikTok owner ByteDance has launched a recruitment drive for senior specialists in embodied intelligence, signalling its growing ambition in the development of humanoid robots. Volcano Engine, the Beijing-based tech unicorn’s cloud computing division, is offering a monthly salary of 95,000 yuan to 120,000 yuan (US$13,328 to US$16,838), according to a job posting. It marked the company’s clearest move into humanoid robotics as it specifically sought humanoid specialists rather than general... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3331803/bytedance-deepens-robotics-push-china-talent-drive-focused-embodied-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3331803/bytedance-deepens-robotics-push-china-talent-drive-focused-embodied-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 13:00:33 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov The second edition of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum began on Wednesday, bringing together Shaw Prize winners and 200 young researchers as part of a major push to establish the city as a global hub for scientific and technology talent. Officiating the opening, Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki highlighted the government’s strategy: “We are establishing an advanced [innovation and technology] system under the principle of promoting technology with talent, leading industries with technology and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3331609/hong-kong-laureate-forum-kicks-city-woos-global-science-talent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3331609/hong-kong-laureate-forum-kicks-city-woos-global-science-talent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 09:00:11 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Uzbekistan’s first tech unicorn, Uzum, is seeking a final pre-initial public offering (IPO) funding round next year in Hong Kong, after raising a US$70 million investment from Tencent Holdings months ago. Uzum co-founder Nikolay Seleznev said on Tuesday that Tencent’s investment in August bolstered the company’s plans to go public in 2027, with a potential listing in Hong Kong, London, Abu Dhabi or Nasdaq in the US. The Tencent-led funding lifted Uzum’s valuation to US$1.5 billion, while opening... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3331527/tencent-backed-uzum-uzbekistans-first-tech-unicorn-eyes-pre-ipo-funding-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3331527/tencent-backed-uzum-uzbekistans-first-tech-unicorn-eyes-pre-ipo-funding-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 01:00:11 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Nexperia China moved to reassure customers that production will continue uninterrupted, saying it has secured new wafer suppliers and can meet client demand through to the end of the year and beyond. The Chinese division of the semiconductor maker said it had “multiple contingency plans” in place, according to a bilingual statement published early Sunday. The announcement underscored Nexperia China’s efforts to operate independently after Dutch authorities took control of its Netherlands parent... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3331212/nexperia-china-vows-business-usual-after-dutch-wafer-supply-halt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3331212/nexperia-china-vows-business-usual-after-dutch-wafer-supply-halt?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 06:48:39 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Hong Kong businesses reported HK$92 billion (US$11.84 billion) in financial losses from digital fraud over the past year, despite the city’s overall digital fraud rate being lower than the global average, according to a new report by credit reference agency TransUnion. Conducted from late May to early June, the survey gathered data from 1,200 respondents worldwide, including 200 in Hong Kong, all in managerial roles overseeing risk and business fraud. In Hong Kong, only companies with an annual... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3330508/hong-kong-businesses-lose-us11-billion-digital-fraud-past-year-transunion-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3330508/hong-kong-businesses-lose-us11-billion-digital-fraud-past-year-transunion-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:53:57 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Noetix Robotics, a Beijing-based start-up, has introduced an affordable, “family-friendly” humanoid, marking a step in China’s efforts to bring such machines from laboratories and shops into homes. Presale for the child-sized robot, named Bumi and priced at 9,988 yuan (US$1,402), began on Wednesday. The humanoid stands 94cm tall and weighs 12kg, according to the company. China’s robotics industry is racing to develop more affordable humanoid robots. Unitree Robotics introduced its R1 in late... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3330046/chinese-robotics-start-noetix-debuts-family-friendly-us1400-humanoid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3330046/chinese-robotics-start-noetix-debuts-family-friendly-us1400-humanoid?