8:01 AM | Douyin Vice President Responds to Users Reading "Money" as "Rice"; Official Response to Company Using Consumption Vouchers to Offset Wages; Nezha Auto Denies Bankruptcy: Official Website Has Returned to Normal
TOP3 Big News
The vice president of Douyin refutes the rumors about the sensitive words on the Internet, stating that it is a misunderstanding to pronounce "money" as "rice".
Recently, Douyin announced that it will promote the transparency of algorithms and platform governance. Some netizens asked, "Does Douyin allow users to mention words like'money' and 'death'? The various wrongly written characters that deliberately appear in the subtitles, as well as some illiterate and uneducated subtitles like'mi' and'si', are too disgusting. Shouldn't this also be clarified as part of the 'transparency of platform governance' and be managed accordingly?"
In response, the vice president of Douyin said: "This depends on the situation. In some marketing scenarios such as the e-commerce scenario, the expressions of the anchors should comply with relevant laws and regulations. The specific requirements can be found in our E-commerce Rules Center. There are no such restrictions for ordinary users' creations. The use of words like'mi' is a misunderstanding. There are many so-called Douyin operation secrets on the market, listing many so-called sensitive words, and many people believe them without a doubt. We have refuted these rumors before, but many people are not aware of it. We will later see how to increase the efforts. Currently, in the product, there is a flexible prompt. When an irregular expression is detected, the system will send a prompt to the author suggesting that he correct it." (Tech from Caijing.com)
The official response to the company using consumption vouchers to offset wages: Complaints have been received and transferred to the Labor Supervision Brigade for handling
Recently, a netizen posted a complaint that a company in Changchun, Jilin used consumption vouchers instead of wages, which attracted the attention of netizens. On January 6, a Jimu News reporter learned through an interview that the local human resources and social security department has received relevant complaints and has transferred them to the Labor Supervision Brigade for handling.
Rong Zilong, a lawyer from Beijing Lianggao Law Firm, said that according to the provisions of China's Labor Law, wages can only be paid to workers in the form of currency. Paying workers' wages in other ways is suspected of deducting or defaulting on workers' wages. The company's distribution of consumption vouchers instead of wages has already violated the provisions of China's Labor Law. (Jimu News)
Nezha Auto Denies Bankruptcy: Official Website Has Returned to Normal
36Kr learned that Nezha Auto stated on its official Weibo on the afternoon of January 6 that after receiving user feedback, technicians repaired the official website as soon as possible and it has now returned to normal. Regarding the bankruptcy rumors on the Internet, screenshots have been taken as evidence. Earlier, the Nezha Auto official website experienced an anomaly and could not be opened normally. The page displayed "System maintenance in progress, please try again later".
Big Companies/Big Events
Kong Fuli Takes Over Again, Fully Owns Guangsheng Investment, and Wahaha Workers' Union Exits as Shareholder
36Kr has learned that the Qichacha App shows that recently, Hangzhou Wahaha Guangsheng Investment Co., Ltd. has undergone industrial and commercial changes. The grass-roots trade union joint committee of Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co., Ltd. has exited the list of shareholders, and Kong Fuli's shareholding has increased to 100%. Qichacha information shows that the company was established in 2001, with Kong Fuli as the legal representative, and its business scope is industrial investment. Previously, Kong Fuli has fully taken over two investment companies, Zhejiang Zhenzong Investment Co., Ltd. and Zhejiang Qili Investment Co., Ltd.
Industrial Securities: The national subsidy for mobile phones has been officially implemented, and the domestic mobile phone industry chain is promising.
36Kr has learned that Industrial Securities pointed out that the release of domestic demand is crucial for economic growth. Currently, the Chinese consumer market is a market that emphasizes both increments and stocks. The consumption of new products and the upgrading of existing products jointly support the overall consumer market. On January 3, 2025, the National Development and Reform Commission stated at the series of press conferences on the "Achievements of High-Quality Economic Development in China" that in 2025, the scale of ultra-long-term special treasury bond funds will be significantly increased, and the implementation of the "Two News" policy will be strengthened and expanded. From the perspective of the domestic brand market share, Android is more benefited. The domestic mobile phone market sold approximately 280 million units throughout 2024. The boosting effect of the subsidy policy on the overall mobile phone sales is expected to be concentrated and released within the range of 25Q1 to 25H1.
