9:01 AM | Yuanji Dumpling was investigated for having foreign objects mixed in the food; Xiaohongshu responded to the concentrated account bans; TikTok opposes the legislation in many countries that prohibits minors from using social media.
TOP 3 Major News
Yuanji Dumpling was investigated and filed due to foreign objects in the food
Recently, the Market Supervision and Administration Bureau of Haidian District, Beijing reported that Beijing Fuxue Catering Management and Development Co., Ltd., with the signboard "Yuanji Dumpling", was investigated and filed due to the problem of foreign objects in the food. The business license name and business address of this store are the same as the "Yuanji Dumpling" store where a consumer previously "found an earthworm".
In the notification, another Beijing Xinxincheng Catering Store (individual industrial and commercial household) and Beijing Xingran Catering Co., Ltd., both with the signboard "Yuanji Dumpling", have problems of inadequate implementation of the "two responsibilities", and were ordered to make corrections and given a warning. At the same time, Heytea and Chua Lam's Dim Sum were both ordered to make corrections and given a warning for problems such as an unhygienic kitchen environment and unprotected storage of processed clean vegetables, respectively. (Jiangsu News, New Yellow River)
Xiaohongshu Responds to Mass Account Banning: Will Give Corresponding Responses Based on User Feedback
Recently, many netizens have posted that their accounts on Xiaohongshu have been banned in a large scale, and they were directly banned without being previously informed of any violations. Some netizens questioned the severity of the punishment, while others said they were banned for no obvious reason. In response, the customer service of Xiaohongshu stated that they will record this situation and conduct an internal verification. They will also give corresponding responses based on the relevant issues feedback by each user. The official customer service of Xiaohongshu indicated that the account punishment is only related to the degree of account violation, and the specific situation is subject to the notification received in the In-site Message. If the punishment time is specified, the punishment will be automatically lifted when the time comes. It is recommended to wait patiently and not to violate the rules during this period; if the punishment time is not specified, it is permanent. (Sina Technology, Shan Hai Video)
TikTok Opposes Legislation in Multiple Countries Banning Minors from Using Social Media
After Australia passed a bill to prohibit minors under the age of 16 from using social media, countries such as Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, France, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea are also considering similar restrictive measures. However, social media giants TikTok and Meta have criticized this move, stating that it leaves many unresolved issues. There is an ongoing debate on whether this ban can protect teenagers from harm on social networks or push them towards more hidden online danger zones. At the same time, with the popularity of generative artificial intelligence, teenagers and even children are facing the test of opportunities and risks. (The Paper)
Big Companies/Big Events
Xu Jiye, the person in charge of Jiyue PR, responds that the email about his dismissal is a fake decree.
On the morning of December 20, it was reported that Jiyue Company issued an internal email, announcing that the labor contract of Xu Jiye, the person in charge of PR, was terminated due to "making improper remarks that divide employees in his WeChat Moments", and a criticism was also given. In response, Xu Jiye said that before this email appeared, he had not received any notice. He had been trying to contact the HR person in charge and CEO Xia Yiping, but both were unavailable. He also said, "It is not ruled out that someone stole the account to spread false remarks."
At noon on the same day, Xu Jiye once again posted in his WeChat Moments, saying, "Basically, I've figured out that this is a fake decree," and stated, "I'll get some good gossip for everyone later." From the current information, it is temporarily impossible to confirm whether Xu Jiye himself has been dismissed. Currently, Jiyue is in a chaotic situation, and it is difficult to distinguish the authenticity of the information. (IT Home, Sina Technology)
The Accident Appraisal Institution of AITO M7 Was Administratively Punished
On December 18, Shenzhen Nanyue Property Appraisal and Identification Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Nanyue Appraisal) was administratively punished because the company issued a test report beyond its scope. Nanyue Appraisal is the institution that issued the appraisal report in the previous AITO M7 accident in Guangzhou.
