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[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Artificial intelligence is undergoing a fundamental transformation, moving beyond the screen-based interactions that have dominated consumer technology for the past decade. At this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the shift became particularly evident as companies showcased AI systems designed to operate directly with physical devices and smart home environments. The evolution represents a significant......

Xiaomi, one of Tesla's biggest challengers in mainland China over the past year, has unveiled a refreshed version of its fully electric sedan capable of travelling more than 900km on a single charge, as it seeks to stay ahead of intensifying competition. Lei Jun, founder and CEO of the smartphone maker and electric vehicle (EV) start-up, said on Wednesday that the updated SU7 – priced higher than existing variants – would demonstrate superior performance to sustain strong sales growth. “Given......

A joint venture between Sino Land and Great Eagle Holdings has won a government residential site tender in Kowloon for HK$1.61 billion (US$206 million), outbidding major Hong Kong developers as the city's housing market shows signs of stabilising. The purchase of the 41,226 sq ft site, which could yield 570 units, underscored the company's confidence in the long-term development prospects of Hong Kong, according to Sino Land. “With the support of the central government and the favourable......

China's secondary semiconductor market is seeing a sharp run-up in memory chip prices as global supplies tighten, though vendors say the rally faces an awkward conundrum: the price tags might be higher, but the buyers are disappearing. “We're looking at high asking prices, but no buyers,” said Cai Zhaojie, a merchant who sells electronic components at Huaqiangbei, the vast Shenzhen wholesale hub often described as the world's biggest electronics market. The mark-ups on memory products had become......

China's state-backed lithography champion Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment (SMEE) has reshuffled its business, divesting a manufacturing arm as it sharpens its focus on research in Beijing's push for chip self-sufficiency. SMEE – widely seen as China's best chance of closing the gap with Dutch lithography giant ASML – had transferred 100 per cent of its subsidiary Shanghai Weiyao Industrial to AMIES Technology, according to updates on corporate database Qichacha. The deal was priced at 228.5......

Hong Kong's leading property developers are accelerating new residential launches, with two major firms unveiling plans to roll out more than 4,300 flats this year as sentiment shows signs of improvement, but analysts caution that a surge in supply may add fresh pressure to a market that has only begun to stabilise. Developers, including Wheelock Properties and Kerry Properties, are pressing ahead with large-scale launches, adding new supply on top of still-elevated inventory from previous......

Ikea will close seven stores in mainland China, as the multinational furniture retailer grapples with the country's weak property market and sluggish consumer spending, which have dampened demand for its goods. Following a comprehensive review, Ikea China said the seven stores would cease operations from February 2. These are located in Shanghai's suburban Baoshan district, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Nantong and Xuzhou in eastern Jiangsu province, Ningbo in eastern Zhejiang province and Harbin in......

A robot developed by a Chinese company has successfully performed a biliary surgery on a 30kg pig, using an AI model to perform the procedure autonomously. The experiment, which took place on December 24, was conducted by Shanghai MicroPort MedBot, using its Toumai robot powered by the proprietary Neuron multimodal surgical model, the company said in a post on Wednesday. The core surgical procedures, including bile duct clamping and cutting, were performed autonomously by the Medbot, which......

China stocks are forecast to continue expanding in 2026, as equity gains are set to be driven more by earnings growth rather than increased valuation, according to Goldman Sachs, which correctly predicted the market's bull run last year. The MSCI China Index of both yuan-traded stocks and Chinese companies trading in Hong Kong and the US would potentially see a 20 per cent surge this year, while the CSI 300 Index that tracks the mainland-listed equities was projected to increase 12 per cent,......

Chinese authorities are considering whether to step in over Meta Platforms' acquisition of Manus – an artificial intellligence agent developer with Chinese roots – amid concerns the deal could breach technology export controls and encourage more start-ups to relocate offshore, according to two sources. One of the sources said officials, including at the Ministry of Commerce, were looking into the transaction and that the review could lead to action. The other said the chances of intervention......