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 10:00:12 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Unitree Robotics has launched an education platform for students to train robot dogs and understand how they operate based on the start-up’s Go2 system, as adoption of these quadruped machines expands from enthusiasts to mainstream consumers. According to its social media post on Tuesday, Unitree has developed an in-person training course with ready-to-use tools that would enable students to learn the operation, maintenance and applications of a quadruped robot – specifically, the company’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3329835/chinas-unitree-builds-course-students-learn-how-train-understand-robot-dogs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3329835/chinas-unitree-builds-course-students-learn-how-train-understand-robot-dogs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 13:00:12 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Unitree Robotics has teased a new humanoid model in a short video on its social media channels, its most humanlike model to date. In the video, the H2 model performed a series of dexterous dance moves – including perfectly executed pirouettes and arabesques – and sported a strikingly human face modelled in silver with well-defined eyes, lips and nose. Standing at 180cm – the tallest humanoid robot the company has yet developed – and weighing 70kg, the H2 featured the tagline: “Destiny Awakening... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-future-tech/robotics/article/3329684/factory-floors-fashion-runways-chinas-unitree-robotics-unveils-next-gen-humanoid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-future-tech/robotics/article/3329684/factory-floors-fashion-runways-chinas-unitree-robotics-unveils-next-gen-humanoid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Hong Kong is the least ready to fully adopt artificial intelligence in workplaces among 30 global markets, according to a survey by US tech infrastructure and software company Cisco in August and released on Wednesday. Only about 2 per cent of organisations surveyed in the city were considered “pacesetters” – companies that outperformed their peers across a series of measures related to AI adoption. That compared with 13 per cent globally, according to Cisco’s study, which surveyed more than... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3329198/hong-kong-lags-ai-readiness-among-30-global-markets-survey-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3329198/hong-kong-lags-ai-readiness-among-30-global-markets-survey-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 04:30:14 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Swire Coca-Cola, the bottling partner of the American drinks maker, has become the first company in Hong Kong to use locally sourced recycled plastic for its products, giving a boost to the city’s circular economy efforts. New Life Plastics, the city’s first food-grade ready plastic bottle recycling facility, has started supplying Swire Coca-Cola with locally sourced recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) needed to bottle its drinks. Until now, the drinks company sourced rPET from overseas.... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3329098/coca-cola-goes-green-hong-kong-locally-recycled-pet-bottles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3329098/coca-cola-goes-green-hong-kong-locally-recycled-pet-bottles?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 09:05:59 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov An industry around esports – team-based competitive video gaming – is in the early stages of development in Hong Kong, but is set to enjoy large growth in the coming years, according to an executive with gaming-peripheral company SteelSeries. “Hong Kong is not a fully developed esports market,” said Dickson Lee, the Denmark-based company’s vice-president and general manager in the Asia-Pacific region. “But we’re seeing a lot of government projects in the esports industry, such as esports... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3328705/hong-kong-ready-play-esports-arena-executive-video-gaming-gear-company-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3328705/hong-kong-ready-play-esports-arena-executive-video-gaming-gear-company-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 11:15:27 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Two advanced models from China’s Unitree Robotics briefly appeared for sale on Walmart’s US website, creating a stir in the global robotics community and exposing a striking price difference for American buyers. The listings, offered by a third-party vendor called Futurology, marked the first time Chinese humanoid and quadruped robots have been featured on a major US retail platform, underscoring Chinese companies’ lead over US robot makers like Tesla and Boston Dynamics. The two models listed... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3328556/unitree-robots-china-briefly-appear-walmart-website-highlighting-us-robotics-gap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3328556/unitree-robots-china-briefly-appear-walmart-website-highlighting-us-robotics-gap?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 10:30:09 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Alibaba Group Holding’s artificial intelligence and cloud computing unit on Thursday inked a multi-year collaboration with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in China, a partnership that is expected to strengthen fan engagement on the mainland for the world’s premier men’s professional basketball league. Alibaba Cloud will develop innovative applications to enhance live game viewing and other fan engagement experiences, including with the annual NBA All-Star Game, the NBA Playoffs and the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3328352/alibaba-cloud-inks-multi-year-deal-nba-china-latest-sports-related-collaboration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3328352/alibaba-cloud-inks-multi-year-deal-nba-china-latest-sports-related-collaboration?