The month-end tech news summary for China captures March 2023’s headlines in fields including Huawei’s domestic production of components in the face of US sanctions, the China impacts of the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, Baidu’s ChatGPT competitor platform and many more. Hit the links below to read each China tech news article in full.
Our other editions include daily, weekly, monthly, and mobile technology news updates.
Decoding China: Terms, meanings, framing
- “Ernie, what is censorship? China’s chatbots face additional challenges.”
- US congressional panel forms to examine the role of private equity, venture capital and Wall Street firms in China, building on a forthcoming screening mechanism for outbound investment
- China: PLA paper sets aim to quickly launch 13K satellites to prevent SpaceX from taking ‘low-orbit resources’, providing ‘net service but also to spy and carry out anti-Starlink missions
- Huawei and du, fast-growing UAE telecoms operator, ink MoU on 5.5G cooperation
- China: Realme smartphone maker launches GT3 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, claiming full-charge in under 10 minutes
RAND Corp: The political geography of the South China Sea
- Sequoia China Seed Fund’s Fund III raised $480M last year and now enters the investment period, now managing nearly $2.16 billion
- Germany to commence steps towards cutting reliance on China-run telecoms equipment, following on from recent block on Chinese investors buying a German chips plant
- China: MiraclePlus – formerly Y Combinator China – early-stage startup accelerator applications for the Fall 2023 batch are now open to founders globally
- China’s Momenta, GM-backed autonomous driving startup, reportedly looking at either Hong Kong or US IPO, potentially raising up to $1BN
- China: U Power automotive startup unveils mass-producible ‘skateboard chassis-by-wire’, set to allow smart electric vehicle customization at a lower cost
- Concerns over Silicon Valley Bank collapse spread to China, given SVB’s popularity as an option for China-based startups fundraising in USD, and for some China-focused USD venture capital firms
“When China was still new to venture capital in the late 1990s, SVB was among the first financial institutions to start serving the country’s startups, while traditional, risk-averse banks avoided them. Over time, the bank has become a popular option for China-based startups fundraising in USD as well as some China-focused USD venture capital firms.”
- China: QBoson quantum computing startup raised $14.4M, with state-owned telco China Mobile set to adopt the platform’s applications
- China’s e-CNY challenge: “…at another shop in the mall…the frequency of customers using e-CNY was about ‘once a month’ since their establishment started accepting it last year.”
- TikTok vs Douyin: “…a lot of the measures that ByteDance is now starting to introduce outside China with TikTok have already been tested aggressively [in China] with Douyin.”
Recorded Future: Chinese Cybercrime in Neighboring Countries
- China: Shenzhen Stock Exchange seeks intelligence tech firm help to detect fraud and vet listings as part of anti-corruption bid, with regulator having uncovered near 100 accounting scams last year
- Russia, China & open-source: “…concerns over cyberattacks fuel increasing reluctance among developers to incorporate [open source] software components created in China…”
- China’s LiangDao lidar system supplier inks cooperation with Germany’s Deutsche Telekom, focusing on smart city data management with cloud-based smart traffic counting and monitoring solutions
- China: Ensound raises $14.5M with acoustic AI tech, allowing customers to detect abnormal sounds as a way to identify faulty mechanical equipment
SVB & China: “The crown jewel of its global operations was China, where [SVB] served more than 2,000 clients and advised government regulators eager to make their banking system more innovation-friendly.”
- “China’s integrated circuit output dropped 17% in the first two months of 2023, as the country’s semiconductor industry grappled with economic headwinds and escalating US trade sanctions..”
- China: Huawei CEO reveals firm redesigned 4K circuit boards, sourcing 13K components domestically, in response to sanctions, boosting use of HarmonyOS and other systems
- China: BYD automaker moves to diversify globally via technological capabilities with investment in Kunlunxin, previously Baidu’s Smart Chip and Architecture Department
“…new robot installations in the Chinese automotive industry almost doubled to 61,598 units in 2021- accounting for 52% of the total 119,405 units installed in factories around the world.”
- Google App Store suspends China’s Pinduoduo shopping app after malware is found in some versions of the app
- ICYMI: Marvell US semiconductor firm to cut global workforce amid industry slowdown, resulting in layoff of entire China R&D team
- TikTok: “…the Chinese government views TikTok’s technology as sensitive and has taken steps since 2020 to ensure it can veto any sale by its Beijing-based owner, ByteDance.”
- China-affiliated hacking groups found to be targeting ‘net-facing security tools including those from VMware and Citrix, targeting products before network propagation
Uncomfortable questions for Baidu’s Ernie Bot: “One influencer posted several AI-generated images, asking if Baidu simply translated the Chinese into English and used foreign image generators…”
- China: Huawei claims breakthroughs in electronic design automation tools for chips at and above 14-nanometre levels as part of localization efforts
- Belgium’s State Security Service reportedly scrutinizing Huawei over espionage concerns relating to EU and NATO headquarters in Brussels
- India: Foxconn iPhone maker reportedly to establish $1BN 300-acre mega-facility near Bengaluru International Airport as part of diversification bid in response to China issues
Wading Murky Waters: Subsea Communications Cables and Responsible State Behaviour
- Malaysia: Huawei lobbies for a consistent, possibly developing, role in Malaysia, with new gov’t to review its predecessor’s 5G plans, despite this likely leading to higher consumer costs
- Taiwan: Matsu islands’ internet cables cut, with China the primary suspect
- TikTok’s US woes continue: Former Trust & Safety Division employee tells investigators “…a truly leakproof arrangement for Americans’ data would require a ‘complete re-engineering’ of how TikTok is run.”
- China’s Hozon electric vehicle maker breaks ground at its first overseas car plant in Thailand, seeing SEA opportunities while dealing with increased competition and weakening demand in China
“Hong Kong’s campaign to become a regional crypto hub has attracted a steady stream of business executives from China looking to explore opportunities in the sector despite Beijing’s crackdown….”
- Taiwan’s Foxconn Foxconn looks at cooperation in India in new areas including electric vehicles and chips, looking to boost India production to 25% from current 5-7%
- India: Taiwan’s Foxconn to construct manufacturing facility in Telangana in H2 2023 focusing on Apple AirPods, with sights on production by end of 2024
Deloitte: 2023 Semiconductor Industry Outlook
Asia’s tech news headlines
Our other news editions go out on a range of platforms and channels, and across a range of timeframes, highlighting key tech news from across Asia and the Indo-Pacific, and showcasing the region’s startups and technology developments:
