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Dora Zhang

Editor covering China's business and technology, focused on AI, electric vehicles, autonomous driving, and robotics, tracking industry developments, innovation, and market dynamics.

Volant Aerotech Targets China's First eVTOL IPO Backed by RMB 47.5B Order Book

SHANGHAI VOLANT AEROTECH has converted into a joint-stock company and amassed a RMB 47.5 billion (US$6.6 billion) order book, positioning itself as the frontrunner to become China's first publicly listed electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft manufacturer. The corporate restructuring, registered on July

ByteDance Explores Autonomous Driving Push, Led by Seed World Model Team

ByteDance is quietly moving into the autonomous driving sector, with its world model research team taking the lead on an early-stage initiative that could signal the Chinese tech giant's broader ambitions in physical AI, according to an exclusive report. According to 36Kr's exclusive report published

ChinaBiz Briefing | China Auto Reset, SHEIN IPO, MetaX Valuation Gap, Seres Loss

China's technology and industrial landscape is undergoing a simultaneous reset across multiple fronts: the world's largest auto market is contracting sharply even as its EV transition accelerates past the point of no return; a GPU startup is trading at a valuation its own financials struggle to

China Auto Market Falls 20% in H1 2026 as EVs Hit 60% Penetration

China's passenger car market shed roughly 2.2 million units in the first half of 2026, with retail insurance registrations falling 20.2% year-on-year to 8.726 million vehicles — a structural reset that is reshaping the competitive hierarchy between domestic and foreign automakers at an accelerating

AITO Maker Seres Swings to Loss as Input Costs Gut Huawei Partnership's Profitability

Seres Group has swung from a RMB 2.94 billion (US$408 million) first-half profit to a projected net loss of RMB 1.5–1.8 billion (US$208–250 million) in the same period of 2026, exposing the fragility of China's electric-vehicle boom when commodity

Mixue's Global Ambitions Hit a Wall: Overseas Stores Shrink for the First Time

The world's second-largest fresh beverage chain by store count posted its first-ever annual net decline in overseas locations in 2025, exposing the limits of a supply-chain flywheel that conquered China but struggles to spin at scale beyond its borders. Mixue Group, the Zhengzhou-based bubble-

MetaX's RMB 4B Valuation Faces Reality Check as Losses Mount

China's domestic GPU sector is minting paper billionaires faster than it is generating profits — and MetaX Integrated Circuits may be the starkest illustration of that disconnect. Shares of the Shanghai-listed chipmaker briefly breached RMB 1,000 (US$138.9) on July 9, 2026, pushing its market capitalization

BYD Cracks Germany's Top 15 as Tesla Surges 318%, But European Moat Holds Firm

Chinese automakers are gaining measurable ground in Europe's most competitive car market, yet Volkswagen's near-30% grip on German sales underscores how far the challengers remain from disrupting the established order. Germany registered 296,000 new vehicles in June 2026, a 15.7% year-on-year

BYD Rewrites the UK Playbook: Premium Positioning, Flash Charging, and 80,000-Unit Ambition

BYD has cracked one of the world's most brand-conscious automotive markets not by undercutting rivals on price, but by engineering a perception shift that has left Tesla, BMW, and Volkswagen trailing in the UK's EV sales rankings. Three years after entering the UK passenger car

Swancor Unveils Qiyuan T1, Billed as World's First Shape-Shifting Personal Robot

Swancor Advanced Materials has released official footage of its Qiyuan T1 robot, claiming the device is the world's first shape-shifting personal robot and marking the company's first foray into the consumer robotics market. The Qiyuan T1 can autonomously switch between two configurations — a wheeled bipedal