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The 21st Auto Shanghai show is underway, and <a href="/company/gac">GAC Aion</a> is participating with a range of updated models and one notable new entry: a Level 4 autonomous vehicle it describes as ready for mass production.
The robotaxi, developed in collaboration with <a href="/company/didi">Didi</a>, is designed to operate autonomously in predefined scenarios, reflecting the companies’ efforts to advance practical applications of self-driving technology.
Unveiled earlier this month at a GAC event, the vehicle features a headlight-linked interactive display designed to show greetings, vehicle status, and expressions. A floating disc-shaped LiDAR (light detection and ranging) unit is mounted on the roof, supplemented by additional sensors on the fenders and cameras positioned to provide a 360-degree field of view.
GAC said the car incorporates Didi’s latest autonomous driving platform and is equipped with 33 sensors, including ten LiDAR units, infrared and acoustic sensors, multiple cameras, and 4D millimeter-wave radar. These components enable perception across various driving conditions. The vehicle’s onboard computing system is rated for 2,000 TOPS (trillion operations per second), a benchmark aimed at ensuring safety redundancy.
GAC and Didi formalized their collaboration in May 2023, establishing a joint venture, Andi Technology, in April 2024. Six months later, Didi secured USD 298 million in Series C funding, with GAC as a lead investor. The funding is expected to support their shared efforts in autonomous vehicle production.
The robotaxi is built on GAC Aion’s premium electric vehicle platform and Xingling electronic architecture. It integrates Didi’s proprietary hardware-software stack, a multi-layer safety system, and a new cockpit interface developed specifically for driverless operation.
According to GAC Aion, the model has completed automotive-grade verification testing and is intended for both domestic and international deployment. If commercialized as planned, it would be among the first Level 4 robotaxis built for global distribution.
In addition to the robotaxi, GAC Aion introduced three updated models:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">The Ultra version of the Aion UT is positioned as a sportier option within the lineup.</li>
<li aria-level="1">The Aion V Bawanglong, meanwhile, is being promoted with a prize draw and tailored for long-range travel.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Rounding out the trio is a restyled <a href="https://kr-asia.com/gac-launches-aion-rt-with-mona-m03-pricing-can-it-capture-the-same-demand">Aion RT</a>, which appears to draw design cues from the Porsche Panamera and features improvements in both handling and visual appeal.</li>
</ul>
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3261123652878086">article</a> was written by Han Yongchang for 36Kr.

GAC Aion and Didi unveil Level 4 robotaxi at Auto Shanghai

Didi

East Asia

China

Transportation

Autonomous Vehicles

Mobility

In the first quarter of 2025, the company posted revenue of RMB 1.111 billion (USD 155.5 million), representing a 4,230.2% year-on-year jump. Net profit reached RMB 355 million (USD 49.7 million), reversing a loss of RMB 227 million (USD 31.8 million) from the same period a year earlier.
Cambricon’s recent momentum comes as China accelerates efforts to strengthen its domestic semiconductor sector. The company’s Siyuan chips have gained traction following the US government’s ban on Nvidia’s H20 exports to China, creating an opening for local alternatives.
Still, the strong results have not quieted concerns. This marks only the second profitable quarter since Cambricon’s IPO, and challenges remain. Operating cash flow fell sharply, and the company continues to rely heavily on a small group of clients. Competition is also intensifying, with rivals such as Loongson and Huawei introducing products aimed at similar markets.
Founded in 2016, Cambricon initially gained attention for co-developing one of the first artificial intelligence-enabled mobile chipsets with Huawei. But after Huawei exited the partnership, Cambricon struggled to diversify its client base while grappling with high R&amp;D spending. Its IPO provided much-needed capital, though the fundamentals lagged behind.
In 2022, Cambricon was added to the US export control list, cutting it off from advanced chip production at top-tier foundries like TSMC. That move dealt a heavy blow. Revenues dropped and the company became the subject of scrutiny in Chinese media.
Rather than retreat, Cambricon expanded its product offerings beyond mobile to a broader range of computing scenarios, including cloud and edge applications. Its rebound gained traction in 2024, when its stock performance temporarily outpaced Nvidia’s.
Signs of upcoming expansion are there: the company disclosed inventories of RMB 2.755 billion (USD 385.7 million) and prepayments of RMB 973 million (USD 136.2 million), indicating that more orders may be coming.
Cambricon’s progress is unfolding amid a broader reordering of China’s chip sector. With international supply chains under pressure, domestic firms are moving quickly to plug the gaps. <a href="/company/deepseek">DeepSeek</a>, a foundational AI company, is helping to unlock downstream demand, while inference workloads—an area less dependent on ultra-advanced processors—are proving to be a strong match for China-made chips.
By early 2025, major players including Huawei, Biren, Moore Threads, and Hygon had launched DeepSeek-compatible products. Cambricon’s return to profitability places it back in the conversation, though whether it can maintain that position is an open question.
Cash constraints, fierce competition, and an uncertain customer mix will shape its next steps. But for now, Cambricon’s latest results offer a glimpse into what a locally driven AI chip sector might look like under pressure.

