Q1 2024: China's tech news, quarterly

China’s tech news in first quarter 2024 – January, February and March of the year – obviously covered a huge range of items. These included, for instance: China’s space launch and build schedule’s acceleration; the country’s deepening moves into RISC-V based chips; the achievements of China’s electric vehicle makers, and their overseas market expansion aims; Huawei’s HarmonyNEXT OS, a platform now separated from its Android roots; the emergence of digital yuan-based criminal activities; and many more.

Hit the links below for each monthly China tech news round-up in Q1 2024, and click through on the links featured to read each China tech news item concerned in full, online and free of charge.

In March 2024 | In February 2024 | In January 2024

Our other editions
– daily, weekly, monthly & quarterly
– critical & emerging technologies

Jamestown Foundation: Examining China’s Grand Strategy For RISC-V

China tech news: March 2024

China: SANY Renewable Energy unveils world’s largest onshore wind turbine blade with full operational diameter over 262 meters / read it here
China: Beijing City to create ‘Rocket Street’ for commercial aerospace research and production, with 41 launch projects in progress supported by over $14M in funding, and over 157 enterprises / read it here
‘…China Satcom will promote the construction of satellites with larger, single-satellite capacity… by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan the total capacity of high-throughput comm sats will exceed 500GBps…’ / read it here
Huawei rolls out initiatives including global ITU-Huawei Generation Connect Young Leadership Program, Huawei-UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning in Morocco, and Huawei Cloud startups program / read it here
China: Alibaba leads $600M round for MiniMax, AI firm behind Kimi AI chatbot, built on 100 billion-parameter Moonshot LLM / read it here
State-owned China Aerospace Science & Tech Corp to launch 4-meter and 5-meter-diameter reusable rockets in 2025 and 2026, with 4-meter capable of delivering up to 6500kg of payload to orbit / read it here
China: Gov’t unveils initiative in 17 cities providing AI startups with cloud computing vouchers to access tools without large initial investments, with vouchers reportedly between $140K and $280K / read it here
“Following its recent agreement to assist in construction of a 5G standalone network in the Middle East, Microsoft is stepping up its efforts to take on Huawei Technologies and other manufacturers of telecom equipment.” / read it here
China’s UBTech Robotics Corp stock price more than tripled in 2 days following the firm’s entry to the Hong Kong stock connect program, allowing mainland China investors to purchase its shares / read it here
‘A Google engineer ran a secret startup in China while stealing AI technology, DOJ alleges’ / read it here
China reportedly planning lunar surveillance camera network based on the country’s domestic surveillance system, using AI systems to identify and respond to perceived issues / read it here
China & critical minerals: Which controls can China meaningfully deploy, in line with which specific interests, and with what domestic consequences? / read it here
China: Didi Chuxing ride-hail giant and Alibaba’s Ant Financial reportedly in talks with Ofo bike-share firm around joint buyout, valuing Ofo at near $2BN / read it here
China: A little more on the successful small-scale tests of CASIC’s T-Flight hyperloop train, using magnetic-levitation and a low-vacuum section of track to reach high speeds / read it here
China: “…electric vehicles with built-in fridges and even in-car karaoke systems are considered passé. Instead, carmakers are turning to increasingly novel add-ons from beds to cooktops to boost sluggish sales.” / read it here
China: Shandong Province launches digital yuan Ji Dan Entrepreneurial Loan program focused on boosting small business access to capital / read it here
