At 9 a.m., 36Kr News: DeepSeek's apology to Wang Yibo is fake; Lei Jun responds to the pricing of a tissue box at 169 yuan; A senior executive of Gree responds to Dong Mingzhu's remarks about the returnees from Zhuhai.
Top 3 Big News
DeepSeek's apology to Wang Yibo is fake
Recently, a piece of news that "DeepSeek apologized to Wang Yibo for the illegal association in its AI model" has gone viral on the Internet, attracting wide attention. It is reported that this artificial intelligence company inappropriately associated Wang Yibo with the "Li Aiqing corruption case" due to oversight in content review, damaging his reputation, and has made a formal apology.
However, DeepSeek has never issued an official apology statement. None of the relevant information clearly indicates the channel through which DeepSeek made the apology. The so - called statement screenshots published by some media are actually texts generated by AI and even carry watermarks indicating AI - generated content. The legal judgment mentioned in the statement cannot be found on the China Judgments Online. (Jimu News)
Lei Jun Responds to the 169 - Yuan Price of Xiaomi YU7 Magnetic Tissue Box
Recently, the price of the Xiaomi Life in - car magnetic tissue box with the same color scheme as the Xiaomi YU7 has caught the attention of netizens. Currently, the matching magnetic tissue box has been listed on the Xiaomi Car App store, priced at 169 yuan.
Lei Jun said that the design of the tissue box takes into account extreme temperature changes inside the car. For example, in places like Turpan, the summer temperature can reach 90°C. Ordinary glue - type tissue boxes may deform or be damaged due to high temperatures. To ensure the stability of the product in such environments, materials resistant to high and low temperatures are selected to ensure that the product is not easily deformed or demagnetized under extreme conditions. He admitted that the price of 169 yuan is relatively high and said that efforts are being made to reduce the cost. (Jiemian News)
Gree executives respond to Dong Mingzhu's remarks about returnees, saying they are not unwelcome
It is reported that Dong Mingzhu previously said that she would never hire returnees (suspected of being spies) and would only cultivate her own talents from domestic universities. "Gree attaches great importance to talent cultivation, not measured by age or seniority. The key is that the minds of talents should remain young, with innovation ability, a sense of responsibility and the courage to fight," Dong Mingzhu said.
In response, Zhu Lei, the marketing director of Gree Electric Appliances, said in an interview that Gree has its own very clear values: loyalty, friendliness, diligence and progress. "So at Gree, we say there are no returnee groups, no groups from prestigious schools, only hard - working and down - to - earth groups." "If you are loyal to the country, the nation, and people's yearning for a better life, and sincerely contribute to society, then you are the kind of person Gree needs." (Internet News Network)
Big Companies/Big Events
25-Year-Old Model Who Went Missing in Myanmar After Being Invited to Thailand for an Advertisement Has Been Rescued
The Chinese Embassy in Thailand issued a statement on July 4, saying that with the joint efforts of all parties, a Chinese citizen named Zhong has been rescued. The Chinese embassy and consulates in Thailand once again reminded Chinese citizens to be vigilant against the "high-paying job" traps overseas. Foreign citizens working in Thailand must obtain the corresponding permits.
Recently, media reported that "a model from Guangzhou was deceived and illegally detained in Myanmar", which attracted public attention. According to Zhong's sister, on June 8, her younger brother received an invitation to shoot a magazine cover and flew from Guangzhou to Thailand. On the 13th, he informed that he had been deceived into going to Myanmar but did not disclose his specific location, and then went missing. (Jiemian News)
Taobao Customer Service Responds to Romoss' Insufficient Account Balance: Currently Urging Payment of Deposit
Recently, many consumers reported that when applying for a refund for power banks at Romoss' official Taobao store, they were unable to get a return and refund temporarily due to the seller's insufficient account balance. Previously, Romoss announced the recall of some specific models of power banks because there were defects in the battery cell raw materials, which might cause the products to overheat and pose a risk of combustion in extreme scenarios.