Cambricon swings to profit as revenue multiplies 42-fold

Artificial Intelligence

Deep Tech

AI Infrastructure

A viral trend of using generative <a href="/industry/ai">artificial intelligence</a> to turn photos into illustrations in the style of Japan's beloved Studio Ghibli has fueled anger from artists and arguments over whether art styles should be protected by copyright.
Starting late in March, X (formerly Twitter) was flooded with images of smiling families on vacation, newlywed couples and other scenes, all in a style closely resembling Ghibli's My Neighbor Totoro.
This followed <a href="/company/openai">OpenAI's</a> incorporation of a high-quality image generator into ChatGPT, allowing users to produce Ghibli-esque images with just a photo and a simple prompt.
A few days after the update, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said on X that the service had "added one million users in the last hour."
Governments jumped on the bandwagon. The White House's official X account posted a Ghibli-style illustration of a handcuffed and crying Dominican immigrant. The Israel Defense Forces posted images of soldiers carrying guns and piloting a fighter jet, spurring an outcry from fans of Ghibli films accusing the military of using the studio's style for war propaganda.
Questions have been raised about whether replicating Ghibli's style so closely constitutes copyright infringement, but there is a broad view that it does not violate current US law.
Those protections are extended to works "fixed in a tangible medium of expression." For example, specific characters such as Mickey Mouse. But they do not cover ideas or styles. Copying a specific work by a watercolor painter would infringe on their copyright, but creating a new painting in that style would not.
"We continue to prevent generations in the style of individual living artists, but we do permit broader studio styles—which people have used to generate and share some truly delightful and inspired original fan creations," OpenAI said in a media statement. Studio Ghibli declined to comment to Nikkei on March 27.
This does not mean there is no risk of violating IP rights. Joshua Weigensberg, a partner at law firm Pryor Cashman, has said AI images with features that are "similar or identical to the artist's works, not only in terms of an abstract artistic 'style' but also in terms of particular expressive features, that may also give rise to a legal claim for infringement."
Trademarks are a potential issue as well, if an AI user or company uses Ghibli-style illustrations in a way that misleads others into thinking that a service is officially tied to the studio.
Creators in the US have decried the Ghibli trend. Digital illustrator Marc Brunet made a post on X criticizing how "Ghibli is making [zilch] out of this while [OpenAI] is raking in the billions after literally stealing their iconic art style."
Karla Ortiz, an artist and illustrator, has called it a "copyright infringement and a deep violation of artists' rights and livelihoods."
The legal landscape for AI is still being established, as are protections for the rights of artists and other creators. Momentum toward barring the use of AI to replicate voices has grown since film star Scarlett Johansson objected last year to OpenAI's use of a voice "eerily similar" to hers for ChatGPT, and the Ghibli trend may also become a case study for the questions surrounding use of the technology.
"Having it automatically generated, feels much more of a kind of violation of their moral principles and not just of their IP," said Mark Lemley, a professor at Stanford Law School. "It doesn't fit within existing copyright law. So courts, maybe, will be motivated to stretch the bounds of existing copyright law to prevent this. Another possibility is that … Congress might change the rules," he added.
Adobe, a developer of widely used software for digital art, has said it advocates for an "anti-impersonation right" protecting creators against the use of AI to copy their styles. It supported a bill introduced last year by Republican representative Darrell Issa that would ban unauthorized commercial use of digital replicas of individuals, calling it a step toward ensuring responsible use of AI content.
Some believe there should be restrictions placed on the content AI trains on, not just on the AI output itself. That would open OpenAI to a legal quandary if the company had used Ghibli's IP without permission.
OpenAI has argued that training AI models on publicly available data falls under the fair use exemption of copyright law. The debate on what constitutes fair use in AI applications remains ongoing.
There are roughly 40 US court cases underway revolving around AI training and fair use, according to Lemley. It remains to be seen if the Ghibli-style AI images will continue to take the world by storm.
Japanese studios have "the right to decide whether they want their art copied by generative AI," Weigensberg said.
This article first appeared on <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Artificial-intelligence/Ghibli-style-AI-images-ignite-debate-over-art-copyright-protections">Nikkei Asia</a>. It has been republished here as part of 36Kr’s ongoing partnership with <a href="https://www.kr-asia.com/nikkei-teams-up-with-36kr-in-asia-tech-news-coverage/">Nikkei</a>.

