China Executive Insights
Meituan has launched a public beta of "MiYou" (觅游), an AI-native community built around AI Agents with identities, relationships and growth trajectories. Users raise "shrimp" (AI agents) that find earning opportunities, meet partners, and grow alongside them. Over 3,000 Agents and 40,000+ skills are already active on the platform.
Kunluncore (昆仑芯), Baidu's AI chip spinoff with 15 years in AI computing, has formally engaged CICC for STAR Market listing. The company filed concurrently for Hong Kong listing on January 1, marking a dual-listing strategy. Its self-developed P800 32K GPU cluster is China's first officially lit self-developed trillion-parameter AI cluster.
Beijing and Manila trade accusations after incident near Iroquois Reef in the Spratly Islands this week In a statement issued on Thursday night, China Coast Guard (CCG) spokesman Jiang Lue said a Philippine Coast Guard Islander aircraft had “deliberately approached and harassed” China’s Xiang Yang Hong 33 scientific research vessel on Wednesday while the ship was conducting a “legitimate marine ecological survey” near Iroquois Reef. China slams Japan’s first overseas missile launch in 80 years Jiang said the Chinese side tracked and monitored the Philippine aircraft and handled the situation “in accordance with laws and regulations”, with manoeuvres that were “professional and standardised throughout the whole process”. “We sternly warn the Philippine side to immediately stop illegal harassment, smearing and inflammatory propaganda,” he said. Jiang’s comment came hours after his Philippine counterpart Jay Tarriela issued a release on social media, stating that on Wednesday the Philippines had sent an Islander 4177 surveillance aircraft for a routine maritime domain awareness mission – designed to detect, track and identify vessels and activities at sea – “specifically” challenging China’s Xiang Yang Hong 33.
Huawei's first MatePad Pro Max tablet has appeared on overseas official sites, revealing key specs: 13.2-inch flexible OLED PaperMatte display at 3mm thickness, 4.7mm body, pre-installed HarmonyOS 4.3, and a 10,300 mAh battery supporting 66W wired and 40W reverse wireless charging.
Scholars urge a pivot to shared AI and EV standards and cooperation, while an upgraded China-South Korea free-trade pact is deemed vital China’s rapid technological gains and aggressive pricing are making it increasingly difficult for South Korean firms to find profitable areas of industrial synergy with their Chinese counterparts, according to experts. Speakers at a recent forum in Beijing urged firms from both countries to pivot towards building more interdependent ecosystems in high-growth sectors such as batteries and artificial intelligence, while also calling for the advancement of negotiations towards an upgraded free-trade agreement. “Industries in each country must re-evaluate their core strengths to build a synergistic, interdependent global supply chain,” Seo Bong-kyo, head of Samsung Global Research China, said on Thursday during a seminar co-hosted by Renmin University and the South Korean embassy. Seo argued that both nations should look beyond conventional rivalry, according to an event summary published by the Chinese organiser. “China’s push to expand domestic demand offers a new opening for South Korean firms to enter high-value markets,” he was quoted as saying.
As HKEX eyes relaunch of gold futures, experts suggest extended hours, tax breaks, and storage facilities to ensure success To break a curse of repeated failures to launch gold futures trading, bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) should extend its trading hours and the government should offer tax incentives and establish clearing and storage facilities, according to industry players. These recommendations came as HKEX aimed to relaunch gold futures in the coming months and sought market feedback to refine the plan, Acting Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Joseph Chan Ho-lim told lawmakers on Monday. It will be the fourth attempt since the 1980s. The most recent launch was in 2017, when the bourse operator introduced gold futures denominated in US dollars and yuan. While both contracts remained listed, they had seen no turnover in the past two years, according to exchange data. The exchange’s previous failures in gold futures were due to traders’ tendency to trade the products outside the bourse, and more often overseas, analysts said. “Gold is actively traded in over-the-counter markets, with a strong network of banks and commodity traders,” said Tommy Ong, the managing director of T.O.
Every Wednesday and Friday, TechNode’s Briefing newsletter delivers a roundup of the most important news in China tech, straight to your inbox. Your support helps TechNode continue to provide credible, on-the-ground journalism and industry insights about the Chinese tech industry. From June 17 to 20 June 2026, Porte de Versailles (Paris) will host the 10th edition of VivaTech, Europe’s largest event dedicated to startups and technology. The event has established itself as an unmissable meeting platform for the tech world, at the crossroads of innovation, business and the most important debates around technology, with AI at the heart of every conversation. This anniversary edition reaffirms VivaTech’s ambition to amplify the voice of tech among professionals, through renowned companies and speakers from the international tech world. A “takeover” of the Champs-Élysées (June 14) and the VivaTech Festival (June 20) will bring tech to as many people as possible. Over ten years, VivaTech has seen 300 percent audience growth, going from 45,000 to more than 180,000 visitors in 2025, representing 171 countries. The number of startups has tripled, and investors have multiplied by 12.
