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Doubao hits 100 million DAUs as ByteDance extends its AI lead

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Pulses

NetEase’s Ding Yingfeng to step down

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NetEase announced that executive vice president and interactive entertainment head Ding Yingfeng will retire on December 31, 2025. He will remain as an adviser, with CEO William Ding praising his leadership and contributions to the company’s game portfolio and development capabilities.

Sunwoda subsidiary faces lawsuit from Geely unit

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National Business Daily
Sunwoda Power, a subsidiary of Shenzhen-listed Sunwoda, is facing a RMB 2.31 billion lawsuit from Geely’s Viridi E-Mobility Technology (VREMT) over alleged quality issues in battery cells supplied between 2021–2023. The case, accepted by the Ningbo Intermediate People’s Court, comes as Sunwoda’s planned power unit listing remains on hold following consecutive losses.

CATL partners with Guoxin on car chips

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SCMP
CATL and Unigroup Guoxin Microelectronics have formed Tongxin Micro Technology, a Beijing-based automotive chip venture with RMB 300 million in capital. Guoxin holds 51% and CATL 5%. The new firm will acquire Guoxin’s domain controller chip business, valued at RMB 193 million, to strengthen ties with EV clients.

Beijing signals cautious TikTok stance

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SCMP
China’s commerce ministry has signaled cautious acceptance of TikTok’s US joint venture deal, saying it “hopes” the arrangement complies with Chinese laws and balances interests. Analysts said Beijing seeks to frame the outcome as a negotiated compromise as ByteDance licenses its algorithm to a new US-controlled TikTok entity.

Huawei readies WiFi X for 2026 release

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Huawei has announced it will launch the WiFi X portable router in March 2026. The device features transparent antenna technology and third-generation PLC gigabit networking, eliminating the need for additional wiring. It includes a built-in gateway and supports StarFlash connections for HarmonyOS device integration.

Xpeng expands in Middle East, Africa

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Xpeng
Xpeng Motors is expanding across the Middle East and Africa, launching in Qatar, signing a partnership in Mauritius, and opening new facilities in the UAE and Egypt. Its 2,000-square-meter service center in Cairo, the largest in the region, underscores the company’s push to deliver smart, sustainable mobility experiences to users in the region.

Lenovo to debut “AI Super Agent” at CES

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Lenovo plans to unveil its “AI Super Agent” for global markets at CES, positioning it as a flagship application. The assistant will reportedly offer system-level AI capabilities similar to ByteDance’s Doubao phone assistant, integrating AI directly into the operating system.

Xiaomi’s new Leica phone sparks rush

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Jiemian News
Xiaomi’s 17 Ultra Leica edition sold out online within hours of its December 25 presale, pushing resale prices to as high as RMB 20,000—more than double its official starting price of RMB 8,999—underscoring strong consumer demand.

Agibot launches robot rental service

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Nikkei Asia
Agibot has launched Qingtian Rent, a nationwide platform offering humanoid and quadruped robots for hire. Operating in 50 cities, the service rents the A2 Ultra bot from RMB 4,899 per day and aims to reach 400,000 users next year. Backed by Tencent, BYD, and Baidu, Agibot plans to expand to 200 cities by 2026.

Hey Tuya brings AI to daily life

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Tuya
Tuya Smart has launched Hey Tuya, a digital assistant built on its "Physical AI Engine" to deliver intelligent, proactive support in daily life. Designed for multi-device collaboration, Hey Tuya is said to learn user habits and manage tasks across home, health, and work scenarios.

Alibaba’s Qwen app hits 40 million users

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Alibaba’s Qwen app reached 40 million monthly and 19 million weekly active users within 30 days of its public beta, according to Xsignal. Launched on November 17, the app has since integrated with Amap and other local services, signaling a shift from conversational use toward broader lifestyle and task-based applications.

iFlytek expands into semiconductors

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SCMP
iFlytek has established a new entity, Shandong Yixun Information Technology, to expand into semiconductor design and AI software, according to corporate data. The move highlights China’s drive for tech self-sufficiency as Washington prepares new tariffs on Chinese chips. iFlytek said it remains committed to using domestically made processors.

Doubao tops China’s AI app rankings

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SCMP
ByteDance’s Doubao topped China’s consumer AI app rankings in December with 155 million weekly users, nearly twice DeepSeek’s total, according to QuestMobile. Tencent’s Yuanbao, Ant Group’s AQ, and Alibaba's Qwen followed in the top five, reflecting how China’s big tech firms continue to dominate the market.

Tencent launches Vemus for music makers

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Tencent Music has begun beta testing Vemus, its AI-driven music platform, its AI-powered music creation platform. Designed as an all-in-one tool, Vemus supports songwriting, composing, remixing, and lyric generation. With a multimodal interface, users can produce complete tracks from text, dialogue, or images, requiring little to no prior experience.

Lynk & Co debuts in UAE

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Lynk & Co
Lynk & Co launched in the UAE on December 23 with an immersive event at the Dubai Autodrome that combined high-performance test drives and design showcases. The brand presented models including the 01, 03+, and 09, and unveiled a first look at the 900 SUV, engineered specifically for Middle Eastern conditions.

H200 deliveries hinge on Beijing nod

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SCMP
Nvidia plans to begin shipping its H200 chips to China before the Lunar New Year, fulfilling initial orders of 5,000–10,000 modules under a new US policy permitting sales with a 25% fee. The shipments, representing up to 80,000 chips, mark the first since restrictions eased but remain subject to Beijing’s approval.

Qoros faces bankruptcy review

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Jiemian News
Qoros Auto is facing a bankruptcy review after a supplier filed suit over unpaid debts. Court filings show 31 equity freezes totaling over RMB 35 billion and dozens of enforcement actions against the automaker, once seen as a rising Chinese brand but now struggling with liquidity and production halts.

Z.ai launches GLM-4.7 model

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Z.ai
Z.ai has launched GLM-4.7, the latest version of its flagship model, featuring major upgrades in coding, reasoning, and agent execution. The model introduces a “think before acting” mechanism, achieves state-of-the-art results on several open-source benchmarks, and reportedly outperforms GPT-5.1 in reasoning tasks.

Kuaishou hit by cyberattack

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Kuaishou said its live streaming function was hit by a cyberattack around 10 p.m. on December 22, but has since resumed normal operations after emergency repairs. Other app services were unaffected. The company reported the incident to police and vowed legal action to safeguard user and shareholder interests.

ByteDance plans RMB 160 billion AI push

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Financial Times
ByteDance plans to boost its 2026 AI investment to RMB 160 billion, allocating over half to chip purchases, including Nvidia’s H200 processors if approvals allow. The TikTok owner is also expanding its overseas data center footprint as usage of its Doubao chatbot surges in China despite US export restrictions.
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