Tech Brief (Oct. 16): China’s Tech Minister Meets With Apple CEO
00:00/00:00
Listen to this article
1x
Subscribe now
Listen to the full version
Listen to the full version
China’s tech minister meets Apple CEO
Li Lecheng, China’s IT minister, met with Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook in Beijing on Oct. 15. Li said he hoped Apple would continue to deepen its presence in the Chinese market and collaborate on innovation with local upstream and downstream companies. Cook said Apple would continue to increase its investment and enhance the level of its cooperation in China.
Chinese firm claims semiconductor equipment breakthrough
You've accessed an article available only to subscribers
VIEW OPTIONS
Unlock exclusive discounts with a Caixin group subscription — ideal for teams and organizations.
Subscribe to both Caixin Global and The Wall Street Journal — for the price of one.
Share this article
Open WeChat and scan the QR code
- DIGEST HUB
Digest Hub
Back
Explore the story in 30 seconds
- China met with Apple’s CEO to deepen market collaboration; Apple plans to boost investment in China.
- China exported 1.8 million NEVs (+89.4% YoY); BYD led with 705,000 units, 40% of the total.
- A consortium led by Nvidia, Microsoft, BlackRock, and xAI will acquire Aligned Data Centers for $40 billion, marking the largest global data center deal.
AI generated, for reference only
Who’s Who
- Apple Inc.
- Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook met with China's IT minister, Li Lecheng, on October 15. The minister expressed hope for Apple to deepen its presence in the Chinese market and collaborate with local companies. Cook affirmed Apple's commitment to increasing investment and enhancing cooperation in China. Apple held the second-largest global smartphone market share in the third quarter at 18.2%.
- BYD Co. Ltd.
- BYD Co. Ltd. experienced significant growth in new-energy vehicle (NEV) exports during the first nine months of 2025. Its exports surged by 130% year-on-year, reaching 705,000 vehicles. This volume represents approximately 40% of China's total NEV exports, making BYD a major contributor to the country's impressive export figures.
- Honor
- Honor launched its Magic 8 series smartphones and MagicOS 10 on October 15, with preorders starting at 4,499 yuan ($615). The company also announced plans to unveil an AI concept phone, the Robot Phone, at next year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
- Nvidia
- Nvidia is part of a consortium, which also includes Microsoft, BlackRock, and xAI, formed to acquire Aligned Data Centers. This acquisition is valued at $40 billion, making it the largest data center deal globally.
- Microsoft
- Microsoft is part of a consortium that will acquire 100% of Aligned Data Centers for $40 billion, marking the largest data center deal globally. This acquisition signifies Microsoft's involvement in expanding data center infrastructure.
- BlackRock
- BlackRock, along with Nvidia, Microsoft, and Elon Musk’s xAI, is part of a consortium that will acquire 100% of Aligned Data Centers. This acquisition is valued at $40 billion, making it the largest data center deal globally.
- xAI
- xAI, led by Elon Musk, is part of a consortium that includes Nvidia, Microsoft, and BlackRock. This consortium is set to acquire Aligned Data Centers for $40 billion, marking it as the largest data center deal globally.
- Aligned Data Centers
- Aligned Data Centers, currently owned by Macquarie Asset Management, designs and operates data centers throughout the Americas. A consortium including Nvidia, Microsoft, BlackRock, and xAI is set to acquire Aligned Data Centers for $40 billion, marking it as the largest data center deal globally.
- Macquarie Asset Management
- Macquarie Asset Management currently owns Aligned Data Centers. A consortium including Nvidia, Microsoft, BlackRock, and xAI is set to acquire Aligned Data Centers for $40 billion, marking the largest data center deal globally.
- Samsung
- Samsung was the top vendor in global smartphone shipments during the third quarter, holding a 19% market share. This places them ahead of competitors like Apple, Xiaomi, Transsion Holdings, and Vivo in terms of market share for that period.
- Xiaomi
- Xiaomi was the third-largest smartphone vendor globally in the third quarter, with a 13.5% market share. They were among the top five vendors by market share, alongside Samsung, Apple, Transsion Holdings, and Vivo.
- Transsion Holdings
- In the third quarter, Transsion Holdings was one of the top five global smartphone vendors by market share, capturing 9%. They demonstrated significant growth with a 13.6% year-on-year increase in shipments, contributing to the overall 2.6% rise in global smartphone shipments.
- Vivo
- In the third quarter, Vivo ranked as the fifth-largest global smartphone vendor by market share, holding 8.9% of the market. This places them among the top five alongside Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, and Transsion Holdings.
- OpenAI
- OpenAI, led by CEO Sam Altman, announced a significant policy change for its ChatGPT service. Starting in December, ChatGPT will offer the capability to generate pornographic content. This will be exclusively available to adult users who have successfully completed identity verification, reflecting OpenAI's strategic move to relax certain content restrictions for verified adults.
AI generated, for reference only
What Happened When
- In the first nine months of 2025：
- China exported 1.8 million new-energy vehicles (NEVs), an 89.4% increase year-on-year.
- In the third quarter of 2025：
- Global smartphone shipments grew 2.6% year-on-year to 322.7 million units.
- Wednesday, 2025：
- China’s semiconductor equipment industry debuted an ultra-high-speed oscilloscope, claimed as a technological breakthrough.
- Oct. 15, 2025：
- Li Lecheng, China’s IT minister, met with Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook in Beijing.
- Oct. 15, 2025：
- Honor launched its Magic 8 series smartphones and MagicOS 10 operating system, with devices available for preorder the same day.
- Oct. 15, 2025：
- Honor announced it will unveil an AI concept phone, the Robot Phone, at the 2026 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
AI generated, for reference only
- PODCAST
- MOST POPULAR
Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook
Sign in with 财新