Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 749
China’s Market Pulse: From tighter gig-economy rules to ByteDance’s Seedream 5.0 and local stimulus for homebuyers
Chinese authorities moved to strengthen protections for gig workers and to regulate opaque consumer products, while local governments and firms deployed incentives and product launches to sustain demand. ByteDance rolled out Seedream 5.0 in a bid to deepen its AI creative stack as markets reacted with sectoral rotation and holiday cost pressures surfaced in retail logistics.
China’s Exchanges Loosen Re‑financing Rules to Back Tech R&D — with New Guardrails
China’s three main stock exchanges have eased refinancing rules to help R&D‑intensive and unprofitable science‑and‑technology firms raise capital more quickly, extended a ‘light‑asset, high‑R&D’ standard to main boards, and streamlined procedures while tightening oversight to prevent misuse. The package is calibrated to sustain long‑term innovation funding while guarding against speculative or control‑seeking abuses.
Xiaomi’s Lei Jun Boasts a Robot-Run Car Factory and Rooftop Solar — A Sign of Tech Firms Industrializing Hardware
Lei Jun says Xiaomi’s car plant uses roughly 600–700 robots to achieve fully automated assembly and inspection, and runs on photovoltaic panels installed across its roof. The statements mark Xiaomi’s push to vertically integrate high-tech manufacturing and position itself as a serious contender in the electric vehicle sector, though practical limits and risks remain.
Chinese Battery Supplier Liyuanheng Completes PACK Line for Polish EV Client, Cementing Local European Capability
Liyuanheng has finished a PACK battery-module production line for a Polish commercial-vehicle client, marking a step in localizing Chinese battery manufacturing in Europe. The development shortens supply chains for fleet electrification and highlights competitive and policy challenges for European suppliers and regulators.
Regulators Target Gaode’s Ride‑hailing Aggregator — China’s on‑demand transport market faces a reset
Chinese regulators summoned Gaode Dache on 9 February 2026, criticising partner management, fare suppression and emergency response. The confrontation exposes structural weaknesses of the aggregation model and signals a regulatory pivot toward pre‑emptive ecosystem governance that will raise costs and reshape ride‑hailing economics.
BYD Sues U.S. Over Trump-Era Tariffs, Testing Limits of Emergency Trade Powers
BYD has sued the U.S. federal government, arguing that tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act are unlawful and seeking refunds of duties paid since April. The case joins thousands of similar challenges and could hinge on an impending Supreme Court ruling that may limit the executive’s emergency trade authority.
Asia Stocks Climb as Japan Rally Dominates; Dollar Firms, Gold Slides and Offshore RMB Strengthens
Japan's equity rally, driven by Sanae Takaichi's election victory and investor bets on policy continuity, pushed the Nikkei to fresh highs and lifted regional markets. At the same time the dollar stabilized, gold and silver fell back, crude eased slightly, and the offshore renminbi strengthened past 6.91 amid speculation Beijing is promoting the yuan's global role.
China’s Silver LOF Implosion: How a Pricing Mismatch Turned a Rally into a Record Loss for Retail Investors
A Guotou UBS silver futures LOF plunged after a valuation adjustment that reconciled domestic futures limits with a >30% international silver selloff, producing a record single-day NAV fall of 31.5% and crystallising losses for many retail holders. The episode highlights structural mismatches between international commodity prices and domestically limited futures, the dangers of large secondary-market premiums, and the need for clearer valuation and suitability rules for retail commodity funds in China.
China’s Exchanges Ease Refinancing Rules to Channel Capital Toward Top and Tech Firms — With Tight Guardrails
China’s Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing stock exchanges unveiled a package of measures to speed and tailor refinancing for higher-quality and tech-focused listed companies while tightening disclosure and post-issuance supervision. The changes include preferential reviews for market-recognised firms, explicit accommodation for firms whose shares trade below IPO levels to raise funds, and new numerical tests for ‘light-asset, high-R&D’ companies.
Alibaba’s Taobao Flash Sale Pulls Back on Subsidies — The 2026 Food-Delivery Fight Turns Toward Profits
Taobao Flash Sale has quietly increased commissions and reshaped coupon rules for merchants, signalling a shift from subsidy-driven growth to monetisation. The changes reflect both platform-level unit-economics pressure and Alibaba’s need to reallocate capital toward costly AI infrastructure, and they could reshape merchant economics and consumer pricing over time.
Juewei’s Retreat: How China’s Once-ubiquitous Duck-Brand Is Losing Its Bite
Juewei, once the fastest-growing braised-snack chain in China, has closed thousands of stores and posted its first annual loss since listing, hit by overexpansion, food-safety incidents, regulatory penalties and intensifying price competition from small vendors. The decline highlights risks inherent in aggressive franchising and the need for tighter governance and product innovation in a saturated market.
Beijing Pushes Tech Self‑Reliance as Markets React: Rare‑Earths Rally, Refinancing Reforms and Regulatory Tightening Shape the Week
China’s latest policy moves marry stronger support for science‑heavy firms — via refinancing reforms and public promotion of tech self‑reliance — with tougher oversight of platform conduct and consumer safety. A notable rise in rare‑earth prices and fresh corporate investment announcements highlight the economic stakes: supply chains and capital allocation will increasingly reflect Beijing’s strategic priorities.