Hong Kong has brought its largest delegation ever to the US consumer electronics trade show CES as it strives to become a global technology hub, but US visa denials and the abruptly cancelled attendance of the city's technology chief have cast a shadow over its efforts. Some employees at exhibiting Hong Kong firms did not make it to CES in Las Vegas because of visa rejections, many of whom had experience working at Chinese tech companies that were blacklisted by the US government such as Huawei......

We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China's EV sector doubles down on discounts and cheap financing as growth cools Electric vehicle makers have kicked off a fresh round of price cuts in mainland China at the start of 2026, despite Beijing's repeated calls to curb “involution”, as pressure on margins and survival......

Chinese short video giant ByteDance is setting up a “second headquarters” for its flagship Douyin business in Shenzhen, less than a year after its first regional headquarters in the city began operations. Once completed, the new base will support “research and development of core products such as Douyin and Jinri Toutiao, and new business areas such as digital payments”, as well as house “new AI research and SaaS [software-as-a-service] platform service centres to support the buildout of a......

Hong Kong stocks' solid start to 2026 stumbled on Wednesday, with the benchmark gauge retreating from a seven-week high as geopolitical tensions rose after China imposed new sanctions against Japan. The Hang Seng Index fell 0.8 per cent to 26,488.53 as of 10.11am local time. The Hang Seng Tech Index dropped 1.5 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index climbed 0.1 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.2 per cent. Alibaba Group Holding fell 3 per cent to HK$146.30 and Tencent......

Amap, the mapping and navigation platform of Alibaba Group Holding, has launched new features powered by its top-ranking world model, as the tech giant doubles down on artificial intelligence to upgrade its massive consumer ecosystem. “Flying Street View”, a new feature on the Amap app based on the unit's self-developed system designed to simulate real-world environments, allowed users to take 3D virtual tours of restaurants and other offline venues, the company said at a launch event in......

Irina Zhou's five-year-old cat has gained about a kilogram every year for the past three years. She knows the extra weight puts her pet at risk of obesity-related diseases and could even shorten his life. “My parents just can't bear to see the cat go hungry,” the 29-year-old Zhou said. “If the weight starts to affect his health, I might consider trying weight-loss medicines for him.” The idea of using obesity drugs for pets drew public attention after Fosun Pharma's unit Yao Pharma signed a......

Shanghai has announced a slew of new investments in hi-tech industries ranging from chips to artificial intelligence (AI) and aviation, becoming the latest Chinese city to unveil ambitious plans to boost local innovation amid an intensifying US-China tech race. The city's Pudong district unveiled 50 big-ticket projects worth more than 70 billion yuan (US$10 billion) combined on Monday, with most of the investment earmarked to flow into key industries including microchips, AI, biopharmaceuticals,......

Singapore and Beijing have emerged among the world's most liveable cities for tech workers, according to Savills' inaugural Matcha Index, which ranks locations by buzz and by the spaces where these employees can work, connect and spark ideas over a hot – or cold – matcha drink. The index, released on Tuesday, pointed out how cafe culture has become a vital part of the social infrastructure that supports the tech ecosystem, and that matcha lattes have taken over as the “go-to” drink for young......

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] When it comes to e-commerce, China stands unmatched. As the country's online retailers like Alibaba, JD.com, and Pinduoduo compete both domestically and overseas, the key to winning market share may lie in providing users with seamless and hyper-personalised digital experiences.  From suggesting a shirt that matches the previously purchased jeans to predicting next week's groceries, recommendation systems are paramount......

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] The UK set out its growth agenda in Hong Kong at the inaugural UK Investment Conference, where the country's industrial strategy and sector opportunities in finance, life sciences, clean energy and advanced manufacturing were presented.  Hosted by the British Consulate-General Hong Kong on 2 December, the conference offered a platform to articulate the UK's confident growth vision and underline its commitment to working......