The three major U.S. stock indexes closed with mixed results, and large technology stocks strengthened across the board
36Kr learned that as of the close on January 6, the three major U.S. stock indexes closed with mixed results. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.06%, the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 1.24%, and the S&P 500 Index rose 0.55%. Large technology stocks strengthened across the board. Meta rose by more than 4%, NVIDIA rose by more than 3%, Google rose by more than 2%, Amazon and Microsoft rose by more than 1%, and Apple, Tesla, and Netflix rose slightly. Most popular Chinese concept stocks declined. Li Auto fell by more than 3%, Tencent Music fell by more than 2%, Weibo fell by more than 1%, Bilibili, JD.com, and Alibaba declined slightly; Pinduoduo rose by more than 2%, NIO and iQIYI rose by more than 1%.
Three Clubs Fail to Make It to the Chinese Football Association's New Season Admission List, and Guangzhou Team Responds
On January 6, the Chinese Football Association announced the admission list for the 2025 professional league season on its official website. A total of 49 clubs were admitted. Three clubs, Cangzhou Mighty Lions (Chinese Super League), Guangzhou Team (China League One), and Hunan Xiangtao (China League Two), were not on the list.
In response, the spokesperson of the Chinese Football Association said that the three clubs failed to obtain the admission qualifications mainly for the following three reasons: First, according to the payment vouchers for international and domestic wage arrears ban cases and domestic disputes and arbitration cases provided by the clubs, the above clubs have a serious problem of insufficient payment ratio; Second, for the complaints during the admission publicity period, some of the above clubs have unresolved reasonable complaint debts from creditors; Third, based on a comprehensive investigation of the clubs' business risks, some of the above clubs have been listed as dishonest persons subject to enforcement, and have not provided sufficient evidentiary materials to prove that the clubs themselves have the ability to deal with business risks or debt repayment.
In the evening of January 6, the Guangzhou Team released an announcement stating, "Due to the heavy historical debts, the funds raised are not sufficient to pay off the debts, and ultimately the team failed to be admitted. We are filled with regret. Here, we express our most sincere apologies to all people from all walks of life who care about and support the Guangzhou Football Club, as well as the majority of fans." Previously, Hunan Xiangtao and Cangzhou Mighty Lions have successively issued statements announcing the dissolution of the clubs. (Jiemian News)
WeChat Official Account Tests Picture Comment Feature
WeChat is currently testing the picture comment feature for WeChat Official Accounts. After iOS/Android users update WeChat to the latest version 8.0.55, they can click the message function at the bottom of the official account article. The message page will show a picture button. In addition, the pictures in the picture comments can be saved, but it is currently not possible to comment on dynamic pictures. After testing, it is found that this feature is currently only open to some WeChat Official Accounts. (Jiemian News)
FAW Jiefang and CATL Sign an Agreement to Conduct Comprehensive Cooperation in the Field of New Energy Commercial Vehicles
36Kr has learned that, according to the official WeChat account of CATL, recently, FAW Jiefang and CATL held a strategic cooperation signing ceremony in Ningde, Fujian. According to the agreement, the two sides plan to conduct comprehensive cooperation in the field of new energy commercial vehicles, and carry out cooperation in product matching, product development, scientific and technological project declaration, industrial ecosystem construction, and business model innovation, etc.
