China’s tech news in December 2024: China’s space industries develop at a gallop; China’s quantum computing moves continue; BYD breaks production and sales records in 2024; Xiaomi smartphone maker moves into electric vehicles; Beidou satellite navigation system looks at major upgrades to pursue global competition; and many more.
Oxford Institute: China’s rare earths dominance and policy responses
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- China’s CATL batteries giant to seek Hong Kong IPO, pending regulator approval / “CATL, world’s top battery maker, has a global market share of roughly 37% in [EV] batteries…” / full item
- China beats 2024 space launch milestone with 68th 2024 launch, but Kinetica-1 solid rocket failed in later launch stage / full item
- China: Landspace secures $123 million in state investment to speed development of reusable, methane-liquid oxygen launch vehicles / full item
‘US authorities are considering a ban on China’s TP-Link over national security concerns after its internet routers were linked to cyber attacks…’ / full item
- Ji Yue’s collapse is not a standalone incident… Other manufacturers, including Enovate and Bordrin, have faced comparable financial crises, underscoring the precarious state… / full item
- China: Agibot, aka Zhiyuan Robotics, showcases manufacturing facility with sights on 1000 units produced by the end of 2024 / full item
- China: Sharge unveils 1st mass-produced AI-backed smart glasses, AI Snap Glasses A1, ahead of Xiaomi and Baidu / full item
- China: Galactic Energy conducted 4th sea launch, adding to potential for a record-breaking 67 space launches in 2024 / full item
- Apple is reportedly now in talks with Tencent and ByteDance around integrating AI models from the companies into future iPhones sold in China / full item
- China: Zuchongzhi3 quantum computer claims milestones including surpassing Google Sycamore processing benchmarks and equivalence to elements of Google’s Willow processing / full item
McKinsey: Geopolitics and the geometry of global trade
- US House of Representatives is to vote on annual defense bill that includes over $3BN for 126 US telecom firms to remove equipment made by Huawei and ZTE / full item
- China: New generative AI services roll-outs slow as regulators approve 64 for release, bringing the 2024 total approved to 252, and suggesting market saturation / full item
- China: BYD EV maker may be set to exceed annual sales goal, overtaking Ford and Honda with sales of more than 4M vehicles in 2024, and sights on 5-6M cars in 2025 / full item
‘Chinese firms have grown domestic market share, but new Huawei phone shows little sign of technology progress’ / full item
- China Telecom identifies artificial intelligence-based services, enhanced 5G calling and services, and satellite-to-phone devices as its handset priorities for 2025 / full item
- China: ‘Laser Diamond Constellation’ test satellites enter orbit, looking at inter-satellite communications most likely in the context of mega-constellation sat plans / full item
- ‘3D Real-Scene China’ is in development, real-time model of the physical world, dovetailing with ‘new quality productive forces’ and in part with sights on the low-altitude economy / full item
- Imports of solar-grade polysilicon, wafers, and tungsten products from China to the US face tariff increases of 25-50% from Ja 1st, 2025, in response to alleged unfair trade practices / full item
- China’s Ant Int’l has joined Swift Network Interoperability Reference Implementation program, a pre-pilot looking at transparency in cross-border end-to-end payments / full item
BloombergNEF: Climatescope 2024 – Emerging Markets Power Factbook
- China: Bybit cryptocurrency exchange rolls out update allowing China users to trade on the platform using a VPN, but without yuan trading in order to comply with regulations / full item
- China: A look at the Maextro S800 from Huawei and JAC Group, targeting the luxury EV market with prices up to $210K, launching in 2025 with production target of 2000 units / full item
- Xiaomi’s entry into the electric vehicle market is gaining speed, and its strategy for global expansion might hinge on one key integration: Apple’s ecosystem… / full item
- China’s HK-based SenseTime, best-known for facial recognition tech, restructures to add generative AI focus for both opportunities and in a bid to stay relevant as AI evolves / full item
- China: First Long March 12 rocket launches from new spaceport, Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site / full item
- Bolivia inks $1BN deal with China’s CBC, a CATL subsidiary, to build 2 lithium carbonate production plants, with separate Citic Guoan Group contract under negotiation / full item
- China: Former head of digital currency development is facing prosecution for cryptocurrency-based bribery / full item
- China: 140 semiconductor industry firms added to US Chips Act ban, preventing receipt of exports of advanced chip-making equipment and direct chip purchases / full item
China: “The first 10G converged services launched in Beijing and Shanghai in August on a very limited scale. Pilots are also underway in more than 20 provinces and cities…” / full item
- China: Beidou sat-nav roadmap to 2035 is unveiled, with test sats for 2027 launch, and next-gen sats in place circa 2029 / full item
- Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund launches $150M AI-focused AEF NextGen Fund / full item
- Vietnam: Bac Ninh province targets site prep for Nam Son-Hap Linh Industrial Park before February’s Lunar NY holiday to speed investment by China’s Goertek electronics giant / full item
- Vietnam’s Holdstation partners China-founded KuCoin to boost blockchain and DeFi adoption in Vietnam, looking at education and collaboration across business, communities and business / full item
- Hong Kong: Stablecoins bill is to be introduced, aiming to regulate virtual tokens, in ongoing fast-track moves to secure global crypto industry hub status / full item
- Philippines: Huawei Cloud launches its first public cloud availability zones in the country, offering over 100 cloud computing services / full item
- South Korea’s Ably becomes Korea’s first ‘unicorn’ of 2024 with $71.4M investment from Alibaba with shopping apps focused on clothing / full item
‘…the Mekong is facing increasing pressure from ambitious infra projects, competing interests, and the effects of climate change… Cambodia’s Funan Techo Canal, highlights these challenges’ / full item
Critical technologies in the news, globally, in December 2024
Critical technologies monthly
- SpaceX launched 30 satellites on December 21st, second in Bandwagon ‘rideshare’ series, delivering payloads from South Korea, Finland, the US and others…
- France’s Flamanville 3 nuclear reactor is now online and connected to the national grid, with electricity production set to develop in line with testing and safety protocols…
- Taiwan: An overview of Taoyuan municipality’s moves towards becoming a new global innovation hub, building on 12000 factories and industrial output over $122BN…
Accenture: AI – A Declaration of Autonomy
Asia’s Tech News, Weekly in December
● From December 15th 2024 to January 4th 2025
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● To December 14th on LinkedIn and via Substack
● To December 7th on LinkedIn and via Substack