On July 3rd, a consumer said that the refund process for the order had been stuck for dozens of days, and contacting the merchant had not received a response. "The response from Taobao customer service was that the seller had insufficient funds and could not issue a refund temporarily. They are currently urging the payment of the deposit." The consumer also said that Taobao's official customer service responded that the situation of the merchant's product problems and insufficient deposit would be reported to the regulatory authorities. A special commissioner would contact the person in charge of the merchant. If the merchant's deposit was sufficient, a refund would be issued immediately in the future. However, it was still uncertain when the merchant would solve the funding problem. (Jiupai News)
The legal representative of Romoss has changed again
36Kr learned that according to the Aiqicha App, on July 3rd, industrial and commercial changes occurred to Shenzhen Romoss Technology Co., Ltd., an affiliated company of Romoss. Lei Xingrong stepped down as the legal representative, director, and manager, and was succeeded by Lei Shexing. It is worth noting that the change records show that on June 30th, industrial and commercial changes occurred to the company. Lei Shexing stepped down as the legal representative, director, and manager, and was succeeded by Lei Xingrong; in April 2025, the legal representative and manager of the company were changed from Lei Guibin to Lei Shexing.
The Prophecy of Japan's Doomsday Has Arrived, and Travels Leaving Japan Are on the Rise
Japanese manga artist Ryūju Ryō predicted in "The Future I Saw" that "a major disaster will strike on July 5, 2025." The prophecy claims that a tsunami three times the scale of the Great East Japan Earthquake will occur.
Despite widespread skepticism in the scientific community, this prophecy has triggered a chain reaction in Japanese society, leading to an increase in the sales of disaster prevention products. Some airlines have quietly reduced their flights to Japan, and travels leaving Japan are increasing. Relevant officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in Japan have confirmed this trend. (Xiaoxiang Morning Herald)
WeChat Optimizes Chat History Backup, Allowing Backup to USB Flash Drives
On July 4th, Tencent officially announced that WeChat has received a major update - optimizing the chat history backup feature. After the optimization, users can back up their mobile chat history to external storage devices, such as USB flash drives, mobile hard drives, and computers, to free up space on their phones. Users only need to select a storage device that can be directly connected to the phone, plug it into the phone's charging port, and then operate through the "Chat History Migration and Backup" function. (JRJ.com)
Apple customer service responds to the "cooling mode": It might be that netizens are being humorous. Actually, it's useless.
Recently, there have been quite a few discussions on social platforms about "what to do when an iPhone gets hot". Some netizens even joked that the phone's operating mode could be named the "cooling mode" to achieve the effect of "peace of mind brings natural coolness". On July 4th, the official website's customer service stated that there are generally two situations when a phone gets hot. The first is when the device exceeds a certain temperature threshold, and a "thermometer warning" will appear on the screen, indicating that the device has detected abnormal heating inside and is experiencing an overload. In this case, users must stop using the phone and wait for it to cool down before using it again.
The second is when users feel that the phone is hot, but there is no warning on the screen. This situation generally does not affect the device's operation. Regarding the "cooling" operating mode proposed by netizens, the customer service said, "It might be that netizens are being humorous. Actually, it's (for reducing overheating) useless." (China News Service)
Forty percent of voters support Musk in establishing the American Party
On July 3rd, the latest survey results released by the data analysis company Quantus Insights on social platforms showed that 40% of voters "are considering supporting" the American entrepreneur Elon Musk in establishing the "American Party", 38% of voters said they "are unlikely to support", and another 22% of respondents said they were "uncertain". Subsequently, Musk retweeted the relevant post and said it was "encouraging".
