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Marubi’s founder on how the legacy beauty brand found new life in China

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Pulses

Li Auto to launch smart glasses

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Li Auto
Li Auto has announced a partnership with Zeiss covering technology and marketing collaboration. As part of the tie-up, the company plans to debut its Livis AI glasses on December 3, marking a new move to expand its smart device portfolio with support from the optics specialist.

Ant’s LingGuang sees strong use

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36Kr
LingGuang, Ant Group’s multimodal AI assistant, has reportedly generated 3.3 million user-created “flash apps” in the two weeks since launch. Data show frequent multi-round dialogues as users refine ideas, with some apps receiving more than 100 revisions.

Canon shuts China printer factory

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Jiemian News
Canon has closed its Zhongshan laser printer factory, citing a rapidly contracting market, intensifying competition, and sustained operating pressure. Once a major production hub with more than 10,000 workers, the plant has seen staff fall to about 1,400 and its output shift entirely to export. The shutdown reflects broader declines in China’s laser printer market and Canon’s shift toward higher-margin businesses.

Kling AI launches unified video model

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Kling AI
Kling AI has released Video O1, a unified multimodal video model that generates short clips and edits existing footage through a single prompt, interpreting up to seven inputs at once. The system supports subject swaps, scene changes, and stylistic adjustments. Kling said internal tests show gains over Google's Veo 3.1 and Runway Aleph, though results have not been independently verified.

Shein faces Texas product probe

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Reuters
Texas attorney general Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into Shein to assess potential violations of state law involving product safety, hazardous materials, and ethical sourcing, as well as data practices. The probe follows findings by French regulators of illegal items on the platform, adding to mounting scrutiny of the fast fashion retailer.

OpenAI takes stake in Thrive unit

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Bloomberg
OpenAI is taking an ownership stake in Thrive Holdings, an investment vehicle created by major backer Thrive Capital, in exchange for embedding its staff and technology into the firm’s portfolio companies. The tie-up, aimed at speeding enterprise adoption of AI, adds to a series of increasingly interconnected deals linking OpenAI with its investors as the industry scales costly AI infrastructure.

Nvidia invests USD 2 billion in Synopsys

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Reuters
Nvidia has invested USD 2 billion in Synopsys as the companies expanded a multiyear collaboration to develop AI-driven design tools that shift complex simulations from CPUs to Nvidia GPUs. Executives said the approach can cut processes from weeks to hours. Synopsys emphasized the deal is non-exclusive and does not require it to purchase Nvidia hardware.

UK EV tax may aid Chinese brands

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Nikkei Asia
Britain’s new pay-per-mile tax on EVs, set for 2028, is expected to pressure demand and potentially steer buyers toward cheaper Chinese models such as BYD’s Dolphin Surf. Forecasts indicate the levy could curb EV sales by 440,000, highlighting affordability challenges despite expanded government grants.

Fanuc taps Nvidia for AI-driven robots

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Nikkei Asia
Fanuc said it is partnering with Nvidia to develop physical AI robots that can respond to verbal commands and operate safely around humans. The systems will integrate Nvidia computers, use virtual factory training, and support ROS 2 and Python. The project marks Fanuc’s first major push into physical AI as industrial robotics enters a new competitive phase.

Changan expands robotics push

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SCMP
Changan Automobile is advancing its robotics strategy with a RMB 225 million investment for a 50% stake in Changan Tianshu, a unit dedicated to humanoid robot technologies. The company plans to unveil self-developed prototypes and its first in-vehicle robot next year as it seeks closer integration between robotics and smart vehicles.

BYD launches first PHEV in Japan

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Nikkei Asia
BYD has launched its first PHEV in Japan, the Sealion 6 SUV, starting at JPY 3.98 million and priced below comparable Toyota and Mitsubishi models. The vehicle offers up to 1,200 kilometers of combined range, with deliveries set for late January. BYD said demand has held steady despite tense bilateral relations as it works to expand its presence in the Japanese market.

Nio deliveries jump in November

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Nio
Nio delivered 36,275 vehicles in November 2025, a 76.3% YoY increase driven by 18,393 units from the Nio brand, 11,794 from Onvo, and 6,088 from Firefly. Cumulative deliveries stood at 949,457 as of November 30.

Vanke hit by bond, equity slide

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Jiemian News
Several Vanke onshore bonds fell more than 30% on December 1, triggering temporary halts, while shares touched a ten-year low amid rising debt concerns. A court also froze RMB 570 million in equity at a Vanke subsidiary. The developer faces about RMB 36.24 billion in public debt maturing or subject to investor options, and reported a RMB 28.02 billion nine-month loss, with Shenzhen Metro continuing to provide liquidity support.

Zootopia 2 leads China box office

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Jiemian News
Zootopia 2 has generated more than RMB 1.9 billion in China after five days, setting single-day records for imported films and boosting November box office to a post-2019 high. Forecasts show domestic receipts could reach RMB 4.25 billion, while over 60 brand tie-ups have driven strong demand for related merchandise across multiple consumer categories.

China factory slump extends in November

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Nikkei Asia
China’s factory activity contracted for an eighth month in November, with the PMI at 49.2 and services slipping to 49.5 as demand remained weak. Output stalled and the index for new orders stayed below 50, underscoring pressure from soft consumption, trade tensions, and debt constraints. Analysts said major policy support may wait until early 2026 despite the uneven recovery.

US firm seeks loan deal for Nvidia chips

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Bloomberg
PaleBlueDot AI is seeking about USD 300 million in financing to acquire Nvidia chips for a Tokyo data center serving Chinese platform Xiaohongshu, according to people familiar with the matter. The plan illustrates how some firms are navigating US export limits on high-end GPUs, though lenders remain cautious amid political sensitivities and uncertain policy direction.

Cainiao automates Hong Kong hub

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36Kr
Cainiao’s Hong Kong eHub has introduced an automated palletizing system, becoming the city’s first pre-security cargo facility to automate the full process from security screening to pallet assembly. The upgrade aims to improve cargo handling efficiency and support rising cross-border air logistics demand.

Doubao launches OS-level AI assistant

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IT Zhijia
ByteDance’s Doubao team has released a technical preview of its Doubao phone assistant, an OS-level AI tool developed with handset makers to enable automated app operations, multimodal interaction, and memory-based personalization. The preview is available on the Nubia M153, with broader ecosystem integration planned as the product continues to evolve.

Xiaomi launches in-stock car offer

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IT Zhijia
Xiaomi is set to roll out an in-stock car program featuring unregistered new, display, and near-new vehicles. The company said customers can expect quicker handovers and full warranty coverage, with some models discounted. Users with locked orders may switch to in-stock units ahead of the full launch on December 3, and eligible buyers may receive a tax subsidy if delivery occurs in 2026.

Bitcoin mining ticks up in China

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SCMP
China’s bitcoin hash rate edged up 14.06% in Q2 this year, triggering debate over whether mining could help utilize excess wind and solar power. Scholars have urged Beijing to reconsider its ban, but analysts said authorities remain focused on strategic sectors that require large-scale electricity, leaving energy-intensive crypto mining at odds with national goals.
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