https://www.scmp.com/rss/519735/feed As China bets on tech and innovation to drive its growth, it has placed its chips on several industrial sectors that are expected to play increasingly important roles in development and trade, which will bring fresh opportunities and challenges for stakeholders. SCMP’s China Future Tech is your go-to destination for the latest news, insights, and opinions on these select industries. Explore in-depth coverage of EVs, AI, semiconductors, aerospace, robotics and biomedicine sectors. Follow us to... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Coco Feng Coco Feng Chinese suppliers of parts for Tesla’s electric vehicles (EVs) and robots saw their stock prices gain on Thursday morning as the US tech giant announced that its AI5 artificial intelligence inference chip was 45 days ahead of schedule. After a nearly 7.7 per cent jump in Tesla’s Nasdaq-listed stock on Wednesday, shares of the company’s Chinese suppliers were up by as much as 4.6 per cent on Thursday morning local time. Shanghai-listed Ningbo Tuopu Group and Shenzhen-listed Zhejiang Sanhua... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350279/chinese-investors-cheer-teslas-ai-chip-progress-pushing-shares-local-suppliers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350279/chinese-investors-cheer-teslas-ai-chip-progress-pushing-shares-local-suppliers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:00:36 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL), China’s electric vehicle (EV) battery king, plans to earmark 30 billion yuan (US$4.4 billion) to establish a subsidiary to manage and expand mining assets, after the global energy shock paved the way for a quicker entry into the world’s automotive and energy storage system (ESS) markets. The investment arm, in line with CATL’s long-term growth strategy, would integrate existing mining assets, pursue high-quality mineral projects at home and abroad, and... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3350213/chinas-catl-invest-us44-billion-mining-arm-secure-ev-battery-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3350213/chinas-catl-invest-us44-billion-mining-arm-secure-ev-battery-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:50:49 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang Silicon photonic computing chips – long overlooked in the artificial intelligence hardware stack – are emerging as a new focal point in mainland China’s semiconductor push, as domestic companies move towards public listings amid intensifying US-China competition and surging demand for next-generation computing infrastructure. Shanghai-based Lightelligence, the first company globally to achieve large-scale deployment of hybrid optical-electronic computing, passed its Hong Kong listing hearing on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350183/lightelligence-track-ipo-plans-chinas-ai-photonics-race-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350183/lightelligence-track-ipo-plans-chinas-ai-photonics-race-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:00:31 +0000 Jeffrey Wu Jeffrey Wu A quiet but consequential shift is reshaping the global artificial intelligence competition, and it has little to do with which country builds the most powerful model. Jensen Huang did not mean to describe a geopolitical strategy. But when Nvidia’s chief executive declared, “Your workload is inference, your tokens are your commodity, and that compute is your revenue,” he was articulating, from the supply side, something China had concluded from the other direction. To understand why, start with... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349947/us-controls-chips-ai-race-china-controls-scoreboard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349947/us-controls-chips-ai-race-china-controls-scoreboard?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:30:09 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Tesla outraces China’s BYD in pure electric car sales to regain world’s top spot Tesla has regained the global pure electric vehicle (EV) crown for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2024, after its deliveries rose 6.5 per cent year on year in the three months ending March. 2.... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3350112/brazil-blacklists-chinas-byd-how-batteries-might-get-quality-upgrade-7-ev-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3350112/brazil-blacklists-chinas-byd-how-batteries-might-get-quality-upgrade-7-ev-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:30:08 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu Chinese robotics companies are increasingly banking on quadruped robots as major revenue drivers, a trend highlighted by AgiBot’s recent decision to spin out its four-legged robotics unit into a new subsidiary called AgiQuad, and Amap’s coming launch of a quadruped model. The move by AgiBot was intended to drive large-scale growth so that the unit would not “live in the shadow of the humanoid robot giant”, Qiu Heng, chief operating officer of the new subsidiary, said at a media briefing last... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350071/chinese-robotics-firms-focus-quadrupeds-major-revenue-drivers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350071/chinese-robotics-firms-focus-quadrupeds-major-revenue-drivers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 23:00:19 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese energy storage firm Sigenergy has ignited a market frenzy with its initial public offering (IPO) plan in Hong Kong, drawing an oversubscription of over 1,000 times, while its listed peer Guoxia Technology enjoyed a rally, as the duo capitalise on the artificial intelligence boom. Shanghai-based Sigenergy, which aims to raise HK$4.4 billion (US$561.6 million) in its IPO, is expected to be 1,414 times oversubscribed, as retail investors borrowed HK$358.6 billion from 17 brokerages,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350082/how-chinese-energy-storage-firms-sigenergy-guoxia-excited-investors-leveraging-ai-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350082/how-chinese-energy-storage-firms-sigenergy-guoxia-excited-investors-leveraging-ai-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:21:33 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory, its largest production base, has the potential to build humanoid robots in future, the company’s China president says, with its manufacturing efficiency and innovative capability seen as potential drivers of CEO Elon Musk’s hopes of commercialising the technology swiftly. Allan Wang Hao said in a media briefing on Tuesday that the Shanghai Gigafactory could provide a “golden key” to the mass production of robots designed to resemble and move like humans. “Like other... