8 o'clock, Yi Krypton News | After the price of the iPhone 13 dropped to half, its sales soared tenfold; A deputy to the National People's Congress proposed to implement "spring and autumn vacations"; Lei Jun said that AI face-swapping and voice simulation have become a major area of illegal activities.

Top 3 Big News

After the price of the iPhone 13 was cut in half, its sales soared tenfold, and the price of the 128GB version dropped below $2800

Recently, domestic high - end smartphones have been launched in clusters. Facing fierce market competition, the prices of older iPhone models have nearly been halved. It is understood that the price of the 128GB version of the iPhone 13 has dropped below $2800, reaching a record low. After the price cut, the sales of the iPhone have increased. It is reported that after the price of the iPhone 13 was cut in half, its sales increased tenfold. In the recently released financial report for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, Apple's revenue for the quarter reached a record high of $124.3 billion, mainly due to the strong performance of software services and hardware products such as iPads and Macs. Although the iPhone's sales were slightly lower than market expectations, Apple still maintained steady growth in other global markets. (Jiupai News)

NPC Deputies Propose Implementing "Spring and Autumn Holidays" Nationwide to Boost Holiday Consumption

On March 4th, Pang Yonghui, a deputy to the National People's Congress and a master of Chinese arts and crafts, stated in an interview with Jimu News that he proposed implementing "spring and autumn holidays" nationwide during the Two Sessions. He introduced that a one - week "spring holiday" could be established around the May Day holiday first, followed by the implementation of an "autumn holiday". Enterprises and public institutions should implement the paid leave system to promote the role of holiday consumption in economic growth.

Pang Yonghui believes that implementing the "spring and autumn holidays" system can provide more travel options for Chinese people. Especially for family trips, parents can take paid leave to accompany their children during the "spring and autumn holidays", which is a feasible time window outside of the winter and summer vacations. At the same time, the "spring and autumn holidays" can also boost holiday tourism consumption and, to a certain extent, alleviate the problem of resource supply - demand tension caused by the concentration of tourists during unified holidays. (Jimu News)

Lei Jun Says AI Face-Swapping and Voice-Cloning Have Become a Hotbed of Illegal Activities, Recommends Strengthening Governance

On March 4th, Lei Jun, a deputy to the National People's Congress, announced five proposed bills he had prepared on his personal WeChat official account. These proposals cover five aspects of issues, including promoting the mass production of autonomous driving, developing the industrial ecosystem of intelligent connected new energy vehicles, promoting the high-quality development of the artificial intelligence terminal industry, optimizing the license plate design of new energy vehicles, and strengthening the governance of the hotbed of illegal and infringing activities in "AI face-swapping and voice-cloning".

Regarding strengthening the governance of the hotbed of illegal and infringing activities in "AI face-swapping and voice-cloning", Lei Jun mentioned that the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) deep synthesis technology has promoted the widespread rise of "AI face-swapping and voice-cloning" in fields such as film and television, advertising, and social media, making it a popular, highly communicable, and easily trending technological application in society. However, at the same time, the improper and excessive use of "AI face-swapping and voice-cloning" has created a hotbed of illegal and infringing activities, easily leading to criminal acts such as infringement of the right of portrait, infringement of citizens' personal information, and fraud, bringing risks to social governance. Based on this, he put forward suggestions such as accelerating the legislative process of a special law and strengthening the responsibilities and obligations of platform enterprises and other parties. (Beijing Evening News)

Big Companies/Big Events

The new iPad 11 is officially released, starting at $2999

On the evening of March 4th, Apple's official website officially launched the new iPad 11, with a starting price of $2999. The product will start accepting pre - orders at 9 a.m. on March 6th and is scheduled to be officially released on March 12th. The prices of the Wi - Fi version with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB are $2999, $3499, and $5199 respectively; the prices of the cellular version with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB are $4299, $4799, and $6499 respectively (Sina Technology)

The world's first half - marathon for humanoid robots will be held in Yizhuang, Beijing

36Kr learned that according to the official WeChat account of Yizhuang, Beijing, on March 4th, at a press conference held by the Beijing Municipal Government Information Office, the Beijing Economic - Technological Development Area (Yizhuang, Beijing) announced that the Beijing Yizhuang Half - Marathon will be held on April 13th, and the world's first half - marathon for humanoid robots will be held during the same period.

