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Huawei has recently been preparing for the mass production of a new triple-folding smartphone, with an expected launch as early as the second quarter of this year. As the hinge is a key component in foldable phones, reports suggest that Huawei has expanded its hinge orders from the Taiwanese manufacturers Jarllytec and Fositek. The Chinese panel maker BOE is expected to supply the screen for the triple-folding phone, which may adopt a Z-shaped design with a folded screen size of approximately 6.4 inches. Differing from current foldables using a 16:9 or 18:9 design, Huawei’s upcoming triple-folding smartphone might feature a 28:9 or 18:9 design, providing users with an innovative transformation from phone to tablet. [Icsmart, in Chinese]Chinas ride-hailing giant Didi has recently set up a travel-related company, according to the corporate database Qichacha. The move indicates the company’s focus on tourism, as the new firm covers a wide range of businesses, including ticketing agency and mini-bus leasing business services to tourism project consulting. Established on Feb. 2, Tianjin Yingkesong Technology Co. is wholly-owned by Beijing Xiaoju Technology Co., which operates the taxi-hailing service Didi, with a registered capital of RMB 10 million. [Qichacha, in Chinese]Chinas ride-hailing giant Didi has recently set up a travel-related company, according to the corporate database Qichacha. The move indicates the company’s focus on tourism, as the new firm covers a wide range of businesses, including ticketing agency and mini-bus leasing business services to tourism project consulting. Established on Feb. 2, Tianjin Yingkesong Technology Co. is wholly-owned by Beijing Xiaoju Technology Co., which operates the taxi-hailing service Didi, with a registered capital of RMB 10 million. [Qichacha, in Chinese]Chinese electric vehicle maker Human Horizons has failed to raise the new capital it needed from Middle East investors, spurring the recent closing of two showrooms and prompting the firm to look at cutting headcount in some departments to reduce costs and attempt to remain in business, souces told Chinese media outlet Caixin on Sunday. The Shanghai-headquartered company in June signed a letter of intent with Saudi Arabias Ministry of Investment for setting up a joint venture to make EVs in the Gulf country as part of a $5.6 billion deal. However, Saudi later scrapped its planned investment with concerns about the sales growth of Human Horizons, which delivered roughly 8,000 units of its HiPhi-branded premium EVs in 2023 after six years of operation, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The EV startup has recently shut down two shops in the southern city of Guanghzou and southwestern municipality of Chengdu, and will need to implement more cost-cutting measures before it manages to secure new funding, according to Caixin. [Caixin, in Chinese]Chinese electric vehicle maker Human Horizons has failed to raise the new capital it needed from Middle East investors, spurring the recent closing of two showrooms and prompting the firm to look at cutting headcount in some departments to reduce costs and attempt to remain in business, souces told Chinese media outlet Caixin on Sunday. The Shanghai-headquartered company in June signed a letter of intent with Saudi Arabias Ministry of Investment for setting up a joint venture to make EVs in the Gulf country as part of a $5.6 billion deal. However, Saudi later scrapped its planned investment with concerns about the sales growth of Human Horizons, which delivered roughly 8,000 units of its HiPhi-branded premium EVs in 2023 after six years of operation, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The EV startup has recently shut down two shops in the southern city of Guanghzou and southwestern municipality of Chengdu, and will need to implement more cost-cutting measures before it manages to secure new funding, according to Caixin. [Caixin, in Chinese]

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei reclaimed the top spot in Chinese smartphone sales during the first two weeks of 2024, according to market research firm Counterpoint’s China Smartphone Weekly Model Sales Tracker Report. The performance marks a strong comeback for Huawei, as the company has experienced a consistent decline in market share since US sanctions were introduced in 2019. The report attributes this achievement primarily to Huaweis new flagship Mate 60 series, featuring the self developed Kirin 9000S chip. Additionally, renewed brand loyalty and the launch of the HarmonyOS operating system have both played key roles in the company’s resurgence in the market, the report noted. [Counterpoint Research, in Chinese]Alibabas enterprise communication tool DingTalk launched an official version built for the Apple Vision Pro on Feb. 4, two days after the hardware’s release in the US. The software features a range of workplace functions, including chats and meetings in a virtual environment. Based on the new visionOS features, DingTalk has created a complete 3D environment for the native app on the iPhone makers revolutionary spatial computer, boasting a number of unique features, the platform said in an official WeChat post. These unique features include enabling parallel processing of multi-tasks and persona, which shows users real-time facial and hand movements. Apples Vision Pro has not yet officially landed in China, but CEO Tim Cook said a launch in the country is coming soon. [DingTalk, in Chinese]Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social platform that is increasingly seen as a real-time search engine favored by younger generations, has received financial injections from venture capital firm DST Global in a recent sale of existing shares to current and new investors. The Financial Times first reported the news on Thursday, saying the deal valued Xiaohongshu at $17 billion. Investors that already held stakes in the company, including Hongshan (previously Sequoia China), Hillhouse, Boyu, and Citic Capital, also participated in the new round of funding. Boosted by rising e-commerce and advertising business, the lifestyle platform reportedly earned $3.7 billion in revenue and $500 million in net profit last year, the first time it was profitable since it was founded in 2013. [Financial Times]