In recent days, Musk has continuously criticized the "big and beautiful" bill strongly promoted by US President Trump. He criticized that this bill is expected to raise the US debt ceiling by another $5 trillion, calling it "extremely crazy and destructive" and referring to it as the Republican Party's "political suicide". The dispute between Musk and Trump has escalated again. Musk also threatened that if the bill is passed, he will immediately form a new political party, the "American Party". (Global Times)
TikTok: Minors under 16 are prohibited from appearing in live broadcasts
It is learned from TikTok that the platform has launched a special campaign called "Jointly Building a Civilized Live Streaming Environment for Minors in the Summer of 2025". It clearly prohibits minors under the age of 16 from appearing in live broadcasts. In addition, if a minor who is 16 years old or older but under 18 wants to start a live broadcast, written consent from their parents or guardians is required. If users violate this rule, the platform will revoke their live - streaming permissions. (Jiemian News)
Feidachu's Involved Store Responds to the Recruitment Requirement of "No Applicants Below Bachelor's Degree" for Waiters
Recently, a netizen posted that a store of Feidachu Chili Fried Pork was recruiting waiters with a monthly salary of 5,000 to 6,000 yuan, and the requirement was "no applicants below bachelor's degree". The job involves cleaning the restaurant's tables and chairs and being proactive and enthusiastic when serving customers.
According to a report by Litchi News, the involved store responded that the recruitment requirement was set by the previous store manager. In actual recruitment, it doesn't solely depend on academic qualifications but also on social experience. Employees with a bachelor's degree will have an advantage in internal promotions. (Jiemian News)
Nintendo President Responds to Claims That Switch 2 Is Too Expensive
Recently, in a Q&A document for the shareholders' meeting released by Nintendo, when a shareholder mentioned that "the high price might make it unaffordable for children," Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa responded, "We believe that the pricing of Switch 2 is in line with the gaming experience it offers. More importantly, we aim to continuously provide interesting entertainment experiences that allow customers to feel its value. To achieve this, we have incorporated a variety of features into Switch 2."
Switch 2 is $100 - $200 more expensive than previous generations of products, with a significant price increase. The original Switch was launched in 2017 with a starting price of $299 (approximately RMB 2,100), while the starting price of Switch 2 is as high as $449.99 (approximately RMB 3,224), a price increase of over 50%. (Jiemian News)
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Takes Action to Regulate Privacy Numbers
On July 3rd, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a notice on carrying out a pilot program for number protection services. It plans to use the 700 number segment as the dedicated code number resource for number protection services, with a management length of 11 digits and a usage length of 15 digits. When using Internet platform services, users can independently choose whether to authorize and consent to the Internet platform to provide number protection services. When users make or receive calls, if they see a 15 - digit "700XXXXXXXXXXXX" number, they can determine that number protection services are being used for this communication, and the other party cannot see the user's actual number. (People's Daily Online)
Latest Update on the Food Poisoning Incident of ByteDance Employees in Singapore: CEO Pleads Guilty on Behalf of the Company in Court
On July 2nd, the hearing at the Singapore State Court showed that Lu Zhitao, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Yunhaiyao, pleaded guilty on behalf of the company in court and took legal responsibility for the collective food poisoning incident of ByteDance employees in Singapore in 2024.
On July 30th last year, ByteDance provided lunch for its employees at One Raffles Quay office, which included stir - fried diced chicken from Yunhaiyao. Shortly after the meal, 60 employees suffered from discomfort symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, and were then rushed to the hospital. (The Paper)
Latest Progress in the Brand Dispute of "Paul Frank": The IP Licensor Will Receive Tens of Millions of US Dollars in Compensation
It was learned from Global Brands Group International Trading Co., Ltd. that on July 2nd, Pacific Time, the JAMS International Arbitration Center in California, USA, finally ruled that the unilateral termination of the contract by Paul Frank Industries, LLC, the new brand owner of "Paul Frank", was invalid; Global Brands Group still enjoys the legal exclusive license for the "Paul Frank" brand in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau regions; Global Brands Group does not constitute a major actionable breach under the Master License Agreement; all relief requests filed by Paul Frank Industries in this arbitration were rejected, and Paul Frank Industries should pay tens of millions of US dollars in compensation to Global Brands Group for its failure to perform and refusal to perform the contract. (Shanghai Securities News)
Louis Vuitton Korea Hit by Cyberattack, Some Customer Data Leaked
Louis Vuitton Korea issued a notice on July 4, stating that an unauthorized third party had accessed the company's system, resulting in the leakage of some customer information. The notice said that the database did not contain passwords or financial information, such as credit card details, bank account information, or other financial accounts. Louis Vuitton Korea said that the incident was now under control, and it was collaborating with experts in the field of cyber security to further enhance system security. It expressed deep apologies for the inconvenience caused. (Jiemian News)
Xiaomi has applied for multiple intellectual property rights related to Xiaomi Life
The Aiqiicha app shows that Xiaomi Technology Co., Ltd. has applied for multiple "XIAOMI LIFE" trademarks. The international classifications cover means of transport, clothing and footwear, convenience foods, etc. Currently, some of the trademarks have been successfully registered. It's worth mentioning that relevant intellectual property information shows that in 2025, Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. has registered copyrights for works such as "Xiaomi SU7 Ultra Commemorative Fridge Magnet", "Xiaomi Life Throw Blanket Pattern", and "Xiaomi Life SU7 Custom Color Series Stainless Steel Mugs". The categories of these works are all fine arts.