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3350076/shanghai-gigafactory-has-potential-construct-humanoid-robots-tesla-china-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3350076/shanghai-gigafactory-has-potential-construct-humanoid-robots-tesla-china-president?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:02:53 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang China’s world models are benefiting from early integration with the country’s strong industrial base, which gives the domestic ecosystem greater momentum than that of the US, according to an executive at a leading Chinese world model start-up. World models simulate 3D environments and physical dynamics, and are expected to help train the next generation of physical artificial intelligence applications, including robots and autonomous vehicles. Wang Xiaofeng, an algorithm partner at GigaAI, said... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350062/chinas-edge-over-us-ai-world-models-abundant-data-faster-deployment-executive-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350062/chinas-edge-over-us-ai-world-models-abundant-data-faster-deployment-executive-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:00:10 +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 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Governments, industry and the public are in “common ignorance” about the present and future of artificial intelligence, making both international collaboration and coordination between industry and policymakers necessary, experts have said. In a panel discussion at the inaugural Hong Kong Global AI Governance Conference at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) on Saturday, Alibaba Group Holding policy lead Fu Hongyu said that China was now at the front lines of global efforts to introduce guardrails... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349871/common-ignorance-how-china-took-lead-global-efforts-govern-ais-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349871/common-ignorance-how-china-took-lead-global-efforts-govern-ais-future?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma The economist famously dubbed “Doctor Doom” for predicting the 2008 financial crisis has seemingly morphed into a bullish “Doctor Boom” with his latest economic outlook. Nouriel Roubini now predicts that a “Cambrian explosion” of technological advances – including artificial intelligence – could propel the US’ potential economic growth to 4 per cent by 2030, and as high as 10 per cent in less than a quarter-century, overshadowing Middle East oil shocks and other near-term headwinds. Framing AI... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349920/us-china-seen-top-ai-beneficiaries-new-growth-forecast-doctor-doom-economist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349920/us-china-seen-top-ai-beneficiaries-new-growth-forecast-doctor-doom-economist?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:06:00 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China has launched a national action plan to embed AI across its education system, in a strategic push to future-proof its workforce amid intensifying global competition in advanced technologies. The “AI+ Education” action plan, unveiled by the Ministry of Education and four other ministerial-level bodies, mandates the integration of artificial intelligence at every stage of learning – from primary schools to lifelong education. The initiative builds on China’s long-term education plan to the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3349832/amid-fierce-global-competition-china-launches-national-plan-boost-ai-education?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3349832/amid-fierce-global-competition-china-launches-national-plan-boost-ai-education?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:57:32 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China’s aviation authorities have mobilised a range of resources to support European certification of the C919, the home-grown airliner aiming to take on Boeing and Airbus, with steady progress made in recent months, multiple sources said. Technicians and pilots from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have set up shop in Shanghai for more checks and in-flight tests in recent months, according to a source who took part in some technological exchanges with the agency. “They now stay... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349669/eu-tests-chinas-c919-speed-pilots-stay-shanghai-permanently-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349669/eu-tests-chinas-c919-speed-pilots-stay-shanghai-permanently-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:00:11 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye Chinese carmakers are rapidly gaining ground in Europe, squeezing out Asian rivals such as Japan and South Korea as exports to the region surge past 1 million units for the first time, according to an industry report. Imports of Chinese-made cars into the European Union in 2025 jumped 30.7 per cent from a year earlier to 1.006 million vehicles, according to the report published by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, known as the ACEA, on April 2. The value of those imports,... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3349794/chinese-carmakers-squeeze-out-asian-rivals-europe-exports-top-1-million-units?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3349794/chinese-carmakers-squeeze-out-asian-rivals-europe-exports-top-1-million-units?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 23:00:20 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang An open-source artificial intelligence project aimed at harvesting human capabilities into reusable AI “skills” has gone viral in China, gaining traction as a meme among the country’s uneasy young workers as they face growing job insecurity amid rapid AI advances. Supposedly, certain skills of luminaries such as Steve Jobs, spiritual figures like Gautama Buddha and ordinary office workers have been extracted into digital form and uploaded online, making these skills – such as Jobs’ product... