At 8 a.m., Here's the Latest News | Three New Scenarios for Withdrawing Personal Pension Added; Yu Minhong Responds to the Investigation of New Oriental's CEO; A Unit in Haikou Recruits Postgraduates with a Monthly Salary of 3,000 Yuan
Today's Hotspot Guide
- Xiaomi: Will not participate in the auto price war, and the core task is vehicle delivery.
- Thailand will simplify the process of converting cryptocurrencies into Thai baht to stimulate tourism.
- After Apple filed a legal appeal for several months, the UK is reported to have no longer forced the company to provide a "backdoor".
- Asia Potash International: Chairman Guo Baichun has been arrested on suspicion of embezzling public funds and abusing power.
- Danish jeweler Pandora announced that it plans to close 100 stores in the Chinese market this year.
Top 3 Big News
Three New Scenarios for Withdrawing Personal Pension Added
On August 19th, five departments including the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security issued the "Notice on Issues Concerning the Withdrawal of Personal Pension" to the public, further enriching the scenarios for withdrawing personal pension and clarifying the specific operation methods. It will come into effect on September 1st.
The notice stipulates that three new scenarios for withdrawing personal pension are added: within 12 months before the application date, the medical expenses related to the basic medical insurance incurred by the applicant (or their spouse or minor children), with the personal burden (referring to the out - of - pocket part within the medical insurance catalog) after medical insurance reimbursement exceeding the per capita disposable income of residents in the previous year in the province (autonomous region, municipality directly under the Central Government); having received unemployment insurance benefits for a cumulative of 12 months within 2 years before the application date; and currently receiving the minimum living security allowance in urban and rural areas. (Beijing Youth Daily)
East Buy Refutes Rumors of New Oriental CEO Being Placed Under Investigation
On the afternoon of August 19th, during the late trading session of the Hong Kong stock market, East Buy saw a rapid plunge of 20%, after having risen by 23% at one point. According to the news, there were online rumors that Zhou Chenggang, the CEO of New Oriental Group, had been placed under investigation. In response, Yu Minhong, the founder of New Oriental, told Sina Technology that it was a complete rumor. East Buy issued a refutation statement, saying that it has initiated the process of reporting to the police and taking legal action against the rumors. We will pursue such illegal acts to the end. (Sina Technology)
Longhua District Development and Reform Commission in Haikou Responds to the Monthly Salary of 3,000 Yuan for Recruited Postgraduate Students
On August 11th, the Development and Reform Commission of Longhua District in Haikou issued the "Announcement of the Development and Reform Commission of Longhua District in Haikou on the Public Recruitment of Temporary Employees in 2025". The monthly salary standard (including the individual's payment for the "Five Insurances and One Fund") in the announcement is as follows: 2,700 yuan per month for those with a bachelor's degree and 3,000 yuan per month for those with a postgraduate degree.
On August 18th, a staff member of the unit told reporters that the salary of temporary employees is different from that of regular employees in public institutions. The salary in the announcement is set according to the job requirements and relevant local standards for recruiting temporary employees. "The take - home salary of temporary employees still needs to deduct the individual's payment for the 'Five Insurances and One Fund', and their salaries are basically fixed and will not increase year by year." (Jiupai News)
Large Companies/ Major Events
Laopu Gold's Recruiter Responds to Requirements as High as Those for Flight Attendants: The Most Basic Requirement Is Whether One Can Fit into the Company's Uniform
Recently, a netizen posted a question asking if there were specific criteria for interviews at Laopu Gold. In the comments section, some netizens revealed that Laopu Gold sets restrictions on height, weight, and appearance in its recruitment. Meanwhile, many netizens reported that its recruitment standards are strict and place great emphasis on first impressions. A reporter searched on a recruitment platform and found that the job requirements for the "Jewelry Sales Consultant" position at Laopu Gold state that candidates should have at least a secondary vocational school education, with no major restrictions, a height of 160 - 166 cm, and a decent image and temperament.