E-commerce growth has slowed for Chinas two major short video platforms, Douyin and Kuaishou, since the beginning of this year, local tech media LatePost reported on Wednesday. Nevertheless, the two content platforms have still enjoyed double-digit GMV increases of around 20% in recent months, according to the report, which quoted a source close to Kuaishou as pointing to the lack of significant expansion in its overall user base as the main reason that sales growth has dragged. Kuaishou is aware that too many advertisements could discourage short video viewers from placing retail orders in the app, said the report, with the companys commercialization head Wang Jianwei also taking over the e-commerce business last November in an attempt to find the right mix of engagement and advertising. [LatePost, in Chinese]Baidus shares surged 10.1% to HK$ 95.05 ($12.17) on Wednesday in Hong Kong, its highest price in the past month, after a mainland Chinese taxi fleet operator publicly complained about the companys autonomous ride-hailing cars becoming a threat to its human taxi drivers. Four taxi drivers at Wuhan Jianshe Automobile Passenger Transport Co., Ltd. have suspended services since April and more are facing a significant reduction in salary, the company said in a letter sent to local authorities on June 20 and circulated on Chinese social networks this week.The taxi firm blamed a sprawling expansion of Baidus autonomous cars, while multiple taxi drivers told media outlet CLS that it had become difficult to get fares in areas of the city where the internet giant had deployed large numbers of its robotaxis. Baidu said in May that its robotaxi service, known as Apollo Go (or Luobo Kuaipao in Chinese) and launched in 2021, had provided 6 million rides as of April 19, while it was aiming for the business to turn a profit by 2025, TechNode reported. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has previously announced that the company will unveil its robotaxi design on August 8, as competition in the sector heats up. [TechNode reporting, CLS, in Chinese]TSMC, listed in both Taiwan and New York, saw its market value surpass the $1 trillion mark on Monday, becoming the seventh-largest tech company globally by market capitalization, local media outlet Jiwei reported. Ranked by market valuation, the top ten most valuable companies include Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Alphabet, Amazon, Saudi Aramco, Meta, TSMC, Tesla, and Berkshire Hathaway. Over the past 15 to 18 months, the semiconductor industry has led the stock market due to soaring global chip demand driven by the rise of AI, the report said. Semiconductors have attracted significant investment and government subsidies, notably the US governments CHIPS Act, which offers companies billions of dollars to establish domestic chip factories. [Jiwei, in Chinese]The US-listed Chinese electric vehicle trio has made some progress in their push to replace the chips for advanced driving functions inside their cars with home-grown components, following Teslas suit in hopes of deriving better computing performance to train their artificial intelligence models. NIO has carried out the tapeout phase for the Shenji NX9031, its first self-developed system on chip (SoC) for assisted driving and conditional autonomous functions, and will integrate the five-nanometer chip into its ET9 executive sedan as planned, scheduled for delivery in early 2025, according to a Monday report by Chinese media outlet 36Kr. The report cited sources as saying the tapeout for Xpeng Motors in-house replacement for Nvidias DRIVE Orin chips has also started, marking the end of the design process and the beginning of manufacturing. The report added that there is a bit of catching up for Li Auto, which aims for the completion of the tapeout for its in-house advanced driving chip, codenamed Schumacher, by the end of this year. In August 2018, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk revealed the companys plan to swap Nvidias AI system with its Hardware 3.0 chips. [TechNode reporting, 36Kr, in Chinese]

Chinese electric vehicle maker Zeekr is looking to enter South Korea by 2026, with plans to open showrooms in Seoul and the nearby province of Gyeonggi by next year, parent company Geely said last week in response to questions from Bloomberg. Under the current plan, the mainstream luxury carmaker will bring the Zeekr 001, its first model featuring advanced driving functions including autonomous parking, to woo local tech-savvy customers. The news comes as peer BYD recently started regulatory preparations in South Korea aiming to launch its first EV locally in the second half of 2024. Zhejiang-headquartered Zeekr, with four models on offer, will launch two new models in China later this year, including a five-seater van, the Mix, as well as a medium-to-large sports utility vehicle, codenamed CX1e, targeting Chinese families. Zeekr chief executive Andy An told investors last month that the New York-listed company would expand its footprint from 25 to more than 50 global markets by the end of the year. [Bloomberg, TechNode reporting]Bloomberg on Monday claimed to have obtained an internal memo indicating that Microsoft will soon require its Chinese employees to use only Apple devices for identity verification when using work computers or phones. Employees will be restricted to using iPhones in offices starting this September, the report said. As part of Microsoft’s global Secure Future Initiative, this measure aims to ensure that all employees use Microsoft Authenticator, Identity Pass, and other similar applications for identity verification, which will affect hundreds of employees in mainland China. Microsoft made this decision because Android phones in China cannot access Google services such as the Play Store. Employees who previously used Android phones (including Huawei, Xiaomi, and other brands) will receive an iPhone 15 from the company. [Bloomberg]

