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News feed
Bite-sized news updates on China’s tech world
Monday, July 18
- China’s central bank has slapped Didi’s digital payment unit with an RMB 4.27 million (around $632,800) fine for misconduct, which includes failure to comply with Beijing’s real-name registration requirement for users, according to a statement posted Friday on the regulator’s website. The regulator added that Didi violated other rules such as not reporting major risk events in a timely manner and not verifying users’ identities as required by the government. Last July, Beijing launched a cyber-security probe into Didi following a public listing in the US. According to a Wall Street Journal report in June, China is concluding the investigation to allow the ride-hailing giant to return to app stores in mainland China, after a year-long investigation. [The People’s Bank of China, in Chinese]
- Major Chinese phone maker Xiaomi has been fined $3.25 million in Italy for refusing to repair devices with scratches or other minor defects that were still under warranty, MarketWatch reported on July 8. The firm has been ordered to examine all affected devices and arrange shipment without charging any fees by the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM), the local competition regulator. A spokesperson for Xiaomi told TechNode, “We note the decision from AGCM and are assessing the reasons behind it. We believe our after-sales services including warranty services are fully compliant with Italian law. We are committed to providing highly satisfactory after-sales services to our customers worldwide.” [MarketWatch]
- Arcfox, a high-end electric car brand backed by Chinese automaker BAIC, began delivering the “HI (Huawei Inside)” version of its Alpha S sports utility vehicles on July 16. The EV is equipped with Huawei’s self-driving software system and hardware suite. Delivery of the EV was delayed for more than eight months as Huawei was prioritizing less advanced, lower-priced autonomous driving technologies, according to a report by Chinese financial media outlet Caixin in February. The Chinese smartphone giant was also reportedly in talks with Volkswagen to sell its autonomous driving unit for billions of euros earlier this year, a development which the German automaker declined to comment on. [Arcfox Weibo, in Chinese]
- Kuaikan, a Chinese online comic platform, announced that the app is now open to overseas users in 200 countries and regions with localized translations for 12 mainstream languages, during a comic release event held in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on July 16. The firm also introduced 192 new animation and comics series during the event. First launched in 2014, the app has been a trending platform for Chinese comic creators and has been integral for independent artists seeking to get more exposure for their work. The platform had over 340 million registrations and 50 million monthly active users as of August 2021. [DoNews, in Chinese]
- CodeSubmit, a smart hiring service provider, released an industry research on programmers’ salaries worldwide. The research showed that Chinese programmers earned an average annual salary of $23,790 in 2022, just 21.6% of what average programmers in the US make. US programmers topped the chart with an annual salary of $110,140. Switzerland, Israel, and Denmark came just after the US with $97,518, $71,559, and $63,680, respectively. Russian programmers, with a $23,737 average yearly salary, is on par with Chinese programmers’ salary. The data might provide clues on the increasing attraction of emigration in the Chinese tech community in recent months, especially for those over 30 years old. [CodeSubmit]
- US telecoms regulator the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) told Congress on July 15 that the country still needs an extra $3 billion to effectively remove and replace equipment belonging to Chinese telecom giants such as Huawei and ZTE from its networks. An initial budget of $1.9 million was earmarked after Congress passed a law in 2019 demanding that the country’s carriers used equipment that met various security requirements, essentially barring the use of Chinese components, but those funds are now deemed insufficient. The FCC has said it will freeze government funding for any organization that fails to comply with the removal order. [Reuters]
Tuesday, July 19
- Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, announced a new partnership with Netflix-like streaming platform iQiyi on Tuesday. The deal will authorize Douyin to recreate shorter content based on iQiyi’s long video content, including some of its original TV series. Douyin’s sister platforms Toutiao and Xigua Video will also be licensed to use iQiyi content and IP as part of the deal. The China Netcasting Services Association issued a rule in late 2021 that bars short video platforms like Douyin from creating content based on other platforms’ IP, cracking down on the practice of sharing short clips from TV shows and films. Such copyright infringement has long been a major issue in China, and the partnership is a notable step toward a better licensing environment in the entertainment and content industry. [Douyin, in Chinese]
- NetEase announced a new gaming studio called Jar of Sparks on Monday. The studio is led by Jerry Hook, former Head of Design on major Microsoft Xbox title Halo Infinite. Hook’s other credits include famous AAA-level titles such as Batman: Arkham trilogy and Doom. Based in Seattle and looking to recruit globally, the new studio plans to create a new generation of narrative-driven action games with immersive worlds. According to its Linkedin page, the studio currently has three job openings in the US. [NetEase, press release]
- On Monday, Chinese video-sharing platform Bilibili announced that it would begin displaying users’ IP locations on their profile page and information pages to build an “authentic and well-organized” community. The feature has started testing with some users on Monday and will apply to all users “in a week.” The feature will show users’ general location information (provinces and city areas) for users based in China, while overseas users’ IP locations will show country information. Users won’t be able to turn off the location identification, according to the announcement. Since April, Chinese social media platforms like Weibo and Zhihu have begun showing IP location information to meet the country’s new rules. [Bilibili, in Chinese]
- Acoustic components company GoerTek has partnered with major Chinese gaming firms, HoYoverse and 37 Interactive Entertainment, pooling RMB 556 million ($82.4 million) to do joint investments. GoerTek and its sub-firm Tongge Ventures contributed 73% of the fund, while HoYoverse and 37 Interactive Entertainment contributed 18% and 9%, respectively. The investment partnership will focus on consumer electronics, VR, AR, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing. According to GoerTek’s filing to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, the investment will avoid horizontal competition and related party transactions. [Shenzhen Stock Exchange, in Chinese]
Wednesday, July 20
- Chinese electric vehicle maker Hozon has raised “hundreds of millions of RMB” in a Series D3 from investment firm Dayone Capital, according to a statement published on July 15. Although no exact total was specified, the statement’s wording suggests the total funding amount could be between $14.8 million and $148 million. The Zhejiang-based automaker delivered 63,131 vehicles for the first half of this year, almost triple last year’s figure and just several thousand fewer units than that of major EV firm Xpeng Motors. Hozon has been backed by prominent investors such as battery giant CATL, cybersecurity firm Qihoo 360, and the state-run Shenzhen Capital Group. [Dayone Capital, in Chinese]
- Siengine, a Chinese chipmaker developing auto-grade semiconductors for in-car systems, said on Tuesday that it has raised almost RMB 1 billion (roughly $150 million) in a Series A led by Sequoia Capital China, without disclosing the valuation. This comes just four months after the Wuhan-based chip startup, launched by Geely founder Li Shufu, closed an undisclosed amount in strategic funding from state-owned automaker FAW Group. Other investors in this round include Chinese tech firm Neusoft and Boyuan Capital, a venture capital arm of German auto giant Bosch. [Siengine release, in Chinese]
- Chinese authorities are considering imposing a massive fine of over $1 billion on Didi for allegedly violating the country’s data privacy and national security rules, ending an investigation that has lasted for more than a year, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The amount would represent 4% of Didi’s 2021 revenues and mark the beginning of what the ride-hailing giant hopes will be a return to normal operations, the report said. Didi’s shareholders voted to delist from the New York Stock Exchange in May in the wake of the investigation. Alibaba and Meituan were fined $2.8 billion and $530 million, respectively, last year following the government’s anti-monopoly investigations. [The Wall Street Journal]
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