Ghibli-style AI images ignite debate over art copyright protections

OpenAI

Japan

On April 21, <a href="/company/catl">Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL)</a> pulled the curtain back on its inaugural “Super Tech Day” with a show of force. The battery giant introduced three headline products: the second-generation Shenxing battery, the Naxtra sodium-ion battery, and a wild card—Freevoy, a dual-power system that may reset industry expectations.
The second-generation Shenxing battery came out swinging, with specs combining an 800-kilometer range with a peak charging rate of 12C. To put that into perspective: the battery can deliver 75 kilometers of range in just 30 seconds of charging, or 2.5 km per second. It’s CATL’s direct answer to <a href="https://kr-asia.com/byds-new-evs-could-charge-faster-than-your-smartphone">BYD’s 10C charging system</a>—and a clear flex of its engineering muscle.
After a quick showcase, CTO Gao Huan shifted gears to spotlight what would become the day’s main act: the Naxtra battery.
Following earlier product lines like Qilin, Shenxing, and Tianxing, Naxtra marks CATL’s latest stab at advancing sodium-ion technology—a format long dogged by its lower energy density. Naxtra changes the conversation.
CATL says Naxtra delivers 175 watt-hours per kilogram, good for over 500 km in full-electric mode and more than 200 kilometers in hybrid setups. Cold weather resilience is its calling card: the battery retains 90% of usable power at a bone-chilling -40 degrees Celsius and charges at a 5C rate. CATL expects mass production to begin by the end of 2025.
So, what exactly is a dual-power battery?
In essence, CATL has merged two distinct battery chemistries into a single pack. Think of it as two separate energy zones—each compensating for the other’s shortcomings, and both working together under tight software control.
At a glance, this setup might seem unwieldy, especially when automakers are focused on integrating batteries into the vehicle chassis to save space. But CATL has a workaround: its self-forming anode technology.
This tech upgrade boosts volumetric energy density by 60% and gravimetric density by 50%, meaning more juice in the same physical footprint. The trick? A protective interface for the lithium metal at the anode that minimizes chemical side reactions, plus refinements across separators, electrolytes, and other components.
What’s more, the self-forming anode plays nice with a range of chemistries. Sodium versions top out at 350 watt-hours per liter. LFP (lithium iron phosphate) models hit 680–780 Wh/L. And NCM-based systems can soar beyond 1,000 Wh/L.
At the event, CATL introduced four Freevoy variants:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Sodium-LFP: Combines Naxtra with a self-forming LFP unit. Built for extreme cold, it holds 90% capacity at -40 degrees Celsius and supports a 700 km range in vehicles with a 2.75-meter wheelbase.</li>
<li aria-level="1">LFP-LFP: Pairs the second-gen Shenxing with another LFP cell. With a three-meter wheelbase, it offers up to 1,000 km of range and rapid charging from 10% to 80% in seven minutes.</li>
<li aria-level="1">NCM-LFP: Marries NCM's raw power with LFP’s safety. Even at 20% charge, it can unleash 600 kilowatts—reportedly stronger than a V12 engine—and supports 12C fast charging.</li>
<li aria-level="1">NCM-NCM: The flagship build. Two NCM zones deliver over 180 kilowatt-hours in capacity, pushing the potential range beyond 1,500 km for larger sedans.</li>
</ul>
The Freevoy battery marks a shift in how we think about energy storage. Like the rise of cell-to-pack (CTP) architecture before it, Freevoy could signal the start of a "multi-core" era in battery design. But this time, the implications go beyond hardware elegance,  rooted in user experience.
For years, battery innovation followed a path of standardization: cylindrical cells, VDA-sized prisms, modular packs, and then integrated systems like CATL’s own Shenxing and Qilin lines. Freevoy breaks that mold. Instead of designing around engineering limitations, CATL has flipped the script, shaping this battery by geography and consumer behavior.
At its core, Freevoy is a reimagined range extender. Where earlier electric vehicles used gas engines to top up the battery, Freevoy relies on a second battery. Each energy zone—housing a different chemistry—is managed by software that adapts in real time to driving patterns and vehicle conditions.
The result? A driving range of up to 1,500 km, and more importantly, a modular system that caters to different needs. A commuter in Harbin might pick the cold-resistant sodium-LFP variant. A speed enthusiast could lean toward the all-in NCM-NCM configuration. Automakers don’t need to build new battery platforms—just choose the Freevoy mix that matches the target demographic.
This level of modularity is possible because of CATL’s broad chemistry portfolio: sodium-ion, LFP, M3P, ternary lithium, condensed matter, silicon-carbon, and now, the self-forming anode. It’s a toolkit few others possess.
And Freevoy is just the beginning. If dual-core batteries take off, what’s stopping triple- or quad-core systems? CATL has already hinted they are on the roadmap. As driving scenarios grow more diverse, battery systems might evolve into tailored modules , resembling apps more than traditional hardware.
Ultimately, no single chemistry can do it all. NCM packs power but compromises safety. LFP is steady but loses strength in the cold. Sodium handles the chill and charges quickly but falls short on density. CATL’s multi-core strategy stitches these trade-offs together into one coherent system.
While much of the industry is still locked in the full-versus-plug-in hybrid debate, CATL is steering the conversation elsewhere—away from drivetrain formats and toward a more fundamental question: what can batteries actually do for drivers?
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3259973171314825">article</a> was written by Han Yongchang for 36Kr.

