China woman fired due to husband’s rival firm job receives US$101,000 for unjust dismissal
Business

China woman fired due to husband’s rival firm job receives US$101,000 for unjust dismissal

Company alleges potential sabotage in counter lawsuit but fails as court rules there is no evidence that woman passed secrets to her man A Shanghai company has been ordered to pay a woman employee 690,000 yuan (US$101,000) for illegally firing her because her husband works for a rival firm. Xuhui District People’s Court made the ruling in Shanghai in late April, the Yangtze Evening News reported. The woman, surnamed Liu, started working at the company in 2006. The firm’s name was not disclosed in the report, only that it operates in the property management industry. At the end of 2023, Liu received a notice from her employer telling her that they had decided to terminate her labour contract because her spouse works as the general manager of a rival company. Her employer said this had brought “adverse effects” to the company.

Indonesia posts fastest first-quarter growth in 3 years, but headwinds loom
Business

Indonesia posts fastest first-quarter growth in 3 years, but headwinds loom

The 5.6 per cent growth was propelled by robust household consumption during the festive season and a surge in government spending Statistics body BPS attributed the growth to robust household consumption – which made up 54.36 per cent of gross domestic product and grew by 5.52 per cent year-on-year – and a surge in government spending. Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, head of BPS and deputy minister for economic affairs at the Ministry of National Development Planning, told reporters on Tuesday that increased spending during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and Eid ul-Fitr-related travel between mid-February and March had boosted growth. The growth rate, the fastest since the third quarter of 2022, exceeded the 5.3 per cent predicted by analysts polled by Reuters. “The 5.6 per cent growth was above my expectation of 5.3 per cent, but not entirely surprising given the strong growth in government spending throughout the first quarter,” David Sumual, chief economist at Bank Central Asia, told This Week in Asia.

Apple and BOE reportedly deepen OLED partnership as BOE targets 35 million iPhone display shipments in 2026
Technology

Apple and BOE reportedly deepen OLED partnership as BOE targets 35 million iPhone display shipments in 2026

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. Chinese display panel firm BOE Technology Group is expected to further deepen its partnership with Apple this year, with an estimated shipment of around 35 million OLED displays in 2026, according to online reports. The supply is said to cover multiple iPhone models, including the iPhone 14, iPhone 16e, and iPhone 17e, and the iPhone 17 Pro series alone is expected to account for around 8.2 million panels. While South Korea’s Samsung Display and LG Display remain the primary suppliers of OLED panels for Apple’s premium iPhone models, BOE has reportedly been expanding production capacity and improving yield rates, gradually challenging the long-standing dominance of Korean display makers in Apple’s supply chain. [TechWeb, in Chinese]

AirAsia to launch new airline, flying against wind of high oil costs
Business

AirAsia to launch new airline, flying against wind of high oil costs

‘We can’t control what happens in the Middle East, but we have to take a view that it’s not going to last for two years,’ CEO Tony Fernandes says AirAsia X co-founder Tony Fernandes said he is preparing to launch a new airline, betting that expanding while the aviation industry’s being roiled by high oil prices will pay off in the future. The new airline will be announced in the next month or two, Fernandes said in a video interview from Montreal late on Wednesday. The low-cost Southeast Asian carrier group is moving some planes for the business it is starting, he said, without providing further details. The expansion would come on the heels of AirAsia’s multibillion-dollar order for what Prime Minister Mark Carney lauded as the largest purchase ever of Canadian-made commercial aircraft. The order, involving 150 Airbus A220 planes, is part of the businessman’s plans to expand AirAsia’s fleet with smaller, nimbler planes that will fly passengers to all corners of Asia. “Why waste a crisis? There are opportunities in a crisis,” Fernandes, 62, said.

US-Iran peace optimism fuels Asian stock market gains
Business

US-Iran peace optimism fuels Asian stock market gains

US President Donald Trump said conflict in the Middle East would be “over quickly”, as Iran considered a peace proposal that could lead to the reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz. “We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, according to Reuters. The president has repeatedly played up the possibility of an agreement with Iran since the war began on February 28, without reaching an...

