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Hotpot, malatang, bubble tea: Chinese dining chains expand abroad to win over global palates

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Pulses

Nvidia pauses H20 chip supply chain

just now
The Information
Nvidia has reportedly told suppliers including Amkor and Samsung to suspend production of its H20 AI chip for China. The pause follows scrutiny from Chinese authorities, who summoned domestic tech firms over data security and information risks linked to the chip’s use.

OpenAI’s chief people officer to depart

just now
Reuters
OpenAI’s chief people officer Julia Villagra will exit the company on August 23, just months after her promotion. She joined in February 2024 and is leaving to pursue art and storytelling projects related to artificial general intelligence. Her departure comes as OpenAI navigates fierce talent competition. A replacement is being sought.

Anthropic nears another massive round

just now
Bloomberg
Anthropic is close to securing up to USD 10 billion in a new funding round led by Iconiq Capital, with participation from TPG, GIC, and other investors, sources said. The round could push the AI firm’s valuation to USD 170 billion, well above the USD 61.5 billion it reached earlier this year.

Nio unveils all-new ES8, opens preorders

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Nio
Nio unveiled its all-new ES8 electric SUV on August 21, with preorders now open and deliveries set to begin in late September. Priced from RMB 416,800 or RMB 308,800 with a battery subscription plan, the six- and seven-seater flagship model features a 102 kWh battery, AI-assisted driving, and luxury comfort upgrades.

Didi and rivals cut ride-hailing commissions

just now
Jiemian News
Didi Chuxing, CaoCao Mobility, and T3 Mobility have reportedly lowered their maximum commission rates to 27% or less, aiming to improve driver income and address regulatory calls for transparency. Didi also introduced monthly rebates, though analysts warn platform margins may tighten as a result.

Tencent brings generative AI tools abroad

just now
Nikkei Asia
Tencent plans to expand its generative AI offerings into Japan and Southeast Asia, building on technology refined in China. Vice president Wu Yunsheng said the rollout may include biometric tools and autonomous AI agents, as Tencent shifts focus from LLMs to service design and real-world applications.

DeepSeek hints at chip breakthrough in China

just now
SCMP
DeepSeek said its V3.1 AI model was built for undisclosed Chinese-developed chips using UE8M0 FP8 formatting, set for release soon. The update signals potential progress in China’s push for a self-reliant AI stack, though the chip vendor and intended use uses remain unspecified.

“Miniso Land” stores set for global expansion

just now
36Kr
Miniso founder Ye Guofu said the “Miniso Land” store concept has exceeded expectations and will be expanded globally. At an investor meeting, Ye added that the company now views proprietary IP as equally important as licensed IP and aims to deepen development in both.

Bilibili swings to profit in Q2 2025

just now
Bilibili
Bilibili reported Q2 2025 net profit of RMB 218.3 million, reversing a loss from a year earlier, as total revenue rose 20% YoY to RMB 7.34 billion. Growth was led by mobile games, up 60%, and advertising, up 20%. Gross margin improved to 36.5%, with adjusted profit at RMB 561.3 million.

ByteDance launches Seed-OSS-36B model

just now
SCMP
ByteDance has released Seed-OSS-36B, a 36-billion-parameter open-source AI model, on Hugging Face. Designed for general-purpose and reasoning tasks, it reportedly matches or outperforms rival offerings from Alibaba Cloud, Google, and OpenAI despite its smaller size.

WeRide, Bosch launch new driving tech

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WeRide
WeRide has launched WePilot AiDrive, a "one-stage" driving assistance system co-developed with Bosch that merges perception and decision-making in real time. Set for mass production in 2025, it reportedly supports various sensor setups and improves through data-driven iteration across complex scenarios.

Alibaba to spin off Banma via IPO

just now
SCMP
Alibaba plans to spin off Banma, its smart vehicle tech unit, through a Hong Kong IPO that would reduce its stake to 30%. The listing, which has received initial approval, would mark Alibaba’s first spinoff in years after scrapping Cainiao’s listing plans in 2024.

Agibot eyes Series C round by year’s end

just now
The Beijing News
Agibot aims to close its Series C funding round by end-2025 and bring in global strategic investors, according to chairman Deng Taihua. Speaking at the firm’s inaugural partner conference, Deng projected 2025 as a turning point for embodied intelligence and its commercial rollout.

Nio to enter Singapore EV market

just now
The Straits Times
Nio will launch in Singapore in Q1 2026 with its Firefly EV, distributed by Wearnes Automotive. The model is expected to support battery swapping technology, though local infrastructure has not been confirmed. Singapore will be Nio’s first market in Southeast Asia.

Z.ai, Alibaba Cloud launch new AI agent

just now
SCMP
Z.ai, formerly Zhipu AI, has launched a free AI agent with Alibaba Cloud for Android, iOS, and web platforms. Powered by its proprietary GLM models, the cross-platform service can be utilized to book hotels, order food, install apps, process documents, and generate multimedia content.

Baidu profit rises as AI businesses grow

just now
The Paper
Baidu reported Q2 2025 revenue of RMB 32.7 billion, down 4% YoY, while net profit rose 33% to RMB 7.32 billion. AI businesses supported growth, with cloud revenue up 27% and Apollo Go trips up 148%. CEO Robin Li said a new Ernie model is in development.

TT Robot inks record humanoid robot deal

just now
TT Robot
Chinese firm TT Robot has signed a record deal to supply 10,000 humanoid robots, the largest single order in the industry to date. The units will be deployed mainly in eldercare and household services.

FAW eyes Leapmotor stake for EV push

just now
SCMP
FAW Group plans to acquire a 10% stake in Stellantis-backed Leapmotor, which would make it the first state-owned Chinese automaker to invest in an EV startup, according to Cailian Press. The deal is expected to support joint EV development, supply chain efficiency, and overseas expansion.

Lenovo, Robot Era launch humanoid robots

just now
Economic Information Daily
Lenovo’s New Vision unit and Robot Era jointly launched a humanoid service robot solution for exhibition halls, combining Robot Era’s Q5 with Lenovo’s spatiotemporal synchronization engine. The system reportedly supports real-time interactive tours, personalized reception, and customized content delivery.

Dreame confirms move into drone business

just now
Sina
Dreame has confirmed it will enter the drone market, assembling a specialized R&D team to target China’s growing low-altitude economy. The firm plans to adapt mapping, navigation, and motor technologies from its robotic vacuums, backed by its global manufacturing and supply chain.
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