ICYMI: Romania formally rejects Huawei request for equipment to be used in Romanian 5G network citing ‘national interest’ in decision / read it here
China: Status of two spacecraft left uncertain following issues with achieving lunar orbit, with neither launch nor purpose officially announced / read it here
Radio Access Network versus Open Radio Access Network, another aspect of the US-China technology competition / read it here
China: Ellipspace satellite firm targets completion of Starpool, a comprehensive satellite network, in 2027, set to comprise over 100 300kg satellites / read it here
China: ZhipuAI gains undisclosed state fund backing, led by $6.9BN Beijing city government funds established in January to invest in pharmaceutical, healthcare, robotics and IT sectors / read it here
China’s gov’t increases push for domestic-only tech: “…one foreign bidder failed to secure a contract despite offering a price they estimated was 30% lower than the eventual winner…” / read it here
China: Nio EV major to launch sub-brand under the name China Ledao / Onvo in May this year, with models to primarily compete with Tesla Model 3 and Model Y / read it here
China preps launch of Queqiao-2 satellite with goal of relaying data between Chinese landers, rovers and spacecraft with ground stations in future lunar missions / read it here
China: Xpeng electric vehicles maker to launch a cheaper EV brand as price competition heats up, compounded by falling sales / read it here
China: Research advances in use of magnetic rail-gun technology to launch space vehicles at hypersonic speeds, tho viability remains uncertain / read it here
Mastercard partners China’s Alipay for near real-time cross-border payments, and for remittances to what is one of the largest recipient countries / read it here
China: Damo Academy, Alibaba’s research arm, announces delivery of server-grade RISC-V processor later this year / read it here
China-made surveillance cameras installed on Romanian NATO base raise concerns around cyber- and national security / read it here
China’s Alipay+ to test Web3 vouchers with its D-Store platform, looking at small F&B business adoption across Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Chinese tourists visiting these countries / read it here
China’s TikTok is now under a national security review in Canada, in addition to a February 2023 ban from government devices / read it here
China: Ecarx auto tech firm, backed by Geely exec, unveils 7-nanometer AD1000 system-on-a-chip, claiming over 256 trillion operations per second / read it here
Biden administration reportedly considering adding a number of Chinese semiconductor firms linked to Huawei to tech access and exports blacklist / read it here
ICYMI: China General Nuclear Power Group partnered Laos gov’t in 2023 for renewable energy base incorporating wind, solar, hydro and energy storage, feeding power generated in Laos to Yunnan province / read it here
Apple reportedly in preliminary talks with China’s Baidu around possible partnership to use Baidu’s generative artificial intelligence technology for Apple devices in China / read it here
China’s Starfive Technology chip design firm to open R&D center in Hong Kong, focusing on the company’s RISC-V chips and alongside partnership looking at data center-focused chips / read it here
China: Gov’t issues procurement mandate to phase out Intel and AMD microprocessors from gov’t computers and servers, alongside move to minimize use of Windows and foreign-made databases / read it here
China: Huawei and partner, SiCarrier, file patents for low-tech alternative way to make advanced semiconductors, potentially side-stepping the need for extreme ultraviolet lithography / read it here
Shein, Temu and similar fast-fashion platforms hit by legislation in France over environmental impacts, potentially leading to 10-Euro fines per article of clothing sold by 2030 / read it here
“China continues to add new members to its International Lunar Research Station initiative, but many of these are subnational, suggesting issues attracting partners…” / read it here
