Topics
Alibaba Founder to Retire
Jack Ma to step down next year as chairman of company he founded in 1999, ending an era for China's leading e-commerce company
Update: Era Ends as Alibaba Founder Jack Ma Prepares to Step Down
E-commerce giant announces CEO Daniel Zhang will take over as chairman’s title next year
CX Daily: Legal Professionals See a Case for AI, but It’s Not Ironclad
Chinese illegal margin financing mastermind surrenders U.K. assets.
Business Brief (Sept. 4): U.S. 30-Year Treasury Yield Tops 5%
The U.S. tightens visa waiver policy for nonimmigrants, Hong Kong’s property market sales hit a four-year high
Jack Ma-Backed Yunfeng Dives Into Crypto With $44 Million Ether Purchase
Yunfeng Financial buys $44 million in Ether, joining wave of companies treating crypto as a treasury asset
Photo Essay: China’s Teen Geeks’ Struggle to Create the Tech Future
An unprecedented gathering of young programmers reveals the deep-seated conflicts between creativity and conformity
Ant Group’s Bid to Acquire Hong Kong Brokerage Faces Hurdles as Internet Platforms Remain Under Heightened Regulation
Ant Group’s attempt to acquire 50.55% of Hong Kong-listed Bright Smart Securities for HK$2.814 billion (US$360 million) has stalled, pending approvals from Chinese regulators including the NDRC and multiple financial authorities. Regulatory scrutiny focuses on compliance and illegal cross-border brokerage issues; prior attempts by Ant and other internet firms to secure brokerage licenses have also failed. Ongoing uncertainty over Ant’s acquisition and regulatory stance has led to volatile Bright Smart stock prices and limited strategic clarity for both companies.
Late Wahaha Tycoon’s Family Owns Hundreds of Millions in Hong Kong, U.S. Real Estate
Battle for Zong Qinghou’s estate reveals a chain of luxury properties in Barker Road, Bel Air and San Marino
Alibaba Streamlines Leadership Amid AI and Global Push
Number of partners reduced from 26 to 17 as Alibaba sharpens focus on revitalizing growth
CX Daily: Alibaba Fights Tencent for Dominance Over AI in China
Chinese mainland and Hong Kong launch a real-time cross-border payment system. An Iranian carrier resumes flights to China
Latest Cover Story | Two Giants Compete for Position in AI
Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance are accelerating investments in AI, focusing on cloud infrastructure, AI applications, and supporting local model startups; Alibaba will invest over 380 billion RMB in cloud and AI within three years. DeepSeek's emergence has intensified AI competition, reduced industry barriers, and driven giants like Tencent and Alibaba to diversify models and expand applications, especially in search, education, and productivity. These tech giants face computing power limitations amid U.S. chip sanctions, prompting increased domestic chip adoption and broader ecosystem investments, while maintaining rapid AI model iterations and strategic partnerships.
Cover Story: Alibaba Fights Tencent for Dominance Over AI in China
DeepSeek’s surprise entry triggers Chinese arms race for artificial intelligence
DeepSeek Unveils Major Upgrade to Match Rivals Like ChatGPT
Chinese AI startup says new language model upgrade reduces inaccuracies in rewriting and comprehension by up to 50%
Ant Group Has Passed Hong Kong IPO Waiting Period; Overseas Business Poised for First Listing
Ant Group has restructured and is considering a separate Hong Kong listing for Ant International, whose overseas revenue now contributes about 20% of group total, up from 5% in 2020. Ant International, headquartered in Singapore, offers global payment (Alipay+, Antom, WorldFirst) and SME lending services, competing with Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Stripe, and Adyen. Ant Group’s valuation has dropped by over half since its halted 2020 IPO; Ant International is now valued at roughly 200 billion yuan ($28 billion).
Exclusive: Ant Group in Talks for International Unit IPO in Hong Kong
Zhou Zhifeng, a senior vice president and general counsel of the group, is leading the discussions with regulators in the city and in Singapore, where the company was incorporated, sources say
Xi’s Symposium Sparks Stock Surge
Also in this week’s roundup: ‘Ne Zha 2’ breaks box office records, DeepSeek becomes subject and source of market misinformation
Weekly Must-Read: China’s Policymakers Target Consumption to Kick Economy Into Gear
Boosting domestic demand is seen as key to getting the economy on firmer footing, as the international environment is looking increasingly hostile
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