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In a three‑hour interview Elon Musk argued that the next phase of AI will be decided by where compute is powered and who makes the machines. He envisions orbital solar‑powered data centres and humanoid robots that can build more robots as the key levers, while warning that China’s manufacturing depth and rising power output present a structural challenge to the United States.

Chinese researchers have found natural hydrogen trapped in microscopic inclusions inside ophiolitic rocks on the Qinghai‑Tibet Plateau, the first such discovery in China. The finding signals a potential new, low‑carbon domestic hydrogen source but leaves open questions about scale, recoverability and environmental impact.

A Shanghai deputy and securities technologist, Zhan Tingting, has called for a Shanghai‑specific, citywide AI governance system combining a municipal content‑safety detection centre, mandatory non‑removable digital watermarks for AIGC, new local AI laws including protections for minors, and shared tools to detect AI‑enabled financial manipulation. The proposals aim to balance rapid AI adoption with data security, market integrity and public resilience.

A small set of private companies now commands valuations normally associated with public tech giants, and their worth derives less from single products than from durable infrastructure — compute and model stacks, satellite and launch networks, payment rails, logistics and urban transport systems. The recent SpaceX–xAI deal and Waymo’s funding round illustrate a market reappraising which startups are foundational, reshaping commercial competition and regulatory priorities globally.

Merck’s pembrolizumab (KeRuida®) has been approved by China’s NMPA for first‑line use with carboplatin and paclitaxel, followed by pembrolizumab maintenance, in adults with dMMR advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer. The approval, based on phase III KEYNOTE‑868 (NRG‑GY018) data, shifts immunotherapy into the front line for this biomarker‑defined subgroup and raises issues of testing, reimbursement and market competition.

NOAA warned that an X4.2 solar flare on Feb. 4 produced a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm on Feb. 5, with further G1 activity possible on Feb. 6 and 8. Impacts are expected to be modest — chiefly HF radio interference, potential satellite anomalies and high‑latitude auroras — but the episode underscores growing space‑weather risks as active solar regions face Earth.

A sudden Bitcoin sell-off in early February triggered a cascade of forced liquidations, with a NetEase post reporting over 580,000 wiped‑out positions in 24 hours and other counts near 186,400 when BTC slipped below $70,000. The episode underlines how heavy leverage and thin liquidity can amplify corrections and will likely spur calls for tougher risk controls across the crypto ecosystem.

TrendForce expects February 2026 TV panel prices to rise across most sizes, while laptop panels are likely to see price declines due to weak PC demand. The divergence stems from inventory and capacity shifts as panel makers prioritise large-screen TV production and face structural changes in the wider display market.

Amazon beat expectations in Q4 with solid revenue and profit growth, but its pledge to raise 2026 capital expenditure to roughly $200 billion — driven by AI infrastructure and other strategic projects — alarmed investors. The stock fell sharply as markets weighed the risk that such heavy spending could outstrip near‑term cash flow and returns. The outcome will hinge on whether Amazon can convert large upfront investments in data centres, custom chips and networking into durable, high‑margin cloud and AI services.

WeChat quickly blocked sharing links for Alibaba’s Qianwen app after the latter launched a large Spring Festival referral promotion, following a recent similar ban on Yuanbao red‑envelope links. The move underscores how dominant platforms police virality to protect user experience and manage competitive optics, forcing marketers to rethink referral‑based growth.

Alibaba’s Qianwen launched a ¥3 billion Lunar New Year promotion that hands every user a 25-yuan no-threshold voucher and rewards referrals with additional coupons, leveraging integrations into Taobao Flash Buy, Fliggy and Amap to promote AI-enabled, one-sentence shopping. The campaign aims to convert holiday-driven trial into habitual, AI-mediated commerce, but presents operational, competitive and regulatory risks.

XPeng has started open‑road validation of its GX six‑seat SUV equipped with four Turing chips and roughly 3,000 TOPS of onboard compute, marking a step toward Level‑4 autonomy. The tests in Guangzhou are technical verification rather than an indication of immediate commercial availability, and significant regulatory and safety hurdles remain.

A sharp correction in gold and silver markets has driven corporates in Greater China to monetise physical holdings while leveraged investors rushed to buy the dip. High volatility has prompted exchange margin adjustments and revealed divergent strategies across companies, insiders and margin traders, with consequences for mining equities and commodity markets more broadly.

China's anti‑graft agencies have expelled Lin Jingzhen, a former Bank of China vice‑president, for corruptly converting lending power into personal gain and for a range of other party‑discipline violations. The case, handed to prosecutors and accompanied by asset confiscation and benefit cancellations, underscores Beijing's continued campaign to police both political loyalty and financial probity among senior state bank officials.

Nanjing regulators detected excessive bifenthrin residue on oranges served at a Ban U hotpot branch, a finding that collides with the chain's quiet‑period preparations for a Hong Kong IPO. The incident highlights how food‑safety lapses and governance questions can complicate capital‑markets plans for consumer brands in China.

Chinese markets recovered from an early sell-off to close the morning session in the green, led by gains in chemicals, robotics and commodity-linked stocks while consumer sectors lagged. Trading volume dipped modestly and leadership concentrated in a few themes, signaling a rotation rather than broad-based conviction.

Guotou’s Silver LOF hit its fifth straight limit‑down after trading resumed, with the market quote falling to ¥3.099 and a still‑elevated premium of 28.73%. The collapse reflects a wider silver sell‑off, late NAV adjustments and structural liquidity shortfalls in commodity‑linked funds, prompting probable regulatory scrutiny and calls for reforms in valuation and market‑making practices.

Beijing says the acute ‘delivery difficulty’ that left millions of buyers waiting for homes has largely been resolved after a multi‑year, centrally coordinated campaign. Policy now shifts from finishing projects to institutional reforms — ring‑fenced project companies, lead‑bank financing and a push toward sales of completed homes — reshaping the sector’s business model and growth trajectory.

Regional and rural commercial banks in China have aggressively issued short‑term, large‑denomination certificates of deposit and modestly raised one‑to‑three‑year time deposit rates to attract funds ahead of the spring lending season. These moves contrast with state banks’ retrenchment from long‑dated high‑coupon deposits and reflect margin pressure and fierce local competition for deposits.

China’s MBA market is undergoing a sharp correction as tuition cuts and weak enrolment expose a fading wage premium for management degrees. Oversupply, shifting industrial priorities toward STEM and AI, and disappointing returns on investment are forcing programmes to cut fees, exit, or specialise to stay relevant.