Citibank Nearly Lost $6 Billion Due to Misoperation

The US Citigroup has been exposed to a series of blunders. Bloomberg reported on the 3rd that the bank nearly transferred $6 billion to an account due to an employee's misoperation and also mistakenly issued a loan of $81 trillion. The report said that in April last year, an employee in Citibank's wealth management department made a copy - paste error when filling in the transfer amount, magnifying the intended amount by 1,000 times and nearly transferring $6 billion to a customer. Some people familiar with the matter said that Citibank has set up verification aids to check large - scale abnormal payment and transfer transactions. (Xinhua News Agency)

Tesla's sales in Europe continued to decline in February, with sales in multiple countries nearly halved

Tesla's sales in the European market continued to decline in February this year. In these markets where electric vehicles are experiencing continuous and strong growth, Tesla's market share has been eroded. Tesla's sales in Sweden dropped by 42% to 613 units, with the sales of the Model Y model plunging by 52.1%. In Denmark, the sales of electric vehicles in February reached 7,734 units, accounting for 65% of the total vehicle sales, a year-on-year increase of 72%, while Tesla's sales decreased by 48% to 509 units. Last month, Tesla's sales in France dropped sharply, with only 2,395 units sold, a 26% decline compared to the sales in February 2024. (Sina Finance)

Report: Mercedes-Benz Approves Cost-Cutting Plan Including Job Cuts

Germany's "Wirtschaftswoche" reported on Tuesday that Mercedes-Benz Group has won the consent of its labor council to offer buyouts to employees under a cost-cutting and job - cutting plan. The report cited a video posted on the company's internal staff network, stating that compensation will only be paid if both the employees and the company agree to terminate the contract. (Sina Finance)

The number of foreign tourists received by Thailand this year has exceeded 7 million, a year-on-year increase of 5.9%

Thailand's Tourism and Sports Ministry said on Tuesday that from January 1 to March 2 this year, the number of foreign tourists in Thailand had exceeded 7 million, a year-on-year increase of 5.9%, with 1.1 million from China. The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) of Thailand predicted in February that the number of foreign tourists would reach 38 million in 2025. In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand received a record nearly 40 million foreign tourists. (Sina Finance)

Baichuan "Cuts Its Tail": Abandons Finance, Focuses on Healthcare, and Streamlines the To B System

36Kr has learned from multiple independent sources that recently, the following changes have taken place in the To B team of "Baichuan Intelligence", an AI unicorn founded by Wang Xiaochuan: On March 3rd, 2025, the B - end group mainly responsible for the To B business in the financial industry was laid off, and all employees signed separation agreements on the same day; On February 19th, 2025, the PE team (Prompt Engineering Team) belonging to Baichuan Intelligence's To B business team was transferred to the R & D group that manages the algorithm team. As of 11 a.m. on March 3rd, Baichuan Intelligence had not responded to the above - mentioned information.

HarmonyOS Mobility Legal Affairs: A company slandered the HarmonyOS Mobility brand, and multiple individuals have been arrested by the police

36Kr learned that the legal affairs department of HarmonyOS Mobility issued a statement saying that after investigation, since May 2024, a company has manipulated dozens of MCN agencies to use tens of thousands of accounts to post and comment on a large number of false information maliciously spreading rumors, smearing, and slandering the HarmonyOS Mobility brand and products, seriously misleading the public and damaging the reputation of the HarmonyOS Mobility brand and products. Recently, it was learned from the judicial authorities that multiple individuals from the company have been arrested by the public security organs and approved for arrest by the procuratorate in accordance with the law.

Orient Group: The company faces the risk of mandatory delisting due to major violations

36Kr learned that Orient Group announced that the cumulative decline deviation of the daily closing price of the company's stock exceeded 20% for three consecutive trading days on February 28, March 3, and March 4, 2025. According to the "Rules of the Shanghai Stock Exchange", this is a situation of abnormal fluctuations in stock trading. The company faces the risk of mandatory delisting due to major violations. The company has been investigated by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). According to the preliminary investigation progress released by the CSRC, it has been initially found that the financial information disclosed by Orient Group from 2020 to 2023 was seriously false, suspected of major financial fraud, which may trigger the situation of mandatory delisting due to major violations. In addition, the company does not meet the conditions for reorganization because it is under investigation and faces the risk of mandatory delisting due to major violations. The company is also unable to return the raised funds of 629 million yuan on schedule.

Swedish food prices rose 1.3% in February, the biggest increase in two years

A survey released on Tuesday showed that Swedish food prices continued to rise in February, posting the biggest increase in two years. The survey by Matpriskollen was based on 44,000 products in Swedish grocery stores. Grocery prices rose 1.3% in February, the largest increase since the start of 2023. Among the goods surveyed in February, 38% saw price increases compared with January, 8% had price drops, and 54% remained unchanged. (Sina Finance)

Tesla Chairman Sells Approximately $33.7 Million Worth of Tesla Stocks

On March 3 local time, documents filed by Tesla with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) showed that Robyn Denholm, the chairman of Tesla, reduced her holdings of 112,390 shares of Tesla common stock, worth approximately $33.7 million. (Jiemian News)

SpaceX Cancels Starship Test Flight Due to Unknown Spaceship Issue

SpaceX canceled the eighth test flight of the Starship during the launch countdown in Texas for unspecified reasons. (Sina Finance)

Starting from March 10, China imposes an additional 15% tariff on U.S. chicken, cotton, etc.