CATL’s new EV battery doesn’t settle for one chemistry, and it doesn’t want you to either

Batteries

Energy

… support merchants with a full suite of creator product sampling subsidies—including both sample costs and shipping fees.
“TikTok Shop only invited fewer than 100 merchants at first, and since it coincided with the Lunar New Year, once backend access opened, the big sellers scrambled to connect with creators. By early February, some had already shipped 1,000–2,000 product samples,” Jia said.
Now more than a month into operations, TikTok Shop’s footprint in Mexico remains smaller than Temu and Shein, largely due to its entry requirements: only sellers with a local business license, legal representative, or domestic warehousing capability are allowed to join.
Chuhaijiang’s data shows that in early March, TikTok Shop was pulling in five-figure USD sales daily in Mexico by early March, with the average order clocking in at around USD 12—compared to the USD 20 average in the US. The platform’s top categories at the time were beauty and personal care, fashion apparel, and 3C electronics.
While TikTok Shop lacks a robust local inventory, Mexico itself is not short on goods.
In late 2024, the Mexican government launched a <a href="https://kr-asia.com/mexico-cracks-down-on-chinese-gray-market-as-trade-policies-tighten">sweeping crackdown on counterfeit goods</a> in Mexico City’s downtown, targeting a wholesale hub known as Yiwu International Trade City—not to be confused with its namesake in Zhejiang, China. The move has rattled white-label sellers who once operated exclusively offline. Even those not directly affected are now looking to shift online, wary of what might come next.
“The folks in Yiwu [International Trade City] are trying to move their offline inventory online to clear it out. But they don’t know how to operate content-driven platforms like TikTok, so they are dumping it on Mercado Libre at rock-bottom prices,” Jia said. “This year, competition in Mexico’s shelf-based e-commerce space is going to get intense.”
whereRelatedArticle
Despite fierce platform competition, none of the players have solved Mexico’s deeper structural problems. The country still lacks the infrastructure to support seamless operations, making localization risky for sellers.
Zhao shared one such incident: “In August 2024, we shipped three containers to Mexico. One of them still hasn’t turned up. The logistics company won’t compensate us. The issue of lost shipments hasn’t improved at all.”
Even when goods arrive, warehousing is another hurdle. Zhao said that Mexico lacks the mature e-commerce infrastructure of markets like the US, making inter-platform stock transfers inconvenient and in-house warehousing a costly endeavor. Platforms may end up building their own industrial parks to support local operations.
Risk and opportunity often go hand in hand. Sellers pushing into Mexico believe it’s a blue ocean. But for platforms like Temu, Shein, and TikTok Shop, it’s just one waypoint in a broader global push, where the goal is to chip away at the dominance of entrenched giants.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3233899775852544">article</a> was written by Hu Yiting for 36Kr.