BYD has reached a deal with the Turkish government to build a $1 billion electric vehicle plant in the country, part of the European Unions Customs Union, a move that would allow the Chinese EV giant to export vehicles to the bloc without additional tariffs. Scheduled for operation by 2026, with roughly 5,000 new jobs created, the plant will be capable of making 150,000 vehicles a year, the government said on Monday, reported the Financial Times. The move comes after the EU, on July 4, began imposing temporary duties of 27.4% on China-made BYD cars, while that percentage ranged between 29.9% and 47.6% for other Chinese car manufacturers, slightly lower than what Brussels initially proposed. The company is also establishing a Ft 10 billion ($30 million) battery pack plant near Budapest in Hungary that will begin production next year. [Financial Times]Electric vehicle maker Polestars China division is reportedly set to undergo its first major layoff with plans to reduce its workforce by about 30% by the end of September. The move is expected to have a significant impact on its local car manufacturing activities. The brand, owned by Chinese automaker Geely, has already suspended production at a facility in the countrys southwestern city of Chengdu while it also looks to downsize office space at its regional headquarters in Shanghai, local media outlet FEAutoCar reported on July 2, citing sources at the firm. The news comes just months after the Swedish company announced it was looking to reduce about 15% of its workforce globally in January. The company sold fewer than 1,000 cars during the first four months of this year in China, the worlds biggest auto market. [FEAutoCar, in Chinese]The US chip manufacturer Nvidia will ship over one million new H20 accelerator chips to the Chinese market this year, generating over $12 billion in revenue for the company, according to the latest forecast data from market research firm SemiAnalysis. Due to US export control policies, the export of Nvidia’s advanced AI chips to China has been restricted since 2022. The H20 is a cut-down version GPU that Nvidia specifically launched for the Chinese market based on the H100, but its AI performance is less than 15% of that of the high performance chip. Nevertheless, analysts at SemiAnalysis stated that the H20 chip is now being shipped in volume and is growing in popularity with Chinese customers despite its reduced performance compared with its US counterpart the H100. [Icsmart, in Chinese]The US chip manufacturer Nvidia will ship over one million new H20 accelerator chips to the Chinese market this year, generating over $12 billion in revenue for the company, according to the latest forecast data from market research firm SemiAnalysis. Due to US export control policies, the export of Nvidia’s advanced AI chips to China has been restricted since 2022. The H20 is a cut-down version GPU that Nvidia specifically launched for the Chinese market based on the H100, but its AI performance is less than 15% of that of the high performance chip. Nevertheless, analysts at SemiAnalysis stated that the H20 chip is now being shipped in volume and is growing in popularity with Chinese customers despite its reduced performance compared with its US counterpart the H100. [Icsmart, in Chinese]

There is a clear need to build AI technology that can be reviewed, monitored, and traced, according to the Shanghai Declaration on Global AI Governance, which was released at the countrys largest annual AI event, the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, which ended at the weekend. Released by Chen Jining, party secretary of Shanghai, the declaration came after local tech titans and startups spent July 4-7 showcasing their latest developments and updates on large language models in the city. The declaration called for companies to comply with the laws and regulations of the countries in which they provide their AI products and services, while encouraging international communication and cooperation in the field through the spirit of openness and sharing. [Peoples Daily]On July 6, the President of VeriSilicon, Dai Weimin, delivered a speech and presentation titled “Opportunities and Challenges of AIGC Chips” at the RISC-V and Generative AI Forum during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2024, held at the Shanghai World Expo Center. Based on current generative AI technology, achieving intelligence on par with or surpassing the human brain requires continuously expanding the scale of model parameters, a trend that necessitates an exponential increase in computational power, according to his speech. Currently, numerous enterprises worldwide are developing their own AI large-scale models, with over 100 models in the Chinese market alone. The 鈥楢I-model war’ in the market seems like a chaotic competition and a waste of electricity. By 2028, China will have fewer than ten foundational large-scale models, ideally just five, he claimed at the forum. [Icsmart, in Chinese]BYD said on Thursday it has produced its eight millionth electric vehicle, just three months after producing its seven millionth unit globally at its Jinan factory in eastern China in March and three years after reaching its first millionth unit mark in mid-2021. The latest milestone was achieved at BYDs newly opened factory in Rayong, Thailand, which is capable of producing 150,000 vehicles annually, and happened to be a blue BYD Dolphin hatchback, the most popular EV model in the country. The Chinese EV giant has found initial success in Southeast Asias second-largest economy with sales of 12,942 units between January and May, capturing roughly 40% of the countrys booming EV segment, according to figures compiled by Autolife Thailand. Smaller Chinese rival Hozon in December began trial production on the outskirts of Bangkok with an output of up to 20,000 units annually, while Chinas biggest car manufacturer SAIC has been making gas-powered MG cars in the country with Thai conglomerate CP Group since 2014. [TechNode reporting, BYD announcement, in Chinese]Chinas cross-border e-commerce platforms, including Temu, Shein, and AliExpress, might face tariff hurdles in the EU, according to the Financial Times, which details that the European Commission is set to propose abolishing the current threshold for duty-free purchases of goods under 鈧?50 later this month. The EUs attempt to close this tax loophole comes as low-value Chinese-manufactured products flood the region, and fast fashion retailer Shein has confidentially filed for a London IPO. The report mentions that 2.3 billion parcels that missed the tax threshold entered the EU, citing official data. [Financial Times]