Announcement of the Tariff Commission of the State Council on Imposing Additional Tariffs on Some Imported Goods Originating from the United States: On March 3, 2025, the U.S. government announced that it would further impose an additional 10% tariff on all Chinese goods exported to the United States on the grounds of fentanyl. The U.S. practice of unilaterally imposing additional tariffs undermines the multilateral trading system, exacerbates the burden on U.S. enterprises and consumers, and damages the foundation of economic and trade cooperation between China and the United States.

In accordance with laws and regulations such as the Tariff Law of the People's Republic of China, the Customs Law of the People's Republic of China, and the Foreign Trade Law of the People's Republic of China, as well as the basic principles of international law, and upon approval of the State Council, additional tariffs will be imposed on some imported goods originating from the United States starting from March 10, 2025. Among them, an additional 15% tariff will be imposed on chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton. An additional 10% tariff will be imposed on sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, aquatic products, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. (CCTV News)

Baidu Group: Plans to Issue RMB-Denominated Senior Notes

36Kr learned that Baidu Group announced that it intends to issue RMB-denominated senior unsecured notes to non-US persons in an offshore transaction outside the United States, subject to market conditions and other factors. The principal amount, interest rate, maturity date and other terms of the notes will be determined at the time of pricing the note issuance. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the note issuance for general corporate purposes, including repaying certain existing debts, paying interest and for general corporate purposes.

Canadian Prime Minister Announces 25% Tariffs on U.S. Imported Products

On March 4 local time, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will impose retaliatory tariffs of 25% on products imported from the United States. At a press conference, Trudeau reiterated that Canadians will not back down in the face of tariffs. Canada will immediately impose a 25% tariff on U.S. imported goods worth 30 billion Canadian dollars, and will impose a 25% tariff on U.S. imported goods worth 125 billion Canadian dollars 21 days later. Trudeau also said that Canada will challenge U.S. tariffs through the World Trade Organization and the "United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement" (USMCA). He mentioned that if the United States continues to impose tariffs, Canada will also consider taking non-tariff measures, but did not disclose details. (CCTV News)

Reporter Investigates Free Pet Adoption Traps: Adopting a Cat Requires Signing a Two - Year Contract to Buy Cat Food in the Store

Recently, in Suqian, Jiangsu, a reporter visited a "free pet adoption" store in a shopping mall. The clerk said that the cats were given away for free, but consumers had to sign a 24 - month contract and must purchase cat food, dog food, etc. provided by the store every month. The cost ranged from 200 yuan to 500 yuan depending on the variety. The store covers vaccines and two - year internal and external deworming. If a cat dies of any major illness within two years, a cat of the same price will be compensated. If a pet dies accidentally during the adoption period, the customer also needs to pay half of the market price of the selected pet and adopt another one in the store. The clerk said that the cat food and dog food in the store were all self - owned brands, but the reporter found through searches on major e - commerce platforms that their prices were much higher than similar products in the market. (Litchi News)

Zheng Gongcheng, a deputy to the National People's Congress: After the delay of retirement, quickly curb the "age discrimination in employment at the age of 35"

Zheng Gongcheng, a deputy to the National People's Congress, believes that the phenomenon of restricting employment at the age of 35 must be highly valued, and the competent authorities should conduct effective intervention. Against the backdrop of the continuous extension of the average years of education per capita and the average life expectancy, as well as the gradual delay of the retirement age, the prevalence of age discrimination in the employment field and its adverse effects are becoming increasingly prominent. It is necessary to quickly curb the continuous trend of age discrimination in employment and formulate a timetable and roadmap to correct this serious problem that undermines high - quality employment. (Jiupai News)

Japanese Rice Prices Rise for Seven Consecutive Weeks; Japan to Release 150,000 Tons of Government Rice Reserves to the Market

Against the backdrop of continuously rising rice prices in Japan and record - high rice prices in some regions, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced on the 3rd that it will conduct its first tender from the 10th to the 12th to release 150,000 tons of government rice reserves to the market. The rice is expected to be available in supermarkets and other retail channels in late March. In response, some Japanese experts said that it remains to be seen how effective the release of the reserve rice will be.