Mainland youngsters reflect on ‘paid’ time spent caring for and keeping company with their parents, say it is not a panacea for tough job market Three years after some Chinese youngsters chose to become “full-time children”, some said it was not a cure-all for their plight in China’s tense job market. The title “full-time children” went viral in 2023 in China, when some young people became a “full-time employee” of their parents. They received monthly salaries from their parents, ranging from 1,000 yuan (US$150) to over 5,000 yuan, depending on their parents’ pensions. In exchange, they kept their parents’ company and helped them manage difficult tasks such as operating mobile apps. Some likened full-time children to “NEETs”, which means “Not in Education, Employment or Training”.
Nigel Farage, whose Reform UK gained more seats, said the results so far represented a ‘truly historic shift in British politics’ Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed on Friday to fight on to deliver on his promise to bring “change” to Britain after his Labour Party suffered heavy losses in local election that deepened doubts over his ability to govern. Just under two years after winning a landslide national election, Starmer saw voters punish his Labour government, dealing it a blow in some of its traditional strongholds in former industrial regions in central and northern England. The main beneficiary was the populist Reform UK party of Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, which gained more than 350 council seats in England, and could form the main opposition in Scotland and Wales to the pro-independence Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru in results later on Friday. The early results confirmed the fracturing of Britain’s traditional two-party system into a multiparty democracy, in what analysts say represents one of the biggest transformations in British politics in the last century.
Lam, an Executive Council member, will chair board of first entity established to accelerate development of Northern Metropolis megaproject Hong Kong authorities have appointed veteran politician Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung to chair the board of directors of the Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company – the first government-owned entity established to accelerate the development of the Northern Metropolis megaproject. The Development Bureau said on Friday that the board of directors comprised five bureau chiefs and five non-official members, who were tasked with formulating a “forward-looking development positioning and strategy” for the 23-hectare (57-acre) logistics park, which serves as the first pilot land parcel of the project near the Shenzhen border. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu approved the appointments, and their three-year terms begin on June 1. The company, wholly owned by the government through the Financial Secretary Incorporated, was established in January to oversee the development and operation of the Hung Shui Kiu site.
The move contradicts the country’s aim to grow the EV sector and use more renewable energy sources, analysts say The ministry of investment, trade and industry (Miti) on Wednesday announced that from July 1, it will only allow the sale of imported EVs that have a cost, insurance and freight (CIF) value of at least 200,000 ringgit (US$51,000) and a minimum power output of 180kW. The move effectively bars the sale of the vast majority of imported EVs – predominantly Chinese marques – from Malaysia’s market once the policy kicks in, although an exception is granted for existing stocks and units in transit. The ministry said the move was aimed at supporting the development of the country’s automotive industry and protecting Malaysia’s economic interests and consumer rights. The immediate effects of the new policy, however, are likely to land far off the mark, according to business experts. “The shock to the system will mean that consumers who have been on the fence about EVs will either buy before the July ban kicks in, or put off buying EVs altogether,” said Timothy Wong, a senior analyst with government affairs consultancy BowerGroupAsia.
The company is seeking to list on the Sci-Tech Innovation Board, also known as the Star Market, of the Shanghai Stock Exchange Kunlunxin, the artificial intelligence chip unit of Chinese tech giant Baidu, is seeking a valuation of at least 100 billion yuan (US$14.69 billion) for its Hong Kong stock exchange listing, according to two people familiar with the matter. The valuation could change based on market conditions and final terms, according to one of the sources, who requested anonymity as the information was private. Baidu and Kunlunxin did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. Separately, Kunlunxin has also taken the first step towards an initial public offering (IPO) on the mainland Chinese market, riding the tide of Beijing’s push for tech self-reliance that has seen a slew of local chip firms seeking mainland and Hong Kong listings since late last year. State-backed investment bank China International Capital Corp will guide Kunlunxin and its executives on IPO-related issues in the so-called tutoring process, a mandatory step for companies seeking a public listing in mainland China, according to a notice published by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) on Thursday.