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349790/colleague-skill-ai-job-fears-china-set-viral-spread-supposed-ability-harvester?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349790/colleague-skill-ai-job-fears-china-set-viral-spread-supposed-ability-harvester?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:31:10 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Hyundai Motor has spearheaded a comeback among foreign marques vying for a slice of the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) market, launching a new brand built around local technologies and partnerships. The South Korean carmaker, which reversed a six-year sales decline in 2025, said it would soon introduce production models under the Ioniq brand tailored for Chinese consumers, as it steps up its push into the world’s largest automotive market. “The newly launched Ioniq brand in China evolves beyond a... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349776/hyundai-spearheads-foreign-ev-comeback-push-china-ioniq-brand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349776/hyundai-spearheads-foreign-ev-comeback-push-china-ioniq-brand?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 05:20:54 +0000 Teng Bingsheng Teng Bingsheng As China enters its 15th five-year plan, policymakers face a structural constraint that cannot be eased with another round of infrastructure spending or property stimulus. The demographic dividend that powered four decades of expansion is fading. Industrial competition has intensified. The central economic question is no longer how fast China can grow, but how productively. Artificial intelligence, specifically the rise of AI agents, may offer part of the answer. Deployed at scale, these systems... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349389/chinas-next-growth-engine-ai-powered-intelligence-dividend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349389/chinas-next-growth-engine-ai-powered-intelligence-dividend?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Yang Zhilin, founder of fast-rising start-up Moonshot AI, has become the latest artificial intelligence entrepreneur to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang, as Beijing steps up its push to accelerate the digital transformation of manufacturing. The 32-year-old was among a select group of business leaders and experts invited to a high-level symposium on Friday, where participants offered views on China’s economic resilience and future growth drivers. Li acknowledged that the external environment had... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349707/chinas-li-qiang-urges-faster-industrial-ai-adoption-meeting-moonshot-ai-founder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349707/chinas-li-qiang-urges-faster-industrial-ai-adoption-meeting-moonshot-ai-founder?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:30:08 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang Tencent Holdings’ super app WeChat has updated its content governance rules to ban non-human automated publishing, including the use of artificial intelligence and scripts, amid a surge in technologies that can replace human creators. “Official accounts and service accounts must not use AI, scripts, APIs or other automated methods to replace human involvement in content production and distribution,” WeChat said on Thursday via its official platform. The super app, marketed as Weixin on the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349696/tencent-moves-rein-ai-content-flood-wechat-stricter-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349696/tencent-moves-rein-ai-content-flood-wechat-stricter-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:31:11 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang A new video generation model quietly unveiled by Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group Holding has overtaken Seedance 2.0, ByteDance’s most advanced model, as the world’s top-ranked artificial intelligence video tool based on an evaluation by a benchmark site, offering a glimpse into the AI talent race as the market heats up. The HappyHorse 1.0 model, which was still under internal beta testing, was developed by the Innovation Business Unit under the e-commerce giant’s newly formed Alibaba Token Hub... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349662/alibabas-happyhorse-tops-seedance-offering-glimpse-chinas-race-ai-talent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349662/alibabas-happyhorse-tops-seedance-offering-glimpse-chinas-race-ai-talent?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:30:14 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang China’s healthcare sector has been drawing offshore capital to Hong Kong-listed stocks as investors look for safe havens amid global volatility in commodities. The Hang Seng Healthcare Index, tracking some of China’s most innovative pharmaceutical companies including Akeso and Innovent Biologics, has surged about 13 per cent since March 23, outpacing the benchmark Hang Seng Index’s about 6 per cent gain over the same period. “Although the Middle East conflict has created a lot of uncertainty and... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3349635/china-healthcare-stocks-outgain-hong-kong-market-middle-east-roils-global-investments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3349635/china-healthcare-stocks-outgain-hong-kong-market-middle-east-roils-global-investments?