In Mexico, China’s e-commerce giants hit both stride and snags

On-demand Services

E-commerce

Consumer Economy

Latin America

It has been more than a year since <a href="/company/bytedance">ByteDance</a> rebooted its gaming division. Now, the company appears to be heading toward a new turning point.
Industry chatter suggests ByteDance is moving to merge its two key gaming units—Nuverse and Moonton. The rumored plan? Fold the two under one banner, then spin the gaming arm off as an independent company in preparation for an IPO.
ByteDance has publicly denied any current plans for a public listing. But according to 36Kr, insiders at Moonton say the merger is imminent. What remains unclear is which entity will absorb the other.
Hints of this union date back to 2023, shortly after Zhang Yunfan was appointed to lead ByteDance’s gaming operations. At an internal meeting, Zhang—whose remit spans Nuverse, Moonton, and the user-generated content (GC) division—suggested the two studios would become increasingly intertwined. When asked point-blank about a merger, he played it coy, neither confirming nor denying the idea.
Since then, the walls between the two units have started to come down. Moonton, once the more autonomous of the two, has begun collaborating more closely with Nuverse. The companies previously operated on separate internal systems; now, that’s changing. “I think by the end of this year or early next year, the systems will be fully integrated,” a source told 36Kr.
<h3>What’s happened since the gaming reboot?</h3>
In late 2023, ByteDance initiated a major restructuring of Nuverse. The company said it would offload titles that had already launched and shown promise, while shelving most unlaunched projects, except for a few tied to innovation or cutting-edge tech.
Sources said that individual Nuverse teams were responsible for finding buyers for their games. But it wasn’t easy. LatePost reported that the combined valuation of Nuverse’s unsold projects stood at RMB 40–50 billion (USD 5.6–7 billion). Sellers wanted full upfront payments, which is a tough ask in a gaming market struggling with inertia.
Moonton’s failed sale illustrated the broader problem.
ByteDance acquired Moonton in 2021 for USD 4 billion, betting on its dominance in the MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) genre overseas. In 2023, ByteDance tried to sell the studio for no less than USD 5 billion, but found no takers. The deal fell through.
That left ByteDance with a stalled gaming portfolio. But rather than walk away, the company chose to regroup. ByteDance rarely scraps initiatives outright, especially in big markets like gaming. The stakes are high: China’s domestic mobile gaming market is worth RMB 238.3 billion (USD 33.4 billion), while the global market stands at RMB 635.6 billion (USD 89 billion), per CNG.
In March 2024, ByteDance circulated an internal memo signaling a fresh incubation drive. A month later, it confirmed that Zhang, formerly president of Perfect World’s gaming arm, would oversee all gaming operations, reporting directly to ByteDance veteran Hua Wei.
Since then, the pace of new project approvals has picked up again.
As of now, industry outlets like Youxituoluo have reported that ByteDance greenlit over a dozen new projects spanning role-playing, strategy, and shooter genres. Some are based on big-name IPs, including The Three-Body Problem and Star Wars.
In mid-2024, ByteDance also formed a new gaming studio, Zero36, by consolidating the teams behind One Piece: Blood Routes, Flower, and Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage! in Shanghai. The latter launched in March and quickly climbed to second place on China’s iOS free download chart, signaling that ByteDance’s gaming muscle still has some flex left.
Still, this version of ByteDance isn’t swinging for the fences like it used to.
<h3>A different tempo</h3>
Gone is the strategy of chasing “miracles through brute force.” Under Zhang, the gaming unit is focused on doing fewer things better.
Nuverse now has just over 1,000 staff (including contractors), less than half its peak headcount. Hiring has slowed to a crawl. And the cadence of new project launches is more measured than it once was. Within China’s gaming industry, ByteDance no longer registers as a top-tier threat.
The reason? Gaming isn’t paying off like it used to, especially with ByteDance’s artificial intelligence investments—such as its Doubao large language model—eating into margins and pushing down overall profitability.
Meanwhile, games haven’t delivered the returns ByteDance hoped for.
Take Crystal of Atlan, one of Nuverse’s most high-profile titles. The game launched in July 2023 and rode a wave of Douyin-fueled promotion to break into the iOS revenue top ten. But within two months, it had slipped out of sight.
Despite ByteDance’s deep well of resources, sustaining that kind of success—and scaling it to impact the company’s massive balance sheet—is a different beast.
As of January 2025, Diandian data showed Crystal of Atlan had earned RMB 1.02 billion (USD 142.8 million) from iOS installs. It’s a solid figure for most studios, but likely a footnote for ByteDance. By contrast, Tencent’s marquee titles routinely rake in over RMB 4 billion (USD 560 million) annually.
Zhang’s leadership style reflects the new mood. Industry peers describe him as steady, strategic, and risk-averse. That temperament now defines ByteDance’s gaming roadmap.
Despite its modest growth post-acquisition, Moonton remains one of ByteDance’s most valuable gaming assets. Its flagship title, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, continues to dominate the MOBA scene in Southeast Asia.
Constraints from the original acquisition deal, such as performance guarantees and profit benchmarks, have hampered broader expansion. But Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is still delivering. In March, it ranked fifth among Chinese mobile games by overseas revenue, per Sensor Tower, beating out heavyweights like Genshin Impact and logging its highest monthly earnings yet.
With Moonton’s stable product pipeline and defined team structure, many insiders believe that if a merger does happen, Nuverse will be absorbed into Moonton—not the other way around.
ByteDance may no longer be the disruptor-in-chief of global gaming. But it’s far from out of the game. The fire’s still there, just burning in a lower gear.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3259711800570114">article</a> was written by Lan Jie for 36Kr.