Roche China Claims Sufficient Supply of "Influenza Miracle Drug" Xofluza
Now that the flu season has arrived, the demand for anti-influenza virus drugs has increased. Some media reported that Roche's influenza treatment drug baloxavir marboxil (trade name: Xofluza) is out of stock in many chain pharmacies, and there is a price increase in offline pharmacies. On January 6, Roche China responded to Jiemian News that this year, the company attaches great importance to the supply guarantee of Xofluza, and currently, the market supply is sufficient. Currently, Xofluza has been approved for use in approximately 7,000 hospitals nationwide. With the help of Internet hospitals, patients can also purchase Xofluza on online platforms such as JD.com, Meituan, Alibaba, and Dingdang with a prescription. In addition, the ex-factory price of Xofluza is implemented in accordance with the national medical insurance negotiation price and has never been adjusted. (Jiemian News)
Kai-Fu Lee Denies Rumor that 01Wanwu Will Sell Its Pre-training Team to Alibaba
On January 6, a message on the Twitter platform claimed that 01Wanwu would soon package and sell its pre-training team and computing power resources to Alibaba. In response, Kai-Fu Lee, the founder of 01Wanwu, refuted the rumor in his Moments, saying, "I don't know why such a rumor is spreading, but it spreads quickly and is also removed quickly." Currently, the original tweet has been deleted.
At the same time, Kai-Fu Lee stated that the confirmed revenue of 01Wanwu in 2024 is over 100 million yuan, and it will multiply several times in 2025. "2025 is the year of testing for large models in China, the year of application explosion, and the year of commercial elimination. Let's focus on these truly important things!" (Jiemian News)
CHAGEE claims that Bingbolang is not non-dairy creamer
On January 5, CHAGEE issued a statement in response to the recent Bingbolang incident. CHAGEE stated that in the summer of 2023, they chose to use "Bingbolang Non-hydrogenated Base Milk". This base milk is essentially different from non-dairy creamer and liquid non-dairy creamer: Bingbolang is a "milk-containing beverage" that complies with national standards and is not non-dairy creamer. Bingbolang is a healthier product innovation, and the claim that it is "more extreme" is a misinterpretation. Through technological innovation and process improvement, Bingbolang has broken through the technical barriers of non-hydrogenation, eliminating the production of trans fatty acids from hydrogenated vegetable oil in the production process. Moreover, in actual application scenarios, Bingbolang will not be used in a dehydrated manner. Expressions that discuss hazards without considering the actual usage scenarios and dosages are not scientific. (ifeng.com Finance)
The price of Maotai liquor for the Year of the Snake dropped after its listing without being hyped, and experts say speculators have almost no opportunity to manipulate the market.
On the evening of January 5, 2025, Guizhou Moutai officially released the zodiac liquor for the Year of the Snake. However, reporters noticed that the listing of the Snake Moutai did not replicate the scene where the Dragon Moutai was hyped by scalpers, and the market price dropped by thousands of yuan in just a few days. In the opinion of the industry, the new sales strategy adopted by Guizhou Moutai is intended to control the stable market price of the Snake Moutai, and speculators have no opportunity to hype. (China Business News)
Three Departments: Comprehensively Promote the R & D and Innovation of 6G Network Technology, Layout the "Space-Earth Integrated" Satellite Internet
36Kr has learned that the National Development and Reform Commission and other three departments have issued the "Guidelines for the Construction of National Data Infrastructure". It is mentioned that the optimization and upgrading of traditional network facilities should be promoted, the orderly advancement of the 5G network to 5G-A for upgrade and evolution should be carried out, and the R & D and innovation of 6G network technology should be comprehensively promoted. The international communication entry and exit bureaus should be balancedly laid out in the eastern, central and western regions, and the expansion of international submarine cable and land cable information channels should be accelerated. A deterministic network with definite latency, stable bandwidth guarantee and reliable transmission quality should be constructed. The "Space-Earth Integrated" satellite Internet should be laid out.
The Ministry of Transport: Support local areas to actively explore unmanned driving technologies such as obstacle detection and remote train control to provide support for the subsequent realization of unmanned train operation.