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:30:09 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang Alibaba Cloud captured more than 50 per cent of global open-source model downloads as of March following the release of its Qwen 3.5 model series, a new report has found. The finding underscores the dominance of Chinese models in the global open-source artificial intelligence landscape, though some US companies including OpenAI and Nvidia are also making early gains. Qwen reached nearly 1 billion cumulative downloads by March, far surpassing rivals like Meta Platforms’ Llama and DeepSeek,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349552/alibabas-qwen-family-captures-over-50-global-open-source-downloads-report-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349552/alibabas-qwen-family-captures-over-50-global-open-source-downloads-report-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi Three solid-state battery developers across China and the US are moving towards initial public offerings (IPOs), as geopolitical tensions and elevated oil prices fuel demand for more energy-efficient technologies. Qingtao (Kunshan) Energy Development Group became the latest to join the queue, filing for a Hong Kong listing on April 8. Earlier, Beijing WeLion New Energy began the pre-listing tutoring process ahead of a planned application to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, while US-based Factorial... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349560/solid-state-battery-firms-china-and-us-line-ipos-oil-prices-lift-ev-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349560/solid-state-battery-firms-china-and-us-line-ipos-oil-prices-lift-ev-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 01:30:17 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren China’s leading battery makers have unveiled plans to add more than 600 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of new production capacity for the energy storage system (ESS) market in just the first two months of 2026, underscoring surging global demand for renewable energy infrastructure. The planned facilities – spanning major players from Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL) to Gotion High-tech – amount to roughly 10 times the 58GWh of total capacity installed across the US in 2025. According to the GGII... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349550/china-throws-switch-battery-buildout-equal-10-times-us-capacity-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349550/china-throws-switch-battery-buildout-equal-10-times-us-capacity-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:40:44 +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 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Investment banking fees across Asia-Pacific excluding Japan reached US$5.3 billion in the first quarter of 2026, with China’s Citic Securities ranking as the region’s top earner. The total in the first three months fell 5 per cent from a year earlier, as growth in equity capital markets underwriting was offset by weaker debt capital market and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity, according to an LSEG Data and Analytics report on Thursday. Helped by strong fees from its bond underwriting... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3349487/citic-tops-asia-pacific-banking-fees-mainland-china-and-hong-kong-ipos-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3349487/citic-tops-asia-pacific-banking-fees-mainland-china-and-hong-kong-ipos-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:00:09 +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 Themis Qi Themis Qi German automotive giant Volkswagen will launch three new electric vehicle (EV) models in mainland China over the next two weeks, developed using technology from Chinese firms. The move comes at a time when international marques are struggling on the mainland amid fierce competition in the world’s largest car market. As the largest foreign carmaker in China, Volkswagen previously said that it would integrate Germany’s high manufacturing standards with technology developed by Chinese firms. “We... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3349457/volkswagen-tests-chinas-appetite-locally-developed-evs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3349457/volkswagen-tests-chinas-appetite-locally-developed-evs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:57:03 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang China’s biopharmaceutical sector is seeing an uptick in deal-making, with sovereign wealth funds from Singapore and the United Arab Emirates joining Chinese state-backed investors to back next-generation drug developers. Shanghai-based Everest Medicines agreed to spend US$250 million to acquire a Singapore company holding rights to 14 chronic-disease treatments across the Asia-Pacific region, according to a stock exchange filing on Wednesday. Its Singapore unit will acquire 100 per cent of... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3349390/china-biotech-flow-picks-everest-seals-us250-million-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3349390/china-biotech-flow-picks-everest-seals-us250-million-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:30:08 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China has completed one of Southeast Asia’s largest solar power projects in Laos, at a time when regional economies are stepping up efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels amid global energy disruptions in the Persian Gulf. The initial phase of the 1 gigawatt (GW) solar project was officially connected to the grid on Tuesday, becoming the country’s first large-scale mountainous photovoltaic installation. Located in northern Laos, the installation is expected to generate about 1.65 billion... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349382/china-backed-solar-project-powers-laos-amid-iran-war-energy-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349382/china-backed-solar-project-powers-laos-amid-iran-war-energy-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Artificial intelligence has emerged as the driving force behind global trade growth, fuelled by a surge in data-centre buildouts at a time when geopolitical tensions are redrawing trade flows, according to McKinsey & Company. Global trade grew 6.5 per cent last year, outpacing the world economy, with AI-linked goods accounting for about one-third of that increase, McKinsey’s research showed. The category – including semiconductors, graphics cards, routers and servers – has been propelled by the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349424/ai-fuels-global-trade-growth-china-us-flows-shift-mckinsey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349424/ai-fuels-global-trade-growth-china-us-flows-shift-mckinsey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 23:00:08 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang Chinese artificial intelligence company Zhipu AI open-sourced its latest flagship model, GLM-5.1, on Wednesday while raising application programming interface prices by 10 per cent, signalling a shift towards monetising advanced AI capabilities as competition with US rivals intensifies. The move marked Zhipu’s second price increase this year, following a broader overhaul in February that lifted rates for its coding subscription plans by more than 30 per cent. While the latest adjustment was more... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3349422/chinas-zhipu-ai-open-sources-flagship-model-raises-prices-narrow-gap-us-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3349422/chinas-zhipu-ai-open-sources-flagship-model-raises-prices-narrow-gap-us-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:00:27 +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 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Chinese electric vehicle (EV) batteries are set to become safer and more powerful, as carmakers including SAIC Motor and Chery Automobile outline road maps for the commercialisation of solid-state technology. Solid-state batteries – which use a solid electrolyte to conduct ions between electrodes – are widely seen as a superior alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries that rely on liquid or gel-based materials. Analysts say the technology promises higher energy density, improved safety... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349348/safer-longer-range-evs-sight-china-accelerates-solid-state-battery-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349348/safer-longer-range-evs-sight-china-accelerates-solid-state-battery-push?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:00:08 +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 Coco Feng Coco Feng As the global memory industry rides an unprecedented “super cycle” fuelled by AI demand, China’s leading memory chipmakers are leveraging lower pricing and expanding production to capture a bigger market share, according to analysts. “Chinese manufacturers often enjoy a price advantage of more than 15 per cent for products of the same specifications, which is highly attractive to the price-sensitive general-purpose server and consumer markets,” said Arisa Liu, chief director and research fellow... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349266/chinese-memory-giants-gain-market-share-lower-prices-expanded-capacity-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349266/chinese-memory-giants-gain-market-share-lower-prices-expanded-capacity-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 13:30:08 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren A number of underperforming international car brands are likely to either exit the mainland Chinese market or scale down operations, as losses mount due to falling sales and shrinking market share. Carmakers delivering fewer than 1,000 units a month already faced a do-or-die situation in the world’s largest automotive market because the weak sales were not enough to cover their manufacturing and operating costs, according to analysts. Some carmakers are likely to follow Skoda, Volkswagen’s... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349083/more-foreign-marques-face-do-or-die-moment-chinese-buyers-shun-petrol-cars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349083/more-foreign-marques-face-do-or-die-moment-chinese-buyers-shun-petrol-cars?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese tech companies are engaged in a public war of words as they compete to capitalise on US start-up Anthropic’s decision to pull its industry-leading Claude models from open-source AI agent tool OpenClaw. The development comes as AI agents have triggered a huge increase in demand for AI tokens – the core metric of AI usage – raising questions about the long-term ability of industry players to meet this demand amid a growing global crunch in computational power. On Sunday, Anthropic... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349146/chinese-ai-rivals-clash-over-anthropics-openclaw-exit-amid-global-token-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349146/chinese-ai-rivals-clash-over-anthropics-openclaw-exit-amid-global-token-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 07:58:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Andrew Tilton, chief Asia-Pacific economist at Goldman Sachs, speaks to the South China Morning Post about the long-term future of China’s economy after the “two sessions” in Beijing and ahead of an expected Xi-Trump summit – all during an oil crisis sparked by the US-Israel war against Iran. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. What impact will the oil shock arising from the Iran war have on the growth of Asian economies this year? Asia is greatly affected by the war... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348903/andrew-tilton-chinas-growth-prospects-economic-trajectory-wake-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348903/andrew-tilton-chinas-growth-prospects-economic-trajectory-wake-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 22:00:29 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu Traditional corporate culture and hierarchies are slowing down artificial intelligence adoption in Chinese enterprises, leaving them trailing their US peers, even as China’s savvy consumers embrace AI agents at a breakneck pace, says Zack Kass, former head of go-to-market at OpenAI. China has a very “techno-centric consumer”, while the US has a very “techno-centric enterprise”, Kass told the South China Morning Post in a recent interview. Highlighting this contrast, Kass said typical Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3348956/chinese-firms-trail-us-peers-ai-adoption-due-corporate-culture-ex-openai-executive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3348956/chinese-firms-trail-us-peers-ai-adoption-due-corporate-culture-ex-openai-executive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 11:00:08 +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 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow There was a surprise guest speaker at Nvidia’s widely watched GPU Technology Conference (GTC) in San Jose, California, last month: Yang Zhilin, the founder of Beijing-based Moonshot AI, the developer behind the Kimi family of foundational artificial intelligence models. Amid heated rhetoric about US-China AI competition, which