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China technology

China technology
Latest news, features and opinion on China’s technology industry, including AI, the US-China tech war, 5G, smartphone makers and apps, and issues surrounding China’s Great Firewall.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max can record videos at 4K/120fps. Photo: Ben Sin
Year in Review

Gadget stories you read most in 2024, about the iPhone 16 Pro Max and more

We look back at our 5 most-read gadgets stories of 2024, from one about a world-first handheld device for ear surgery to an iPhone 16 review.

Ant Group

Ant Group splits Alipay into two business units in latest restructuring move

E-commerce

Amazon asks Chinese sellers not to offer cheaper prices on Temu

Electric & new energy vehicles

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.

CATL has a global market share of roughly 37 per cent in EV batteries. Photo: Reuters
Foxconn

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.

US-China tech war

Chinese surveillance tech firm Dahua exits projects in Xinjiang

The company was added to a US trade blacklist in 2019 on claims it aided in human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

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US-China relations

US launches trade investigation into China’s ‘legacy’ chips

Trade agency say ‘evidence indicates’ that China seeks to dominate domestic and global chip markets.

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The US says China seeks to dominate domestic and global chip markets through extensive anticompetitive and non-market means. Photo: Shutterstock
Science

China-born biologist Wang Cunyu returns from decades in US to head institute

Wang was recognised by Science magazine in 1996 for his work on cancer cell death.

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Smartphones

China’s foldable smartphone shipment growth slows amid global dip in demand

Huawei remains the bestselling foldable smartphone vendor in China, accounting for around half of total domestic shipments.

Robotics

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.

China had 470 robots per 10,000 employees in 2023, up from 402 units a year earlier. Photo: Shutterstock
China economy

Opinion | China can’t rely on technology as a panacea for economic recovery

As weak consumption hinders economic growth, policymakers must consider improving labour rights and wealth distribution to boost demand.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Science

Chinese scientists look at desert ant to create ultra-thin light sensor chip

Thin, crystalline films inspired by polarisation vision of desert ants helps team to beat bulkiness challenge, Science Advances paper says.

TikTok ban

Trump favours keeping TikTok in US after ‘billions of views’ during election

US president-elect offers strongest signals yet that he opposes a potential exit of TikTok from the US market.

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China airliners

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
Artificial intelligence

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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The 37-year-old NeurIPS conference has taken on greater significance since the launch of ChatGPT spurred greater investment in generative artificial intelligence. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

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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Science

How the launch of China’s GuoWang satellites differs from its US Starlink rival

Details have emerged on the key distinctions between China’s recent internet satellite launch and SpaceX’s constellation.

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Artificial intelligence

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
E-commerce

China’s tax authority to demand online influencer, merchant revenue numbers

A newly proposed regulation would require internet platform operators to report revenue information about users.

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Tencent

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.

China trade

‘Resilient’ trade gains see Shenzhen poised to overtake Shanghai despite US tech siege

Total trade value in city dubbed China’s Silicon Valley surged past 4 trillion yuan from January to November, with a record year-on-year increase.

Strong growth in Shenzhen’s trade has been buoyed, in part, by rising demand for Chinese electronics and hi-tech products. Photo: EPA-EFE
China's economic recovery

How China manages big data is changing, as new state-owned firm takes the helm

Restrictive ‘data silos’ have impeded logistics and hindered commercialisation of data, but a new centrally managed company aims to tear down barriers.

China is looking to build a huge platform for data sharing among highways, railways, waterways, aviation and ports. Photo: Xinhua
Tencent

China’s super app WeChat flexes e-commerce muscles with gift feature

The new function could be Tencent’s next big hit after electronic red packets, says one merchant.

Artificial intelligence

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.

US-China relations

Opinion | US-China science pact renewal a ray of hope amid techno-nationalism

The pact sustains targeted collaboration, but it also risks reinforcing emerging scientific blocs, potentially reshaping the global research landscape.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
US-China relations

US restrictions on outbound investments to China scrapped from spending bill

Earlier version had included provisions on overseas transactions involving China in sectors like chips, quantum technology and AI.

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The US Capitol in Washington, where members of Congress must pass a temporary spending bill to avert a shutdown of the American government. Photo: EPA-EFE
US-China relations

US investigates China’s TP-Link, maker of Wi-fi routers, after cyberattacks

Security concerns over a network equipment manufacturer that controls more than 60 per cent of the US market for home internet routers.

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Ant Group

Chinese fintech giant Ant denies imminent restart of IPO process

Amid rife speculation, the company says it has no current plans to go public or pursue a back-door listing.

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