AI's Memory Crunch: Why Storage Chips Are Back in the SpotlightAs AI data centers demand ever-faster memory, storage chips are emerging as the bottleneck that decides how efficiently computing power gets used. Chinese investors poured 1.93 billion yuan into the sector in a single day as DDR5, HBM and 3D NAND upgrades reshape the industry.
OpenAI's New GPT-6.1 Sol Brings Flagship AI at One-Fifth the PriceOpenAI launched GPT-6.1 Sol, an upgraded model that nears the performance of its top-tier Astra system while costing about one-fifth as much. The company also unveiled an always-on autonomous agent called Dots.
Boeing Wins $20 Billion US Navy Fighter Deal, Extending Its Combat Jet ComebackThe US Navy has picked Boeing to build its next-generation F/A-XX carrier fighter, a full-scale development contract worth more than $20 billion. It follows Boeing's 2025 win of the Air Force's F-47, giving the planemaker two of America's biggest future combat aircraft programs.
Nvidia's $150 Billion Buyback Dwarfs China's Entire MarketNvidia has authorized an extra $150 billion in share repurchases, bringing its total firepower to $235 billion over two years. The move highlights a stark gap with China's A-share market, where full-year buybacks total around 142.7 billion yuan.
NIO and Geely Swap Charging Assets in $220 Million EV DealNIO is selling a 30 percent stake in its charging and battery-swap unit to Geely, which pays with cash and its own charging subsidiary. The two rivals will fully link their charging networks across China.
SpaceX's Starship Reaches Orbit for the First TimeSpaceX's 14th Starship test flight put the upper stage into Earth orbit for the first time, deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites. The booster splashed down as planned, though one engine failed and the ship's landing was cut short.
A Small Chinese City's Green Arm Buys a Recycler for $138 MillionA state-backed environmental group in Jiangyin is taking control of listed fiber recycler Youcai Resources in a deal worth up to 982 million yuan, the latest sign that China's local government financing arms are becoming active buyers of public companies.
Remembering Liu Huan: The Voice That Defined a GenerationChinese musician Liu Huan, one of the country's most celebrated singers, died at 63. He was known for his powerful voice, his work as a music professor, and his role in launching a TV show for original songwriters.
China Plans a New Geological Map of Mars by 2028A Chinese scientist leading the Tianwen-3 Mars mission says a new full-Mars geological map, due by late 2028, will propose a Chinese scheme for dividing Martian geological eras. Findings from the Zhurong rover will feed into it.
China's Chip IPO Draws 358,848 Winning Lottery NumbersGuangzhou-based chipmaker CanSemi priced its Shenzhen IPO, and 358,848 lottery numbers won the right to buy shares — a window into how Chinese retail investors chase semiconductor listings. Winners must fund their accounts by September 29 or forfeit.
TCL Zhonghuan Plans Up to $70 Million Buyback to Reward StaffChinese solar-wafer maker TCL Zhonghuan will spend up to 500 million yuan buying back its own Shenzhen-listed shares for an employee ownership plan. The move follows a wave of similar buybacks as Chinese listed firms try to steady sentiment.
Esports Stays in Asian Games, Olympic Council Says After RumorsThe Olympic Council of Asia denied reports that esports will leave the Asian Games after 2026, confirming a new Asian Esports and Mind Sports Games in Kuwait instead. The clarification came as China celebrated a dominant gold in Honor of Kings at Nagoya.
China's Seeds to Get Their Own Ride to SpaceChina has started building its first dedicated commercial satellite for space breeding, ending the practice of hitching rides for seeds. The lab aims to speed up crop development by exposing seeds to cosmic radiation and microgravity.
China's Holiday Train Rush Shows Scale of Domestic TravelChina's Yangtze River Delta region is bracing for 3.32 million rail passengers in a single day as the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday ends, with a new high-speed line opening the next day to ease the crush.
China's PCB Makers Raise $4 Billion in Record AI-Driven ExpansionThirteen Chinese circuit-board makers have announced or completed fundraising worth about 29.3 billion yuan so far in 2026 — 4.52 times last year's total — as AI data centers drive demand for high-end boards.
Tesla's Robotaxi Gamble Meets America's Growing Robotaxi SkepticsTesla's Cybercab is now charging passengers in Austin, but the company faces a skeptical public and regulatory hurdles. Meanwhile, Chinese autonomous driving firms are taking a different path to scale.