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 09:00:09 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Alibaba Group Holding has established a robotics artificial intelligence team at its Qwen laboratory, marking its entry into the AI-powered hardware industry as tech giants accelerate their development in the field, according to a researcher from the lab. “In case you don’t know, I set up a small team for robotics and embodied AI inside Qwen,” Lin Junyang, a tech leader at Qwen, said in a social media post on Wednesday, sparking speculation about Alibaba’s strategic initiatives in creating... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3328342/alibabas-qwen-lab-sets-robotics-team-showcasing-its-ai-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3328342/alibabas-qwen-lab-sets-robotics-team-showcasing-its-ai-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 07:00:14 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov A US lawmaker has called for an inquiry into Anker, China’s leading portable charging device maker, for alleged tariff evasion and potential abuse of trade. Representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the US Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, wrote to US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick asking him to look into Anker for its “history of selling security equipment that allowed unencrypted video streams to be accessed”. In addition to looking into Anker’s “unfair direct subsidies, we... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3326831/chinas-anker-faces-us-scrutiny-alleged-tariff-evasion-and-security-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3326831/chinas-anker-faces-us-scrutiny-alleged-tariff-evasion-and-security-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 10:00:17 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov The blistering summer in Europe, which was marked by unbearable heatwaves, boosted air conditioner sales for Midea Group, as consumers across the continent looked for inexpensive and durable cooling options. In a part of the world unaccustomed to installing ACs due to the temperate climate and high costs, Midea’s air conditioners were a hit in Germany for a second year in a row, according to Manuel Seethaler, head of public relations and strategy for Midea in Germany. “Now more users recognise... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3326594/mideas-ac-sales-surge-35-europe-amid-heatwaves-offsetting-slowdown-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3326594/mideas-ac-sales-surge-35-europe-amid-heatwaves-offsetting-slowdown-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 23:30:08 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov RBC BlueBay Asset Management, a unit of the Royal Bank of Canada, has formed a partnership with digital-wealth platform Endowus, signalling the asset manager’s commitment to expand its presence in Asia. The partnership will leverage RBC BlueBay’s fixed-income products and expertise to create specialised investment strategies for investors in Hong Kong and Singapore through Endowus’ digital platform, according to a statement from Endowus on Wednesday. Endowus is an investment platform with... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3326692/canadas-rbc-bluebay-partners-endowus-expand-asset-managers-asia-presence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3326692/canadas-rbc-bluebay-partners-endowus-expand-asset-managers-asia-presence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 13:00:19 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov China’s cyberspace regulator has issued warnings to ByteDance’s news aggregator Jinri Toutiao and Alibaba Group Holding’s internet browser operator UCWeb for inadequate content moderation, adding to a series of recent crackdowns targeting trending topics in online platforms. In separate statements issued on Tuesday, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) accused both companies of “damaging the online ecosystem”. The regulator said Toutiao displayed “unhealthy content” on its hot search... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3326658/china-warns-bytedance-alibaba-platforms-latest-crackdown-trending-topic-violations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3326658/china-warns-bytedance-alibaba-platforms-latest-crackdown-trending-topic-violations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 07:35:09 +0000 Aileen Chuang,Danielle Popov Aileen Chuang,Danielle Popov Most Hongkongers prioritise stable returns for their long-term financial goals, as longer lifespans reshape retirement needs and create demand for new investment products, according to a report by a government-backed body on Monday. The Hong Kong Institute for Monetary and Financial Research (HKIMR) said 66 per cent of individuals surveyed highlighted stable returns, while 60 per cent wanted to maintain their current living standards after retirement and for healthcare expenses. The HKIMR is the... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3326422/hongkongers-seek-stable-returns-longer-lifespans-reshape-retirement-needs-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3326422/hongkongers-seek-stable-returns-longer-lifespans-reshape-retirement-needs-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 12:41:36 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov More than 70 per cent of Hongkongers fear running out of savings when they retire, while 50 per cent say they do not have a clear retirement plan, according to a recent McKinsey survey in the city, where 22 per cent of residents are over 65. The survey found only 16 per cent of those aged from 55 to 65 and 23 per cent of those over 65 had set aside assets of more than HK$10 million (US$1.3 million) for retirement, despite financial institutions’ suggestions to have a portfolio worth HK$20... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3326028/more-hongkongers-feel-anxious-about-using-their-savings-retirement-mckinsey-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3326028/more-hongkongers-feel-anxious-about-using-their-savings-retirement-mckinsey-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:12:03 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Alibaba Group Holding has jumped into the burgeoning robotaxi market – which is a promising and profitable area for artificial intelligence applications – by investing in Hello, a ride-hailing business backed by its fintech affiliate Ant Group. Hello said on Wednesday that it had received “a strategic investment” from Alibaba to cooperate in areas such as algorithm platforms and smart driving large language models with the goal of achieving “commercialisation” and “scaled operations” of robotaxi... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3325867/alibaba-enters-robotaxi-market-investment-ant-group-backed-hello?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3325867/alibaba-enters-robotaxi-market-investment-ant-group-backed-hello?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 11:00:12 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Most family offices in Asia-Pacific are bullish about their portfolios and expect decent returns this year, with interest rate cuts and advances in artificial intelligence more than offsetting tariff uncertainties, according to a Citi wealth survey released on Tuesday. More than 80 per cent of family offices in the region anticipated returns of more than 5 per cent this year, the Citi Wealth 2025 Family Office Report showed. At least 30 per cent of those surveyed expected returns of between 10... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3325702/asia-pacific-family-offices-build-resilient-portfolios-withstand-tariff-shocks-citi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3325702/asia-pacific-family-offices-build-resilient-portfolios-withstand-tariff-shocks-citi?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 12:00:37 +0000 Ben Jiang,Danielle Popov Ben Jiang,Danielle Popov Your next work colleague may soon be an AI agent. These digital applications are similar to proactive assistants that can understand a user’s needs and act on their behalf. They can perform real-world tasks with little or no human intervention, putting them a step beyond artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, which just answer questions and collate data. China has been at the forefront of AI agent development, notably with the March launch of Manus by Beijing start-up Butterfly Effect. This... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3325685/user-friendly-and-autonomous-ai-agents-ready-handle-any-task?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3325685/user-friendly-and-autonomous-ai-agents-ready-handle-any-task?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 07:00:10 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov The founder and CEO of diversified investment group Freedom Holding, Timur Turlov, sees a boost in cross-border e-commerce activity between China and Kazakhstan, following a recent cooperation agreement signed in Beijing. Freedom Bank, part of Nasdaq-listed Freedom Holding, last week entered into an agreement with virtual payment provider Verum Payments and UnionPay Business, a unit of the Chinese state-owned financial services firm UnionPay, to support the development of Kazakhstan-China... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3325080/china-kazakhstan-economic-cross-border-e-commerce-ties-grow-freedom-holding-ceo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3325080/china-kazakhstan-economic-cross-border-e-commerce-ties-grow-freedom-holding-ceo?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 23:00:08 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov A Hong Kong-based start-up has developed an artificial intelligence-powered system that detects the origin and size of factory emissions, which could be applied for monitoring purposes in mainland China and other countries, according to its founder. ANTEI AI Innovation Hub created the AURA framework for real-time detection of industrial smoke emissions with an eye toward implementing the system across China, founder and group managing director Matey Yordanov said in an interview on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3324786/hong-kong-ai-start-develops-emission-monitoring-system-mainland-target-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3324786/hong-kong-ai-start-develops-emission-monitoring-system-mainland-target-market?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov The ramifications of China’s power bank scandal, which prompted an emergency ban of substandard models on domestic flights, have extended to a mainland court, where troubled manufacturer Romoss Technology was slapped with a lawsuit for unpaid funds. Shenzhen-based electronics contract manufacturer Zowee Technology filed the lawsuit at the People’s Court of Pengjiang district in Jiangmen, a city in southern Guangdong province, where it sought 136.26 million yuan (US$19 million) in damages against... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3324331/chinas-power-bank-scandal-leads-suppliers-lawsuit-against-romoss-unpaid-funds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3324331/chinas-power-bank-scandal-leads-suppliers-lawsuit-against-romoss-unpaid-funds?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 09:00:09 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov On-demand local services giant Meituan has become the latest Chinese Big Tech company to release an open-source large language model (LLM) to market, more than two years after it acquired mainland AI start-up Light Year for US$281 million. Beijing-based Meituan, the long-standing leader of China’s food delivery market, on Monday released and open-sourced its own LLM, called LongCat-Flash-Chat, via artificial intelligence developer platforms Hugging Face and GitHub, as well as the model’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3324072/chinese-delivery-giant-meituan-unleashes-open-source-ai-model-take-alibaba-deepseek?