China: Xiaomi mobile phone maker unveils SU7 sedan, claiming better single-charge mileage than Tesla Model 3 / read it here
‘While mainland China bans all forms of crypto trading, the gov’t leaves the option open in Hong Kong… as a sandbox for Beijing to toy with web3 without potentially incurring financial volatility for the rest of the country.’ / read it here
China’s Kaixin Auto inks export order with Myanmar New Power Motor for part-assembled delivery of 1000 electric cars, seeing market opportunities in Myanmar’s population of over 50M / read it here
South Korea: China’s PonyAI driverless vehicles firm inks JV with Korea’s GemVaxLink to deploy a fleet of autonomous vehicles in Seoul, initially for ride-hailing services / read it here
“Managing the issue of disinformation on social media platforms is a collective endeavor. It is not merely a matter of regulatory enforcement but a challenge to culture and society more broadly.” / read it here
Thailand’s Bank for Agriculture & Agricultural Cooperatives in JV negotiations with unnamed Chinese tech giant for e-commerce platform for sale of agri products to China, with 49/51% ownership / read it here
South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have ceased sales of used chip fabrication equipment to Chinese entities, in adherence to US export curbs / read it here
TikTok hit with $11M fine in Italy over failure to properly moderate content that may harm young or vulnerable users, referring to ‘French Scar’ self-injury challenge on the platform / read it here
Hong Kong: Hang Seng Bank launches $4.2BN SME Power Up Fund to boost small business development, including cross-border opportunities in China’s Greater Bay Area / read it here
“…like the US, Australia is concerned about the data that TikTok collects, about the potential for that data to be shared with a foreign adversary, and about the potential for content to be weaponised by that adversary…” / read it here
Hong Kong Science & Tech Parks Corp unveils 74 global startups for biggest iteration of Elevator Pitch Comp 2024, drawn from semi-finals in HK, Silicon Valley, Stuttgart and Singapore / read it here
EU Global Gateway Initiative: ‘…high-quality infrastructure and invest in environment, health, education and research, energy, and digital connectivity… [and] can offer SE Asia valuable alternatives to the BRI…’ / read it here
India: An overview of the challenges India’s nascent chips industry faces, both in terms of domestic funding capability and from China’s chip industry export ambitions / read it here
Philippines: Binance, world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, faces a ban in the Philippines with financial regulator blocking access due to unlicensed activities / read it here
“In 2023, Malaysia shipped RM975 million worth of rare earths to China, making it the second-largest source of imported ore for the Asian giant behind Myanmar, according to trade statistics from Beijing.” / read it here
Singapore: ANEXT Bank secures $148M in new funding from parent Ant Group with focus on cross-border digital banking and transactions for SMEs / read it here
Monetary Authority of Singapore extends ban on remittances to China in light of lack of action by PRC authorities to freeze channels / read it here
Critical minerals supply chains: “Since last year, lithium is down by more than 80 percent, while nickel and cobalt have both tumbled over 40 percent…” / read it here
‘Honda and Nissan have put aside the “traditional approach” of fierce rivalry to join forces and work together on electric vehicle technology as Japan’s carmakers try to catch up with Chinese competitors.’ / read it here
Video: ‘Indo-Pacific economic security – Issues and strategies’, a discussion of emerging issues and strategies for economic resilience and security across the region from The Atlantic Council / read it here
A brief overview of emerging rivalry between India and Pakistan in the space domain / read it here