On July 6, an AITO M7 was involved in a traffic accident. In November, the owner of the accident published an appraisal report issued by Nanyue Appraisal on social media. The appraisal conclusion of the report is that within the five seconds before the vehicle accident (collision) of the accident vehicle, the driver stepped on the brake pedal, but the brake pedal failed; before the vehicle accident (collision) of the accident vehicle, the accelerator got stuck, resulting in the accelerator pedal being 100% open all the time; before the vehicle accident (collision) of the accident vehicle, the automatic emergency braking function failed to respond normally; the data of the dashcam of the accident vehicle is missing and incomplete, and multiple videos were lost due to artificial deletion; the data and conclusions of the accident report issued by SERES were artificially modified, incomplete and untrue. Currently, the case has entered the judicial process. (Yicai Global)
After the abolition of shared areas, experts suggest that property management fees and taxes should be calculated based on the indoor area.
Within a week, two cities have announced that they will promote the "abolition of shared areas". Some real estate research experts say that the abolition of shared areas should be regarded as an important task for the real estate industry in 2025. This will have a positive effect on protecting the rights and interests of homebuyers, enhancing their confidence in buying houses, and promoting the "stop of decline and return to stability" of the real estate market in 2025. With the advancement of the policy to abolish shared areas, netizens have also paid close attention to how fees related to houses, such as taxes and property management fees, will be calculated in the future. Experts suggest that if the final online signing and transactions are calculated based on the indoor area, then taxes and property management fees should also be calculated accordingly based on the indoor area. The "abolition of shared areas" will have an impact on the inherent model of the real estate industry, and new supporting policies are needed to support it. (China Business Network)
The Download Volume of Black Myth: Wukong Cheat Engine Exceeds 6 Million
Black Myth: Wukong was released on August 20 and it has been exactly four months since December 20. Currently, it has received high praise from players worldwide. However, the high difficulty level of the game is the most troublesome issue for players. After all, the game is very popular, and many players who have never experienced 3A games come to play it. Many people even get stuck on the early bosses. Therefore, many players choose to join the "Fengling Moon Shadow Sect" and use cheat engines to defeat some powerful bosses.
On December 19, according to the official website of Fengling Moon Shadow, the download volume of the Black Myth: Wukong cheat engine has exceeded 6 million. And this is only the data downloaded through the official channel. In addition, there are a large number of players who download it through social media and third-party websites. It is estimated that the total number of users of the Black Myth: Wukong cheat engine may exceed 10 million. (Fast Technology)
Xiangpiaopiao's First Physical Store: A Cup of Milk Tea Costs 9 Yuan
On December 20, Xiangpiaopiao's first physical experience store opened in the Hubin Yintai Pedestrian Street in West Lake, Hangzhou. This brand, once known for its cup-packaged instant milk tea, has also started the offline freshly made tea beverage business. It is understood that the store has launched a total of 9 products, with prices ranging from 9 to 12 yuan.
Xiangpiaopiao stated that the store is a new carrier for Xiangpiaopiao to communicate with consumers. Xiangpiaopiao opens an offline milk tea shop. On the one hand, it wants consumers to be able to immerse themselves in experiencing a cup of light milk tea with two infusions that is in line with the trend while not losing the traditional charm. On the other hand, it also hopes to be able to listen to and feel the feedback from consumers more closely and directly, so as to help improve the products better. (Yicai)
Personnel Adjustment Announcement of FAW Group, with Significant Changes in FAW-Volkswagen and FAW Jiefang
Recently, the personnel adjustment of FAW Group has entered the publicity period. Some cadre adjustment lists have been obtained through reliable internal channels. From this list, it can be seen that there are significant changes in FAW-Volkswagen and FAW Jiefang. Pan Zhanfu, the general manager of FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd., is proposed to be adjusted to a full-time external director of a subsidiary, and the convener of external directors of Lishen Qingdao Company and the Mold Company. Jiang Bo will replace Jin Xianzhen as the deputy general manager (personnel) of FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd., and the latter will be transferred to the General Manager of the Safety and Environmental Protection Department of the Group Company/Stock Company. Wei Qiang is the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd.; Nie Qiang is the Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and the person in charge of the labor union of FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd.; Wu Yingkai is the Deputy General Manager of FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. and the General Manager and Party Secretary of FAW-Volkswagen Sales Co., Ltd.; Li Fenggang is the Executive Deputy General Manager and Party Secretary of FAW Audi Sales Co., Ltd. In addition, the liberation sector has also undergone significant adjustments. Li Sheng is the Chairman and Party Secretary of FAW Jiefang Group Co., Ltd.; Yu Changxin is the General Manager and Deputy Party Secretary of FAW Jiefang Group Co., Ltd. (China Economic Net)
The delivery period of Xiaopeng P7+ models has been shortened to 5 - 8 weeks
36Kr learned that Wu Anfei, the person in charge of the R & D of Xiaopeng Automobile P/G series models, posted on Weibo revealing that after three production increases of Xiaopeng P7+, the current delivery period has been shortened to 5 - 8 weeks. Compared with when it was first launched, the longest delivery period has been shortened by more than 3 weeks. Some P7+ car owners who originally placed orders but could only pick up the car after the Spring Festival can now pick up the car before the Spring Festival.