AI Film Studios in China Draw Calls From Cities Eager to Host ThemChinese cities and industrial parks are courting AI filmmakers as production costs collapse, with some AI short dramas now costing just a few hundred yuan per minute. Shenzhen-based creator Zhu Zhili says the offers keep coming.
China's FAST Telescope Rewrites the Story of Why Star-Making SlowsBy pairing the FAST radio telescope with a US dark-energy survey, an international team found that galaxies are not running out of star-forming gas — they are losing the ability to turn it into stars.
OpenCode Makes DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Credit PermanentOpenCode has made its $60 credit for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash permanent, a move that lowers the cost of AI coding for developers worldwide. The promotion, originally temporary, now locks in a key price advantage for the Chinese model.
Luckin Coffee Lands $1 Billion From Abu Dhabi Fund MubadalaAbu Dhabi sovereign fund Mubadala is investing about $1 billion in Luckin Coffee alongside its controlling shareholder, a striking vote of confidence in the chain that once nearly collapsed after a fraud scandal.
Chinese Phone Giant Infinix Unveils World-First Gaming Controller and Cooling DockInfinix, the gaming-focused brand of Shenzhen-based Transsion, has launched two GT NX accessories: a controller with the world's first pixel-precision touchpad for shooters and a dock with built-in thermoelectric cooling. The launch signals a push by China's low-profile phone giants into high-margin mobile gaming gear.
Next-Gen Memory Breakthrough: 10 Billion Read-Write CyclesA Chinese-led research team says it has fixed the durability flaw in ferroelectric memory, pushing devices past 10 billion read-write cycles. The advance could bring faster, power-sipping storage closer to everyday chips.
Tesla Teases New Roadster With Glowing Light Bar Ahead of October DebutTesla has released another teaser for its second-generation Roadster, showing only a front LED light strip. The electric supercar is set to be fully unveiled on October 2, Beijing time.
China's A-Shares Add $7 Trillion in Two Years — So Who Actually Won?Shanghai's benchmark index has climbed 45% since September 2024, adding roughly 51 trillion yuan in market value. Yet many ordinary investors say they have little to show for the rally, a gap that reveals how unevenly Chinese stock gains are distributed.
Donkey Kong's Final Banana Bash Delights GamersNintendo wraps up a year of themed events with the 'Banana Frenzy Carnival' expansion in Donkey Kong: Banana Bliss. The week-long event offers players non-stop challenges on the 1400th underground level.
AI Takes Over Sophisticated Investment ScamsChinese investors face new wave of AI-powered financial fraud as artificial intelligence enables more sophisticated 'pig butchering' scams that manipulate victims into transferring large sums.
China's Smartphone Giants Switch Chip SuppliersMajor Chinese phone makers OPPO and vivo unexpectedly switch to MediaTek chips for flagship models, signaling industry shifts amid intense competition.
China Launches Satellite Internet ConstellationChina successfully deployed another batch of low-earth orbit satellites, continuing its ambitious space-based internet project with the launch of 26 satellite groups.
China's Coffee Capital Brews a Global Financial StirShanghai has quietly become the world's most crowded coffee market, turning a daily caffeine habit into a fierce commercial arena. This beverage boom is now drawing major consumer-finance attention as global funds pour capital into domestic chains.
China's Running Revolution: Marathon Culture BloomsOnce a nation of cyclists, China has embraced running marathons with unprecedented enthusiasm, creating one of the world's largest and most vibrant running communities.
China's Quantum Leap: Leading the Next Computing RevolutionChina's rapid advancements in quantum computing technology position it as a key player in the next frontier of computational science, with breakthroughs that could transform industries worldwide.
China's C919: The Homegrown Airliner Taking to More SkiesDeveloped by COMAC, the C919 narrow-body jet is expanding from its first commercial routes into a growing fleet. Here is what makes China's flagship passenger plane tick — and what it is like to fly on one.
China's EV Exports Are Redrawing the Global Auto MapChina is now the world's largest vehicle exporter, led by electric and plug-in hybrid cars from BYD, Chery and a wave of younger brands — a shift with big consequences for car prices everywhere.
Blockbusters and Records: Chinese Animation Grows UpFrom Ne Zha's record-smashing runs to a new wave of studios, Chinese animated films have become a box-office force at home — and are eyeing audiences abroad.
Tiangong: Life and Science Aboard China's Space StationPermanently crewed by rotating teams of three taikonauts, the Tiangong station hosts hundreds of experiments — and is opening its modules to payloads from around the world.