The General Office of the Ministry of Transport has issued the "Technical and Management Specifications for the Operation of Fully Automatic Urban Rail Transit Systems (Trial)", based on the existing management methods for driving, passenger transportation, and safety assessment of the ATO (Automatic Train Operation) system, as well as the operational technical specifications for signals, vehicles, etc. It stipulates the unique functions and technical changes of the fully automatic operation system. In terms of technical requirements for facilities and equipment, for the five major systems of signals, vehicles, communications, platform screen doors, comprehensive monitoring, and the passenger service system, in terms of system linkage, interface matching, parameter optimization, and human-computer interaction, the basic functions and performance requirements of the facilities and equipment are put forward to consolidate the intrinsic safety level of the fully automatic operation system. In addition, in the appendix of the "Specifications", it is clearly stated to support local areas to actively explore obstacle detection and remote train control to provide support for the subsequent realization of unmanned train operation, actively support technological innovation, and promote the orderly development of the fully automatic operation system. At the same time, requirements are put forward for existing fully automatic operation lines that do not meet the requirements of this specification and lines that are updated and transformed from non-fully automatic to fully automatic operation. (Jiemian News)
Intel's First Intel 18A Process Chip Debuts, Panther Lake Processor Confirmed for Release in the Second Half of the Year
In Intel's CES 2025 presentation on January 6, Intel interim co-CEO Michelle Johnston announced that the first Intel 18A process chip - the Intel Panther Lake processor - will be released in the second half of 2025. Johnston also showcased a sample of the Panther Lake chip and stated that the chip is already in testing and she is very satisfied with 18A. Johnston announced that the Intel 18A process will be "released later this year". She said, "Intel will continue to enhance the AI PC product portfolio in 2025 and beyond, provide customers with leading Intel 18A product samples, and mass-produce in the second half of 2025". (Cailian Press)
Apple AI Requires 7GB of Reserved Space
According to the news from Kuaitech, the English version of Apple Intelligence has been launched, supporting models such as iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. After the launch of iOS 18.2, Apple's official website updated the relevant announcement. The space requirement for Apple Intelligence is 7GB. Over time, the space requirement for Apple AI may double, and it would not be surprising if it reaches more than 10GB in the future. (Kuaitech)
TSMC's 2-Nanometer Chip Faces Challenges? Apple Reportedly Delays Adoption
Apple originally planned to use TSMC's 2-nanometer chip in the iPhone 17 series to be launched this year. However, according to the latest news, due to the high cost of this process, with the quotation of each silicon wafer as high as $30,000, Apple has been forced to postpone this plan. It is reported that Apple may delay the mass production and application of the 2-nanometer chip until 2026, that is, to be used in the iPhone 18 series. (Sina Finance)
Due to the scandal of local automakers, the domestic new car sales in Japan in 2024 decreased by 7.5% year-on-year.
It was learned on January 6 local time that the domestic new car sales in Japan in 2024 were 4,421,494 units, a year-on-year decrease of 7.5%, showing a negative growth after two years. It is reported that it is mainly affected by the fact that local Japanese automakers such as Daihatsu Motor, Toyota Motor, and Mazda once suspended production due to problems such as certification violations. (CCTV News)
One of the black boxes of the crashed Jeju Air plane in South Korea is sent to the United States for analysis
On January 6 local time, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea stated that two investigators from the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Commission escorted the flight data recorder among the two black boxes of the crashed Jeju Air plane to the United States for analysis on the same day.
The flight data recorder in the "black box" of the crashed Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 is partially damaged, making it difficult to extract data in South Korea. Therefore, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea has decided to send the flight data recorder to the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington, the United States, for analysis. (CCTV News)
United Airlines to Trial Starlink Service in February
United Airlines of the United States will trial Starlink, the satellite broadband service owned by Elon Musk, as the internet service provider for its commercial flights in February. The first aircraft to trial the service will be the E-175 model produced by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer. United Airlines expects that by the end of this year, this aircraft model, which mainly serves regional routes, will be fully capable of using Starlink. However, only MileagePlus customers will be able to use this internet service for free, not all passengers. (Sina Finance)
Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru Responds to Biden's Statement on Nippon Steel's Acquisition of US Steel: The US Must Explain This
On January 6 local time, in response to US President Biden's order to suspend Nippon Steel Corporation's acquisition of US Steel Corporation, Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru said on the same day that the Japanese industry has expressed concerns about the future investment relationship between Japan and the United States, and strongly demands that the US take measures to eliminate relevant doubts.
Previously, in the relevant statement to suspend the acquisition, US President Biden argued that if the acquisition is realized, one of the largest steel producers in the United States will be placed under foreign control, posing a risk to the key supply chain. In this regard, Ishiba Shigeru emphasized that it is necessary to clearly explain why the US has security concerns. Otherwise, a dialogue cannot be initiated. Regardless of the alliance relationship, this is crucial for the future relationship between the two sides.