Automakers Flocking to Cross-border Low-altitude Economy
In the past week, several mainstream enterprises in China's automotive industry have announced the latest progress of flying cars. On December 14, Xiaopeng Huitian's "Land Aircraft Carrier" flying car made its debut in Shanghai and successfully completed a test flight in Lujiazui. On December 18, GAC Group released the flying car brand Gaoyu and the sample of the compound wing flying car, planning to be equipped with its self-developed all-solid-state battery in the future. On December 21, Changan Automobile will sign a contract with relevant companies to carry out forward-looking research on flying cars. From the ground to the sky, for the Chinese mainstream automakers to accelerate the innovation and research and development of flying cars, the responsible persons of relevant companies and industry experts said that with the continuous progress of electrification and intelligent technology, the competition in the automotive industry is no longer limited to the traditional scope. As a new field, the low-altitude economy has become an important business that mainstream automakers are seizing to layout. At the same time, industrial chain companies are also actively embracing this new cross-border opportunity. (Shanghai Securities News)
Li Jie, President of OnePlus China: In the future, discrete graphics chips for mobile phones will be replaced
36Kr has learned that Li Jie, the president of OnePlus China, judges that based on the comprehensive leading nature of user experience and technology, discrete graphics chips for mobile phones will be replaced in the future. More mobile phone manufacturers may abandon external discrete graphics chips and instead choose the native-level super-frame solution of the GPU of the flagship platform.
Ningde Times' Chocolate Battery Swap Station Lands in Chongqing, Expected to Build 57 by 2025
On December 20, it is reported that Ningde Times' Chocolate Battery Swap Station has been established in Chongqing. The operation of 16 battery swap stations will be completed by the end of 2024, and it is expected that 57 will be built in the Chongqing area by 2025. On December 18, Ningde Times announced that it plans to build 1,000 Chocolate Battery Swap Stations by itself in 2025, and will also enter Hong Kong and Macao. In the medium term, it will jointly build 10,000 stations with various partners, and the final scale will reach 30,000. (Caixin)
Starbucks Union Plans to Strike in Three US Cities
The union representing more than 10,000 Starbucks baristas said its members will begin a five-day strike in stores in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle starting from local time December 20, citing unresolved issues such as wages, staffing, and scheduling. The Workers United union, which represents employees at 525 Starbucks stores across the United States, said late on the 19th that the strike is escalating every day and could reach "hundreds of stores" nationwide by Christmas Eve. Starbucks said the union representatives ended this week's negotiation meetings early and the company is ready to continue negotiations. (Jiemian News)
Walmart admits slow progress in emission reduction and expects to fail to meet the 2025 and 2030 targets
Walmart said on December 19 that due to obstacles in energy policies, infrastructure, and the availability of low-carbon technologies, the company may not be able to achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by the end of this decade. Walmart previously committed to reducing emissions by 35% and 65% respectively by 2025 and 2030 compared to the 2015 level. Walmart said that these two targets are likely to be unachievable and will consider reexamining the climate targets in 2025. (Jiemian News)
Sony Will Invest Nearly 50 Billion Yen to Acquire Shares of Japanese Content Giant Kadokawa and Become Its Largest Shareholder
On December 19, Sony Group announced that it will carry out capital and business cooperation with the Japanese content giant Kadokawa Group (KADOKAWA). It will invest nearly 50 billion yen (approximately 320 million US dollars) to acquire new shares of the latter, increasing its shareholding ratio to about 10% and becoming the largest shareholder of Kadokawa Group. Kadokawa plans to use 20 billion yen for the development and acquisition of new IPs, and 29.7 billion yen to strengthen global distribution. Kadokawa Group owns the well-known game developer FromSoftware, and is also involved in businesses such as publishing, imaging, and Web services, with well-known brands such as Kadokawa Bookstore. (Jiemian News)
Intel Is Reported to Have Screened the List of Next Round Bidders for Altera Chip Business