some have likened to an “arms race”, the participation of a Chinese AI start-up’s CEO at the flagship event of American chipmaking giant Nvidia might have struck some as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348973/competition-or-co-opetition-how-convergence-shaping-ai-race-between-china-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348973/competition-or-co-opetition-how-convergence-shaping-ai-race-between-china-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese companies engaging in artificial intelligence activities are required to set up internal “AI ethics review committees” under new rules released by Beijing on Thursday, effective immediately. The notice comes as policymakers look to ensure that fast-paced AI progress can continue in a “healthy” manner amid growing consumer and enterprise adoption. Jointly released by 10 government bodies and institutions including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, National Development... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3348995/beijing-mandates-internal-ai-ethics-reviews-ensure-controllable-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3348995/beijing-mandates-internal-ai-ethics-reviews-ensure-controllable-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:54:53 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Tencent Holdings has launched a new OpenClaw tool for enterprises that promises easy deployment of the artificial intelligence agent as part of the Chinese internet giant’s efforts to capitalise on the “lobster” frenzy in the country. ClawPro, launched in public beta by Tencent’s cloud unit on Thursday, works as an AI agent management platform for enterprises, allowing them to deploy OpenClaw templates, select models and agents, track token consumption and manage security settings. Tencent said... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348942/tencent-expands-openclaw-suite-enterprise-tool-amid-chinas-lobster-craze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348942/tencent-expands-openclaw-suite-enterprise-tool-amid-chinas-lobster-craze?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang The US government has unveiled an AI export initiative designed to cement American technological leadership while countering China’s growing influence in the sector. Washington is inviting US companies to form “preset” consortiums to offer full-stack artificial intelligence solutions around the world. Applications will be accepted until the end of June, the International Trade Administration (ITA), an agency under the US Department of Commerce, said in a news release issued on Wednesday. The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348951/washington-launches-export-initiative-ensure-future-ai-led-united-states?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348951/washington-launches-export-initiative-ensure-future-ai-led-united-states?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:00:19 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Xiaomi has raised prices on several smartphone models, joining a broader wave of increases across China’s handset makers as surging memory chip costs ripple through the global consumer electronics supply chain. The company said on Friday that prices for three models would rise by about 200 yuan (US$29), with the adjustments taking effect next Saturday. The move follows similar increases by domestic peers including Oppo, Vivo and Honor in March. Xiaomi attributed the hike to “continued sharp... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348944/xiaomi-lifts-handset-prices-memory-chip-crunch-ripples-through-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348944/xiaomi-lifts-handset-prices-memory-chip-crunch-ripples-through-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:00:13 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Tesla has regained the global pure electric vehicle (EV) crown for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2024, after its deliveries rose 6.5 per cent year on year in the three months ending March. The modest increase was enough for the US carmaker to beat China’s EV king BYD, which posted a 25.5 per cent drop in sales during the first quarter of 2026. Tesla’s deliveries worldwide between January and March hit 358,023 units, it said in a statement on Thursday. Tesla builds only pure electric... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3348898/tesla-outraces-chinas-byd-pure-electric-car-sales-regain-worlds-top-spot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3348898/tesla-outraces-chinas-byd-pure-electric-car-sales-regain-worlds-top-spot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:00:12 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Leapmotor, one of China’s strongest-performing electric vehicle (EV) makers this year, is accelerating its global push with a new innovation centre in Europe and plans for potential local assembly in Canada, as it looks to entrench production of its low-cost smart cars overseas. The Hangzhou-based carmaker, backed by Fiat owner Stellantis, has also raised its overseas sales target by 50 per cent, betting that higher fuel costs and easing trade barriers will bolster demand for Chinese-made... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3348847/leapmotor-targets-global-growth-europe-rd-hub-eyes-canada-assembly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3348847/leapmotor-targets-global-growth-europe-rd-hub-eyes-canada-assembly?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese companies including Alibaba Cloud and Zhipu AI have opted not to open-source some of their latest artificial intelligence models as they look to capture the full value of their usage through official revenue generating channels. While none of the companies have said that they are moving away from their open-source strategies, the development reflects an industry trend where the most powerful models are growing in size, making them increasingly difficult to host on local hardware. This... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348844/chinese-ai-giants-pivot-toward-proprietary-models-drive-revenue-performance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348844/chinese-ai-giants-pivot-toward-proprietary-models-drive-revenue-performance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:07:42 +0000