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CATL Commits $4.35 Billion to Establish Global Mining Resource Subsidiary

Contemporary Amperex Technology, the world's dominant electric vehicle battery maker, is injecting RMB 30 billion (US$4.35 billion) to establish a wholly-owned mining and resources management platform, marking a significant escalation in the race to secure upstream critical minerals. The new entity, tentatively named Contemporary Amperex

ChinaBiz Briefing | Alibaba Agents Expand, Amap Enters Robotics, XPeng Pushes AI SUVs, CATL-Wuling Battery Scale

China’s tech and industrial ecosystem is accelerating toward AI execution, embodied intelligence and infrastructure scale. Alibaba and MiniMax are pushing AI from chat into real-world workflows, while Amap extends into robotics hardware. At the same time, XPeng and Wuling are embedding AI and energy infrastructure deeper into vehicles,

Dishan Technology Hits 2nm AI Chip Prototype Milestone Amid Foundry Hurdles

Chinese semiconductor startup Dishan Technology has advanced a 2nm artificial intelligence chip into the prototype verification stage, marking a critical design milestone for domestic silicon developers navigating strict global trade constraints. The development, initially cited by the South China Morning Post referencing local industry outlets, underscores China's accelerated

China Puts Embodied Special-Purpose Robots Into Real Operations, Signaling Faster Industrial Automation

China has moved embodied intelligence from demos to deployment in special-purpose robots, with multiple domestically developed systems now operating in hazardous industrial and infrastructure scenarios, a step that could accelerate demand for industrial AI models and field-ready robotics across energy, shipping and grain logistics. State broadcaster CCTV reported

SAIC-GM-Wuling and CATL Deepen Ties With Fast-Charging Batteries, 3,000 Swap Stations Planned by 2026

SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile and Contemporary Amperex Technology signed a new strategic cooperation agreement on April 14 in Ningde, marking an expansion of a partnership that has already spanned nearly a decade across models such as the Hongguang MINI EV. Under the agreement, more than 15 new energy vehicle models

Xpeng Teases GX With AI Privacy Glass and 3,000 TOPS Compute as China Pushes “Physical AI” Into Full-Size SUVs

Xpeng on April 14 released official interior images of its GX flagship SUV, positioning the model as a “new technology flagship” that bundles AI-driven cabin hardware with high local compute—an approach that underscores how Chinese automakers are racing to differentiate through integrated AI features rather than incremental styling

Stanford’s 2026 AI Index Says China’s Top Models Are Closing the Gap With the US

Stanford University’s 2026 AI Index report argues the China–US AI race has shifted from a clear US lead to a near-parity contest at the model frontier, with performance gaps narrowing to low single digits even as funding, patents, talent flows and data-center scale remain structurally asymmetric.

MiniMax rolls out Pocket and “Computer Use” to push its desktop agent beyond the command line

MiniMax has expanded its desktop AI agent from a command-line helper into a screen-operating worker, betting that real productivity gains require control over local apps, internal systems and graphical interfaces that APIs can’t reach. The company on Tuesday launched two desktop updates: Pocket, a beta feature that

Amap to unveil Alibaba’s first quadruped robot, extending ABot models from maps into hardware

Alibaba Group Holding’s mapping unit Amap is preparing to launch its first quadruped robot, marking the group’s first commercial step into embodied robotics hardware and testing whether its ABot foundation models can translate digital navigation advantages into real-world autonomy. Sina Tech reported on April 14, 2026 that

Alibaba’s Qwen Launches Spreadsheet Agent, Pushing GenAI From Chat to Deliverable Excel Files

Alibaba Group Holding’s Tongyi Qwen has rolled out a Spreadsheet Agent that generates and edits native .xlsx files through chat, marking a shift from AI that “answers” to AI that “delivers” finished office assets. The product, announced April 14, 2026, is free across app, web and PC, and is