Chinas eastern Jiangsu province is looking to buy an undisclosed number of Tesla Model Y electric vehicles in the 2024-2025 budget year, marking the first time in years that the company’s cars would be purchased officially by the authorities. The US giants cars have been widely barred from government-affiliated venues in its second-largest market over security concerns. The Shanghai-made Model Y rear-wheel drive, priced at RMB 249,900 ($34,368), was listed in a sourcing plan released by the Jiangsu Provincial Government Procurement Center on June 6, along with the Aito M7 and the Avatr 11, both featuring Huaweis assisted driving technology. Several models from state-owned manufacturer SAIC and Volvo parent Geely are also on the list, including the IM L6 and the Galaxy E8. Some Chinese government office workers have been disallowed from parking their Tesla vehicles inside government compounds, especially those close to military bases, due to security concerns over cameras installed on the vehicles since 2021, Reuters reported. The news comes after Teslas locally-built cars were tested and found to be compliant with Chinas data security requirements, announced by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) on April 28, the same day chief executive Elon Musk arrived in Beijing for a visit. [TechNode reporting, Reuters, Jiangsu gov announcement, in Chinese]The second generation of Optimus, Teslas humanoid robot, made its debut this week at the 2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, the US electric vehicle maker said on Weibo. Its unveiling was touted as witnessing the further evolution of humanoid robots, according to the Weibo post. Optimus was first released in August 2021, equipped with Teslas self-developed neural network and computer vision technology, and was designed to undertake dangerous or tedious tasks such as carrying heavy objects or grocery shopping. Last December, Tesla released a demo of the second-gen robot, which can perform delicate tasks such as picking up an egg and boiling it, demonstrating impressive dexterity. In April, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company plans to start using the Optimus in Tesla factories in 2025. [Tesla Weibo, in Chinese]

Chinese phone brand Xiaomi and Taiwan-based semiconductor company MediaTek launched their first joint laboratory on Tuesday, focusing on three major technologies: phone performance, telecommunications, and AI. The deal was announced by Redmi, a Xiaomi sub-brand, on Chinas X-like platform Weibo. The joint labs first product will be the Redmi K70 Premium Edition, a budget-friendly mid-ranger that aims to achieve maximum optimization in performance benchmarks, game frame rates, and concurrent time for game frame boosting. Redmis general manager Wang Teng revealed that the joint lab has equipped the Redmi K70 Premium Edition with a next-gen dedicated gaming GPU and their self-developed dual-chip scheduling technology, in addition to the core chipset Dimensity 9300+. [Redmi Weibo, in Chinese]Alibabas Taobao is sending more traffic to the instant commerce service of its food delivery arm Ele.me, via a prominent portal at the top of the e-commerce platforms homepage, as Alibaba pushes faster delivery to align with its user-first strategy. The move comes after Alibaba denied multiple news reports that it intends to sell Ele.me. The instant commerce service, which previously mostly covered nearby supermarkets and could be found within Ele.mes mini-program or app is in the process of luring more Taobao merchants to join. According to Alibaba, all Taobao and Tmall sellers who have local warehouses that can meet users needs for instant delivery can sign up to join the service. [TechNode reporting]Correction: An earlier version of the article misidentified instant commerce service as one-hour delivery.

Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Tuesday that Premier Li Qiang will deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2024 in Shanghai tomorrow. The AI-themed event will take place from July 4 to July 7 at the Shanghai World Expo Center and Expo Exhibition Hall. The exhibition area of WAIC 2024 exceeds 52,000 square meters, and over 500 companies, including Tesla, Microsoft, and Schneider, have confirmed their participation, according to the organizers. Scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, and stakeholders will gather in Shanghai to discuss cutting-edge technologies, industry trends, and ethical governance in the field of artificial intelligence. Baidu’s Ernie Bot, iFlytek’s Spark, Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen, Zhipu AI, Tencent’s Yuanbao, Huawei’s Pangu, and SenseTime’s SenseNova will all demonstrate their AI product capabilities during the three-day event. [China Star Market, in Chinese]Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Tuesday that Premier Li Qiang will deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2024 in Shanghai tomorrow. The AI-themed event will take place from July 4 to July 7 at the Shanghai World Expo Center and Expo Exhibition Hall. The exhibition area of WAIC 2024 exceeds 52,000 square meters, and over 500 companies, including Tesla, Microsoft, and Schneider, have confirmed their participation, according to the organizers. Scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, and stakeholders will gather in Shanghai to discuss cutting-edge technologies, industry trends, and ethical governance in the field of artificial intelligence. Baidu’s Ernie Bot, iFlytek’s Spark, Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen, Zhipu AI, Tencent’s Yuanbao, Huawei’s Pangu, and SenseTime’s SenseNova will all demonstrate their AI product capabilities during the three-day event. [China Star Market, in Chinese]Renaults electric vehicle arm Ampere on Monday announced it will integrate lower-cost lithium iron batteries into several models under the Renault and Alpine brands over the next years in partnerships with Chinese battery maker CATL and South Koreas LG Energy Solution. This means that the French automaker will add lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell chemistry for EV batteries to its portfolio, alongside more energy-dense yet expensive nickel cobalt manganese (NCM), hoping to meet the demand for lower-priced EVs. The goal is to reduce by 2026 roughly 20% of vehicle battery costs. Chinese EV battery duopoly, CATL and BYD, dominate the worlds battery market with cheap cells using LFP as the cathode material, with a combined market share of 53.1% from January to April 2024, according to data from Korean renewable energy consultancy SNE Research. CATL recorded shipment of 27.7 gigawatt-hours (GWh) worth of battery during the period in global markets excluding China, up 16.2% from a year earlier and ahead of LG Energy Solution in second place. [TechNode reporting, Renault announcement]Renaults electric vehicle arm Ampere on Monday announced it will integrate lower-cost lithium iron batteries into several models under the Renault and Alpine brands over the next years in partnerships with Chinese battery maker CATL and South Koreas LG Energy Solution. This means that the French automaker will add lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell chemistry for EV batteries to its portfolio, alongside more energy-dense yet expensive nickel cobalt manganese (NCM), hoping to meet the demand for lower-priced EVs. The goal is to reduce by 2026 roughly 20% of vehicle battery costs. Chinese EV battery duopoly, CATL and BYD, dominate the worlds battery market with cheap cells using LFP as the cathode material, with a combined market share of 53.1% from January to April 2024, according to data from Korean renewable energy consultancy SNE Research. CATL recorded shipment of 27.7 gigawatt-hours (GWh) worth of battery during the period in global markets excluding China, up 16.2% from a year earlier and ahead of LG Energy Solution in second place. [TechNode reporting, Renault announcement]The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) has issued a certificate for the completion of the independent maturity level-A certification to Huaweis HarmonyOS kernel, as the operating system achieved a 100% self-developed ratio, the national research institution announced on Monday. An independent operating system kernel can ensure national information security and increase international competitiveness, which fosters a robust ecosystem of independent research and development in China, CAICT said in the statement. Huawei’s HarmonyOS kernel 鈥 developed in the wake of US sanctions against the Chinese tech giant 鈥 marks a new milestone for both the company and the country, CAICT added. HarmonyOS NEXT, which will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2024, represents an entire break from the Linux kernel and Android Open Source Project (AOSP) codebase. [CAICT, in Chinese]Google plans to release the tenth generation of its Pixel series smartphones next year, featuring the Tensor G5 processor manufactured using TSMC’s 3nm process technology. Latest reports indicate that the Tensor G5 processor development is progressing smoothly and is nearing the tape-out stage. The Tensor G5 is Google’s first fully self-developed mobile processor, whereas the previous four generations of Tensor processors were modified versions of Samsung Exynos. The latest Tensor G5, manufactured using TSMC’s advanced 3nm process, is expected to significantly boost performance, the report said. Additionally, the Tensor G5 processor promises to enable Google to achieve comprehensive control from the processor to the operating system, applications, and devices, further enhancing the software-hardware synergy of the Pixel series smartphones. [Icsmart, in Chinese]

