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Trip.com margins narrow in Q4 as it steps up global expansion

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Baidu faces pressure over AI returns

just now
Bloomberg
Baidu’s shares have slid nearly 20% over the past month, erasing about USD 11 billion in market value, as investors await earnings and seek clearer returns from its AI investments. Analysts expect December-quarter revenue and profit to fall YoY amid advertising weakness, while options traders are pricing in a post-results swing of about 5.7%.

Thai EV prices rise as subsidies end

just now
Nikkei Asia
Chinese EV makers including BYD and SAIC’s MG have raised prices in Thailand after subsidies of up to THB 150,000 per vehicle were phased out. BYD’s Dolphin now starts at THB 599,900, up 33% from its 2025 low, as automakers adjust pricing in Southeast Asia’s largest EV market following incentive-driven growth.

General Atlantic sells ByteDance stake

just now
SCMP
General Atlantic is selling part of its stake in ByteDance in a deal valuing the TikTok owner at USD 550 billion, according to two unnamed sources. The transaction, expected to close in March, follows private market valuations of USD 500 billion in December and USD 400 billion in the second quarter of 2025.

MiniMax, Moonshot lead AI usage

just now
SCMP
MiniMax’s M2.5 and Moonshot AI's Kimi K2.5 ranked first and second by token usage on OpenRouter this February, ending a year of US-led dominance on the platform. Developers used 4.55 trillion tokens on M2.5 and 4.02 trillion on Kimi K2.5, with Chinese models accounting for nearly two-thirds of the top five, according to OpenRouter data.

Meizu to exit smartphone market

just now
Jiemian News
Meizu’s smartphone business is said to have shut down and will formally exit the market by March. The Flyme Auto car system will continue within Geely’s structure, while several executives have departed, handset projects including Meizu 23 have stalled, and some supplier payments remain unsettled, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Alibaba Cloud debuts AI coding tool

just now
Bloomberg
Alibaba Cloud has unveiled an AI coding tool built on its open-source Qwen 3.5 and models from Z.ai (Zhipu AI), Moonshot AI, and MiniMax, with users able to switch between them. Promotional pricing starts at RMB 7.9 for the first month for the lite version and RMB 39.9 for deeper access, before rising to RMB 40 and RMB 200, respectively.

Pico teases new VR headset

just now
IT Zhijia
ByteDance’s Pico has released a teaser for an upcoming product, describing it as efficient, intuitive, and open, with the Pico OS product lead hinting it could be a new VR headset. The company will also showcase its flagship "Project Swan" XR headset, powered by Pico OS 6, at next month’s Game Developers Conference.

Agibot expands to Europe with Minth deal

just now
Agibot
Agibot launched its robotics portfolio in Munich on February 24 and named automotive supplier Minth Group as its European partner and sales agent. The rollout includes A2 and X2 humanoid robots, G2 dual-arm robots, and D1 quadruped robots, with localized deployment, training, and service supported by Minth’s manufacturing footprint across Europe.

DJI sues FCC over US drone ban

just now
Reuters
DJI has filed a petition with a US federal court of appeals challenging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s December decision to bar imports and approvals of its new drone models and critical components. The order, which also applies to Autel, allows sales of existing products but blocks new offerings from entering the US market.

Vivo promotes Hu Baishan to president

just now
The Paper
Vivo has appointed executive vice president and COO Hu Baishan as president, with CEO Shen Wei stepping down from the role, according to an internal notice. Hu will continue serving as COO and report to Shen. He has overseen product development, R&D, supply chain, and overseas expansion, and recently led the launch of Vivo’s robotics lab.

Z.ai apologizes for GLM rollout

just now
36Kr
Z.ai, also known as Zhipu AI, apologized over changes to its GLM Coding Plan, citing limited transparency, a slow GLM-5 rollout, and flawed upgrade design after traffic exceeded expectations. It has opened access in stages, with Max users receiving full access first, Pro users facing possible peak limits, and Lite users rolling out gradually. Affected Pro and Lite users can apply for refunds.

Honor to launch humanoid robot at MWC

just now
Guancha
Honor will unveil its first humanoid robot at MWC 2026 in Barcelona, targeting consumer scenarios such as shopping assistance. Company sources said it would be the first smartphone maker to launch a humanoid robot, expanding its AI device strategy as it continues preparations for a potential IPO.

Moore Threads adapts S5000 to SimOne

just now
Jiemian News
Moore Threads said its MTT S5000 AI training and inference GPU has completed system-level adaptation and deep optimization with 51World's SimOne 4.0 autonomous driving simulation platform. The integration links chip, simulation engine, and application layers into a unified hardware-software stack for smart driving development.

RedotPay eyes US IPO

just now
Bloomberg
Hong Kong-based RedotPay is considering a US IPO that could raise more than USD 1 billion at a valuation above USD 4 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. The stablecoin payments firm is working with JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, and Jefferies on a potential New York listing this year. It raised USD 194 million in 2025 and had over 6 million users as of November 2025.

Xpeng sets 2026 AI production push

just now
Sina
Xpeng CEO He Xiaopeng said the company delivered 429,445 vehicles in 2025, up 126% YoY, and will roll out its second-generation VLA driver assistance system this quarter, with Volkswagen as its first customer. In 2026, it plans to mass produce robotaxis, humanoid robots, and flying cars, double overseas sales, and hire 8,000 staff globally.

Black Sesame’s A2000 lands OEM deal

just now
36Kr
Black Sesame Technologies said its Huashan A2000 assisted driving chip has secured its first public mass production design win with a leading Chinese automaker, in partnership with AICC. The solution supports Level 2 to Level 3 functions, including highway and urban navigation, and assisted parking, with the first production models expected in 2026.

Ant’s AI Pay, AQ pass 100 million users

just now
Ant Group
Ant Group said Alipay's AI Pay exceeded 100 million users on February 23 after processing more than 120 million transactions in the week of February 5–11, marking the first AI-native payment product to reach that scale. Its AI-driven health app AQ also crossed 100 million users, with holiday downloads topping China’s app store chart and 52% of new users from lower-tier cities.

DBS partners Granite Asia on AI fund

just now
Granite Asia
DBS Group has entered a three-year partnership with Granite Asia to offer investment products to its wealth clients and financing support to Asian growth companies. The tie-up begins with the close of a USD 110 million AI-focused IPO fund, managed by Granite Asia and distributed exclusively to DBS clients.

Fandom gold lifts China demand

just now
Nikkei Asia
With gold surpassing USD 5,000 per troy ounce, Chinese consumers are turning fandom into investment, buying character-themed gold jewelry such as Hello Kitty and Chiikawa pieces as both collectibles and stores of value. Gold ownership among those aged 18–24 reached 62% in 2025, while the central bank extended its gold purchases to a 15th consecutive month.

ByteDance expands hiring for US AI team

just now
Bloomberg
ByteDance is recruiting nearly 100 US-based staff for its Seed unit, with roles spanning LLMs, image and video generation, and drug discovery research. The hiring push follows its TikTok divestment deal and comes as Hollywood studios challenge its new Seedance model over alleged copyright violations.
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