ByteDance plots new game plan with rumored Nuverse-Moonton merger

Gaming

Creative

… million (USD 14 million).
Still, compared to other players that have raised much larger rounds, ZeroG kept a low profile. That restraint is intentional.
A ZeroG executive told 36Kr that while chasing a high valuation was an option, the company opted for a more grounded strategy. Rather than burn through capital, it committed to a three-tier model: bring one product to market quickly, generate revenue, and reinvest in the next.
The sector may be heating up, but it’s also frothy. Valuations are being driven more by anticipation than by tangible results. In industries like autonomous driving and electric vehicles—where development cycles stretch over years—what matters most is a stable market, proven technology, and a robust ecosystem.
ZeroG’s first-generation model, the Ruixiang, has now reached full commercialization. By March 2024, the aircraft had secured over 1,000 intent orders, including 60 confirmed purchases, mostly from general aviation operators.
Although China’s base of licensed pilots remains relatively small, analysts foresee a significant uptick in flight training over the coming decades. That could position Ruixiang well: its operating costs are roughly one-fifth, and its total ownership costs about half, those of conventional fuel-powered aircraft.
The Quefei, ZeroG’s eVTOL model, has also drawn strong interest, with over 1,000 intent orders. Once it enters the market in 2026, the team expects it to surpass Ruixiang in revenue.
<figure id="attachment_152586" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-152586" style="width: 720px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-152586" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ZeroG-Aircraft-Industry-Quefei.jpg" alt="Photo of the ZG-ONE “Quefei,” on display during a recent showcase." width="720" height="480" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ZeroG-Aircraft-Industry-Quefei.jpg 1080w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ZeroG-Aircraft-Industry-Quefei-720x480.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ZeroG-Aircraft-Industry-Quefei-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ZeroG-Aircraft-Industry-Quefei-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-152586" class="wp-caption-text">Photo of the ZG-ONE “Quefei,” on display during a recent showcase. Photo source: 36Kr.</figcaption></figure>
According to Shi, profits from both aircraft will be funneled into the ZG-T6—the company’s most technically ambitious and potentially highest-reward platform.
ZeroG is forecasting 2028 as the industry’s first major inflection point. Meanwhile, the year ahead will likely be dominated by certification milestones and expanded product roadmaps, with most manufacturers targeting commercialization within a three-to-five-year window.
<h3>Flying, one mile at a time</h3>
In 2004, autonomous driving sparked imaginations. Two decades later, mass adoption remains elusive.
In 2024, electric aviation may be entering a similar cycle. It could take another decade—or longer—before air taxis become mainstream.
Three key hurdles remain:
<ol>
<li aria-level="1">Infrastructure: Suitable runways and landing sites remain limited, while key elements of airspace management—communications, navigation, and dispatch—are still under development.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Consumer mindset: There’s little historical precedent for using aircraft in daily life, and current cost structures keep the technology out of reach for most consumers.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Regulatory framework: A well-defined legal and regulatory environment is critical for enabling the safe and scalable rollout of commercial operations.</li>