Tesla said on Monday that it will be offering Chinese buyers 0% financing on Model 3 and Model Y by the end of this month, an incentive the US automaker had offered in the worlds largest electric vehicle market in April. This time, buyers would not have to trade in their old Tesla vehicles for a new one to benefit from that, according to its website. The move comes after the companys output decreased 7.3% to 283,043 units in the country for the first four months of this year, according to figures compiled by the China Passenger Car Association. The China-made Model 3 and Model Y are priced from RMB 231,900 and RMB 249,900 ($31,886 and $34,361) after the EV giant cut the starting prices of the two models by RMB 14,000 in April. Meanwhile, Huawei lowered the price of its Advanced Driving System by RMB 6,000 to RMB 30,000, hoping to make it more affordable, while Xiaomi said it is offering free subscriptions of its advanced driver assistance software for a limited time, local media have reported. [Jiemian, in Chinese]Zhihu, Chinas Quora-like question-and-answer platform, unveiled its latest AI-driven tool named zhida.ai last weekend, which is intended to provide a new way to obtain reliable information supported by quality content within the Zhihu community, according to the introduction posted on the platforms official website. The company has partnered with domestic AI startup Model Best to develop the artificial intelligence foundation model Zhihaitu AI, which was released last April, and the model has been deployed to drive the new Q&A feature. When a user sends a question to the tool, it replies with a summary, a detailed answer, and a list of sources at the top, with direct links to relevant Zhihu pages. [Zhihu, in Chinese]

Data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), shows that in May, iPhone shipments in China increased by 40% year-on-year, continuing Aprils rebound momentum. CAICT announced that the shipment volume of foreign branded phones in China for May increased from 3.603 million units last year to 5.028 million units this year, a rise of 1.425 million units. Despite not being mentioned by name, the increase in shipments is largely due to Apples performance, as the company dominates the foreign brand phone market in China. The iPhone has seen multiple price cuts in the domestic market this year, with prices dropping to historical lows during the recent 618 shopping festival, reaching discounts of up to RMB 2,350 ($324). [MyDrivers, in Chinese]In the first quarter, Chinas cloud service spending rose by 20% year-over-year to $9.2 billion, according to the latest data from market research firm Canalys. The market continues to be dominated by the three giants鈥擜libaba Cloud, Huawei Cloud, and Tencent Cloud鈥攚hich collectively grew 22% year-over-year and held 72% of the total market share. Alibaba Cloud led with a 37% market share, followed by Huawei Cloud at 19% and Tencent Cloud at 16%. Price cuts by major vendors and increased AI application investments boosted cloud adoption, the report analyzed. Additionally, both Huawei and Tencent introduced AI-focused partner programs to enhance market differentiation and foster AI adoption. [Canalys]