Relevant data shows that Japanese rice prices have been rising for seven consecutive weeks. Under the pressure of high rice prices, the Japanese government has decided to release government rice reserves for the first time with the aim of promoting market circulation. Osamu Naito, the section chief of the Information Management Department of the private Japanese research institution Teikoku Databank, believes that the release of reserve rice is only a stop - gap measure, and more in - depth policy discussions are needed on how to stabilize prices in the long run. (CCTV News)

Dong Mingzhu Has Proposed Raising the Individual Income Tax Threshold to 10,000 Yuan for Nine Consecutive Years

Dong Mingzhu, a deputy to the National People's Congress and the chairperson of Gree Electric Appliances, put forward suggestions on optimizing the individual income tax system during the Two Sessions in 2025. Dong Mingzhu suggested: raising the basic deduction standard, increasing the basic deduction standard for individual income tax to 10,000 yuan per month, and optimizing and adjusting the tax rate structure; optimizing special additional deductions, and strengthening tax supervision and information sharing. In Dong Mingzhu's view, this can enhance the sense of well - being of wage - earners.

In fact, this is not the first time Dong Mingzhu has made such a proposal. Previously, she also publicly stated many times that the basic deduction standard for individual income tax should be raised to 10,000 yuan per month. According to Dong Mingzhu, if the tax threshold for wage - earners is raised to 10,000 yuan, they can have an additional income of about 7,000 to 8,000 yuan per year, which can boost consumption. As for national tax revenue, the rich can pay more taxes. The maximum tax rate can be raised from 45% to 50% or even 55%. (Kuaikeji)

NetEase Games Issues Apology Due to Users' Inability to Log In Caused by Network Failure

Early in the morning on March 4th, NetEase Games officially responded that starting from 22:00 on March 3rd, due to a serious network failure of China Mobile, users using the services of this operator were unable to log in to NetEase Games products. After urgent communication and handling between the technical department and China Mobile, the services of all affected NetEase Games products have been restored. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused. (Bailu Video)

The Cutting - Edge of AI

Tencent Yuanbao's Downloads Surpass DeepSeek

On the evening of March 3rd, Tencent's AI assistant, "Tencent Yuanbao," surpassed DeepSeek and rose to the top of the free app download ranking on the Chinese App Store. Recently, Tencent Yuanbao has been the AIGC app with the fastest user growth. On February 22nd, Tencent Yuanbao jumped more than 100 places on the free app download ranking on the Chinese App Store, surpassing Doubao and ranking second only to DeepSeek. It only took about 10 days for Tencent Yuanbao to rise from the second place to the first place. (Red Star News)

Congress Spokesperson: The Rise of DeepSeek Reflects China's Innovation and Inclusiveness

Lou Qinjian, the spokesperson for the Third Session of the 14th National People's Congress, said that the significant progress made by DeepSeek represents the rise of a group of Chinese companies in the field of artificial intelligence. DeepSeek adheres to an open - source technological approach. Open - source sharing has promoted the widespread application of artificial intelligence technology globally and contributed "Chinese wisdom" to the world. Through the rise of companies like DeepSeek, we can see China's innovation and inclusiveness in technological development. (Xinhua News Agency)

Investment and Financing

Anthropic Completes Series E Financing, Valued at $61.5 Billion After Funding

Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic announced that it has raised $3.5 billion at a post - money valuation of $61.5 billion. This round of financing was led by venture capital firm Lightspeed Venture Partners, and participated in by Bessemer Venture Partners, Cisco Investments, Fidelity Investments, etc. (Jiemian News)

Western food brand "Pizza First" receives a 30 million yuan investment from Xiaoshujie Venture Capital

36Kr learned that recently, Qingdao-based Western food brand Pizza First received a 30 million yuan investment from Xiaoshujie Venture Capital. According to the official introduction, the funds will be used for supply chain subsidies for franchise stores to enhance their profitability and promote high-quality development.

Cool Products

Samsung to Launch Headset This Year to Compete with Apple Vision Pro

A Samsung spokesperson said on Tuesday that the company will launch an extended reality headset named Project Moohan this year to compete with Apple's $3,500 Vision Pro. Samsung previewed the device last year and showcased it globally for the first time at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year. Currently, there are few details about the device. Four cameras can be seen in the front lens, and there seems to be a touch control device on the side. Samsung has collaborated with Qualcomm and Google to develop a new operating system for such devices, namely the Android XR platform. In December last year, Samsung said it would install Google Gemini in the headset. The cameras also indicate that there will be some kind of gesture control function similar to that of the Vision Pro. (Yicai Global)

Compiled | Guo Zihe