</ol>
Until those pieces fall into place, companies like ZeroG will have to stay patient. Execution counts, but so does timing.
If this is a marathon, then the players are barely past mile one. “Once type certifications start coming through and policy barriers ease, it won’t be about who tells the best story. It’ll be about whose product delivers real value.”
Self-reliance is often held up as a goal, but China still trails in key components like engines and flight control chips. Closing that gap is essential to compete globally with firms such as Joby and Archer.
In this international race, Chinese companies must play more than one role: technology pioneers, use case developers, and ecosystem architects. For ZeroG, that means advancing tiltrotor aircraft, proving out applications in tourism and training, and contributing to the standards that will shape the industry.
The <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/research/methodologies/gartner-hype-cycle">“Gartner Hype Cycle”</a> reminds us that every new technology passes through phases—emergence, hype, disillusionment, recovery, and finally, maturity. In electric aviation, both Chinese and global players are still at the starting line.
ZeroG’s leadership sees this as an inflection point. Electric aircraft could loosen the grip that Western companies have long held over China’s general aviation sector. As the industry matures, China could emerge not just as a buyer—but as a builder and exporter of aircraft, operating models, and aviation talent to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
The dream of flight has always inspired boldness. So has building a company from scratch.
Shi and Li, both born in the 1990s, have turned their shared passion for aviation into something larger: a mission. They’re leading a team of young engineers and dreamers not just to manufacture aircraft, but to shape the future of how we move.
And one day—when urban skies evolve into smart, three-dimensional transit corridors—the whir of ZeroG’s Quefei might be heard overhead. A sign that China’s aerial ambitions have, quite literally, taken flight.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3239482041745417">article</a> was written by Liu Jingqiong for 36Kr.

One startup, three aircraft, and China’s plan to fill the skies

Electric Vehicles

eVTOLs

… comeback?</h3>
JR: There’s room for both. The market is still evolving. But demand for truly effective products will keep rising—not just in skincare, but increasingly in makeup too. Consumers today are incredibly informed. I often meet users who know ingredients better than we do.
That pushes us to improve our product education—explaining how ingredients work, why we price the way we do, even why we chose a certain packaging. What’s clear is that the science-driven trend is still growing fast. It’s nowhere near its peak.
<h3>36Kr: What are your expectations for the China market?</h3>
JR: Our goal is to become the top skincare brand in Sephora China. Globally, we’re already one of the top three skincare brands at Sephora.
<h3>36Kr: One last number—how close is The Ordinary to hitting USD 1 billion in revenue?</h3>
JR: Very close.
<h3>36Kr: 70% there?</h3>
JR: Closer than that.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3226929474583942">article</a> was written by He Zhexin for 36Kr.