Chinas Baidu currently has 300 million users of its ChatGPT alternative ERNIE Bot, the companys chief technology officer Wang Haifeng announced at Wave Summit 2024, at which the search giant teased the latest version of its AI foundation model ERNIE 4.0 Turbo. The countrys most popular AI tool, ERNIE Bot broke the 100-million-user milestone in December 2023, four months after being approved to provide generative AI services to the public, successfully doubling the figure in April. Wang said Baidus AI bot handles 500 million queries a day. The new model can be accessed via the official website and app, with corporate clients able to call the API of Baidus most advanced model directly within its AI Cloud Qianfan platform, according to Baidu. [Baidu, in Chinese]On Thursday, World of Warcraft’s classic server Wrath of the Lich King returned to China, with the addition of new servers Jaina and Deathstalker alongside the return of some other previously available editions. Due to the high volume of players attempting to access the games at the same time, long queues formed, forcing some users to have to wait hours for access. On the Chinese social media platform Weibo, NetEase Games apologized for the login difficulties experienced just 40 minutes after the launch of the MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game), stating that staff were urgently addressing the issue. Additionally, Blizzard announced today that the official servers for World of Warcraft in China will return on August 1. In April, Blizzard and NetEase renewed their game publishing agreement after a previous dispute over intellectual property control ended their 15-year relationship in January 2023. [Jiemian, in Chinese]

Chinese flying taxi startup Aerofugia has raised several hundred million RMB (between $13.76 million and $137.5 million) in a new round of funding led by state-backed investment fund Orinno Capital, one year after closing Series A in excess of RMB 100 million last June. The Series B closed by the subsidiary of Chinese automaker Geely is the largest funding round of its kind in the countrys segment of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in two years, according to an announcement. Aerofugia said it will use the proceeds to push for the commercial operation of its AE200, a five-to-six seater tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft with a range of 200 kilometers (124 miles). The company recently revealed plans to provide flying taxi pilot services to the public as early as 2026 in its headquarters city of Chengdu, capital city of Chinas southwestern Sichuan province, as the Chinese government looks to establish what it calls a low-altitude economy. Orinno Capital is wholly owned by Chengdu High-Tech Investment Group Co., Ltd, a state-owned investment corporation, and the financing included previous backers Tsinghua Holdings Capital and CAS Star, a venture capital firm backed by Chinese Academy of Sciences, among others. [TechNode reporting, Aerofugia announcement, in Chinese]Chinese flying taxi startup Aerofugia has raised several hundred million RMB (between $13.76 million and $137.5 million) in a new round of funding led by state-backed investment fund Orinno Capital, one year after closing Series A in excess of RMB 100 million last June. The Series B closed by the subsidiary of Chinese automaker Geely is the largest funding round of its kind in the countrys segment of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in two years, according to an announcement. Aerofugia said it will use the proceeds to push for the commercial operation of its AE200, a five-to-six seater tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft with a range of 200 kilometers (124 miles). The company recently revealed plans to provide flying taxi pilot services to the public as early as 2026 in its headquarters city of Chengdu, capital city of Chinas southwestern Sichuan province, as the Chinese government looks to establish what it calls a low-altitude economy. Orinno Capital is wholly owned by Chengdu High-Tech Investment Group Co., Ltd, a state-owned investment corporation, and the financing included previous backers Tsinghua Holdings Capital and CAS Star, a venture capital firm backed by Chinese Academy of Sciences, among others. [TechNode reporting, Aerofugia announcement, in Chinese]Chinese phone brand Honor has responded to online chatter that it has begun developing mobile phones equipped with Huaweis self-developed Kirin chips, with Honors CMO Jiang Hairong responding on the social platform Weibo that the suggestions are pure nonsense. Honor formerly operated as a Huawei sub-brand, before the two companies technically split apart in the wake of US sanctions against the latter. “Huawei is the great competitor that Honor respects and looks forward to competing with. As for the reports about Honor returning to Huawei, this is absolutely impossible,” Honor’s CEO Zhao Ming stated last September. In the first quarter, Honor took the top spot in the Chinese phone market with a share of 17.1%, followed by Huawei at 17%, according to market intelligence firm IDC.聽 [IThome, in Chinese]Chinese phone brand Honor has responded to online chatter that it has begun developing mobile phones equipped with Huaweis self-developed Kirin chips, with Honors CMO Jiang Hairong responding on the social platform Weibo that the suggestions are pure nonsense. Honor formerly operated as a Huawei sub-brand, before the two companies technically split apart in the wake of US sanctions against the latter. “Huawei is the great competitor that Honor respects and looks forward to competing with. As for the reports about Honor returning to Huawei, this is absolutely impossible,” Honor’s CEO Zhao Ming stated last September. In the first quarter, Honor took the top spot in the Chinese phone market with a share of 17.1%, followed by Huawei at 17%, according to market intelligence firm IDC.聽 [IThome, in Chinese]

SF Tongcheng, a subsidy of Chinas largest express delivery company SF Express, is eyeing on-demand delivery service in Hong Kong as the Hong Kong-listed unit recorded its first yearly profit in 2023. The entry will likely serve as a start to SF Tongchengs overseas expansion. The service will operate under the name SoFast beginning in July, according to SF Tongchengs Wednesday announcement, with a delivery focus on documents and small parcels within the islands territory. According to a report by Chinese media outlet Jiemian, delivery riders will earn up to HKD$ 300 per hour, and have flexibility in work time and tasks. In mainland China, SF Tongcheng offers city-wide 30-minute deliveries. [Jiemian, in Chinese]Chinese electric vehicle brand Aito said on Wednesday that it has received more than 100,000 reservations with RMB 5,000 ($688) non-refundable deposits for the M9 sports utility vehicle, six months after its unveiling in December. The brand, launched by Huawei and its manufacturing partner Seres, reported deliveries of over 15,000 units of the M9 consecutively in April and May, making it Chinas top-selling model in the RMB 500,000 plus price segment, according to an announcement from the company. Several major luxury brands, such as Porsche, Maserati, and Lamborghini, saw double-digit declines in their May sales in China, local media outlet Jiemian reported, citing figures from the China Automobile Dealers Association. The six-seated M9 SUV is priced from RMB 469,800 and RMB 509,800 ($65,725 and $71,321) for the range-extended hybrid and all-electric versions, respectively, and features cutting-edge technology from Huawei including a gigantic heads-up display and automated driving capabilities for urban scenarios. [Aito announcement, Jiemian, in Chinese]

