Technology — 131 insights
China orders major tech platforms to tighten algorithm rules
Technology

China orders major tech platforms to tighten algorithm rules

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. China’s cyberspace regulator said on Thursday that a nationwide campaign targeting problematic recommendation algorithms used by lifestyle service platforms has yielded initial results, as major companies including Meituan, Taobao, JD.com, Didi, Trip.com and Qunar pledged new compliance measures. According to the Cyberspace Administration of China, 14 major platforms have implemented 63 optimization measures and made 139 commitments related to algorithm governance under the country’s trial negative list framework for lifestyle service platforms. Qunar said it had formed a dedicated task force to improve price transparency, curb algorithm-driven price discrimination against repeat users, strengthen user consent mechanisms for personalized recommendations and establish clearer feedback and record-keeping systems.

May 9, 2026
DeepSeek Reportedly Raising $7.3B at $51.5B Valuation; V4.1 Debuts in June
Technology

DeepSeek Reportedly Raising $7.3B at $51.5B Valuation; V4.1 Debuts in June

DeepSeek is in talks to raise its first-ever external round of up to 50 billion RMB, with founder Liang Wenfeng contributing 20 billion RMB personally. The deal would mark the largest single financing in China AI startup history.

May 9, 2026
Transsion Invests in Future Smart as AI Earbuds Race Heats Up
Technology

Transsion Invests in Future Smart as AI Earbuds Race Heats Up

Transsion has taken a strategic stake in Future Smart, the maker of iFlytek-powered AI meeting earbuds with 1.5M global users, as both companies collaborate to build next-generation AI Agent hardware for international markets.

May 9, 2026
Kling Native 4K Generation Breaks the AI Video Commercial Quality Ceiling
Technology

Kling Native 4K Generation Breaks the AI Video Commercial Quality Ceiling

Kuaishou's Kling AI has launched the world's first native 4K video generation — outputting true 3840x2160 resolution at generation time rather than upscaling from 1080P — solving the detail and artifact problems that blocked AI video from real commercial delivery.

May 9, 2026
Xiaomi SVOR Wins CVPR 2026 Challenge, Open-Sources Video Object Removal Framework
Technology

Xiaomi SVOR Wins CVPR 2026 Challenge, Open-Sources Video Object Removal Framework

Xiaomi's model application team has released SVOR, a video object removal framework that solves three practical problems — shadow residue, motion jitter, and mask defects — winning the CVPR 2026 Physical Perception Video Instance Removal challenge ahead of 17 other teams.

May 9, 2026
This 22-Year-Old SJTU PhD Is Building Flapping Wing Robots — and Sequoia Just Backed Him
Technology

This 22-Year-Old SJTU PhD Is Building Flapping Wing Robots — and Sequoia Just Backed Him

Yingkong Zhivi, founded by four Shanghai Jiao Tong University PhD students, has raised tens of millions of RMB in a Pre-A round led by Yuanhe Origin, becoming the world's first company focused on embodied intelligence flapping wing robots.

May 9, 2026
Sony and TSMC form Japan joint venture to develop next-gen image sensors
Technology

Sony and TSMC form Japan joint venture to develop next-gen image sensors

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. Sony Semiconductor Solutions and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint venture in Japan focused on the development and production of next-generation image sensors. Under the agreement, Sony will hold a majority stake and maintain control of the new company. The facility will be based at Sony’s newly constructed plant in Koshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, and is expected to serve as an integrated hub for both research and manufacturing. The partnership brings together Sony’s long-established expertise in image sensor design with TSMC’s advanced semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, aiming to accelerate innovation and improve performance in imaging technologies. [TechNode reporting]

May 9, 2026
China summons eight EV makers over OTA battery locking practices
Technology

China summons eight EV makers over OTA battery locking practices

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. Complaints on China’s national 12315 consumer platform surged to 12,000 cases, up 273% year-on-year. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State Administration for Market Regulation issued four major bans: no silent OTA (Over-the-Air) updates, no battery locking or feature downgrades, mandatory filing for core parameter changes, and no misleading advertising. Authorities found that several automakers remotely altered BMS (Battery Management System) parameters via OTA updates without owner consent, limiting battery charging and discharging capacity. This reportedly reduced driving range by more than 30% and doubled charging times, while billions of yuan in warranty costs were effectively shifted onto consumers. Currently, eight automakers have been summoned for talks, three cases have been formally investigated, and two companies have withdrawn the disputed update packages and pledged to restore vehicle performance.

May 9, 2026
XPeng Launches GX Kunlun Super Extended-Range AWD System, Targeting Family Adventure Market
Technology

XPeng Launches GX Kunlun Super Extended-Range AWD System, Targeting Family Adventure Market

XPeng has officially launched its GX Kunlun Super All-Wheel Drive extended-range powertrain, designed for families who demand both electric performance and unlimited range for long-distance travel. The system brings intelligent AWD capabilities to XPeng's expanding portfolio beyond pure EVs.

May 8, 2026
Xiaomi Smartphone Shipments Plunge 35% in Q1 2026 as Company Shifts to Profit Protection Mode
Technology

Xiaomi Smartphone Shipments Plunge 35% in Q1 2026 as Company Shifts to Profit Protection Mode

Xiaomi's Chinese smartphone shipments fell 35% year-over-year in Q1 2026 to 8.7 million units, the steepest decline among the top five global vendors, as the company begins to prioritize margins over market share after delaying price increases until April.

May 8, 2026
BYD Raises DiPilot Assisted Driving Package by 2,100 RMB — Buyers Show No Sign of Resistance
Technology

BYD Raises DiPilot Assisted Driving Package by 2,100 RMB — Buyers Show No Sign of Resistance

BYD raised the price of its "God's Eye B" assisted driving laser radar package by 2,100 RMB (~21%) starting May 1, yet sales staff at multiple dealerships report that customer demand remains largely unaffected, signaling strong pricing power in China's intelligent driving market.

May 8, 2026
Unitree Robotics Enters South Korea with “Ordination” at Seoul’s Largest Buddhist Temple
Technology

Unitree Robotics Enters South Korea with “Ordination” at Seoul’s Largest Buddhist Temple

Unitree Robotics, China's leading humanoid robot company, has officially expanded into South Korea, with its G1 robot becoming the first humanoid robot to participate in a Buddhist ordination ceremony at Jogye Temple in Seoul, receiving the dharma name "Gabi."

May 8, 2026