The Trump administration banned new foreign-made humanoid and four-legged robots from entering the US, citing national security risks from data collection and potential foreign intelligence leverage. The move is widely seen as targeting China, a leading robot producer, and aims to protect the domestic US robotics industry.
Chinese tech giants are facing increasing market scrutiny to prove that their substantial artificial intelligence investments will generate sustainable profits, mirroring the pressure felt by US tech firms like Meta and Alphabet over their AI spending.
Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei has publicly endorsed the 'Tau Scaling Law' as the company's sole strategy for survival and growth amidst external pressures, according to internal remarks reported by Science and Technology Daily. He emphasized it's a path for survival, not disruption.
Tencent Holdings dismissed a WeChat division project manager, surnamed Ye, after details of his 3.17 million yuan bonus package leaked online. The company cited his passing sensitive corporate information to external parties, causing severe negative impact.
Chinese tech companies are rapidly expanding their international presence, driven by a global surge in AI spending and domestic competition. This growth is evident in rising physical tech exports and increased revenue from cloud-based software and foundation models, with firms like MiniMax seeing significant international earnings.
The US House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including provisions to prohibit the Pentagon from using Chinese-made humanoid robots due to national security and data privacy concerns, while commercial sales remain unaffected.
Alibaba Group Holding's mapping unit, Amap, has upgraded its ABot AI framework, which unifies a robot's core functions into a single system. The new framework features five specialized foundation AI models designed to overcome the industry's challenge of siloed, independently operating robot models.
The Kimi K3, a new 2.8 trillion-parameter open-weight AI model from a Chinese developer, has drawn attention for its performance, prompting Washington's concern that Chinese developers may be circumventing US restrictions on AI models and advanced semiconductors.
Chinese tech giants like ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent are increasingly using AI tokens as an internal corporate currency to measure and bill AI service usage among employees. This trend is fueled by a brutal price war in China's AI industry, driving down costs and accelerating AI integration into daily workflows.
BrainCo has introduced a new platform that allows users to control robots, including humanoid robots and robotic arms, directly with their thoughts. The system uses an EEG headset to capture brain signals, which AI algorithms then decode to translate user intentions into robotic actions, advancing embodied AI development.
Ant Digital Technologies, Alibaba's fintech affiliate, launched "Agentar 2.0," an upgraded AI agent platform featuring 200 digital expert templates. CEO Cyril Han Xinyi stated the platform aims to restructure enterprise workflows for collective productivity, moving beyond individual task acceleration.
Alibaba has previewed its Qwen3.8 AI model, claiming it's "second only" to Anthropic's Claude Fable 5 with 2.4 trillion parameters. This launch, coinciding with China's top AI summit, highlights the country's push to match US AI leaders.
Hong Kong authorities are increasing autonomous vehicle (AV) tests and road availability. Baidu showcased its sixth-gen AV, preparing for remote-controlled operations. The government has issued seven pilot licenses for 63 AVs, with speed limits raised to 50km/h.
AI tokens are becoming the basis for delivering and pricing AI services in China, evolving beyond a technical metric. Daily AI token consumption has surged over 1,000-fold since early 2024, reaching 140 trillion in March.
Mainland Chinese tech companies are increasingly using Hong Kong not just for capital markets but also for global connectivity to refine products, build international partnerships, and expand overseas. Yunji Technology, a service robot maker, sees Hong Kong as a key gateway for global markets and a testing ground for its products.
US companies are increasingly adopting Chinese AI models due to significant cost savings compared to domestic rivals. Models from DeepSeek and Z.ai are closing the performance gap, with Chinese AI usage via OpenRouter surging from 11% to 46% weekly.
Northwest Normal University and Gansu Zhulong Technology have launched the Qianjiyuan Tianshu carbon-14 nuclear battery, a significant upgrade from its predecessor. The new battery uses less radioactive material, offers higher power output, and boasts a dramatically increased volumetric power density, with a theoretical lifespan of thousands of years.
Tencent, Alibaba, Meituan, and Xiaomi are initiating large share buy-back programs to counter low stock prices and investor skepticism. Analysts suggest the sector may be nearing a bottom, with companies using buy-backs and leadership appearances to restore market confidence.
Alibaba Group will pay $600 million to resolve a US Department of Justice investigation into allegations its platforms facilitated the sale of thousands of illegal pharmaceuticals and controlled substances into the US. The settlement involves non-prosecution agreements with Alibaba and AUS Merchant Services.
A Chinese company has launched the U1, a humanoid robot designed for domestic interaction. Available in male and female versions, it features advanced AI, local data storage, and is sold only to adults.
Senator Steve Daines voiced concern over "unfortunate developments" and "escalation on both sides" regarding new regulations that prohibit supplying dual-use goods to 10 Chinese companies and ban worldwide transfers of China-origin dual-use items to them.
Senator Steve Daines voiced concern over "unfortunate developments" and "escalation on both sides" regarding new regulations that prohibit supplying dual-use goods to 10 Chinese companies and ban worldwide transfers of China-origin dual-use items to them.
German authorities have approved JD.com's €2.2 billion bid for Ceconomy, Europe's largest electronics retailer. The approval comes with conditions to protect customer data and grant Berlin monitoring rights.
Chinese tech firms are rapidly expanding globally, particularly in AI and cloud computing, intensifying competition with US companies. This expansion, marked by low-cost AI models and industrial integration, is met by US initiatives like Pax Silica to secure tech supply chains.
