On a quarter-by-quarter basis, China’s GDP grew 1.6% in the first quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of around expectations of 1.4%. Beijing’s growth target for 2024 is around 5%. China’s growth was driven in part by external demand, as export volume grew by 14% year on year. Industrial output forRead More →
The EV named ‘Seagull’ sub $10,000 price tag. This vehicle will likely take-off! Global automakers are becoming increasingly concerned that Chinese competitors, such as the Warren Buffett-endorsed BYD, might saturate their EV market with cheaper EVs, potentially undermining local production and reducing vehicle prices. Concerns have been raised that thisRead More →
China has reportedly prohibited the use of U.S. processors from both AMD and Intel in government computers and servers. The directive is designed to encourage the use of domestic alternatives. Chinese government agencies are now required to choose ‘safe and reliable’ domestic alternatives for these chips. The sanctioned list featuresRead More →
A U.S. company has gone to the moon – and creates a little piece of history Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C cargo lander, named ‘Odysseus’ after the mythological Greek hero, is the first U.S. spacecraft to soft land on the lunar surface since 1972. Japan, India and China have all had recentRead More →
In 2023 Apple became the biggest smartphone vendor by shipments in China for the first time. Last year, Honor, a spin-off from Chinese company Huawei, held the second spot with almost a 17% market share, followed by Vivo, Huawei and then Oppo. One of the biggest changes in 2023 wasRead More →
The highest coal using countries in the world These countries accounted for about 82% of the global coal production in 2021 according to 2021 data set. China alone produced more than half of the world’s coal, followed by India with nearly 10%. Global coal use in 2023 hits few high GlobalRead More →
A Downgrade Amidst Economic Slowdown In a significant development that has raised concerns among investors and policymakers worldwide, China’s debt outlook has been downgraded as the country grapples with a slowing economy. This move reflects growing apprehensions about the sustainability of China’s economic growth and its ability to manage itsRead More →
China’s factory activity contracted for a second month in a row in November 2023. Non-manufacturing activity hit yet another new low this year, signalling that the world’s second-largest economy was still not out of the woods and may require more policy support. The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index unexpectedly dropped slightlyRead More →
Shares of Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers took a hit on Thursday 18th October 2023 after Tesla reported disappointing 3Q results on Wednesday 17th October 2023. It was the first time Tesla, co-founded by Elon Musk, missed on both earnings and revenue since Q2 2019. On Thursday morning, Hong Kong-listed shares of Chinese EV makers BYD and Xpeng fellRead More →
The U.S. reportedly announced new restrictions on exports of advanced chips to China, including two made-for-China chips from Nvidia. U.S. chip stocks fell as the curbs also hit Advanced Micro Devices and Intel. Loopholes The curbs are aimed at closing loopholes that became apparent after the U.S. announced export curbs on microchipsRead More →
More than 6 million users already Baidu also announced that more than 6 million users have used an AI powered tool that sits inside its Google drive-like cloud product. At the 4th September event, Baidu also demonstrated ‘displayed generative’ AI-based products that could assist with traffic management, financial research andRead More →
Ha Jiang, is a virtual online idol, and only exists online. Ha Jiang signed a record deal with Whet Records, Warner Music Group’s pan-Asian dance label in China, in 2021. Ha Jiang is the first virtual idol to conduct a record deal with a major label. The virtual idol uses AIRead More →
One-year loan rate to 3.45% from 3.55% China’s central bank has cut one of its key interest rates for the second time in three months as the world’s second-largest economy struggles to bounce back from the pandemic. The country’s post-Covid recovery has been hit by a property crisis, falling exportsRead More →
The U.S. will ban American investment in some areas of China’s high-tech sector, including artificial intelligence, adding to strained relations between the two superpowers. U.S. firms will also be invited to disclose what investments they make in China in high-tech sectors.The much-anticipated move gives the U.S. government new power toRead More →
Deflation or inflation? China’s consumer price index (CPI) fell by 0.3% in August from a year ago, while the producer price index (PPI) fell by 4.4% last month. This is the first time since February 2021 that the CPI has fallen, and the 10th consecutive month that the PPI has contracted. This indicates that China isRead More →
China’s exports plunge According to latest figures the country’s trade fell more sharply than expected in July 2023, as both global and domestic demand receded amid the pandemic and ongoing tensions with the United States. China’s exports fell by 14.5% in July 2023 from a year ago, the biggest dropRead More →
Gallium and germanium No, nor me – never heard of them, but they are extremely important elements needed in microchip manufacturing and China is the world’s largest producer. Germanium and gallium are two elements that are used in the production of semiconductor chips, which are essential for various electronic devicesRead More →
Baidu said its AI system called Ernie 3.5 outperformed OpenAI’s ChatGPT and GPT4 in several key areas. ERNIE – Enhanced Language RepresentatioN with Informative Entities Ernie was first introduced in 2019, and since then, Baidu has been improving and upgrading it with new versions. The latest version, Ernie 3.5, was announcedRead More →