The Ordinary bets on China’s growing appetite for functional skincare

Retail

Consumer Services

Hermes kicked off 2025 with steady gains on the books, but the sheen dulls when you zoom in—especially in Asia. The French luxury house logged a 9% year-on-year increase in first-quarter revenue, totaling EUR 4.13 billion (USD 4.4 billion). Yet beneath those topline numbers, its largest market by potential—Greater China—continues to sputter.
Revenue in Asia excluding Japan grew just 1.2% to EUR 1.97 billion (USD 2.1 billion), marking a sharp slowdown in a region that once buoyed the brand’s global expansion. Hermes cited a "downturn in traffic in Greater China" as a key factor. This tepid performance stood in contrast to double-digit gains in other regions: Japan rose 17%, France climbed over 14%, and both the Americas and Europe posted robust growth.
"In a complex geopolitical and economic context, the house is strengthening its fundamentals more than ever," said executive chairman Axel Dumas in a statement, nodding to the company's vertically integrated, craftsmanship-driven model. But those fundamentals are now being tested not only by quieter storefronts, but also by louder whispers online.
Lately, viral TikTok clips—many featuring self-proclaimed Chinese factory owners—claim that bags for Hermes, Louis Vuitton, and Dior are being mass produced in China, then shipped to Europe for minor finishing touches. These tweaks, the creators say, allow luxury labels to slap on “Made in France” or “Made in Italy” tags, even when most of the work happened elsewhere. One <a href="https://x.com/thecreativexx/status/1911497461388186058">oft-repeated claim</a> suggests a USD 38,000 bag costs around USD 1,400 to produce.
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Though many of the claims remain unverified, they arrive at a precarious time for Hermes, which has already faced waves of copycat culture. In February, Walmart was found selling an USD 80 lookalike of the brand's iconic Birkin bag, prompting Dumas to decry the trend as "stealing someone else’s work." Yet, he also admitted to feeling conflicted. "People know the difference in quality… in a way it's a compliment," he told <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/news/luxury/hermes-responds-to-walmart-birkin-dupe-culture/">The Business of Fashion</a>.
Quality has long been Hermes’ calling card. Its signature bags are crafted in France, often requiring 15–40 hours of artisan labor. Artisans must undergo up to five years of training before they are allowed to touch a Birkin or Kelly. The brand owns its tanneries and operates workshops in Pantin, Ardennes, Normandy, and beyond. Each piece is hot-stamped with a unique code that traces it back to a specific maker and workshop.
These practices not only meet but exceed labeling requirements set by US and European regulators, which stipulate that a product's final substantial transformation must take place domestically for it to carry a "Made in" label. Hermes also adheres to France's stricter OFG (Origine France Garantie) certification, which requires that at least half of a product's unit cost be generated within the country.
Despite the growing buzz online, there is no verified evidence that Hermes' production deviates from these standards. Still, the brand finds itself in a bind: facing digital-age scrutiny, social media rumors, and viral misinformation, all while trying to maintain the aura of exclusivity and craftsmanship that underpins its high margins.
Meanwhile, performance varied across other product lines. Leather goods—the company’s bread and butter—grew 10% year-on-year. Ready-to-wear items climbed 7.2%, and categories like jewelry and home goods inched upward. But watches fell by 10%, and perfumes dipped 0.5%, signaling uneven appetite among consumers.
Hermes said it remains confident in its long-term play. New workshops are on the way in Charente, Gironde, and Ardennes, with openings scheduled through 2027. But even as it doubles down on heritage and handcraft, the brand must steer through a digital landscape where authenticity is swiped into question, and a short video clip can recast a reputation overnight.

Growth stalls for Hermes in China while supply chain rumors spread

Fashion

Europe