Innovation

A woman looks at a new iPhone 15 Pro and a Huawei Mate 60 Pro as Apple's new iPhone 15 officially goes on sale across China, at an Apple store in Shanghai, China, on 22 September 2023. (Aly Song/Reuters)

China-US smartphone tech war: Apple losing the Chinese market?

China’s smartphone giants have made great strides over the past decade or so, catching up with companies such as Apple in terms of sales as well as research and development. However, there is still a long way to go for China’s smartphone ecosystems to crack the global market.
A child visits the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China, on 6 July 2023. (Wang Zhao/AFP)

Breaking ground: China’s strides in AI regulation

While countries the world over are grappling with ways of regulating emergent AI technology, China has issued a raft of regulations, including a set of “Measures” released in August, which made explicit provisions for the research and development and services of generative AI. What insights can other countries glean? Academic James Pang examines the issue.
Chinese drugmakers are increasingly partnering with foreign companies to pitch their products overseas, but at what cost? (Srdjan Zivulovic/Reuters)

Cancelled contracts upset Chinese drugmakers’ overseas push

China’s innovative drug developers are increasingly partnering with foreign companies to pitch their products overseas due to tighter profit margins in the domestic market. But this route, while lucrative, can also be precarious.
An advertisement for the Huawei Technologies Co. Mate 60 series smartphone in Shanghai, China, on 17 September 2023. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)

[Big read] What is the US’s next move as China breaks through the chip blockade?

China’s Huawei suddenly launched a new smartphone, equipped with a 7-nm chip said to be made in China and with network speeds reaching 5G levels, shocking the US political circles. What far-reaching impacts will China's breakthrough in chip technology have? How will Washington respond? Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Edwin Ong takes us through the recent developments and what it means for the US’s strategy against China’s tech advancements.
Dreame Technology’s second-generation bionic robot dog and general-purpose humanoid robot. (Photo: Chen Jing)

China’s humanoid robots catching up with US and Japan?

Humanoid robots have become the latest trend in the tech industry, with US and Chinese tech firms trying to beat each other to the punch in releasing their robots. While China is still lagging behind in software, the hardware gap between China and the US and Japan is expected to shrink.
A child sitting on a man's shoulder takes a picture as she visits the Bund waterfront area in Shanghai, China, on 5 July 2023. (Wang Zhao/AFP)

Is China’s good fortune reversing?

Whether China can prove naysayers wrong and keep up its good national fortunes depends on solving old problems associated with restarting the mechanisms of the Soviet Union model, and tackling new problems arising from successful development.
A Chinese flag is displayed next to a "Made in China" sign seen on a printed circuit board with semiconductor chips, in this illustration picture taken 17 February 2023. (Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo/Reuters)

Biden's tech investment ban: What's at stake for China?

The US’s latest round of investment restrictions on China hits the country where it hurts — access to innovation ecosystems. Will China develop its own ecosystems fast enough? Researcher Ding Ke weighs in on the issue.
Students visit an educational base of AI in Handan, in China's northern Hebei province on 25 May 2023. (AFP)

China’s OpenAI starting off on the wrong foot?

As the world is getting used to generative AI tools from the West, China is struggling to get its generative AI industry started. The high-profile acquisition of AI firm Light Years Beyond by Meituan started with much fanfare but prospects of it spearheading China’s AI rise are petering out. There is no doubt that the West holds the AI lead for now, but how long will it take for China to get running and catch up?
Clothes are displayed on hangers at a Chinese fashion brand Shein pop-up store in Paris, France, on 4 May 2023. (Christophe Archambault/AFP)

Chinese e-commerce's growing markets in US and beyond: Opportunities and challenges

While Chinese e-commerce platforms like Shein and Temu have been doing well in achieving fast and high growth in the US market, they face commercial and regulatory challenges too and would need to undertake several risk mitigation strategies.