Subsequently, the reporter contacted two recruiters at Laopu Gold in the capacity of an applicant. One of the recruiters said that the most basic requirement for applying for the jewelry sales position is whether one can fit into the company's uniform. When the reporter further asked if there were strict standards for the applicant's height, appearance, and weight, the staff member said that they mainly look at the applicant's overall situation and the degree of fit with the brand. Another recruiter clearly stated that applicants for the jewelry sales position should have regular facial features, a well - proportioned body, and a height of 160 - 166 cm. When the reporter asked if applicants with a flight attendant major would have an advantage, the staff member replied, "There are all kinds of things said online. Don't believe what you read online." (Jingshi Live)
Starbucks to Give All Salaried Employees a Uniform 2% Pay Raise
Starbucks will give all salaried employees in North America a uniform 2% pay raise this year. The coffee chain is in the midst of a high - stakes transformation and is focusing on controlling expenses. This uniform pay increase differs from previous years, when the raise amount was determined by managers. Starbucks is advancing a transformation plan that includes improving service quality, reducing waiting times, and making stores more appealing. Meanwhile, the company is asking senior executives to control costs to fund these improvement measures. (Sina Finance)
Apple to Manufacture All Four iPhone 17 Models in India for the First Time
Apple's stock rose 0.7% in early trading on Tuesday on the U.S. stock market. Reports indicate that the company is expanding its iPhone production in India and will manufacture all four iPhone 17 models in the country for the first time. This strategic shift aims to reduce reliance on third - party supply chains and avoid the impact of tariffs. Apple's expansion plan involves new factories established by Tata Group and Foxconn. In the past four months, India's iPhone exports alone have reached $7.5 billion. (Sina Finance)
The Model 3 now comes standard with a turn signal lever. Existing owners need to pay $2,499 to have it installed.
Recently, the official website of Tesla China showed that the Model 3 now comes standard with a turn signal lever.
Currently, the rear - wheel drive, long - range rear - wheel drive, long - range all - wheel drive, and high - performance all - wheel drive versions of the Model 3 are all equipped with a turn signal lever. This configuration is standard and does not require any additional selection. At the same time, Tesla has opened the option to install a turn signal lever for the refreshed Model 3 in its app, priced at $2,499. The relevant price includes the modification cost, and it is expected to go on sale in mid - September 2025. (Sina Tech)
Xiaomi: Will Not Participate in the Auto Price War, with the Core Task of Vehicle Delivery
At the earnings press conference on August 19th, Xiaomi executives made it clear that Xiaomi will not participate in the auto price war or the cut - throat competition. The important task for Xiaomi's cars is to deliver the vehicle products. They stated that the operating losses of Xiaomi's auto business are significantly narrowing, and it is expected to achieve profitability in the new auto business on a quarterly or monthly basis in the second half of the year. Both Xiaomi SU7 and YU7 have been successful, and the company is confident in the continuous growth of its auto business. (Securities Times)
ByteDance Denies Plans to Launch Mobile Phone Products
Recently, there have been rumors that ByteDance will launch its own mobile phone products by the end of the year, and the products are designed based on the current mature supply - chain solutions. In response, a relevant person in charge of Doubao stated that the information is untrue. Doubao currently has no plans to launch its own mobile phone products. The relevant person in charge of Doubao said that Doubao is continuously exploring the possibility of opening up its AI capabilities to various hardware manufacturers, including mobile phone makers. In this process, we will conduct complete - solution trials with some partners, but all cooperation does not involve the R & D and launch of self - owned mobile phone products. (China Securities Journal)
Thailand to Simplify Process of Converting Cryptocurrencies into Thai Baht to Boost Tourism
Thailand will simplify the process for foreign tourists to convert cryptocurrencies into Thai baht. It is reported that the Thai government hopes to stimulate tourism in this way. The country relies on tourism and views cryptocurrencies as an innovation that may help increase the number of tourists. However, goods cannot be purchased directly with cryptocurrencies. Digital assets must be converted into Thai baht. In addition, this "Tourist Digipay Program" will only be piloted for 18 months. (Sina Finance)
Asia Potash International: Chairman Guo Baichun Arrested on Suspicions of Misappropriating Public Funds and Abuse of Power
36Kr learned that Asia Potash International issued an announcement stating that the company learned today that the People's Procuratorate of Yinchuan City has lawfully decided to arrest Chairman Guo Baichun on suspicions of misappropriating public funds and abuse of power. The above matter is targeted at Guo Baichun personally and has no connection with the company. At present, the company's production and operation are all normal.
A company under the name of Xinba recently took a stake in a new company
36Kr learned that according to the Aiqicha App, recently, Hangzhou Heijing Network Technology Co., Ltd. underwent industrial and commercial changes. The former shareholders, Hangzhou Mengche Network Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Laichuang Investment Co., Ltd., and Jiang Ru withdrew, and Guangdong Xinxuan Holding Co., Ltd. and Guangzhou Do Some Good Deeds Investment Co., Ltd., which are actually controlled by Xin Youzhi, were added as shareholders.
US Commerce Department Pushes for Acquisition of 10% Stake in Intel
According to Xinhua News Agency citing US media reports, recently, the Trump administration is considering acquiring a 10% stake in Intel Corporation. If this move is successful, the US government will become Intel's largest shareholder.