Hong Kong recalls Zwilling electric kettle over handle defect and scalding risk
Business

Hong Kong recalls Zwilling electric kettle over handle defect and scalding risk

Electrical and Mechanical Services Department recalls product over potential safety risk and urges users to contact supplier for a refund Hong Kong authorities have urged the public to stop using a certain model of Zwilling electric kettle over concerns that the handle may detach, posing a risk of scalding. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department on Thursday issued a safety recall for the kettle (model 53005). Consumers should contact the supplier, Cheong Hing (1917) Company Limited, at 2687 5879 to arrange a refund. The supplier warned that, in a small number of cases, the kettle’s handle may loosen or break, potentially causing hot water to spill. In March, Zwilling issued a global recall of its 1.5-litre (0.4gallon) kettles after confirming one case in which a user suffered second-degree burns due to the defect. The UK government published an official product withdrawal notice in April. The long-established German manufacturer is known for high-quality kitchenware, professional cutlery and home appliances.

TikTok makes record US$25b investment to expand digital infrastructure in Thailand
Innovation

TikTok makes record US$25b investment to expand digital infrastructure in Thailand

The Chinese firm will install additional servers and expand data storage infrastructure to support rising demand for digital services TikTok is investing US$25 billion in data infrastructure projects in Thailand, the company’s biggest investment announced to date in Southeast Asia, as China’s technology giants continue expanding their footprint in the region. The investment would be used to install additional servers and expand data storage and processing infrastructure across Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao provinces to support rising demand for digital services, according to an announcement by Thailand’s Board of Investment on Wednesday. The company, owner of the short video platform of the same name, also committed to “developing digital literacy and e-commerce curricula to help create new business opportunities” for Thai entrepreneurs and the workforce, according to the statement. TikTok’s investment marked a massive increase from its initial plan announced last year, allocating US$8.8 billion over the next five years to digital infrastructure. It was also the largest of six projects totalling US$29 billion approved by the Thai government on Wednesday.

Doubao Launches Three-Tier Subscription as China’s ‘Token Factory’ Model Accelerates
Technology

Doubao Launches Three-Tier Subscription as China’s ‘Token Factory’ Model Accelerates

Doubao, China's largest AI chatbot with 345 million monthly active users, has quietly introduced three paid subscription tiers on the Apple App Store: 68 yuan/month, 200 yuan/month, and 500 yuan/month. The move signals a broader industry shift toward token-based AI monetization.

TikTok wins approval for $25 billion Thailand data center expansion
Technology

TikTok wins approval for $25 billion Thailand data center expansion

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. TikTok has secured approval for a $25 billion data center expansion project in Thailand, as the Southeast Asian nation accelerates efforts to position itself as a regional digital infrastructure hub. Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) announced that it had approved six large-scale investment projects with a combined value of 958 billion baht (about $29 billion), part of a broader push to strengthen power supply capacity, expand access to clean energy and attract strategic foreign investment. The largest approved project comes from TikTok System (Thailand) Co., Ltd., which plans to invest around 842 billion baht (around $25 billion) to expand its digital infrastructure footprint across Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao provinces. The investment will add servers and enhance data storage and processing capabilities to support rising demand for digital services in the region.

Beijing-Based Health-Tech Unicorn Yuanxin Tech Files for HKIPO at $2.7B Valuation
Technology

Beijing-Based Health-Tech Unicorn Yuanxin Tech Files for HKIPO at $2.7B Valuation

Yuanxin Tech, connecting online doctors and offline pharmacies, files for its sixth HK listing attempt with a 19.5 billion yuan valuation backed by Sequoia China and Tencent.

Li Auto Abandons Sedan Plans, Will Focus Entirely on Core Family SUV Lineup
Technology

Li Auto Abandons Sedan Plans, Will Focus Entirely on Core Family SUV Lineup

Li Auto CEO Li Xiang confirms the company will abandon sedan development, saying sedan architecture is fundamentally incompatible with the brand's 'home'-focused design philosophy.

XPeng Unveils GX Native Wire-Control Chassis: A Technical Deep-Dive
Technology

XPeng Unveils GX Native Wire-Control Chassis: A Technical Deep-Dive

XPeng's GX Native Wire-Control Chassis integrates human and autonomous driving control into one system, clearing 49 hairpin turns on a Yunnan mountain road in a single run as proof of concept.