‘The rise of Pinduoduo and Temu: profits and secrets ‘ from The Financial Times / on YouTube

China Tech: February 2024

“…China’s leading chipmaker, predicted a ‘global supply glut’ in the types of semiconductors his company produces. Simultaneously, he announced a $7.5bn increase in capital expenditure…”
China’s BYD EV maker plans growth in sales outlets in Singapore and the Philippines, building on Indonesia launch
China: Nvidia reportedly is now taking distributor pre-orders for its new China-specific artificial intelligence chip, priced on par with more powerful Huawei rival product
Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Tech raised $943M for low Earth orbit mega-constellation of 12000 satellites, with Shanghai gov’t aiming for end-to-end space ecosystem
TikTok Shop rolls out test feature that scans and identifies products in videos on the platform, and then generates a link to ‘Find similar items on TikTok Shop’
“Prices of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4090… are soaring across Asian markets as people are willing to pay hefty sums of cash for them and then resell them in China or Hong Kong at a higher price…”
China: Jielong-3, or Smart Dragon-3, vehicle launched from a mobile sea platform, delivering 9 satellites into orbit
China: Geely automaker launched 11 satellites with aim of providing more accurate navigation for autonomous vehicles, with 72 planned to be in orbit by 2025 and a final constellation of 240
“…recent RISC-V breakthroughs and applications in China, many with government funding, have raised Beijing’s hopes that the open-source standard could one day threaten the x86-Arm duopoly…”
“Half of the more than 10 billion RISC-V chips shipped globally by 2022 were made in China, the state-run China Daily reported in August. Bao Yungang, deputy director of China’s Institute of Computing Technology, told a chip conference last June that funding for RISC-V startups in China had reached at least $1.18 billion to that point.”
China’s BYD EV maker and Brazil’s sugar-and-ethanol firm Raizen partner for network of 600 charging stations for electric vehicles, installing in 8 Brazilian cities under the Shell Recharge brand
China & semiconductor ‘chiplets’: “Wuxi’s government officials proposed establishing a $14 million fund to bring chiplet companies to the city, and it has already attracted a handful of domestic companies…”
Xilinx, Huawei & tech restrictions: “I predict that Huawei will use up Xilinx FPGA chips in November… when they will switch to their own products. But this may reduce the appeal of Huawei 5G devices to global buyers…”
China: Satellite launch prep underway for 3 sats focused on lunar far-side and south pole missions, testing navigation and comm’s and featuring sat-to-ground laser and microwave ranging
China, EU & 6G: “Huawei is one of 3 commercial organizations participating in a sensing project… by the European Telecomm’s Standards Institute…that feeds work into the 3GPP [mobile standards body]…”
China: Tencent rolls out new version of DynamiCrafter, open source video generation AI model, moving further into the text- and image-to-video space
China: Gov’t unveils Beijing Action Plan for Accelerating the Innovation and Development of the Commercial Space Industry 2024-2028, with sights on elements including ‘cross-border technology integration’
China: Hainan Airlines rolls out trial of Rokid AR glasses for in-flight entertainment
China: Baidu search giant partners Lenovo to feature generative AI tech on Lenovo smartphones, further growing-out applications for Ernie AI model
“Soaring appetite for Huawei’s artificial intelligence chips coupled with manufacturing constraints has forced the Chinese tech giant to prioritise AI and slow production for its premium Mate 60 phones…”
“Embedding software tools with AI tech is allowing some companies to offer better-standardized products and cut back on development costs, potentially serving as a last resort for startups trying to secure backing…”
TikTok continues moves into YouTube markets with trials of 30-minute video uploads for users, a significant expansion on the short-form video format in which it dominates
China: An overview of BYD’s significant and fast-growing presence in energy storage, building on achievements to date in electric vehicles
ICYMI: OpenAI terminates accounts believed to be operated by nation-state cyber-threat actors linked to China, Russia, Iran and North Korea