Trump Says He Will Send Letters to Inform Countries of New Tariff Rates: 10 Letters a Day
US President Donald Trump said on the 3rd that he plans to send letters to trading partners as early as Friday to inform them of the tariff rates they will face. "We may start sending some letters to various countries from July 4th, probably about 10 letters a day, stating how much they are willing to pay to do business with the United States," Trump said.
He also said that sending letters is "much easier" than continuing negotiations, implying that he prefers to unilaterally set tariff rates. Previously, Trump had also issued multiple threats, saying that if all parties fail to reach an agreement with the United States before the July 9th deadline, the US will unilaterally set tariff rates. (China News Service)
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce Answers Reporters' Questions on the US Cancellation of Relevant Economic and Trade Restrictive Measures Against China
36Kr learned that the spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce answered reporters' questions on the US cancellation of relevant economic and trade restrictive measures against China. The spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce stated that after the China-US economic and trade talks in London, the two sides recently confirmed the specific details of implementing the important consensus reached in the phone call between the two heads of state on June 5 and consolidating the outcomes of the economic and trade talks in Geneva. At present, the teams of both sides are stepping up efforts to implement the relevant outcomes of the London framework. China is examining and approving the export license applications for eligible controlled items in accordance with laws and regulations. The US has also taken corresponding actions to cancel a series of restrictive measures against China, and relevant information has been notified to China.
Apple iPhone Sales in China Increase for the First Time in Two Years, Ranking Third in Market Share
36Kr learned that according to data from Counterpoint Research, in the second quarter of this year, iPhone sales in China increased by 8% year-on-year, marking Apple's first growth in the Chinese market since the second quarter of 2023. The improvement in Apple's sales is mainly due to the discount promotions offered by Chinese e-commerce platforms on its latest iPhone 16 and the increase in the trade-in prices of some iPhones. Consumers responded well, especially in the week before the 618 Shopping Festival. According to Counterpoint, Huawei's sales increased by 12% year-on-year in the second quarter. The company is the largest mobile phone manufacturer in terms of market share in China in the second quarter, followed by Vivo, while Apple ranks third.
Tesla Cuts the Prices of Model 3 in Hong Kong
Tesla announced on July 4 that it would cut the prices of Model 3 in Hong Kong. Among them, the after - tax discount for some models reaches up to 18%. After the entry - level Model 3 is combined with the "trade - in" program, the price drops to as low as HK$249,000. The "trade - in" price of the Performance version is reduced to HK$325,000, a significant reduction of up to 18%. (Cailian Press)
The Cutting - Edge of AI
Guosheng Think Tank Releases "AI Agent in the Think Tank Circle"
36Kr learned that recently, the "AI agent in the think tank circle" independently developed by Guosheng Think Tank was officially released. It is reported that the AI agent in the think tank circle is based on the hybrid deployment of international advanced large models and industry private models, and deeply integrates the multi - modal collaborative architecture, intelligent analysis and verification matrix, and dynamic knowledge enhancement technology. At the same time, Guosheng Think Tank launched the "Think Tank AI Symbiosis Plan", which promotes the in - depth integration of artificial intelligence and the development of new - type think tanks through an innovative mechanism, builds an open - type collaborative platform across fields and subjects, and forms a smart decision - making system with a linkage of "data - model - scenario - ecosystem".
Compiled | Qiuxia