China Telecom

China Future Tech briefing

Federal communications agency may bar Chinese telecoms firms from US networks

9 Dec 2025 - 3:28AM

Hong Kong stock market

Innovent, first Chinese firm to market weight-loss drug, joins Hang Seng Index

Hong Kong benchmark expands membership to 89 after the inclusion of Innovent Biologics.

21 Nov 2025 - 9:01PM

The Hang Seng Index is pressing ahead with plans to increase the number of constituents to 100. Photo: Jelly Tse

AI | China races towards 6G networks’ near-limitless, instant data

Next-generation cellular networking promises speeds 100 times faster than 5G, enabling holograms in meetings and real-time digital twins.

3 Nov 2025 - 11:54AM

Apple CEO Tim Cook pushes AI system launch in China after iPhone Air release

‘Cook has leveraged his personal brand to transform Apple’ into an ‘engaged participant attuned to local sentiments’, consultancy M360 says.

20 Oct 2025 - 9:00PM

Smartphones

How iPhone Air’s eSIM debut reshapes China’s telecoms landscape

The nation’s three major mobile carriers – China Unicom, China Mobile and China Telecom – are adopting different approaches.

20 Oct 2025 - 9:00AM

Apple CEO Tim Cook pledges increased investment in China in meeting with MIIT

Cook acknowledges the support of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, as the iPhone Air launches next week.

15 Oct 2025 - 8:00PM

Apple CEO Tim Cook’s latest China visit boosts promotion for the iPhone Air

According to Apple, iPhone Air pre-orders on the mainland start at 9am on Friday, while shipments begin next Wednesday.

14 Oct 2025 - 8:30PM

China tests underwater data centres to reduce AI carbon footprint

‘Underwater facilities can save around 90 per cent of energy consumption for cooling,’ vice-president of Highlander says.

3 Oct 2025 - 1:40PMvideocam

An underwater data centre being developed by Chinese maritime technology company Highlander is seen under construction at a shipyard in Nantong, in Chinas eastern Jiangsu province, on September 11, 2025. Photo: AFP

Finalist compete for US$14,000 AI prize at Guangzhou’s algorithm competition

From unmanned boats and humanoid robots to AI addressing elderly care and surgery, global competitors vie for prizes and lucrative market access.

22 Sep 2025 - 7:00PM

Humanoid robot AI technology from China, 3d rendering. Photo: Shutterstock

From our archives

In pictures: what Hong Kong’s mobile phones of the 1980s and 90s looked like

Oversized, aspirational and impossible to ignore. First-gen mobile phones in Hong Kong were, most of all, status symbols.

23 Sep 2025 - 10:58AM

Apple postpones iPhone Air in China as Beijing keeps tight grip on eSIM approval

Apple says all three state-owned telecoms network operators would provide eSIM support ‘subject to regulatory approval’.

12 Sep 2025 - 4:00PM

China eyes nationwide AI computing network as tech race with US heats up

China’s data centre builders say they are finding innovative ways to boost computing performance and share best practices.

11 Sep 2025 - 7:00PM

Beijing’s ‘AI Plus’ plan unveiled last month included a policy aimed at strengthening coordination and supply of computing resources. Photo: Shutterstock Images

New iPhones spark lively debate among Chinese fans amid eSIM limits, AI delay

On Wednesday morning, three of the top 10 trending topics on microblogging site Weibo were iPhone-related, two of which focused on pricing.

10 Sep 2025 - 6:04PM

Apple’s new iPhone Air, with eSIM, faces support limitation in China

Uptake may be limited in China in the near term, as only one of its three main cellular service providers supports the technology so far.

10 Sep 2025 - 7:31AMvideocam

Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks climb to 2-week high as mainland markets calm

‘We are cautiously positive on Hong Kong stocks,’ analyst says, as the Fed is set to resume interest rate cuts.

8 Sep 2025 - 4:27PM

Aerospace: Geopolitics

China races to roll out low-orbit satellite internet to rival Musk’s Starlink

China is preparing to commercialise its satellite internet networks as it strives to develop equivalents to the SpaceX system.

28 Aug 2025 - 5:46PMvideocam

A rocket carrying seven satellites blasts off from a commercial launch site in northwest China on August 19. China has been stepping up launches of low-orbit satellites in recent months as it races to develop alternatives to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet network. Photo Xinhua

China’s economic stimulus

China Telecom unit says AI wave drives steady growth in digital services market

China Communication Services sees the proliferation of AI projects accelerating digital transformation across thousands of industries.

21 Aug 2025 - 7:41PM

What does the Beidaihe guest list tell us about China’s economic priorities?

The invitees to the Communist Party’s annual summer getaway offer clues about Beijing’s priorities ahead of a crucial October meeting.

13 Aug 2025 - 11:31PMvideocam

US aims to ban Chinese technology in undersea telecoms cables

Since 2020, American regulators have been instrumental in the cancellation of four cables whose backers wanted to link the US with Hong Kong.

17 Jul 2025 - 4:11AM

The headquarters of the Federal Communications Commission uiis seen in Washington in August 2020. Photo: Reuters

China’s cloud services spending hits US$11.6 billion on AI-related demand

Alibaba leads the market with a 33 per cent share, followed by Huawei and Tencent with shares of 18 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.

10 Jul 2025 - 11:24PM

China’s robust demand for cloud infrastructure services comes amid a surge in artificial intelligence-related activities. Photo: Shutterstock

Censorship in China

China will drop the Great Firewall for some users, but only in southern Hainan

Employees of companies operating in the island province can apply for the ‘Global Connect’ scheme, but some content will remain restricted.

5 Jun 2025 - 11:53PMvideocam

FCC votes to bar some Chinese labs from testing US electronics

About 75 per cent of US devices such as phones, cameras and computers are tested in facilities located in China.

23 May 2025 - 1:39AMvideocam

Science

Chinese firm launches ‘unhackable’ quantum cryptography system

China Telecom says its network has proved its worth with a 1,000km quantum-encrypted phone call.

18 May 2025 - 11:00PM

The cryptography system integrates two key technologies. Photo: Shutterstock Images

US-China tech war

US curbs on Huawei chips add uncertainty to China’s AI investment

New guidance on US export rules could deter Chinese firms with global ambitions from using Huawei processors, analysts say.

16 May 2025 - 4:46PM

The US has clarified its export rules to bar the use Huawei’s AI chips anywhere in the world. Photo: EPA-EFE

Robotics

How a Chinese robotics firm maintains high-voltage power lines

Crownpower’s robots are taking over the potentially deadly work of safety inspection and maintenance of high-voltage power grids.

4 May 2025 - 7:00AM