Huawei Technologies is preparing to launch a new smartphone brand, doubling down on its hard-won domestic comeback six years after spinning off budget marque Honor under the weight of US sanctions. Richard Yu Chengdong, chairman of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group, confirmed in a social media post on Wednesday that the company would officially debut Osta, known as “Xingmang” in Chinese, on November 20. The unveiling will coincide with Huawei’s latest electric vehicle launches, according to Yu’s...

Alibaba Group Holding’s planned Hong Kong listing of its semiconductor design arm, T-Head, is poised to reshape China’s artificial intelligence hardware arena while unlocking billions of dollars in trapped valuation for the tech titan, according to analysts. The proposed spin-off serves as a test of whether the sum of Alibaba’s parts is worth significantly more than its current market valuation. Alibaba’s Hong Kong-listed shares slipped about 1 per cent to HK$100.60 on Wednesday, the day...

Hong Kong is expanding clinical trials of histotripsy, a non-invasive treatment that uses focused ultrasound to destroy tumours, as the city seeks to establish a role in developing the technology for kidney cancer. The CUHK Medical Centre, Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong and Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital would begin trials involving 30 patients targeting kidney cancer, the Li Ka Shing Foundation said on Wednesday. The trials mark the latest development in Hong Kong business tycoon Li Ka-shing’s...

Alibaba has applied to list chip-design unit T-Head in Hong Kong, as the Chinese tech giant braves a cooling initial public offering (IPO) market to raise funds for artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions. The Hong Kong stock exchange has approved the proposed separation and a confidential listing application was filed in September, Alibaba said in a statement on Tuesday. T-Head, which provides full-stack data centre chips, will remain a unit of the company. Alibaba also owns the South China...

We have put together stories from our coverage of Jensen Huang’s affair and its potential repercussions. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Could Jensen Huang’s affair become another ‘spy balloon’ saga for US-China ties? China hawks in Washington could weaponise allegations that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by Chinese intelligence, despite denials from Beijing, Chinese experts warn. 2. ‘Adding fuel to fire’: how Nvidia CEO’s troubles could...

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC) move to take equity stakes in both OpenAI and Anthropic will give the world’s largest contract chipmaker direct financial ties to the frontier AI labs driving demand for its business. Its board on Tuesday authorised up to US$500 million to buy Anthropic common shares at its initial public offering (IPO) price, and up to US$500 million to buy preferred shares in OpenAI. Directors separately approved up to US$500 million to establish a dedicated...

Mainland Chinese mutual funds investing overseas have delivered sharply diverging returns this year, with products tied to energy and US stocks outperforming while funds tracking Hong Kong equities lagged behind. Energy-linked funds topped the rankings among outbound investment products under the Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor (QDII) programme, according to financial data provider Wind. The performance reflects a 50 per cent surge in crude oil prices in 2026 after US strikes on Iran...

A political storm sparked by US media reports alleging American intelligence agencies suspect Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was targeted in an espionage operation – a claim Beijing has denied – threatens to intensify Washington’s tech blockade on China following a Democratic midterm victory. Analysts said the twin developments could give the US Congress the political momentum needed to plug loopholes in existing semiconductor restrictions, accelerating efforts to curb third-country chip smuggling and...

Formulaic AI-generated microdramas risk stifling human creativity and innovation, a Beijing professor has warned at a forum in Macau. Zhang Lanshan, a professor at the School of Digital Media and Design Arts at the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, said that while audiences loved such standardised content, it posed a risk to diversity and artistic endeavour. Experts, including from several Hong Kong institutions, also warned users of artificial intelligence about the cultural...

There is growing momentum to pass a slate of major new export control bills targeting China, in the wake of the Democrats’ takeover of the US Congress and scrutiny over American chip giant Nvidia following CEO Jensen Huang’s admission of an extramarital affair. US intelligence reportedly identified the woman as a Chinese spy, a claim that Beijing has rejected. Leading US politicians have been quick to jump on the news to put pressure on the White House and other lawmakers to approve three bills...