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WeRide has reportedly become the first company to hold robotaxi permits in six countries after Saudi Arabia approved its nationwide AV deployment. Pil…

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WeRide has reportedly become the first company to hold robotaxi permits in six countries after Saudi Arabia approved its nationwide AV deployment. Pilot rides began in Riyadh earlier this month with Uber and Ai Driver, covering King Khalid International Airport, major highways, and select city center destinations. A full commercial launch is planned for late 2025.

<a href="/company/nvidia">Nvidia</a> has ordered 300,000 additional H20 chips from <a href="/company/tsmc">TSMC</a>, citing stronger-than-expected demand from China after the US reversed its export ban. Designed specifically for the Chinese market, the H20 now adds to a stockpile of up to 700,000 units. While export licenses remain pending, Nvidia has asked local buyers to submit volume forecasts as it considers restarting production.

<a href="/company/sensetime">SenseTime</a> has launched its SenseNova V6.5 multimodal large model and partnered with more than ten Chinese firms—including <a href="/company/huawei">Huawei</a>, Cambricon, and Moore Threads—to roll out a "compute mall" initiative aimed at strengthening China’s domestic <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> infrastructure.

After launching its “Raccoon Canteen” brand in early July following months of trial, <a href="/company/meituan">Meituan</a> has reported a 40-fold increase in search traffic and a 60% rise in orders. The initiative aims to help merchants reduce costs and improve food safety standards. Meituan said it will not self-operate or compete, but instead support merchants through infrastructure and shared practices.

<a href="/company/changan-automobile">Chang’an Automobile</a> has been spun off as a new state-owned enterprise in Chongqing. The firm includes 117 subsidiaries and has registered capital of RMB 20 billion. It plans to focus on smart vehicles, flying cars, and international expansion across five key regional markets.

Eastroc Beverage’s new products lifted its H1 2025 revenue to RMB 10.74 billion, up 36% YoY. Sales of its “Bushuila” hydration drink rose 214% to RMB 1.49 billion, easing reliance on energy drinks. Eastroc is also expanding product lines and retail reach as it targets RMB 20 billion in full-year revenue and accelerates overseas expansion.

<a href="/company/bytedance">ByteDance’s</a> Douyin has denied online claims that it arbitrarily canceled a former employee’s stock options, stating the forfeiture followed violations of its integrity policy and stock option agreement. The individual is reportedly under criminal investigation for alleged fraud involving cloud resources that led to significant financial losses, and was placed under police measures in May.

China has released 1,509 large <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a> models, more than any other country and accounting for over 40% of the global total, according to data shared at WAIC 2025. The country currently hosts more than 5,100 AI firms, with listed companies driving 70% of domestic AI revenue across areas including large models, <a href="/industry/autonomous-vehicles">autonomous driving</a>, and AI chips.

PayPal will soon let businesses accept more than 100 cryptocurrencies at checkout, with payments converted into fiat or its PYUSD stablecoin. The service, launching in the coming weeks, supports wallets such as Coinbase and MetaMask, settles instantly, and charges a 0.99% transaction fee. Merchants holding PYUSD balances can potentially earn about 4% in yield.

The EU has accused <a href="/company/temu">Temu</a> of breaching its Digital Services Act by failing to assess risks tied to illegal product sales. Test purchases reportedly found unsafe items reaching users, prompting charges that include the use of addictive design and the sale of counterfeit goods. Temu may face fines of up to 6% of global sales unless it addresses the violations.

The US has reportedly frozen export controls on tech sales to China, including <a href="/company/nvidia">Nvidia’s</a> H20 chip, to avoid disrupting trade talks and a potential meeting between national leaders. Security officials warn the pause could aid China’s military ambitions in <a href="/industry/ai">AI</a>, while Nvidia maintains the chip serves civilian uses and meets global demand.

These three cases show how overlooked consumer categories can quietly scale overseas, even while flying under the radar at home.

The next Pop Mart? These three Chinese brands with global traction are lining up for IPOs

I'm Xiaochun with 36Kr Global [kri’eɪʃə], a newborn digital media with a dedication to help Asia uncover its innovations and to create.

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CHENG Zi is based in China, covering technology and business-related events. She works with her colleagues at 36Kr Global to provide coverage in both English and Chinese.

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WeRide gets robotaxi nod in Saudi Arabia

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