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Pop Mart has suspended offline sales of its Labubu plush dolls and keychains in South Korea due to safety concerns, following crowd surges and dispute…

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36Kr is China's most influential business and technology network, delivering high-quality content focused on China’s innovation and new economy trends since 2010. With its extensive traffic and network, 36Kr has built a comprehensive database and strong data analytics capabilities to provide insights into China’s technology landscape.

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<p data-start="913" data-end="1168"><a href="/company/pop-mart">Pop Mart</a> has suspended offline sales of its Labubu plush dolls and keychains in South Korea due to safety concerns, following crowd surges and disputes at stores. Demand spiked after celebrity endorsements, including Blackpink's Lisa in 2024. The company has not announced when in-store sales will resume.</p>

<a href="/company/jd">JD.com</a> has completed its acquisition of Dada Nexus, taking the on-demand delivery platform private in a cash deal valued at USD 2 per ADS. Dada delisted from Nasdaq on June 17 and will cease SEC reporting as it becomes wholly owned by JD through a subsidiary merger.

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Vietnam has approved its first free trade zone in Da Nang, a 1,881-hectare hub for manufacturing, logistics, and digital tech. Linked to key infrastructure including Lien Chieu Port and Da Nang International Airport, the zone aims to drive regional growth and integrate into global supply chains.

Taobao’s 618 campaign saw a surge in cross-border pet product sales, with more than 1,000 merchants doubling their YoY revenue. Chinese brands led in pet food and smart care devices, while small pet supplies gained global traction. Top markets included Hong Kong, Taiwan, and countries across Southeast Asia.

<a href="/company/alibaba">Alibaba</a> has released open-source Qwen 3 <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> models optimized for Apple’s MLX framework, enabling training and deployment on iPhones, iPads, and Macs. The move may aid Apple’s efforts to launch its AI features in China, where regulatory approval is required for public rollout.

DataCanvas has launched Alaya NeW Cloud 2.0, an <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> computing platform built to help developers train and deploy large models more efficiently and cost-effectively. It uses a flexible serverless architecture to accelerate tasks like text generation and reinforcement learning, with billing based on actual resource consumption.

<p data-start="713" data-end="1016">Alibaba Health and Novo Nordisk have partnered to launch a digital platform for weight and chronic disease management. The service integrates medical education, AI-driven tools, and delivery solutions to support early screening and treatment of obesity and diabetes, in line with China’s public health initiatives.</p>

Cainiao has fully implemented RFID technology at its Hong Kong eHub, making it the city’s first logistics hub with full-scene RFID coverage. The upgrade reportedly cuts check-in time to one minute, boosts parcel processing speed by 30%, and enables 99.5% data accuracy with real-time, touchless tracking from unloading to outbound delivery.

LG Energy Solution has signed a six-year deal to supply <a href="/company/chery">Chery</a> with 8 GWh of 46-series cylindrical <a href="/industry/ev">EV</a> batteries, marking its first contract with a Chinese automaker. The high-capacity cells will begin shipping in early 2026 and are expected to power around 120,000 vehicles.

<a href="/company/baidu">Baidu</a> has launched its largest <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> hiring campaign to date, expanding recruitment by over 60% YoY. The effort spans 23 business units and 11 research areas, including LLMs, infrastructure, and intelligent agents. Candidates receive personalized training, expert mentorship, and uncapped salary offers.

WeRide and Uber will deploy autonomous robotaxis in Dubai this year under a new partnership with the city's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). Vehicles will launch on Uber's app with safety drivers, with fully driverless rides targeted for early 2026. Road testing is already underway with RTA oversight.

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Michelle Khoo is the leader of the Deloitte Center for The Edge Southeast Asia. With over a decade of experience in advising business and government leaders on long-term strategies, Khoo is passionate about shaping a more sustainable, fairer, and inclusive future in both physical and digital realms. Her work revolves around artificial intelligence, sustainability, metaverse, disruption, and innovation.

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Known for its “old man’s head” logo and elite gear, the Norwegian brand is relaunching with Topsports in China after a quiet first run.

The “Nordic Arc’teryx” returns to China, but will Norrona finally find its name?

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The company aims to "absolutely dominate" the limited-service segment.

China's H World to add 9,000 hotels by 2030 in budget travel push

China&#8217;s H World to add 9,000 hotels by 2030 in budget travel push

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Pop Mart halts Labubu sales in Korea

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Unlocking growth in orbit: How startups can harness opportunities in the booming space economy

The “Nordic Arc’teryx” returns to China, but will Norrona finally find its name?

China’s H World to add 9,000 hotels by 2030 in budget travel push