“The [Biden re-election] campaign’s launch on TikTok is notable given that the app, which is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, is under review in the US due to potential national security concerns.”
China: Gov’t initiates national China All-Solid-State Battery Collaborative Innovation Platform program to dominate solid-state battery supply chains, with 6 of the top 10 global auto battery makers involved
China: “…Huawei Ascend 910B currently achieves near 80% of the performance level of Nvidia’s A100. Data-center service providers consider this chip to be the preferred alternative for domestic companies.”
An overview of the China Aerospace Science & Industry Corp’s progress on hyperloop trains, using using magnetic levitation and operating in a vacuum
China: Space Circling space launch firm secures $13.9M to focus on launch vehicle engines for commercial space activities, with sights on mass production by year-end
China: Moonshot AI hits $2.5BN valuation following new $1BN backing from investors including Alibaba and Xiaohongshu
“Saudi Arabia is mandating that leading Chinese technology companies invest in the Gulf kingdom in return for huge deals, as it leverages its petrodollar wealth to boost its domestic tech industry.”
China: HaomoAI, autonomous driving firm backed by Great Wall Motor, raised $14M with focus on self-driving logistics vehicles and driver-assistance systems for passenger cars
China: Release of OpenAI’s Sora text-to-video capabilities prompts concerns from policymakers, China’s AI industry and observers over competitive pressure
China: Ministry of Education issues list of 184 primary and secondary schools to run artificial intelligence-focused curricula in bid to boost technology competencies in children
China: Xpeng enters auto dealer agreements for EV sales in UAE, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Jordan and Lebanon, building on existing footprint in Europe
China: Suzhou city reports that more than 29M residents now have digital yuan wallets, with near 2M firms, public bodies, and state-run organizations now holding corporate digital yuan accounts
“It turns out [Virtual Power Plant] technology has a particularly good synergy with the EV industry, which is why the Chinese government has started to invest in VPPs.”
China Aerospace Science & Tech Corp unveils 2024 plans for 70 launches of more than 290 spacecraft into orbit, with further 30 or so launches by commercial launch sector
Huawei cloud services to expand footprint with new data centres and launch of cloud service in Egypt, and AI-focused cloud computing centre in Hong Kong
China’s Nio EV major inks global licenses to UAE’s Forseven electric cars firm for use of Nio technical info and software for R&D, manufacturing and distribution of its vehicles
Thailand: An overview of Huawei’s involvement in all aspects of the tech behind Thailand’s smart cities projects – 5G, IoT, monitoring, language recognition, data management and beyond
BRICS currency:’… there are imbalances within the BRICS economies… all essentially run current account surpluses (except India)… [And] would most likely depend on the Chinese economy and yuan as the backbone of a currency bloc.’
Japan and Italy to step up defense and economic ties as Rome positions for a greater Indo-Pacific role, shortly after Italy’s exit from China’s Belt and Road Initiative
Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce proposes issuance of ‘RMB stablecoins or stablecoins backed by a basket of different currencies, including RMB, in addition to HKD or USD stablecoins’
“Japan expects to expand the number of specialized cyber units to approximately 4,000 by the end of 2027 from approximately 890 in 2022…”
Hong Kong: “…not known how many surveillance cameras are already installed in public places… The Security Bureau told HKFP… that the government did not maintain the number of CCTV cameras in the city.”
“Or said another way, if they [BRICS economies] want to cut out the dollar – and essentially the West – who will run the deficits required to absorb the BRICS excesses?”
Malaysia: Maxis, the country’s leading telco, and China’s Huawei complete 5G-Advanced tech trial, achieving ultra-fast peak speeds of up to 8Gbps
“TikTok’s tactics… use its platform power to hurt vulnerable artists and try to intimidate us into conceding to a bad deal that undervalues music and shortchanges artists and songwriters as well as their fans…”
“In 2022, the bulk of its research and development engineers were based in China but [Taiwan’s] Alchip has begun moving roles overseas, many to Japan…”

