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From rejection letters to red carpets: How Ding Xiaoyin brought Chinese cinema to the world

13 mins read

Pulses

Tencent invests in Lightelligence

just now
Jiemian News
Lightelligence, a Chinese photonic computing startup, has raised more than RMB 1.5 billion in Series C funding from investors including China Mobile, Tencent, Shanghai State-owned Capital Investment, China Reform Securities Fund, and Pudong Venture Capital. The capital will be used to speed development and commercialization of its optoelectronic hybrid computing and photonic chip technologies.

Pop Mart steps up anti-counterfeit drive

just now
36Kr
Pop Mart said 7.91 million counterfeit products have been seized since it filed customs recordals in 27 countries and regions. European customs have been especially active, with the Netherlands intercepting more than 260,000 items. The company also issued multilingual guides to help identify fakes of its popular IPs.

OpenAI to launch AI chip with Broadcom

just now
Financial Times
OpenAI will reportedly launch its first custom AI chip next year with Broadcom, aiming to reduce reliance on Nvidia and support future models such as GPT-5. Sources said OpenAI is the unnamed client behind Broadcom’s USD 10 billion order commitment, with shipments expected in 2026.

Mexico weighs tariffs on China imports

just now
Nikkei Asia
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government is weighing tariffs on imports from countries without trade agreements, including China. The measure, part of “Plan Mexico” to bolster domestic industry, comes as the US imposes tariffs on Mexican goods under US President Donald Trump.

OpenAI to launch jobs platform in 2026

just now
Bloomberg
OpenAI will launch an AI-powered jobs platform next year to connect employers with candidates trained in AI, and is rolling out a certification program with Walmart to upskill workers. The initiative aims to certify ten million people in the US by 2030 as a response to both the opportunities and disruptions of AI adoption.

Thai-founded LineWise joins YC, raises funding

just now
LineWise
LineWise, a Thai-founded startup, has raised USD 1.1 million in pre-seed funding after joining Y Combinator’s X25 cohort. A2D Ventures and other investors backed the round. Rooted in Thailand’s manufacturing hub, the company is scaling its AI-driven “virtual engineer” globally to cut factory downtime and defects.

Stanford-backed YiLab raises funding

just now
YiLab
YiLab, a startup co-founded by Stanford professor Yi Cui with operations in China and the US, has raised more than USD 10 million in pre-Series A funding to expand its LifeLabs Design line of sustainable, thermoregulating textiles. The funds will go toward a new R&D lab and factory in Asia to speed scaling and commercialization.

Kaiyi Auto offers Wuliangye liquor discount

just now
Jiemian News
In an unusual tie-in, Kaiyi Auto, partly owned by Wuliangye Group, is reportedly offering new car buyers a 25% discount on Wuliangye liquor through its app. The perk coincides with the launch of updated Shiyue Mate models, though Wuliangye said it was unaware of the promotion.

Roblox curbs chat features in Middle East

just now
Bloomberg
Roblox will suspend in-game chat and step up Arabic content moderation across the Middle East, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, after safety concerns and regulatory scrutiny. The move follows recent bans in Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey, and adds to global pressure on the platform over child protection.

Nvidia invests in Honeywell-backed Quantinuum

just now
Honeywell
Nvidia’s NVentures joined a USD 600 million funding round for Quantinuum, valuing the quantum computing firm at USD 10 billion. Nvidia invested alongside JPMorgan Chase, Mitsui, Amgen, and other backers. The financing will support the launch of Quantinuum’s Helios system and efforts toward universal fault-tolerant quantum computing.

Huawei unveils cheaper trifold Mate XTs

just now
SCMP
Huawei has unveiled the Mate XTs, its second trifold smartphone, starting at RMB 17,999. Powered by the Kirin 9020 and HarmonyOS 5, the foldable device features a 10.2-inch display, stylus support, and PC app compatibility. The launch comes just days before Apple debuts the iPhone 17.

Moonshot AI prepares Kimi K2 update

just now
SCMP
Moonshot AI, backed by Alibaba and Tencent, is preparing an upgrade to its Kimi K2 model with improved coding capabilities and a 256,000-token context window. The update, briefly announced as Kimi K2-0905, has been delayed by API-related problems during beta testing. The firm says it remains committed to long-term open-sourcing.

Cainiao shortens delivery times in Southeast Asia

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Cainiao
Cainiao has upgraded its Southeast Asia logistics network, adding express lines to Vietnam and Thailand and enhancing routes to Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Parcels from China can now reportedly arrive in 3–6 days at about 20% lower cost, supported by more than 20 overseas warehouses in the region.

Xiaohongshu debuts offline market in Shanghai

just now
Dao Insights
Xiaohongshu has launched its first “RedMarket” in Shanghai, a four-day fair featuring over 100 stalls of lifestyle goods, regional cuisine, and cultural heritage crafts. Paired with a new “Market” tab on its app, the event underscores its bid to rebrand as an interest-focused community bridging offline and online commerce.

Romoss faces lawsuit after power bank ban

just now
SCMP
Romoss Technology, tied to explosions and mass recalls of faulty power banks, has been sued for RMB 136.26 million by supplier Zowee Technology. The case adds to the fallout from China’s emergency flight ban on unsafe batteries and new certification rules for lithium-ion packs.

JD.com relaunches Joybuy in Germany

just now
Nikkei Asia
JD.com has relaunched its Joybuy platform in Germany after winding down its Ochama brand across Europe. The site offers groceries and consumer goods but has faced criticism for sloppy presentation and missing details. Analysts see the rollout as a logistics test run ahead of JD's planned Ceconomy acquisition.

WeRide rolls out driverless ride-hailing in Huangpu

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WeRide
WeRide has reportedly launched fully driverless robotaxis operating around the clock in Huangpu, Guangzhou. The company said its GXR model now provides point-to-point trips across the district through its app.

Chinese EV boom drives Japan tool orders

just now
Nikkei Asia
Japanese machine tool makers are benefiting from surging Chinese EV demand, with automotive-related orders from China reaching JPY 78.1 billion in the first seven months of 2025. BYD’s shift to in-house mold production has lifted demand for precision machining tools, though rising cancellations highlight risks as competition heats up.

Nasdaq tightens IPO rules for Chinese firms

just now
Reuters
Nasdaq has proposed stricter listing standards, raising liquidity thresholds, accelerating delistings, and requiring Chinese companies to raise at least USD 25 million to qualify. The exchange said the measures are meant to curb volatile IPOs and pump-and-dump schemes tied to smaller Chinese issuers.

US defunds Huawei rival tech program

just now
Politico
The US Congress has pulled nearly USD 1 billion from the Wireless Innovation Fund, cutting support for open RAN, an emerging telecom standard intended to provide a US-backed 5G alternative to Huawei. The decision undercuts a bipartisan effort to reduce global reliance on Chinese infrastructure.
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