Friday, June 19, 2026
Top China Tech News
- 01Fintech
China adds 26 banks to new cross-border digital yuan payment platform
CB Signal31China has added 26 domestic and foreign financial institutions to its cross-border digital yuan payment platform, expanding the e-CNY's infrastructure as Beijing aims to increase its adoption.
Why it mattersThis expansion signals a concrete step towards internationalizing the digital yuan and potentially challenging established cross-border payment systems.
SCMP China Future Tech · 2d ago - 02Robotics
JD Logistics launches China's largest drone delivery network in Sichuan
CB Signal15JD Logistics has launched its largest drone delivery network in China, establishing 78 routes to serve 78 villages in Sichuan province, covering a population of 55,000. The drones can reportedly fly across mountainous terrain in as fast as 7 minutes.
Why it mattersThis deployment demonstrates a significant advancement in using autonomous aerial logistics to overcome geographical barriers and serve remote populations, offering a model for rural delivery.
IT Home · 9h ago - 03AI
China unveils AI-focused job creation plan for 2026-2030
CB Signal15China has released an "employment-first" strategy for 2026-2030, which includes plans to create new AI-related jobs and foster employment growth in emerging industries like the marine sector.
Why it mattersThis policy signals a proactive government approach to managing the economic impacts of AI, aiming to cultivate new employment opportunities alongside technological advancement.
SCMP China Future Tech · 15h ago - 04AI
NIO enables cross-generation chip compatibility for its autonomous driving software
CB Signal12NIO deployed an updated world model across its NT2.0, NT2.5, and NT3.0 vehicle platforms, enabling its autonomous driving code to run on different generations of chips. This was achieved through self-developed AI infrastructure, including a toolchain to bridge chip differences, an AI compiler for faster processing, and an AI Agent to automate workflows.
Why it mattersThis development overcomes a common industry challenge of software updates being tied to hardware, allowing NIO to deploy the same advanced autonomous driving features to a wider range of its vehicles simultaneously.
36Kr · 15h ago - 05Robotics
Embodied AI Firm Qiongche Intelligent Secures Millions in New Funding
CB Signal9Qiongche Intelligent, a company focused on embodied AI, has secured several hundred million yuan in a new round of financing, with major investors including Wuxi Data Group and the Shanghai Jiao Tong University AI Future Fund. This funding follows previous investments from prominent firms such as Sequoia China and Alibaba, and will support the company's continued development of its "Qiongche Embodied Brain" (Noematrix Brain) and its associated hardware and software product systems.
Why it mattersThis significant new investment highlights continued strong investor confidence in the potential of embodied AI and the companies developing the underlying foundational models and systems.
36Kr · 1d ago - 06AI
DeepSeek raises $7B at $55B valuation; other tech news digest items
CB Signal6DeepSeek has completed its first external funding round, raising approximately ¥51 billion (around $7 billion USD) at a valuation of nearly ¥400 billion (around $55 billion USD). Investors include Tencent, CATL, JD.com, NetEase, and IDG Capital. The funds will support AI infrastructure expansion, research and development, employee incentives, and commercialization efforts. Additionally, SK Hynix has reportedly removed degree requirements for its new graduate hires, and Apple CEO Tim Cook suggested potential price increases for iPhones due to memory chip shortages. WeChat Pay has also launched a new AI-specific card.
Why it mattersThis significant funding round underscores substantial investor confidence in China's AI foundational model development, positioning DeepSeek as a major player in the global AI race, while other news points to evolving hiring practices and potential supply chain impacts on consumer electronics.
IT Home · 1d ago - 07Commerce
Hong Kong urged to cut e-commerce packaging waste amid national standards push
CB Signal6A green group is urging Hong Kong to adopt national standards to reduce excessive e-commerce packaging waste, citing that at least 2.7 million kg of e-commerce parcel waste was generated in the city last year. A survey indicated 60% of respondents find packaging excessive.
Why it mattersThis call highlights growing environmental concerns around e-commerce and reflects potential regulatory shifts in packaging standards that could impact logistics and retail operations in the region.
SCMP China Science · 1d ago