Fragmenting Cyberspace - Future of internet in China

MERICS: Fragmenting Cyberspace – The future of the internet in China

China’s tech news: Jan 2024

China’s SEIDA, a case study in why containment efforts around access to high-end technologies is so challenging to implement, maintain and develop
Russia and China report new quantum milestone with establishment of communications between the two countries, encrypted using secure keys transmitted by China’s Mozi quantum satellite
China: Geely auto firm to launch 11 sats in early 2024, adding to 9 launched in June 2023 and targeting 72-sat constellation, ostensibly for integrated terrestrial-space ‘smart travel’ system
China: Nio EV firm livestreamed 1000km EV battery test roadtrip, with CEO completing a 14-hour journey of 1044km with 3% of the battery remaining
China: 4 cyber-criminals arrested in first-of-its-kind case for developing ransomware using ChatGPT, demanding cryptocurrency in payment
China’s quest to become a robot superpower: ‘As its population shrinks, China hopes machines can pick up the slack’
China’s GBA Capital unveils plan for $10BN fund to place Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao area as the ‘world’s meta-asset capital’, looking at metaverse, VR, NFT and similar investments
China: Shanghai’s Fuxing Island to gain ‘metaverse center’ alongside 50 enterprize tech projects, backed by district’s $5.6BN funding
China: “The future prospects of the low-altitude economy are vast, potentially reaching trillion-dollar industry scales significantly sooner than that of autonomous vehicles…”
The Netherlands’ ASML global semiconductor manufacturing equipment giant canceled export of chip-making machines to China, partly in response to US-led tech controls
China: Gov’t launches Shangzhuang AI platform in bid to meet rising demand for AI-driven computing, with platform to deliver 500 petaflops of computing power in its first phase
China: EpicMEMS raises circa $28M with RF chips focus – used in smartphones, tablets, IoT devices, communication networks and more – taking 3-year funding to at least $100M
China’s Alibaba-owned Ant Group set to buy Dutch firm, MultiSafepay, in bid for Western payments presence, accessing MultiSafepay’s 18K+ SME customers with 100% ownership bid
China: BYD EV auto-maker commences construction of its first sodium-ion batteries factory, just weeks after partnership announcement
“Huawei’s HiSilicon Kirin 9006C system-on-chip in the Qingyun L540 laptop was made by [Taiwan’s] TSMC using its 5nm-class process technology and assembled around the third quarter of 2020…”
ICYMI: US-China research team makes chip breakthrough, producing world-first semiconductor constructed from graphene, potentially a leap forward in computing beyond traditional silicon chips
China: Launch pad at Hainan Commercial Launch Site was completed December 29th, the first of 2 pads to host liquid propellant launch vehicles and aiming to speed constellation launch schedules
“But of all the major economic and societal challenges facing China, generative AI fixes none of them and may make a few even worse…”
China: Orienspace’s Gravity-1 rocket launches via mobile sea platform, delivering 3 satellites using launcher and propellant capable of more than double the previous heaviest
China: On January 18th, Huawei is to unveil HarmonyOS NEXT operating system, reportedly now entirely detached from its Android roots
China: ‘Digital yuan’ crime starts to emerge with theft of $1.4M in cash from more than 900 digital yuan accounts, simply using ATM machine CBDC functions
China: Fraud ring arrested following detection of ‘digital yuan’ CBDC being used for money laundering, with processing of $70K via e-CNY wallets
“With estimates showing the EU’s mining industry is 15 years behind Beijing and a staggering 98% of Europe’s rare earth metals are imported from China, there is a lot of ground for the EU to make up.”
“One possibility for action is the EU’s forthcoming Critical Raw Materials Club for all like-minded countries, which seeks to strengthen the global CRM value chain in cooperation with allies and partners. At present, the Critical Raw Materials Club lacks structure, but it holds potential as a useful trade tool to pool investment into “resource rich” countries in the global value chain.”
China: CAS Space, aka Zhongke Aerospace Exploration Tech Co, plans larger-scale liquid propellant launcher for 2025 capable of delivering 7800kg to sun-synchronous orbit, or 12000kg to low Earth orbit
China: Huawei and Changan EV maker ink JV focusing on 7 key business areas for ‘smart car’ development including driving systems, cockpit, digital platforms, ‘car cloud’ and more
China: Baidu tech giant shares tumbled in response to SCMP report, since denied, suggesting Ernie AI is used by the PLA for military purposes, with shareholders likely fearing US sanctions
China: Huawei adds JD e-commerce giant as partner for HarmonyOS growth and adoption, following disconnection of the operating system from its Android origins
China’s ByteDance, owner of TikTok, quietly launched 4 generative AI apps powered by OpenAI’s GPT rather than its own technology
China & processing power: “…one of the factories told the source that he had been responsible for disassembling more than 4000 NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards in December alone.”
