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China’s alcohol market is shrinking under pressure from official drinking bans, economic slowdown, and generational shifts in taste. To adapt, brands …

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China’s alcohol market is shrinking under pressure from official drinking bans, economic slowdown, and generational shifts in taste. To adapt, brands like Kweichow Moutai and Bud APAC are revising prices, with average canned cocktail prices dropping from RMB 13 in 2022 to under RMB 10, and targeting younger consumers with more novel offerings.

Douyin E-commerce has updated its deposit policy to lower onboarding costs, offering zero-deposit entry for new sellers and cutting existing deposit tiers by up to 75%. Deposits apply only after 200 orders or RMB 10,000 in sales, and merchants may now withdraw excess balances on a weekly basis.

<a href="/company/nvidia">Nvidia</a> CEO Jensen Huang said autonomous vehicles, robotics, and machines are set to surge this decade, calling it a defining era for autonomous tech. Speaking at the Viva Technology conference in Paris, Huang noted Nvidia’s role in the space, supplying both hardware and software to players in the sector.

US President Donald Trump said on June 12 that he may raise tariffs on imported cars, arguing that higher rates would encourage automakers to expand US production. He cited recent commitments from GM and Hyundai as evidence the strategy works. Industry players have pushed back, with Ford and Subaru warning of rising costs, while GM has estimated USD 4–5 billion in tariff exposure.

<a href="/company/bytedance">ByteDance</a> and SenseTime have unveiled a new round of <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> upgrades. ByteDance launched the Doubao 1.6 series with multimodal reasoning and cut token prices by over 60%, while SenseTime enhanced its chatbot Sensechat with real-time video, audio, and visual reasoning capabilities. The rollout follows recent updates from <a href="/company/deepseek">DeepSeek</a>, <a href="/company/baidu">Baidu</a>, and <a href="/company/alibaba">Alibaba</a>.

<a href="/company/leapmotor">Leapmotor</a> CEO Zhu Jiangming said the company will steer clear of <a href="/industry/ev">EV</a> price wars, calling recent discounts more promotional than structural. Backed by strong cost control and stable pricing, Leapmotor is targeting 50,000–80,000 overseas sales this year and plans to ramp up local production in Europe. The EV maker is expanding globally, having recently <a href="https://www.kr-asia.com/pulses/154528">opened its first store in Hong Kong</a>.

Arm CEO Rene Haas warned that US <a href="/industry/semiconductors">semiconductor</a> export restrictions could stifle global innovation and hurt consumers, while accelerating China’s drive for self-reliance. Speaking in Oxford, Haas echoed <a href="/company/nvidia">Nvidia</a> CEO Jensen Huang’s stance, saying forced decoupling “makes the pie smaller” and poses long-term risks to US industry.

<a href="/company/nvidia">Nvidia</a> CEO Jensen Huang said <a href="/company/huawei">Huawei</a> is ready to more aggressively support China’s <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> ambitions if US chip restrictions persist, warning the company could also serve global markets in the absence of the US. While noting Nvidia’s technology remains “a generation ahead,” Huang repeated his call for policymakers to consider the long-term impact of current policies.

<a href="/company/xpeng">Xpeng Motors</a> is in talks to supply its Turing chip to other automakers, with a debut in Volkswagen’s China models expected in 2026. The chip, already used in Xpeng’s G7 SUV, reportedly delivers 2,200 TOPS and supports advanced assisted driving features.

<a href="/company/openai">OpenAI</a> CEO Sam Altman said Stargate, a project that could invest up to USD 500 billion in AI infrastructure, could unlock major breakthroughs in <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> and science. He predicts 2026 could be an inflection point, with ChatGPT’s widespread adoption giving OpenAI an edge in an increasingly competitive field.

<a href="/company/catl">CATL</a> has begun mass production and delivery of its 587 Ah energy storage cell at its Jining plant. With a reported energy density of 434 Wh/L and an initial efficiency of 96.5%, the cell reduces system components and costs while meeting national transport and grid standards.

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Tencent, a Chinese tech conglomerate, invests in gaming, social media, and cloud services, supporting entertainment and connectivity worldwide.

After four aborted IPO attempts and a brief return to profitability, Ximalaya is being absorbed by Tencent.

Ximalaya’s swan song plays out in a USD 2.9 billion Tencent buyout

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How does automation advance industry? Analyze robotic arms, drones, and AI-driven tools reshaping manufacturing and services.

While robots grab the spotlight, component makers like ZeroErr are quietly benefiting from the surge in demand.

Behind the robotics boom, ZeroErr raises funds to build the parts that power it

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Sobering outlook for China’s booze market

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Ximalaya’s swan song plays out in a USD 2.9 billion Tencent buyout

Behind the robotics boom, ZeroErr raises funds to build the parts that power it

Deals in brief: Atome secures USD 75 million facility, Sam Altman backs Coco Robotics again, 12 new China deals, and more