In December 2023, Nippon Steel announced a plan to acquire US Steel for $14.9 billion. However, the acquisition plan was strongly opposed by the United Steelworkers Union and the Democratic and Republican parties. On January 3, 2025, the White House of the United States issued a statement saying that US President Biden decided to officially prevent Nippon Steel Corporation from acquiring US Steel Corporation. (CCTV News)
The Forefront of AI
Qualcomm Launches New AI Chip for Personal Computers
Qualcomm launches a new artificial intelligence chip for personal computers. Additionally, Qualcomm and Amazon will join hands to provide a virtual development environment for the Qualcomm Snapdragon automotive chipset to automakers. (Jiemian News)
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman: The First Batch of AI Agents Expected to "Join the Workforce" This Year
On the morning of January 6th Beijing time, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman published a long blog post with the theme of "Reflection", indirectly responding to the controversial topics surrounding OpenAI. "Our vision will not change, and the tactics will continue to evolve," Altman said. Now, OpenAI is confident that it knows how to build AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). It is believed that in 2025, people will see the first batch of AI agents "join the workforce", fundamentally changing what companies produce. OpenAI has also looked further into the future, and the goal has shifted to true superintelligence. Regarding the outlook for agents, Altman mentioned it once before. He said at the end of October last year that the next major breakthrough will be agents. (Yicai Global)
TrendForce: It is estimated that the market value of AI servers will reach 298 billion US dollars in 2025
The latest research by TrendForce shows that the total output value of the entire server industry will reach 306 billion US dollars in 2024. Among them, the value of the industries related to AI servers is about 205 billion US dollars. Looking forward to 2025, due to the continuous strong demand and the relatively high average selling price of products, it is expected that the value of the AI server market segment will rise to 298 billion US dollars. In addition, it is expected that by 2025, AI servers will account for more than 70% of the total value of the entire server industry. (Cailian Press)
Investment and Financing
"Hangxing Transmission" Announces Completion of Series A+ Financing
36Kr has learned that recently, Beijing Hangxing Transmission Technology Co., Ltd. announced the completion of Series A+ financing, with exclusive investment from BOCOM Capital. This financing comes only 2 months after the Series A financing. The funds will be used to further introduce high-end R&D talents, enhance the R&D capabilities of core technologies; complete the construction of mass production capacity; and carry out the expansion of domestic and foreign markets.
"Zhonglian Huike" Secures 30 Million Yuan in Series A Financing
36Kr has learned that "Zhonglian Huike" has received 30 million yuan in Series A financing. This round of financing is led by Shenzhen Guanfeng Yongyue Investment Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Guanfeng Capital"). The funds obtained from the financing will be mainly used for business expansion, technology research and development, and market promotion to further enhance the company's market competitiveness and service capabilities. Zhonglian Huike focuses on the community livelihood field and builds a community group buying platform and a community logistics distribution system through the "pre-sale + self-pickup" model.
Cool Products
Samsung Releases Vision AI
Samsung Electronics released Samsung Vision AI on January 6, providing a personal screen driven by artificial intelligence. In addition, Samsung also released its latest flagship product, the Neo QLED TV QN990F. (Jiemian News)
2024 Year-End Talk: Where is the Money in 2025?
Do you want to know where the money is in 2025? The year-end heavyweight live broadcast will give you the answer. In the consumer sector, is low price the only answer for the future? What business opportunities can be leveraged with 9.9 yuan? In the new energy field, the price battle is in full swing. Where is the breakthrough in intelligent driving? How long will the popularity of the overseas expansion trend last? How do innovative gameplay such as "Pinhao Fan" and others "create wealth"? How can ordinary people seize the next wave of opportunities?
At 7 p.m. on January 7th (this Tuesday), the KrPlanet Live Studio has invited Ji Zhongzhan, the Chairman of Zhiqu Fenzi, and Fan Weifeng, the founder of Gaozhang Capital, to join us to talk about: 2024 Year-End Talk: Where is the Money in 2025? Come and make an appointment quickly.
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