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With smart fitness machines, Aeke finds profit where others saw no market

6 mins read

Pulses

Shein’s UK sales climb in 2024

just now
Reuters
Shein’s UK sales rose 32.3% in 2024 to GBP 2.05 billion, with pretax profit up 56.6% to GBP 38.25 million, a filing shows. Britain is its third largest market after the US and Germany. The retailer, which is preparing for a Hong Kong IPO, could face higher costs as low-value import duty exemptions are removed in key regions.

Xpeng, Volkswagen expand tech partnership

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Xpeng
Xpeng Motors and Volkswagen have expanded their electrical and electronic architecture collaboration beyond EVs to include ICE and PHEV platforms in China. The companies said the move will enable faster updates, shorten development cycles, and deliver economies of scale while enhancing competitiveness in China’s automotive market.

China’s cosmetics exports grow in H1

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CGTN
China’s cosmetics exports rose 12% YoY in H1 2025 to RMB 18.7 billion, with the US, UK, Indonesia, the Netherlands, and Japan as top destinations, according to customs data. Euromonitor data was cited as showing a 115% CAGR for Chinese brands in Southeast Asia’s mass skincare market from 2019–2024, driven by cost-effectiveness and platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok.

Alibaba debuts Accio Agent for merchants

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SCMP
Alibaba has released Accio Agent, an AI-driven tool it said is intended to automate up to 70% of product sourcing and development tasks. Built on its Qwen model and trained on one billion product listings and 50 million supplier profiles, the system can reportedly generate designs, market insights, and compliance advice within minutes.

Zeekr swings to profit in Q2

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Zeekr
Geely’s Zeekr posted an operating profit of RMB 285 million in Q2 2025, swinging from a loss a year earlier, as vehicle margin rose to 17.3% from 11.5%. Deliveries rose 9.3% YoY to 130,866 units, aided by cost cuts, while vehicle sales increased 2.2% to RMB 22.92 billion. The company launched its Zeekr 9X plug-in hybrid SUV and is focusing on new models and overseas expansion.

JD.com grows revenue despite profit drop

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JD.com
JD.com’s Q2 2025 revenue rose 22.4% YoY to RMB 356.7 billion, with JD Retail up 20.6% and operating margin reaching 4.5%, a record for a promotion quarter. Net profit dropped 51% to RMB 6.2 billion as higher investment in new businesses, including food delivery, increased costs.

Hongguo overtakes Youku in monthly users

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Dao Insights
ByteDance’s Hongguo app reached 212 million monthly active users in June 2025, up 179% YoY and surpassing Youku for the first time. The short drama platform, China’s most downloaded app in May, is adding paid memberships, expanding content formats, and exploring overseas markets.

Foxconn hits record profits in Q2

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Foxconn
Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision) reported Q2 2025 revenue of TWD 1.79 trillion, up 16% YoY, while net profit rose 27% to TWD 44.4 billion, both record highs for the period. AI server sales climbed over 60% YoY, with Q3 revenue from the segment projected to grow more than 170%. The company maintained its full-year growth outlook on sustained AI demand.

AliExpress adds Mexico to fulfillment network

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36Kr
AliExpress has expanded its overseas fulfillment service to Mexico, enabling merchants to store goods locally and gain homepage promotion. Already available in the US, UK, Spain, Germany, and Poland, the program aims to shorten delivery times and enhance merchant visibility.

DeepSeek delays R2 launch over chip woes

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Financial Times
DeepSeek has reportedly delayed its R2 model launch after unsuccessful training runs on Huawei’s Ascend chips, opting to use Nvidia hardware while continuing to use Ascend for inference. The delay highlighted China’s chip performance gap with US rivals, slowed market momentum, and was compounded by extended data labelling.

Weibo posts 2% revenue boost in Q2

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Weibo
Weibo’s Q2 2025 revenue rose 2% YoY to USD 444.8 million, driven by growth in advertising and marketing sales to USD 383.4 million. Profit reached USD 125.7 million, with non-GAAP net income of USD 143.2 million. The platform had 588 million MAUs and 261 million DAUs in June.

NetEase’s gaming sales climb in Q2

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NetEase
NetEase’s Q2 2025 revenue rose 9.4% YoY to RMB 27.9 billion, driven by a 13.7% increase in gaming sales to RMB 22.8 billion. Profit reached RMB 8.6 billion, while non-GAAP net income was RMB 9.5 billion, supported by new global launches, strong franchise performance, and upcoming original titles in development.

ByteDance open-sources VeOmni framework

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ByteDance
ByteDance’s Seed team has open-sourced VeOmni, a PyTorch-based framework that helps train AI models using text, images, audio, and video. Unlike conventional systems that mix model logic with parallel code, VeOmni separates the two, making it easier to add new modalities and scale training efficiently.

Agibot debuts unified robot learning model

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Agibot
Agibot has launched Genie Envisioner, a new robot learning system that combines training, control, and simulation into one platform. Trained on 3,000 hours of real-world video data, it learns by watching how robots interact with objects and uses that knowledge to plan actions. The system can reportedly adapt to new robot platforms and complex tasks with minimal extra data.

Softcare renews Hong Kong IPO bid

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Jiemian News
Softcare, Africa’s top diaper brand by 2024 sales volume, has refiled for a Hong Kong IPO after its earlier prospectus lapsed in July. Spun off from Guangzhou-based Sunda, the company plans to expand factory capacity across Africa and emerging markets but faces pressure from thin margins and rising material costs.

Xiaomi reclaims top spot in Southeast Asia

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Canalys
Xiaomi led Southeast Asia’s smartphone market in Q2 2025 with 4.7 million units shipped and a 19% share. It was the brand’s first return to the top since Q2 2021, driven by strong Redmi sales, rising Poco shipments, and expanded D2C and carrier channels. Transsion followed closely in second with 4.5 million units and an 18% share.

China may lead green power output by 2030

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Wood Mackenzie
China could control nearly 80% of utility-scale solar and wind capacity in key Belt and Road countries by 2030, according to a new report. The projection links this dominance to China’s overseas expansion, including 35 new manufacturing facilities added in 2024 to bypass global trade barriers.

Apple tests Douyin Pay on China store

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SCMP
Apple is testing Douyin Pay as a new payment option on its China app store, local media reported. If implemented, the ByteDance-owned service would join Alipay, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay as a supported platform, expanding user choice in China’s mobile payments ecosystem.

Lenovo beats estimates on PC demand

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Bloomberg
Lenovo’s net income rose 108% to USD 505 million in Q2 2025, beating estimates as firms rushed PC purchases ahead of potential US tariffs. Revenue reached USD 18.8 billion, with PC shipments up 15% YoY. Analysts warn new trade measures may weigh on sales later this year.

Tencent uncertain on US chip imports

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Reuters
Tencent said it doesn't have a definitive answer on US AI chip import rules as talks between Beijing and Washington continue, but confirmed it has enough inventory to support ongoing AI training and service deployment. President Martin Lau said the company is closely monitoring developments.
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