Latest news with #ChineseTech
News24
5 days ago
- Business
- News24
Alibaba to pay R124bn in ‘cash gifts', discounts for certain purchases to boost spending
The online retail platform of Chinese tech giant Alibaba announced Wednesday that it will issue R124 billion in subsidies for certain purchases, providing a much-needed boost for a country struggling with sluggish spending. Taobao, China's e-commerce champion launched by Alibaba in 2003, said in a WeChat statement that the 50 billion yuan (R124 billion) would "directly subsidise consumers and merchants" over a 12-month period starting Wednesday. The spending incentives on Taobao's "flash purchase" feature will take the form of "red envelopes" - a digital form of traditional cash gifts - as well as discounts on products, deliveries and commissions, the statement said. Taobao said that the subsidies will "provide consumers with preferential and convenient services and experiences, further stimulating consumption vitality". Beijing is battling to stave off deflationary pressure, which has threatened to dampen economic growth even as challenges elsewhere mount. A lengthy property sector crisis and a fierce trade war with the United States this year have exacerbated concerns among Chinese households about making major purchases. Chinese authorities have sought to allay fears, unleashing a series of aggressive policy measures aimed at boosting spending, including key interest rate cuts and various consumer goods trade-in schemes. Results have been mixed, with retail sales in May growing at the fastest clip year-on-year since December 2023, according to official statistics, even as commercial property prices in a group of 70 key cities fell from April. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday urged efforts to "advance the building of a unified national market" during a high-level meeting on economic policy, state news agency Xinhua said. Leaders at the meeting also called for better management of "low-price disorderly competition" among companies. "As China's economy faces deflation pressures and a weak labour market, the government aims to address these challenges from the supply side," Zhiwei Zhang, President and Chief Economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, wrote in response to Tuesday's meeting. "The top priority seems to be preventing over-competition," he added.
Wall Street Journal
5 days ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
China Is Quickly Eroding America's Lead in the Global AI Race
Chinese artificial-intelligence companies are loosening the U.S.'s global stranglehold on AI, challenging American superiority and setting the stage for a global arms race in the technology. In Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, users ranging from multinational banks to public universities are turning to large language models from Chinese companies such as startup DeepSeek and e-commerce giant Alibaba as alternatives to American offerings such as ChatGPT.
GSM Arena
20-06-2025
- GSM Arena
Redmi K Pad disassembled and reviewed ahead of launch
Xiaomi is preparing to launch two 'Redmi K' flagships in China – the Redmi K80 Ultra and the Redmi K Pad. The company is trickling out official details for both, but we already saw WekiHome disassemble and review the smartphone. Now they have done the same with the mini tablet. The Redmi K Pad will have an 8.8' IPS LCD, which supports Dolby Vision, judging by the label on the side (and Dolby Atmos for the speakers). The screen has 3,008 x 1,880px resolution (16:10), 165Hz refresh rate and DC dimming. When tested, the display achieved a brightness of 566 nits and was able to go up to 610 nits in high brightness mode. Redmi K Pad: 8.8' 165Hz IPS LCD with Dolby Vision The tablet has a unibody metal design with a sandblasted finish. It tips the scales at 336g and measures 6.46mm thick – this tablet is all about performance in a highly portable form factor. The Redmi K Pad weighs 336g and is 6.46mm thick Speaking of, the tablet is powered by the Dimensity 9400+, plus LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage. In testing, the chipset showed impressive performance and cooling proved better than on many tablets, even ones larger than the K Pad. Xiaomi used a large 12,050mm² vapor chamber to wick heat away from the chipset and dump it into the metal frame. Interestingly, the vapor chamber is made of an aluminum alloy instead of the traditional copper to save weight. There's some foam padding that will cushion the internals in case of a fall. Redmi K Pad (D9400+) sized up against the RedMagic Tablet 3 Pro (SD 8 Elite) (image source) The motherboard is placed along the centerline of the tablet, which helps distribute heat more evenly. The battery is split into two cells on either side and there are also speakers (with Atmos) next to each cell. The two battery cells have a combined capacity of 7,500mAh – one is 3,505mAh (13.78Wh) and the other is a bit bigger at 3,995mAh (15.71Wh). A 67W charger is included in the box, though the tablet only pulled 55W at maximum and needed 61 minutes for a 1% to 100% charge. Bypass charging is supported. Redmi K Pad's internals The USB-C port is located on the motherboard and is wired for USB 3.2 Gen 1 speeds (5Gbps). It supports DisplayPort. There are two cameras on board the tablet – a 13MP module on the back (OV13B 1/3.06') and an 8MP one on the front (OV08F, 1/4'). There is no fingerprint reader on board. Here is the full disassembly and review video of the Redmi K Pad from WekiHome: Source
South China Morning Post
17-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
US pushes Vietnam to decouple from Chinese tech, sources say
The US was pushing Vietnam in tariff talks to reduce the use of Chinese tech in devices that were assembled in the country before being exported to America, three people briefed on the matter said. Vietnam is home to large manufacturing operations of tech firms such as Apple and Samsung Electronics , which often rely on components made in China. Meta Platforms and Google also have contractors in Vietnam that produce goods such as virtual reality headsets and smartphones. The Southeast Asian nation has been organising meetings with local businesses to boost the supply of Vietnamese parts, with firms showing willingness to cooperate but also warning they would need time and technology to do so, according to one person with knowledge of the discussions. The Trump administration has threatened Vietnam with crippling tariffs of 46 per cent, which could significantly limit access for Vietnam-made goods to their main market and upend the Communist-run country's export-oriented growth model. 08:13 After Vietnam threatened with 46% US tariffs, how will Hanoi strike a deal with Washington? After Vietnam threatened with 46% US tariffs, how will Hanoi strike a deal with Washington? Vietnam had been asked 'to reduce its dependency on Chinese hi-tech', said one person familiar with the discussions. 'That is part of the restructuring of supply chains and would in turn reduce US dependency on Chinese components,' the person added.