Insiders revealed that Intel has screened a group of acquisition companies for the next round of bidding for its subsidiary Altera. This indicates that the troubled chipmaker has made progress in advancing the process initiated by the now-forced-to-resign CEO. Insiders said that private equity firms including Francis Partners and Silver Lake Management will compete along with Lattice Semiconductor. Apollo Global Management and Bain Capital are also seeking to acquire Altera. Intel will require bidders to submit formal bidding proposals before the end of January. They added that other bidders may emerge, and the bidding may also end without a result. (Jiemian News)
FedEx to Spin Off $30 Billion Freight Division to Focus on Core Business
FedEx said it plans to spin off its freight division to become an independent publicly traded company, further advancing the streamlining efforts of Chief Executive Officer Raj Subramaniam for the package delivery giant. FedEx announced in a statement released as it disclosed its second fiscal quarter results on Thursday that it plans to carry out this spin-off within the next 18 months. The company said in June that it was evaluating this business, raising market expectations that the business might be spun off or sold. Bloomberg Industry Research estimates the enterprise value of the freight division to be over $30 billion. (Sina Finance)
The Cutting Edge of AI
OpenAI Announces the Launch of Application Collaboration Feature for Desktop Version of ChatGPT
On December 19 local time, OpenAI announced that the desktop version of ChatGPT has launched the "Work With Apps" feature, supporting native application automation collaboration. In addition to programming applications such as VS Code and Xcode, the desktop version of ChatGPT also integrates office applications such as Apple Notes, Notion, and Quip. The advanced voice mode can also work collaboratively with these applications. OpenAI stated that the new feature has been launched on the macOS version of ChatGPT, available to Plus, Pro, Team, Enterprise, and Education users, and plans to make it available to Windows versions and free users in 2025. (Jiemian News)
Tencent and Honor Reach Strategic Cooperation
36Kr learned that, according to Tencent's official Weibo, recently, Tencent and Honor officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Shenzhen. The two sides will cooperate for a long time, leveraging Honor's strength in terminals, AI, and ecological construction, and deeply integrating with Tencent's resources in cloud computing, content platforms, and game technology fields.
State Grid Releases the First Domestic Hundred-Billion-Level Multi-Modal Power Industry Large Model and Reaches an AI Cooperation with Alibaba
36Kr has learned that on December 19, State Grid Corporation of China released the Guangming Power Large Model in Beijing, with Alibaba and others providing technical support such as the large model and the development platform. It is introduced that the Guangming Power Large Model is a hundred-billion-level multi-modal large model for the power industry. For the release of this "Guangming Power Large Model", Alibaba has provided full-stack technical support from the basic large model to the AI development platform "Bailian Exclusive Edition". Currently, the Guangming Power Large Model has been applied in multiple fields such as power grid planning, power grid operation and maintenance, power grid operation, and customer service.
Google Launches an Inference Model Similar to OpenAI o1
On December 19 local time, Google announced the launch of a new "inference" model - Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking. It is introduced that this model is still in the experimental stage. After training, it can generate the "thinking process" that the model goes through when responding, similar to the OpenAI o1 model, and supports in-depth visual display of the reasoning process. Currently, this model can be used as an experimental model in Google AI Studio and can also be directly used in the Gemini API. (Jiemian News)
Volcano Engine President Tan Dai Talks about the Pricing of the Doubao Large Model: A Low Price Can Still Have a Reasonable Gross Profit
36Kr has learned that when Volcano Engine President Tan Dai talked about the pricing of the Doubao Large Model, he said that a low price can still have a reasonable gross profit. The price reflects the model's technical capabilities, engineering capabilities, and the ability to combine software and hardware. Tan Dai stated that in terms of business strategy, the price is transparent, and they do not set a high list price with a low discount to make AI more accessible to more customers, especially individual developers and small and medium-sized enterprises.
