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CBI

DeepSeek’s New AI Tiers Reveal the End of Free—And the Rise of Paid “Expert” Compute

Chinese artificial intelligence developer DeepSeek has silently implemented a tiered user interface on its flagship web platform, signaling a critical transition from its cash-burning growth phase toward compute optimization and eventual commercial monetization in 2026. The unannounced update introduces a dual-track system: a "Fast Mode" optimized

China-Built Car Exports to EU Top 1 Million in 2025

China-built vehicles are taking a bigger bite of Europe’s car market, pushing the region’s import pecking order toward a price-led electric-vehicle battle that is squeezing South Korean and Japanese brands. Data released April 6 by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) show cars produced in

ChinaBiz Briefing | Huawei Wearables Refine, BYD Profit Test, NIO Safety Shift

China’s tech and auto sectors are entering a phase where profitability, product positioning and technology differentiation are reshaping competition. Huawei is optimizing global product strategy, BYD faces margin pressure after scale expansion, while NIO and Xiaomi push into higher-end differentiation. Meanwhile, embodied AI funding and global EV competition

Xiaomi Upends Sub-Brand Strategy with Premium REDMI K90 Max

Xiaomi Group is aggressively restructuring its smartphone hierarchy with the imminent launch of the REDMI K90 Max, introducing a new top-tier classification designed to systematically disrupt the premium mobile gaming market. Scheduled for release later this month, the device marks a structural pivot for the company's volume-

Nio’s new ES8 tops China safety ratings, shifting EV competition toward “pre-crash” software and sensors

Nio’s new ES8 sport-utility vehicle is using a clean sweep in China’s latest crash and safety assessments to reposition safety as a software-and-sensor contest, pushing premium electric-vehicle makers to compete on milliseconds of pre-crash intervention rather than only post-impact protection. China Insurance

Kia Targets 13 New All-Electric Models by 2030 as Demand Softens

Kia said it plans to launch 13 new battery-electric vehicles globally by 2030, sharpening its push into zero-emission cars as the industry faces a broad slowdown in demand. Chief Executive Officer Song Ho-sung laid out the target at the company’s annual shareholders meeting, framing it as

Galaxea Raises RMB 2 Billion in B+ Round as China’s Embodied AI Valuations Reprice on “Robot Brain” Scarcity

Galaxea has raised nearly RMB 2 billion (US$278 million) in a B+ round that lifts its valuation above RMB 20 billion (US$2.78 billion), underscoring how China’s capital markets in 2026 are rapidly repricing embodied artificial intelligence toward model-and-data platforms rather than robot hardware. The

China’s Robot Rental Boom Signals Faster Commercialisation Push

China’s robot rental market is poised for a sharp expansion in 2026, as service providers and investors bet that leasing can turn eye-catching hardware into repeatable revenue. A research institution forecast that the country’s robot rental market will exceed RMB 100 billion (about US$13.9 billion)

BYD’s Profit Slide Tests China EV Leader’s Scale-First Playbook After RMB 804 Billion Revenue Year

BYD capped 2025 with record sales and revenue but a sharp profit drop, underscoring how China’s EV price war is forcing the market leader to trade margin for global scale and technology control as investors focus on whether its cost curve can outrun intensifying competition in 2026. The Shenzhen-

Tsinghua Open-Sources AgentWard to Secure Enterprise AI Agents

A Tsinghua University team has released AgentWard, an “end-to-end defense operating system” for autonomous AI agents, aiming to close a security gap that is increasingly blocking enterprises from granting models real execution rights in production systems. The project—published in 2026 with code on GitHub—positions itself as