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Tuesday 28 April 2026
China blocks Meta-Manus deal, signaling tougher stance as unwinding poses complex fallout
China's decision to block and unwind Meta Platforms' acquisition of AI startup Manus is reverberating across the global technology sector, highlighting Beijing's increasingly assertive approach to controlling strategic technologies and cross-border deals
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Tuesday 28 April 2026
Commentary: Honor retools for humanoid robotics, rewrites AI device playbook

Honor's surprise win at this year's Beijing humanoid robot half-marathon has stirred industry debate, not only for its on-track performance but for what the move signals about shifting competitive dynamics. The smartphone maker's cross-sector push into robotics has reignited questions over whether embodied AI and humanoid systems could trigger a new round of market reshuffling

Tuesday 28 April 2026
Empyrean draws retail inflows while profit falls, testing China EDA valuations
China's domestic EDA software developer Empyrean Technology is attracting a growing base of retail investors even as its earnings weaken, underscoring a widening gap between market enthusiasm for semiconductor design tools and near-term profitability
Tuesday 28 April 2026
US and China auto markets face diverging pressures

The world's two largest auto markets, the US and China, now resemble opposite ends of a scale, each confronting a distinct set of structural strains. In the US, policy uncertainty is forcing carmakers into repeated strategic recalibrations. In China, by contrast, overcapacity and relentless competition are squeezing margins. Together, these pressures are reshaping how capital is allocated and how market share is contested, testing both the financial resilience and strategic discipline of global automakers

Tuesday 28 April 2026
Wuhan unveils US$38 billion plan; YMTC and XMC lead memory expansion
China's central tech hub Wuhan has unveiled its 2026 major project plan, targeting 355 city-level projects with total investment exceeding CNY260 billion (approx. US$38.1 billion)
Tuesday 28 April 2026
Kakao Mobility launches Level 4 robotaxi, scales AI mobility platform
South Korea's leading mobility platform, Kakao Mobility is accelerating the commercial rollout of Level 4 autonomous driving, placing artificial intelligence at the center of a "physical AI" strategy that spans vehicles, robotics, and platform infrastructure
Tuesday 28 April 2026
Commentary: What Amap reveals about AI navigation, data control
AI-powered navigation platforms such as China's Amap are forcing a rethink of how convenience, competition, and data governance intersect. The debate in Taiwan over Amap's near-real-time traffic light countdown and high-precision navigation reflects a broader shift in how mobility data is collected, processed, and monetized
Tuesday 28 April 2026
Moore Threads hits first profit, AI compute orders drive growth
China's domestic GPU developer Moore Threads is shifting from heavy R&D spending to early monetisation, delivering triple-digit revenue growth in 2025 and its first quarterly profit in early 2026, driven by rising AI compute demand
Tuesday 28 April 2026
LG Display posts strongest 1Q26 profit in five years, signals end to job cuts

LG Display reported its strongest first-quarter operating profit in half a decade and signaled an end to years of workforce restructuring, as it continues to shift toward high-end OLED panels

Monday 27 April 2026
Analysis: Beijing Auto Show signals new phase in China's EV race
The 2026 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition opened on April 24 with a scale that stands in sharp contrast to the contraction of many global auto shows. Spanning roughly 380,000 square meters and drawing more than 2,000 exhibitors, the event has become one of the clearest barometers of where the automotive industry is heading
Monday 27 April 2026
Commentary: DeepSeek reframes AI competition around efficiency, not scale
When DeepSeek unveiled its V4 model, it ended with a line from ancient Chinese thinker Xunzi: ignore applause and criticism, and focus on doing things the right way. In today's AI context, the message reads less like philosophy and more like positioning
Monday 27 April 2026
China warns EU over industrial law, threatens countermeasures
China warned on April 27, 2026, that it would take countermeasures if the EU's proposed Industrial Accelerator Act harms Chinese companies — a move with potential global trade and investment implications as Brussels seeks to shore up domestic manufacturing amid green transition goals
Monday 27 April 2026
Nio pushes into chipmaking to cut reliance on Nvidia

Nio's founder, chairman, and chief executive, William Li, said on April 24 that the company is accelerating efforts to develop its own automotive chips, part of a broader strategy to sharpen its technological edge, improve margins, and reduce reliance on suppliers such as Nvidia

Monday 27 April 2026
Smart cockpit's next test: Can AI deliver real value?

The 2026 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition opened on April 24 with a new focal point: the rapid ascent of large language models (LLMs) into the smart cockpit

Monday 27 April 2026
DeepSeek cuts API prices 90%, sets new global low for LLM services
DeepSeek's 90% cut to fees for input cache hit, which occurs when the model reuses previously computed results for identical or similar inputs instead of recomputing them, across its API lineup could lower operational costs for global developers and enterprises, especially for long-text and high-frequency applications, potentially accelerating the adoption of locally developed large language models, intensifying price competition with international providers, and reducing barriers to AI-powered services worldwide
Monday 27 April 2026
Denso weighs Rohm bid withdrawal as support stalls

Japanese auto parts supplier Denso said on April 27 that it is considering all options, including withdrawing its acquisition proposal for chipmaker Rohm, after failing to secure the company's support