Japan Times
16-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
U.S. pushes Vietnam to decouple from Chinese tech, sources say
The United States is pushing Vietnam in tariff talks to reduce the use of Chinese tech in devices that are assembled in the country before being exported to America, three people briefed on the matter said. Vietnam is home to large manufacturing operations of tech firms such as Apple and Samsung, which often rely on components made in China. Meta and Google also have contractors in Vietnam that produce goods such as virtual reality headsets and smartphones. The Southeast Asian nation has been organizing meetings with local businesses to boost the supply of Vietnamese parts, with firms showing willingness to cooperate but also warning they would need time and technology to do so, according to one person with knowledge of the discussions. The Trump administration has threatened Vietnam with crippling tariffs of 46%, which could significantly limit access for Vietnam-made goods to their main market and upend the Communist-run country's export-oriented growth model. Vietnam has been asked "to reduce its dependency on Chinese high-tech," said one person familiar with the discussions. "That is part of the restructuring of supply chains and would in turn reduce U.S. dependency on Chinese components," the person added. The ultimate objective is to speed up U.S. decoupling from Chinese high-tech while increasing Vietnam's industrial capacity, a second person said, citing virtual reality devices as an example of Vietnam-assembled products that are too dependent on Chinese technology. All sources declined to be identified as the discussions were confidential. It could not be determined if the U.S. has proposed numerical targets such as caps on Chinese content for "Made in Vietnam" goods or different tariff rates based on the amount of Chinese content. Apple, Samsung, Meta and Google did not reply to requests for comment. As the U.S.-imposed deadline of July 8 nears before the tariffs take effect, the timing and scope of a possible deal remain unclear. All sources stressed that while the U.S. has made broader requests for Vietnam to reduce its reliance on China, tackling the issue of Chinese high-tech content in exports was a key priority. Last year, China exported around $44 billion of tech such as electronics components, computers and phones to Vietnam, about 30% of its total exports to the country. Vietnam shipped $33 billion of tech goods to the United States, or 28% of the U.S.-bound exports. Both flows are on the rise this year, according to Vietnam's customs data. Vietnam's trade ministry did not reply to requests for comment. Separate sources have previously said that U.S. demands were seen as "tough" and "difficult" by Vietnamese negotiators. The U.S. also wants Vietnam to crack down on the practice of shipping Chinese goods to America with misleading "Made in Vietnam" labels that draw lower duties — which Vietnam is also trying to heed. The ministry said on Sunday that a third round of talks last week in Washington ended with progress, but critical issues remain unresolved. Vietnam's ruling Communist Party chief, To Lam, intends to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in the United States, possibly in late June, officials with knowledge of the matter said. No date has been announced for the trip. The White House and Vietnam's foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment on the possible visit. Local firms attending meetings organized by the trade ministry in recent weeks expressed a general willingness to adapt, but many warned that instant changes "would destroy business," according to one of the sources. Vietnam has been slowly developing an industrial ecosystem with local suppliers but it has a long way to go before it can match China's advanced supply chains and cheaper pricing, industry executives say. "Vietnam is about 15-20 years behind China in somewhat fully replicating its supply chain scale and sophistication, but it's catching up fast, especially in key sectors like textiles and electronics," said Carlo Chiandone, a Vietnam-based supply chain expert. Abrupt changes to existing practices may hurt Vietnam's delicate relationship with China, which is both a major investor in its Southeast Asian neighbor and a source of security concerns.
