Mercedes-Benz

F1: Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli overcomes bad start to win Japanese Grand Prix

29 Mar 2026 - 3:55PM

F1 Japanese Grand Prix: Verstappen asks journalist to ‘get out’ of media briefing

27 Mar 2026 - 12:00AM

Verstappen slams F1 as ‘joke’ after being forced to retire from Chinese Grand Prix

Four-time world champion says new rules are ‘fundamentally flawed’ and fans who like the new overtaking rules ‘don’t understand racing’.

16 Mar 2026 - 8:00AM

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (centre) gets out of his car after retiring during the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Chinese carmakers step up global expansion using idled foreign facilities

Great Wall Motors, Geely and other Chinese carmakers are using an asset-light strategy to accelerate their growth overseas.

15 Mar 2026 - 8:00PM

BMW sees smoother road ahead in China after sales skid in 2025

German carmaker reports a solid start to 2026 amid stabilising prices, with new EV model, its ‘most Chinese car’ ever, coming soon.

13 Mar 2026 - 8:00AM

Why the ‘China threat’ was barely mentioned in Germany’s latest state election

Baden-Wurttemberg’s car industry is facing steep job losses amid intense Chinese competition. But local candidates largely avoided blaming China.

10 Mar 2026 - 5:30PMvideocam

Candidates in the Baden-Wurttemberg state election attend a press conference in Stuttgart after the release of exit polls on March 8. Photo: AFP

Mercedes’ Russell, Antonelli top in Australian GP qualifying, Verstappen crashes

Briton Russell lives up to pre-race ‘favourite’ tag while Dutch four-time world champion ⁠crashes out in first qualifying session.

7 Mar 2026 - 4:24PM

Wings, power units, sons of DRS: a rough guide to Formula 1 rule changes for 2026

‘Revolutionary’ changes including smaller, lighter and more eco-sustainable cars could make the new season a very different one.

5 Mar 2026 - 7:00AM

New rules, same old suspects as Formula 1 season set to be among most intriguing

While McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari remain favourites, the pre-season talk is about engine overhauls and rule loopholes.

5 Mar 2026 - 1:16AM

A crew member walks past images of drivers as teams prepare for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne. Photo: AFP

Robotics

Germany’s Merz meets China’s tech vanguard, including Alibaba and Unitree CEOs

Hangzhou visit reflects Germany’s attempt to work further with the engines of China’s digital and robotics economy.

27 Feb 2026 - 2:49PM

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is given a tour of Unitree by CEO Wang Xingxing. Photo: DPA

China-Germany relations

Xi and Merz pledge to strengthen ties as they rebalance amid ‘turbulent’ times

After meeting Chinese leader, German chancellor calls for closer trade relations to unlock opportunities and drive economic prosperity.

26 Feb 2026 - 10:16AMvideocam

Americas and the Caribbean

Merz the latest European leader to visit China amid tensions with US

Trade deficit is likely to be top priority for German chancellor on his first official visit to China since taking office.

20 Feb 2026 - 9:38PMvideocam

Hong Kong economy

How Guangdong drivers are celebrating Lunar New Year in Hong Kong

‘I’m a fan of Hong Kong’s car culture, so I wanted to see how local owners modify their vehicles and chat with them about cars,’ one visitor says.

19 Feb 2026 - 6:53PM

Guangzhou resident Eason Chong says driving to Hong Kong is much more convenient than taking a bus or the high-speed train. Photo: Eason Chong

Germany

Mercedes to accelerate localisation as China revenue slump hits 2025 profits

Despite a weak outlook, the company unveils a strategy to further localise production in China, introduce AI-based upgrades and launch new models.

13 Feb 2026 - 4:46PM

A Mercedes-Benz CLA is showcased at the Shanghai Motor Show last year. Photo: dpa

Good Schools Guide

The Hong Kong schools and young artists nurturing creativity in the age of AI

Brothers Andrew Mok, aka YaLocalOffgod, and Tate Mok are behind the artistic duo, whose fans include Pharrell Williams and Takashi Murakami.

13 Feb 2026 - 3:00PM

Why China’s BYD and Geely are eyeing Mexico’s idle auto plants

With Mexico’s auto sector battered by tariffs, Chinese investment offers a lifeline that threatens to inflame tensions with Washington.

12 Feb 2026 - 10:30PMvideocam

Interview

In conversation: Hong Kong creative duo Offgod:Tate, aka Tate and Andrew Mok

The Hong Kong-born, Gen Z brothers talk about collaborating with Adidas, and meeting their heroes Pharrell Williams and Takashi Murakami.

12 Feb 2026 - 8:00AM

Hong Kong-born brothers Tate and Andrew Mok are the multidisciplinary creative duo known as Offgod:Tate. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

ByteDance

ByteDance joins Chinese rivals offering freebies in bid to acquire AI app users

TikTok parent plans to give more than 100,000 tech products as gifts, as well as red packets through lucky draws on the Doubao app.

11 Feb 2026 - 8:00AM

‘Mother of all trade deals’: EU pivots to India in historic trade shake-up

Brussels diversifies away from China and US risks, while the pact makes India a more attractive place for European firms to sell vehicles and fuel growth.

28 Jan 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

Major foreign carmakers set to stage a comeback in China this year: analysts

Foreign carmakers ‘will fight back because they will have the same products’ as their Chinese rivals, consultancy head Denis Depoux says.

23 Jan 2026 - 10:00AM

Volkswagen workers seen at an assembly line in the German carmaker’s plant in Qingdao, in eastern Shandong province, on December 23, 2025. Photo: AFP

China-EU deal on EVs marks rare agreement in frosty relations

The EU will waive tariffs on China-made battery electric vehicles if carmakers set a minimum price that offsets the effect of subsidies.

13 Jan 2026 - 5:00PM

Mergers & Acquisitions

Mercedes-Benz buys US$191 million stake in Chinese autonomous driving developer

The German carmaker obtains a 3 per cent stake in Chongqing Qianli Technology.

25 Dec 2025 - 9:00PM

Artificial intelligence

ByteDance AI model usage grows over tenfold on strong demand from Chinese firms

‘AI is being adopted at an unprecedented speed,’ Tan Dai, president at cloud unit Volcano Engine, says.

18 Dec 2025 - 8:56PM

High-end car sales sink in China as cheaper brands trump European marques

Many buyers were swayed by a 20,000 yuan (US$2,830 ) trade-in subsidy offered by the government for purchasing electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

14 Dec 2025 - 3:22PM

Porsche’s all-electric Macan Turbo sports car is displayed at the 17th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2024) on April 23, 2025. Photo: Shutterstock

China leans on German carmakers to help break Brussels tariff deadlock

Commerce vice-minister urges German industry leaders to leverage their clout to push the European Commission towards a compromise on the anti-subsidy probe.

8 Dec 2025 - 8:58PM

Labourers work on an assembly line at a factory in Chongqing, China, in May. Beijing has pressed German carmakers to help resolve disputes over the European Union’s anti-subsidy tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Photo: EPA-EFE