China Future Tech

China Future Tech

Key Industries:
EVs
AI
Semiconductors
Aerospace
Robotics
Biomedicine

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 stay ahead in China's evolving competitive landscape.

People check out Huawei’s Mate 70 smartphones at a store in Beijing, November 26, 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE

Tech Trends

Huawei’s new Mate 70 smartphone chip is ‘not a major redesign’, report finds

The findings contradict enthusiasm on Chinese social media, where users claimed the new Kirin 9020 had a performance boost of 30 per cent.

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Huawei’s latest phones still rely on South Korean memory chips

Chinese firms seek European base for factories amid trade tensions, tariffs

China EVs

EU tariffs slow Chinese EV exports, Geely looks to expand in Asia: 7 EV reads

From Chinese EV exports plummeting to Geely looking to expand in the EU and Asia, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.

BYD electric cars bound for export at a port in Yantai, Shandong province, in April. Photo: AFP
BYD electric cars bound for export at a port in Yantai, Shandong province, in April. Photo: AFP

China Business

China’s CATL launches EV chassis that can withstand high-speed crash

Avatr, Changan Auto and Huawei will be the first to use the chassis, which has a battery capable of running for about 1,000km.

Big Tech

Foxconn invests in EV battery plant in China’s iPhone city

The US$82 million capital injection marks the Taiwanese giant’s latest foray into the electric-vehicle sector.

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China Economy

Chinese electric vehicle exports plummet in November as EU tariffs bite

Exports down 19 per cent by volume last month as falling prices push value of shipments even lower.

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BYD electric cars stacked for export at Taicang Port’s international container terminal in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, in September. Photo: AFP
BYD electric cars stacked for export at Taicang Port’s international container terminal in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, in September. Photo: AFP

Tech Trends

China’s industrial robot sales shrink on ‘tightening demand’

Total industrial robot deliveries this year are estimated to reach 300,000 units, down 5 per cent from 2023.

Tech Trends

Former Huawei recruit says new venture can now mass produce humanoid robots

Shanghai-based Agibot said it has manufactured 962 commercial robotic units as of December 15.

China Economy

China’s C919 jet faces key test as it spreads its wings to 10 major cities

The Chinese passenger aircraft is now flying to 10 major cities as it seeks to convince Western regulators of its reliability.

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China’s homegrown C919 jetliner receives a water salute as it arrives in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou in August. Photo: Getty Images

Tech War

US plans to blacklist company that ordered TSMC chip found in Huawei processor

Sophgo, an affiliate of bitcoin mining equipment supplier Bitmain, is in the process of being placed on the Entity List.

A Chinese flag flutters near a Huawei store in Shanghai, China September 8, 2023. Photo: Reuters
A Chinese flag flutters near a Huawei store in Shanghai, China September 8, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Tech Trends

The ‘AI Olympics’ gets new hurdles in Canada as US-China tech war plays out

Chinese researchers and companies such as ByteDance made up a greater share of the 37-year-old AI conference this year, but some could not secure visas.

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Tech Trends

China faces AI talent shortage in otherwise booming industry, report finds

A quarter of ‘new economy’ job openings this year on the Maimai platform have been directly related to AI, as Big Tech firms fight for top talent.

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Tech Trends

Chinese-owned Character.ai rival vanishes from US App Store

Talkie, a popular AI companion app developed by Shanghai start-up MiniMax, has been removed from Apple’s store in the US.

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Talkie, a chatbot app developed by Chinese start-up MiniMax, allows users to converse with AI characters. Photo: Handout

Big Tech

Tencent and smartphone maker Honor team up on AI while Apple lags behind

Tencent is providing cloud computing resources to strengthen Honor’s AI offerings while Apple Intelligence is still absent in China.

An Honor retail store seen in Shanghai on July 31, 2022. Photo: Shutterstock
An Honor retail store seen in Shanghai on July 31, 2022. Photo: Shutterstock

Big Tech

ByteDance intensifies China AI rivalry with 85% price cut for visual model

ByteDance’s ultra-low pricing underscores growing rivalry in the Chinese market, where Big Tech firms and start-ups have locked horns in a brutal price war.

Big Tech

Shenzhen showers AI companies, workers with cash to boost local industry

Municipal government issues a slew of new policies including tens of millions of dollars in subsidies to promote AI development.

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China Business

Wuxi AppTec’s upbeat business update boosts stock despite US bill

A presentation persuaded investors that risk of a potential US blacklisting is low while growth in some business areas is ‘unprecedented’.

Shares in Chinese drug research and development group Wuxi AppTec closed up 23.9 per cent on Friday, the most since its listing in 2018. Photo: Reuters
Shares in Chinese drug research and development group Wuxi AppTec closed up 23.9 per cent on Friday, the most since its listing in 2018. Photo: Reuters

Big Tech

China Telecom say AI model with 1 trillion parameters trained with Chinese chips

The state-owned telecoms operator did not reveal what chips it used for its 1 trillion-parameter model, but it has a partnership with Huawei.

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Tech War

Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou back at the helm of firm ahead of next smartphone launch

In her latest tenure as rotating chairwoman, Meng is expected to oversee the launch of Huawei’s next flagship 5G smartphone series, the Mate 70.

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China Business

5 Chinese EV makers set monthly sales records as discounts draw buyers

BYD, Li Auto, Xpeng, Zeekr and Leapmotor posted new monthly delivery records in September as new models and promotions proved enticing.

Employees work on an EV production line at a Leapmotor factory in Jinhua, in China’s eastern Zhejiang province, on September 18, 2024. Photo: AFP
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China Future TechChina Future Tech
Oppo expects to roll out generative artificial intelligence functions to its 50 million smartphone users by the end of this year. Photo: Shutterstock

Oppo enters tech pact with top EV maker BYD, acquires AI start-up

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OPINION
Zhou Xin

My Take | Tesla is getting love from Chinese state media, but can the affair last?

Zhou Xin
David Chao

Opinion | As China’s EV industry faces speedbumps, hybrids could help

David Chao
Marina Yue Zhang

Opinion | Is biotech the next battleground in US-China decoupling?

Marina Yue Zhang
Andrew Sheng

Opinion | For the best AI outcomes, good policy is key

Andrew Sheng
Gerui Wang

Opinion | Why China is pushing so hard for international cooperation on AI

Gerui Wang
SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Musk takes right road with talks in Beijing

SCMP Editorial
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