Microsoft Becomes Nvidia's Largest Customer: Purchasing 485,000 Hopper Chips, Accounting for 20% of Revenue
The latest report from market research firm Omdia shows that in 2024, Microsoft Corporation is the largest customer of Nvidia's AI chips, purchasing 485,000 Nvidia Hopper chips, which is twice the amount purchased by Meta, the second-largest customer. Currently, tech giants such as Microsoft, Meta, OpenAI, and Google are engaged in a fierce arms race to compete for the dominance of AI. Omdia data shows that compared to its competitors, Microsoft purchased the largest number of Nvidia AI chips in 2024, reaching 485,000, which is three times the amount purchased in 2023 and accounts for 20% of Nvidia's revenue in the past year. (Sina Technology)
Investment and Financing
"UPOWER Technology" Completes Hundreds of Millions of Yuan in Series B Financing
36Kr has learned that according to the official WeChat account of UPOWER Technology, "UPOWER Technology" has completed its Series B financing, with a total fundraising amount of hundreds of millions of yuan. This round of financing is led by Hefei Industrial Investment, with Xuzhou Industrial Development Fund and Bosch Group's Beyond Ventures as co-investors. The funds will be used to promote the mass production of UPOWER's Super VAN and improve production capacity, helping UPOWER to rapidly expand in the electric commercial vehicle market and the global application of skateboard chassis technology.
"Grand Bay Bio" Announces Completion of Phase 1 of Series B Financing
36Kr has learned that "Grand Bay Bio" has announced the completion of the first phase of Series B financing. This round of financing is led by a well-known industrial investment institution and its affiliated Tai Xin Capital Times Booster Accelerator, with co-investments from the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Venture Capital Fund and a Hong Kong family office, as well as continuous increase in investment from the global biotechnology industry. The funds raised in this round will be used for the R & D of the technical platform of Grand Bay Bio's intelligent drug development ecosystem, as well as to further expand Grand Bay Bio's market influence in global biomedical development. This also marks a new milestone for Grand Bay Bio in promoting biopharmaceutical development on an international scale.
"Shanghai Weixiang Space-Time" Completes Multi-Million Yuan RMB Financing
36Kr has learned that "Shanghai Weixiang Space-Time" has completed a financing of several million yuan RMB. This round of financing was jointly completed by the Pudong Science and Technology Investment Angel Mother Fund under Pudong Venture Capital, and will be mainly used to accelerate product research and development, and further accelerate the construction of the urban metaverse spatial computing platform and AI space-time large model.
Cool Products
Liangdao Intelligence Launches Flash Pure Solid-State Lidar Product Gen2 Mini
36Kr has learned that recently, Liangdao Intelligence has officially launched the Flash pure solid-state lidar product - Gen2 Mini for the global market. It is introduced that Gen2 Mini has achieved a significant reduction in volume. It provides a rapid integration and deployment solution for customers in multiple fields such as unmanned aerial vehicles, humanoid robots, and intelligent security, improving the overall compactness of intelligent equipment.
Shanji Technology Officially Launches Its First AI Glasses
36Kr has learned that the smart hardware brand Shanji Technology has officially released its first AI glasses - Shanji AI "Pai Pai Mirror" A1. It is introduced that Shanji A1 is equipped with Shanji's self-developed world's first AI memory system - Loomo OS. This system integrates services such as AI Cloud Disk, AI Flash Notes, Agent Store, Cloud AI Center, Data Security System, Hi Shanji, etc. In terms of cloud AI services, Shanji A1 has already or will soon be connected to more than ten domestic mainstream large model manufacturers such as Intellifusion, iFLYTEK Spark, Tongyi Qianwen, Kimi, and Zhipu.
Organized by｜Wang Xinye