Chinese battery giant CATL has revealed progress on its efforts to electrify passenger airplanes, as its incoming condensed matter battery will be ready to enable a flight range of between 2,000 and 3,000 kilometers (1,243-1,864 miles) in the next several years. The worlds largest electric vehicle battery supplier recently tested a four-ton civilian airplane with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, a state-owned plane manufacturer, founder Robin Zeng told an audience on Tuesday at this years World Economic Forum (Summer Davos Forum). Zeng added that the company predicted an eight-ton electric aircraft powered by its high energy-dense battery will probably be launched as early as 2027, with an expected flight range of up to 3,000 km. CATL showcased a condensed matter battery prototype, a type of semi-solid state product with condensed electrolytes that boasts an energy density of 500 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg), last April at the Auto Shanghai Show. [China Daily]The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) of China granted licenses to 104 domestic games for June on Tuesday, including two notable titles: Tencents action role-playing game Rock Kingdom and Lingxi Interactive Entertainments female-romance role-playing game Ashes of the Kingdom (the Chinese version of which is also known as Code: Ruyuan). The global version of Ashes of the Kingdom was launched in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia on March 30, 2023. In this female romance-themed game, players take the role of a disguised princess leading a spy mission during the tumultuous Eastern Han Dynasty of ancient China, navigating intrigue, romance, and political upheaval to protect what they cherish and unravel secrets that could reshape the empire. Ashes of the Kingdom earned around $8.92 million in revenue across global markets three months after its launch, according to market research firm DataEye. [NPPA, in Chinese]

Chinas Hozon Auto on Wednesday lodged its prospectus with the Hong Kong securities regulators, hoping to become a publicly traded electric vehicle maker in the country following similar listings from mainland counterparts NIO, Xpeng Motors, Li Auto, and Leapmotor. The 10-year-old EV startup delivered 300,000 cars to customers as of last September, with five models on sale, including the smaller and more budget crossovers Neta Aya and X, and more premium sports sedans Neta S and GT. Although Hozon delivered 124,189 vehicles last year, roughly 27,000 units fewer than a year earlier, revenue slightly increased 4% year-on-year to nearly RMB 13.6 billion ($1.87 billion) in 2023, thanks to the company selling more premium products at higher prices. However, the Shanghai-headquartered company posted a RMB 4.84 billion loss for 2023 after losing RMB 6.7 billion a year earlier, resulting in a negative gross margin of 14.9% as of last year, according to the prospectus filed with the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing. The firm is looking to raise $1 billion from the listing, Reuters reported last September. [Hozon prospectus, in Chinese]The live-action interactive dating game Love Is All Around announced on Tuesday that its mobile version will offer 20,000 limited trial copies for Android players from June 28 to July 2. The exact release date of the mobile version is yet to be determined. Launched by Chinese developer Intiny last October, Love Is All Around sold 1.9 million copies in three months, generating $11 million in revenue, making it the second best-selling Chinese PC game on Steam in 2023. In the live-action filming game, players take on the role of the male protagonist, using a first-person perspective to immerse themselves in realistic simulation interactions with six women, each with distinct appearances and personalities. [Love Is All Around Weibo, in Chinese]

Pinduoduo is planning to launch more tools in the coming months beyond the automatic price adjustment feature that it introduced before the mid-year shopping event 618 as it looks to maintain its low price advantage, according to a LatePost report. The budget e-commerce platform is increasingly being hit by competitors offering lower prices for the same items. The upcoming tools are designed to reduce merchants’ operating thresholds and decision-making costs in an attempt to realize lower commodity prices in a simple and efficient way, the report added. LatePost also reported that Zhao Jiazhen, co-CEO of the platforms parent company PDD and a figure who was originally in charge of its overseas business Temu, has recently retrained some of his attention on Pinduoduo. [LatePost]US firm Scopely’s digital spin on the classic board game Monopoly Go! topped the global mobile game market in May, grossing $226 million in revenue from the App Store and Google Play, while Chinese developer Tencents multiplayer online battle arena game Honor of Kings secured second spot with $219 million, according to market intelligence platform Sensor Tower. Another notable Tencent entry in the top 10 was the mobile version of Dungeon and Fighter, which was only released in China on May 21, but still achieved over $100 million in revenue in only 10 days to rank eighth in the global mobile game market for the month. In May, global mobile game players spent nearly $6.7 billion on the App Store and Google Play, with the Chinese iOS market accounting for 19.2% of the total, the report added. [Sensor Tower, in Chinese]US firm Scopely’s digital spin on the classic board game Monopoly Go! topped the global mobile game market in May, grossing $226 million in revenue from the App Store and Google Play, while Chinese developer Tencents multiplayer online battle arena game Honor of Kings secured second spot with $219 million, according to market intelligence platform Sensor Tower. Another notable Tencent entry in the top 10 was the mobile version of Dungeon and Fighter, which was only released in China on May 21, but still achieved over $100 million in revenue in only 10 days to rank eighth in the global mobile game market for the month. In May, global mobile game players spent nearly $6.7 billion on the App Store and Google Play, with the Chinese iOS market accounting for 19.2% of the total, the report added. [Sensor Tower, in Chinese]In response to recent news about large-scale layoffs, Chinese game developer Perfect World told local media outlet Southern Finance Omnimedia on Monday that the company’s gaming projects are always adjusted based on actual operations and personnel adjustments are continuously ongoing. The companys developing game One Punch Man is still progressing, though details about the current number of development personnel were not disclosed. There were previous reports about Perfect World’s largest round of layoffs, with nearly two entire office buildings being emptied. Over a thousand people were laid off in total, and some development departments have been cutting hundreds of staff members, one Perfect World employee claimed earlier online. Perfect World, founded in 2004 in Beijing, is best known for Perfect World International, an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game). [IThome, in Chinese]

