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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.
Students pose for graduation photos on the campus of Zhejiang University of Technology, June 2, 2026. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
Artificial intelligence

Why tech firms are locking down tomorrow’s AI researchers today

China’s tech giants are luring fresh AI graduates by offering salaries that are 16 times the national average.

US-China relations

Trump election claims debunked, US-China AI gap: 7 US-China relations reads

Artificial intelligence

Chasing physical AI: Ant Group robotics arm Robbyant kicks off external funding

Technology

Opinion | Can we govern AI in a fragmented world before it’s too late?

While the US, EU and China offer different approaches, all recognise that AI is too powerful and pervasive to be treated as ordinary tech.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Semiconductors

China boosts chip-design safeguards amid tech self-sufficiency push

Revised rules sharpen penalties and expand rights, underscoring Beijing’s strategy to build resilience across semiconductor and AI ecosystem.

DeepSeek

China’s DeepSeek tests AI ‘harness’ as cheap V4 model jolts Silicon Valley

Hangzhou-based firm is recruiting developers to test software that turns language models into autonomous agents, escalating price war with US rivals.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV sales falter at home as growth slows

Big three Chinese premium vehicle makers’ deliveries decline in July and central bank vows steps to foster economic growth as it hits a four-year low.

Chinese-made MG Cyberster electric vehicles await loading onto a ship for export. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

AI boom, factory gloom: China tech soars while traditional industries feel chill

As a rapid shift towards cutting-edge tech threatens to leave ordinary citizens behind, a leading journal acknowledges the stark divide and calls to protect livelihoods.

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Artificial intelligence

China’s tech giants race to put AI on delivery riders’ heads

From safety features to hands-free voice tools, JD.com has become the latest platform to launch AI-integrated headwear.

Alibaba

Alibaba’s AI model Qwen3.8-Max widely accessible ahead of open-weights release

Flagship 2.4 trillion parameter model highlights native multimodal capabilities and the ability to carry out long-horizon agentic tasks.

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The logo of Qwen is seen during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 17. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

Potential US ban on Chinese AI models could cost businesses US$12 billion a year

Washington is reportedly mulling a ban on foreign open-source AI models, but the move would likely raise costs for a slew of US companies.

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A worker stands at the booth for Chinese start-up Moonshot AI’s Kimi K3 during the World AI Conference in Shanghai. Photo: AP
Electric & new energy vehicles

In Focus | Will new EV batteries fast-charge the global automotive industry?

Amid a fiercely competitive domestic market, China’s battery tech leads in global innovation and cost reduction, promising safer, faster EVs.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Price war fears grip China’s EV market after woeful July sales figures

Three premium Chinese electric car makers saw sales decline in July, intensifying concerns that the industry is heading for another discount war.

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Robotics

Mixed feelings: can China’s companion robots win a place at home?

Companion robots start arriving in September, offering emotional interaction and novelty, but chores remain off the table – at least for now.

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A woman, right, interacts with a humanoid robot at the launch event of UBTech’s U1 series. Photo: AFP
China jobs

Stronger social security? Gig workers push back on proposed law

With China’s flexible workforce estimated at nearly 300 million, Beijing pledges to strengthen their safety, wages and basic social security.

A food delivery man opens a door with taped glass at a restaurant in Hangzhou, eastern Zhejiang province , as people prepare for the approaching Typhoon Bavi to hit the region on July 11, 2026. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

What a visit to China’s AI labs reveals about the battle for global soft power

The ultimate prize in AI is not just owning the technology, but having the power to dictate rules, frame ethics and command global influence.

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US-China trade war

US lawmakers investigate DoorDash’s use of Moonshot AI’s Kimi K2.6 model

Food delivery giant latest targeted as rising adoption of China-built AI models pushes Washington to find strategies to combat trend.

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Artificial intelligence

Video AI: MiniMax challenges ByteDance with low price, open weights

Firm aims to ‘support open-source community’ and a ‘broad range of hardware’, as H3 model bests Seedance 2.0 in some tasks.

People walk past the MiniMax booth during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 17. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Why Elon Musk would find it hard to decouple Tesla from China

While the EV maker’s CEO has denied talk of a Tesla-China separation, the reports underscore mounting pressures amid broader US-China tensions.

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Artificial intelligence

Exclusive | RedNote eyes US$2.2b data centre as China ramps up AI infrastructure: source

China’s DeepSeek is also recruiting for jobs in Inner Mongolia, the location of the buildout, as it emerges as an AI hub due to low power costs.

China stock market

China’s Politburo meeting bolsters hope state will support troubled stock markets

In rare reference to the nation’s capital markets, Beijing policymakers underscore their role in maintaining resilient capital markets.

The Shanghai skyline seen from across the Huangpu River on March 16. Photo: AP
Apple

Apple’s Tim Cook warns Siri AI roll-out in China will take time

In earnings call, Cook says Apple to launch AI software in China, an effort to retain competitive edge in world’s largest smartphone market.

An Apple store in the Xuhui district in Shanghai on July 1. Photo: AFP
China exports

China’s surgical robots break into Vietnam as Beijing targets US dominance

Shipments to Asean have surged 246% this year as cross-border healthcare platforms pave way for manufacturers to challenge US giants like Intuitive Surgical.

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China travel

China sets record with high-speed rail breakthrough under Yangtze River

The engineering feat marks the longest continuous underwater excavation achieved by a drilling machine of its kind, state media reports.

China’s military

The PLA at 99: how China’s military went from ragtag rifles to world-class force

From revolutionary group to hi-tech machine, the PLA’s transformation has been a long pursuit of strength and self-reliance.

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Illustration: Davies Christian
Robotics

Unitree to launch IPO next week as US-China robotics rivalry intensifies

The Hangzhou-based firm will launch its listing in Shanghai next week, as a string of Chinese robotics start-ups pursue plans to go public.

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A Unitree G1 humanoid robot is displayed during London Tech Week in London. Photo: Reuters
Semiconductors

Exclusive | ‘Science is a universal language’: US materials pioneer defends global ties

Elsa Reichmanis spent decades collaborating with Chinese science teams and says research should remain distinct from tech rivalry.

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Robotics

China’s smart-vacuum giants swept up in US robot ban, hitting top options

Washington’s expanding trade crackdown targets household electronics, focusing crosshairs on overseas firms supplying American homes.

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