A brief overview of Indo-Pacific space-technology developments, and rising concerns, from Nikkei Asia
China: Orienspace orbital rocket developer raised near $84M from state backers, looking to roll out reusable launch vehicles in 2025, and orders secured to ‘launch several hundred satellites’
China: ShenTech Bootcamp hosted 45 founders from Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science & Tech in Shenzhen, looking to better connect China to the Kingdom and wider Gulf region
China: Researchers claim to have slowed speed of electrons in light-based photonic chips, boosting efficiency and reducing signall loss
China: Biren Technology, China’s competitor to NVIDIA in chip design, sees second co-founder resign without official statement, raising concerns over Biren’s Hong Kong IPO ambitions
China: Ministry of Industry & Info Tech convened 60 reps from firms including Huawei, Tencent, Baidu, Ant Group and Lenovo to set metaverse standards and direct development, with global intent
Nokia to exit JV with Huawei-run, state-backed TD Tech, partly in light of TD potential for US tech curbs avoidance
US Gov’t proposes US cloud firms be required to determine whether foreign entities are accessing US data centers to train AI models, widening chip restrictions to include services run on the chips themselves
China-DR Congo Sicomines copper and cobalt joint venture formalizes agreement, with China to invest up to $7BN in mining infrastructure projects
China: More on the recent, first instance of money laundering using China’s digital yuan and cryptocurrency, including a Shanghai court’s verdict on the case
“India’s stock market capitalization has overtaken Hong Kong’s for the first time… while global capital pours out of China….Indian exchanges reached $4.33TN as of Monday’s close vs $4.29TN for Hong Kong…”
Malaysia’s MY EG and China state-owned Guangxi Beitou to use MY EG Zetrix blockchain platform to internationalize digital ID verification, integrating with China’s Public Blockchain
Australia’s privacy watchdog launches privacy inquiry into how China’s TikTok harvests personal data, and whether it is being done with consent
Philippines is set this year to receive Indian-made BrahMos anti-ship cruise missiles, bolstering the Philippines Navy’s ability to safeguard its sovereign rights in the region
Taiwan: Numbers Protocol rolls out blockchain content verification project aiming to ensure reliable and credible news for upcoming presidential election on January 13
‘Rare earth magnet production looks set to advance in the US and Europe in 2024 with market participants outside of China seeking to secure and onshore the supply chain…’
Philippines: “…Chinese group known as Stately Taurus was blamed for an attack that had compromised a Philippine gov’t agency earlier in 2023, coinciding with clashes…in the South China Sea…”
South Korea’s Coupang revives LG Rocket Delivery distribution partnership, with shared concerns over growing impacts of China’s direct-purchase services seen as underpinnings
Indonesia: China’s BYD electric vehicle maker to invest $1.3BN to build a manufacturing plant in Indonesia, targeting production capacity of 150,000 units
Japan: An overview of the inroads made by China’s robotics firms into Japan’s logistics sector
Singapore’s Scorpio Electric e-scooters contracts China’s BYD for assembly of first product in Shenzhen, with initial production using Samsung batteries but BYD batteries considered for future units
China’s Alipay+ partners Pakistan’s NayaPay fintech, integrating with 25 global Alipay+ payment partners and widening NayaPay options beyond Pakistan’s RAAST instant-payments system
Singapore’s InnoVen Capital launches second China fund, InnoVen China Fund II, USD-RMB dual-currency fund targeting a total size of $250M to back early-stage mainland China startups
Samsung debuts Galaxy S24 series in China, ditching Google AI features in favor of ‘exclusive cooperation’ with Baidu to use Ernie artificial intelligence chatbot
ICYMI: TuSimple shareholders gain court order against co-founders and other execs in bid to stop company leaders from taking assets and intellectual property overseas, specifically to China, following US closure
Russian senator: “Central Bank is ‘turning a blind eye; to firms that use crypto as a payment tool in international trade” with traders using crypto assets alongside currencies such as Emirati dirham and Chinese yuan…”
Hong Kong: China’s Harvest Global asset-management firm applies for spot-bitcoin exchange-traded fund with HK Securities & Futures Commission; in discussions around HK stablecoins sandbox
South Korea: Customs busts 3-year chip smuggling operation focused on China market, impounding 53,000 dual-use chips worth $11.6M
ICYMI: European Union unveils long-delayed measures to protect deep-tech firms and prevent IP leaks, requiring foreign direct investment screening across all 27 EU countries

National Bureau of Asian Research: China’s Digital Ambitions

Asian tech news: Other platforms

Daily – LinkedIn / Twitter/X / Facebook
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Monthly collections – countries across AsiaPac / IndoPac
Asia tech, quarterly – 3 months’ coverage per country
Critical technologies – global news, monthly & quarterly