In response to recent news about large-scale layoffs, Chinese game developer Perfect World told local media outlet Southern Finance Omnimedia on Monday that the company’s gaming projects are always adjusted based on actual operations and personnel adjustments are continuously ongoing. The companys developing game One Punch Man is still progressing, though details about the current number of development personnel were not disclosed. There were previous reports about Perfect World’s largest round of layoffs, with nearly two entire office buildings being emptied. Over a thousand people were laid off in total, and some development departments have been cutting hundreds of staff members, one Perfect World employee claimed earlier online. Perfect World, founded in 2004 in Beijing, is best known for Perfect World International, an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game). [IThome, in Chinese]Indonesias trade officials said Temus business model conflicts with local government regulations, which require a distributor or intermediary to be present in the product’s journey from factory to consumer. According to a report by CNN Indonesia, the Pinduoduo sister app has yet to apply for a license to operate locally, said Isy Karim, the director general of Indonesias domestic trade. So far, Temu ships Chinese-manufactured goods at especially low prices to over 50 overseas markets on six continents, but it has entered only two countries in Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The Indonesian government will continue to closely monitor the potential entry of Temu, as local officials worry that the Chinese online retailer poses a threat to the island countrys small- and medium-sized merchants, the report added. [CNN]

Major investors in fast fashion giant Shein have privately asked the firm to consider buying back their shares, according to a report by the South China Morning Post that cited unnamed sources, as Shein faces resistance to its plan to list in London. The China-founded and now Singapore-headquartered company reportedly switched its long-awaited IPO to London from New York in May this year due to regulatory hurdles in the US, but there have been no reports or evidence confirming Shein has filed a prospectus with the London Stock Exchange. The SCMP report also noted that deals selling Sheins shares on private markets continue to take place due to concerns over its potential IPO returns. [SCMP]Nissan ceased operations at one of its eight joint manufacturing facilities with Chinese automaker Dongfeng on June 21 in the countrys eastern city of Changzhou, less than four years after production began at the factory in late 2020, Nikkei reported. The plant, where the Japanese automaker has been producing its Qashqai compact crossovers, has an annual capacity of 130,000 units, accounting for more than 8% of the companys total production capacity of roughly 1.6 million units in China, the report said. Nissans China operations reportedly plan to slash their annual output by 30%, after reporting a 16.1% decline in sales last year, as a growing number of consumers turn to low-priced electric vehicles from Chinese rivals. [Nikkei, TechNode reporting]

Two clashes between staff and customers in one day at Manner, a rapidly expanding coffee chain in China, have sent discussion of the companys working practices viral on Chinese social media over the weekend, as anger at those involved has turned to scrutiny over how Manner treats its employees. Surveillance footage from one store shows a woman demanding that her coffee be made first because she was late, with a staff member telling her that orders are processed in the sequence they are received and offering to cancel her order if she was dissatisfied; the ensuing argument between the two then escalates into a physical fight. A similar confrontation seemingly occurred at another Manner store in Shanghai and has also gone viral online. A report from local media outlet Jiemian quoted a Manner employee as saying that the company assigns only one person to stores that record daily sales of under RMB 5,000 ($688.50), with the lone worker responsible for everything from looking after stock, taking orders offline and online, making coffee, and cleaning. According to the report, Manner’s baristas earn about RMB 5,000 a month on average even in first-tier cities like Shanghai. Manner has grown popular due to its affordable prices and high-quality flavors, with its cheapest Americano priced at RMB 15. The brand, which was founded in 2015, opened its 1,000th store last October. [Jiemian, in Chinese]Chinas Ministry of Commerce has received complaints from some domestic automakers unhappy that the European Commission requested sensitive business information concerning their sourcing of raw materials for batteries and manufacturing components during its investigation into the country’s subsidised electric vehicle imports. “The type, scope and quantity of information collected by the European side was unprecedented and far more than what is required for a countervailing duties investigation,” He Yadong, a commerce ministry spokesperson told a news conference on June 20. The comments were made when Chinese state radio asked about the possibility of Brussels spying on Chinas EV industry and came after MGs owner SAIC said it had withheld information related to battery formulation from the EU investigators, citing business confidentiality. Beijing and Brussels on June 22 agreed to start consultations over the EUs anti-subsidy probe against China-made EVs. [Reuters, TechNode reporting]