# China

Latest news and articles about China

Total: 498 articles found

Wooden Scrabble tiles form the word 'QWEN' on a wooden surface, with scattered tiles in the background.
Technology

Alibaba and Tencent Back High‑Valued Chinese AI Startup in $700m Round as Founder Says Cash Hoard Tops ¥10bn — ‘Not IPO‑Driven’

A major Chinese AI startup raised over $700 million in a round led by Alibaba and Tencent, valuing it above $10 billion. The founder — a post‑1990s entrepreneur — said the company holds more than ¥10 billion in cash and is not pursuing an IPO, highlighting a shift toward long‑term, control‑oriented growth amid an intensely competitive AI funding surge.

NeTe2026年2月17日 13:54
#China#Artificial Intelligence#Alibaba
Close-up of a credit card payment being processed at a POS terminal.
Business

Chinese Regulators Summon Six Travel Platforms Over Misleading Loan Sales, Seek Tighter Consumer Protections

China's financial regulators jointly summoned six travel platforms over problematic practices in selling loan products through partner lenders, demanding clearer disclosures, bans on misleading marketing, and better complaint handling. The move is part of a broader regulatory focus on risks from embedded finance and aims to protect consumers while forcing platforms and their lending partners to tighten compliance.

SoBiz2026年2月17日 08:04
#China#fintech regulation#consumer protection
A hand inserting a CD into a computer drive, highlighting cyber security themes.
Business

Maxscend Executive’s Divorce Transfers Nearly Rmb1.3bn in Stock but Control Remains Intact

Maxscend’s co‑controller Xu Zhihan has transferred 17.15m shares (about Rmb1.3bn at current prices) to his ex‑wife as part of a divorce settlement. The transfer was registry‑based, includes caps on annual disposals, and does not change the company’s controlling block due to existing voting agreements. The move coincides with a weak earnings outlook as the company shifts toward a Fab‑Lite model.

SoBiz2026年2月17日 07:54
#Maxscend#Xu Zhihan#share transfer
Brightly lit Circle K store with parked motorcycles and visible interior products.
Business

China’s New Year’s Eve Moves Online: Delivery Platforms Vie for Dinner Orders as Profitability Sours

China’s major delivery platforms have turned Lunar New Year’s Eve meals into a strategic instant-retail scenario, each adopting different approaches: JD focuses on quality and service, Taobao on targeted subsidies, and Meituan on steady platform integration. Operational improvements and riders’ willingness to work through the holiday are underpinning a permanent expansion of festival delivery, even as profitability pressures force more nuanced competition.

SoBiz2026年2月17日 07:44
#instant retail#Meituan#JD Waimai
A detailed view of various gold and silver coins, ideal for financial themes.
Business

Precious Metals Slide: Spot Gold Drops Below $5,000 as Silver Falls Over 2%

Spot gold fell below $5,000 per ounce and silver dropped over 2% as a firmer dollar, rising real yields and softer post-holiday physical demand in Asia weighed on prices. The move underscores how macroeconomic data and monetary policy expectations, rather than safe-haven flows alone, are dominating precious-metals markets.

SoBiz2026年2月17日 07:44
#gold#silver#precious metals
China Airlines Boeing 777 captured mid-air against a clear sky.
World

China Accelerates Build of ‘004’ Nuclear Carrier, Pressing a Strategic Window in the Western Pacific

Chinese media and imagery indicate accelerated construction of a large fourth carrier, 004, at Dalian with a reported waterline wider than the US Ford class and likely nuclear propulsion. Fitted with four EMALS and expected to enter service in the late 2020s, the ship is portrayed domestically as a capability to extend China’s reach beyond the first island chain and contest US maritime dominance in the Western Pacific.

SoMi2026年2月17日 07:34
#China#aircraft carrier 004#nuclear propulsion
Digital visualization of COVID-19 statistics showing deaths and recoveries globally.
World

US Warplanes Mass Near Iran as Diplomatic Talks Stall — A Wider China–Russia Test Looms

US deployments of A-10s, F-15Es and supporting assets to the Middle East have intensified after stalled Oman talks with Iran, signalling a retained option for military action. Tehran's consultations with China and Russia, combined with Israeli pressure and US economic tightening, raise the risk of broader regional and geopolitical escalation rather than a contained strike.

SoMi2026年2月17日 07:34
#Iran#United States#China
Portrait of a confident female soldier in camouflage uniform on a white background.
World

Tearjerker on the Plateau: How China’s High‑Altitude Women Soldiers Became a New‑Year PR Campaign

A Feb. 17 video from China Military Video Network profiles women soldiers serving at high altitude, using emotional storytelling to humanize the PLA. The piece serves domestic legitimacy, gender messaging and strategic signalling by showcasing resilience and readiness in geopolitically sensitive plateau regions.

SoMi2026年2月17日 07:24
#People's Liberation Army#female soldiers#high plateau
Free stock photo of lunar new year, lunar new year concept, lunar new year cuisine
World

On Lunar New Year's Eve, Care and Memory Warm Gansu's Veteran Rest Home

Staff at a retired cadres rest home in Lanzhou spent Lunar New Year's Eve providing companionship, dumplings and a space for veterans to recount wartime memories, turning the holiday into both a moment of personal care and an instance of state-backed "red education." The episode highlights how local veteran welfare initiatives intersect with broader political efforts to preserve revolutionary memory and shore up social cohesion amid demographic change.

SoMi2026年2月17日 07:24
#veterans#Lunar New Year#Gansu
Cooling towers of Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant against a clear blue sky.
Science

China’s Private ‘Artificial Sun’ Clears New Milestones as Start-ups Race to Commercialise Fusion

Energy Singularity’s HTS tokamak, Honghuang‑70, has achieved successive long‑pulse plasma runs — culminating in a 1,337‑second steady state — demonstrating engineering reliability in a privately built device. The results strengthen China’s private fusion push amid rising investment and new national law support, though net energy gain and reactor‑scale engineering remain unresolved challenges.

NeTe2026年2月17日 01:24
#nuclear fusion#tokamak#high‑temperature superconductor
Colorful geological formations in Tabriz, Iran showcasing natural beauty.
World

Why Iran Has Few Friends: The Three Contradictions That Keep It Isolated

Iran’s limited friendship network stems from three intertwined contradictions: its revolutionary export and proxy strategy, the trade-off between security confrontation and economic dependence, and transactional ties with major powers rather than deep alliances. Domestic factionalism and fragile regional detente make lasting normalization unlikely, with consequences for regional stability and global policy choices.

iMil2026年2月17日 00:54
#Iran#Middle East#sanctions
Toy robot capturing colorful bokeh lights in a vibrant, festive indoor setting.
Technology

China’s Spring Gala Turns Robots into a Consumer Frenzy — JD Searches Spike Over 300%

Robot performances at China’s 2026 Spring Festival Gala triggered a rapid consumer response: JD.com saw robot searches surge over 300% and orders rise 150% within the first two hours. The event showcased robotics to a mass audience, producing immediate sales and raising questions about supply, capability and longer‑term market sustainability.

NeTe2026年2月16日 18:34
#robots#Spring Festival Gala#JD.com