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Alice Ye

Senior editor with 15 years in news and financial media. Covers China's AI, electric vehicles, and robotics, with a focus on industry trends, technological innovation, and capital markets.

China's Robotic Hand Race Intensifies as New Players and Strategies Emerge

China's market for dexterous robotic hands is rapidly evolving from a niche segment into a fiercely competitive arena, fueled by the global boom in embodied artificial intelligence. A complex landscape is taking shape, defined by three distinct categories of players employing at least six different business strategies, all

Decathlon’s Uphill Battle in China: A Billion-Dollar Sale to Fix a Broken Strategy

The French sporting goods giant, once a titan of affordability, is selling a stake in its China unit after a failed pivot to the high-end market. The move signals a potential strategic retreat and a costly reckoning with its own identity in a fiercely competitive landscape. In a cavernous

The Next Labubu? Pop Mart’s New ‘Healing’ Toy Ignites Market Frenzy

Pop Mart, the Chinese art toy giant, may have found its next blockbuster hit. A new character IP, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” is generating a market frenzy reminiscent of the company's top-seller Labubu, signaling Pop Mart's continued ability to create sought-after collectibles and drive

Battle for the Sky: How Insta360 Sparked a High-Stakes War with DJI

Insta360’s meteoric rise from a niche camera maker to a stock market phenom has culminated in a high-stakes duel with DJI， pitting a software-savvy disruptor against a hardware sovereign in a battle that will define the future of smart imaging. The late summer of 2025 was supposed

Horizon Robotics Targets 10 Million Smart-Driving Systems in Mass-Market Push

Chinese autonomous driving chipmaker Horizon Robotics has set an ambitious goal to deploy 10 million units of its advanced driver-assistance system, aiming to bring high-end intelligent driving features to China's mass-market vehicles and create an affordable alternative to premium offerings. The 3-to-5-year

Nio’s Sales Outlook Brightens, But Aggressive Price Cuts Squeeze Margins

Nio Inc. signaled it is prioritizing sales volume over profitability, offering a strong delivery forecast for the third quarter but revealing that aggressive price cuts eroded vehicle margins in its latest results and would continue to do so. The Chinese electric-vehicle maker on Tuesday reported a vehicle gross margin

Forget The Hype: Chinese Megabank Warns Humanoid Robots Are Waiting For Their "ChatGPT Moment"

While the market remains captivated by dazzling demos from Tesla and Figure, a sobering new analysis from one of China's top investment banks, Huatai Securities, injects a much-needed dose of realism into the humanoid robot narrative. In a note summarizing its recent 2025 Autumn Strategy Conference, the

China's Robot Vacuum Makers Battle for Global Dominance in Fierce Price War

China’s robotic vacuum cleaner industry is grappling with a paradox of profitless growth, as intense domestic competition and a brutal price war force top players to sacrifice margins for market share. This fierce battle is pushing leading brands to accelerate their overseas expansion, turning markets in Europe and North

AI² Robotics Completes Seventh Funding Round in Six Months, Led by Shenzhen Capital

Embodied intelligence startup AI² Robotics has secured a new Series A financing round led by Shenzhen Capital Group Co., Ltd., marking its seventh capital injection of over 100 million yuan in just six months and signaling intense investor interest in the competitive robotics sector. The latest round saw Shenzhen Capital

WeRide Deepens Singapore Push With Robotaxi Debut, Eying Regional Growth

WeRide Inc., a leading Chinese autonomous driving company, has launched its Robotaxi service in Singapore, marking a significant step in its Southeast Asian expansion and the region's first introduction to Level 4 autonomous passenger vehicles. The deployment is central to a strategic partnership with ride-hailing giant Grab