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3324072/chinese-delivery-giant-meituan-unleashes-open-source-ai-model-take-alibaba-deepseek?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:00:21 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov UBTech Robotics, a leading Chinese manufacturer of factory robots, has secured a credit line of up to US$1 billion from a Hong Kong investment firm to finance its production expansion, including a joint venture in the Middle East. The Hong Kong-listed company said in an exchange filing on Sunday it would receive funding from Infini Capital, an investment conglomerate headquartered in Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi. The support would come through share allocations, convertible bonds and expedited... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3323905/leading-chinese-humanoid-robot-maker-ubtech-gets-us1-billion-boost-infini-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3323905/leading-chinese-humanoid-robot-maker-ubtech-gets-us1-billion-boost-infini-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 09:00:10 +0000 Xinmei Shen,Aileen Chuang,Danielle Popov Xinmei Shen,Aileen Chuang,Danielle Popov Eric Trump, one of the final acts in Hong Kong’s biggest gathering of cryptocurrency enthusiasts, praised the city and China during his fireside chat with the organiser of the Bitcoin Asia conference. “There is no question that you have made an unbelievable mark on cryptocurrencies,” said the second son of US President Donald Trump in his chat with Bitcoin Asia’s CEO David Bailey. “There is no question that China is a hell of a power when it comes to this.” The younger Trump, who was in Hong... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3323660/eric-trump-hails-chinas-hell-power-cryptocurrency-hong-kongs-bitcoin-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3323660/eric-trump-hails-chinas-hell-power-cryptocurrency-hong-kongs-bitcoin-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 09:28:56 +0000 Xinmei Shen,Danielle Popov Xinmei Shen,Danielle Popov Bitcoin Asia kicked off in Hong Kong on Thursday, as Hong Kong strives to balance its goal of becoming a crypto hub while pushing forward a regulatory regime to mitigate financial risks. In its second edition, the conference featured experts who said that Hong Kong could become a hub for shaping the global digital asset regulatory landscape. Two points were brought up: using asset treasury holdings for a broader ecosystem for cryptocurrency and global regulatory leadership to coordinate and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3323549/bitcoin-asia-kicks-hong-kong-aims-balance-crypto-hub-goal-risk-mitigation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3323549/bitcoin-asia-kicks-hong-kong-aims-balance-crypto-hub-goal-risk-mitigation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 14:41:19 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Chinese autonomous driving technology firm Pony.ai expects to deploy a fleet of robotaxis in Hong Kong after completing regulatory hurdles, while downplaying potential competition from Tesla. “We have already set a footprint in Guangzhou and we are eyeing Hong Kong,” chief financial officer Leo Wang said at a media event in the city on Tuesday. He said Pony.ai needed to work with local authorities and partners to explore the best way forward. On working with the city’s Transport Department, Wang... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3323243/chinas-ponyai-eyes-sizeable-fleet-hong-kong-unfazed-tesla-robotaxi-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3323243/chinas-ponyai-eyes-sizeable-fleet-hong-kong-unfazed-tesla-robotaxi-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 23:00:11 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov An Israeli hospital that has achieved a breakthrough in cultivating kidneys in laboratories is seeking funding, including from China, to advance into clinical trials, according to the project’s lead researcher. Sheba Medical Centre, in collaboration with Tel Aviv University, said it had successfully grown a synthetic 3D organ culture, or organoid, that was the first to survive beyond 34 weeks, marking a significant milestone in regenerative medicine. Previous attempts had not exceeded four... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3322904/israeli-hospital-pioneers-lab-grown-kidneys-seeks-china-biotech-funding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3322904/israeli-hospital-pioneers-lab-grown-kidneys-seeks-china-biotech-funding?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 04:00:16 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Kuaishou Technology on Thursday declared a special dividend totalling HK$2 billion (US$256 million), marking the first time China’s No 2 short video app operator will make such payment since its US$5.4 billion Hong Kong listing in 2021. The Beijing-based company said it would pay a special dividend of HK$0.46 per share after reporting better-than-expected financial results in the second quarter, driven by gains made from its artificial intelligence tools, according to its filing. Dividend... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322702/kuaishou-pay-first-dividend-hong-kong-ipo-ai-tools-lift-quarterly-results?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322702/kuaishou-pay-first-dividend-hong-kong-ipo-ai-tools-lift-quarterly-results?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 14:00:13 +0000