Related reports from The New York Times and Bloomberg said that according to White House officials and people familiar with the matter, the US government is considering converting about $1.09 billion in federal subsidies approved for Intel under the CHIPS and Science Act into Intel equity to support the US semiconductor manufacturing industry and revitalize this troubled chip manufacturer.
US White House Press Secretary Levitt said on the 19th local time that the US Commerce Department is still continuing to push forward the US government's acquisition of a 10% stake in Intel Corporation, and US Commerce Secretary Lutnick is working on resolving the details. Lutnick said in an interview with CNBC on the 19th that Intel must provide equity in exchange for federal subsidies. (CCTV News, Xinhua News Agency)
Months after Apple filed a legal complaint, the UK is said to have stopped forcing the company to provide a "backdoor."
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said in a post on August 18 local time that the UK has stopped forcing Apple to provide a "backdoor." Gabbard said the "backdoor" could be used to access the protected encrypted data of U.S. citizens. Previously, in February, the UK security services were reported to have asked Apple to create a "backdoor" in its cloud storage system, iCloud. The UK government believes that breaking through the encryption barriers of systems such as messaging and backups is crucial for protecting the public from terrorist threats and investigating child sexual abuse. Subsequently, Apple filed a legal complaint against this request. (Jiemian News)
Well - known Japanese convenience store chain "Mini Stop" exposed for falsifying food expiration dates
Japanese media reported on August 18 that many stores of the well - known Japanese convenience store chain "Mini Stop" had falsified food expiration dates. The company has apologized to consumers for this, announcing the suspension of sales of various self - made foods at more than 1,600 stores nationwide and launching an investigation. "Mini Stop" is one of the major convenience store chains in Japan. As of July, there were a total of 1,818 "Mini Stop" stores across Japan. (Xinhua News Agency)
Danish jeweler Pandora announces plan to close 100 stores in the Chinese market this year
Danish jewelry brand Pandora A/S mentioned in its second - quarter earnings announcement released on August 15 that the original plan to close 50 stores in the Chinese market this year will be doubled to 100 stores. According to market sources, Pandora Group will initiate large - scale layoffs in the Chinese market. (21st Century Business Herald)
Kodak: No plans to cease operations, terminate business, or file for bankruptcy protection
36Kr learned that according to Kodak's official Weibo account, some media reports claiming that Kodak is about to cease operations, terminate business, or file for bankruptcy are inaccurate. The key points to note are as follows: Kodak has no plans to cease operations, terminate business, or file for bankruptcy protection. On the contrary, Kodak is confident that it will be able to repay, extend, or refinance its debts and preferred stocks at or before their maturity. After the planned transactions are expected to be completed early next year, Kodak's balance sheet will be significantly strengthened compared to recent years, and its net debt will be almost eliminated. The "going - concern disclosure" is a technical report required by accounting standards. We will continue to fulfill our obligations to all pension plan participants.
South Korea and the United States are reported to possibly sign an investment agreement in the energy sector
According to the Herald Business Newspaper, South Korea and the United States may sign an investment agreement focusing on nuclear power plants, biotechnology and the energy industry during the summit between Lee Jae - myung and Donald Trump on August 25. The newspaper quoted an unnamed government official as saying that 25% of the $10 billion energy product purchase agreement South Korea reached with the United States last month will be liquefied natural gas, and the rest will be crude oil. South Korea's state - owned Korea Gas Corp. may sign a liquefied natural gas purchase agreement next week. (Sina Finance)
Hainan: Optimization of the Calculation Method for "Accumulative Residence of 183 Days" in the Personal Income Tax Incentive Policy
36Kr learned from the Information Office of Hainan Province that recently, Hainan issued the "Administrative Measures for the List of High - end and Urgently - Needed Talents Eligible for Personal Income Tax Incentive Policies in the Hainan Free Trade Port", optimizing and improving the previous measures issued in 2022. The calculation method for "accumulative residence of 183 days" has been optimized. Reasonable days of business trips, vacations, study and training off the island are included in the statistics of residence days, and it is also clearly stated that "the actual residence in the Hainan Free Trade Port shall not be less than 90 days".
South Korea's automobile export value in July increased by 8.8% year-on-year, and exports to the US declined for five consecutive months
Data released by South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Tuesday showed that South Korea's automobile export value in July increased by more than 8% year-on-year. The reason was a significant increase in exports to Europe, which far offset the decline in exports to the US caused by US tariffs. The data showed that South Korea's automobile export value last month increased by 8.8% year-on-year to reach $5.83 billion, achieving growth for the second consecutive month. (Sina Finance)
Nexstar Announces $3.5 Billion Cash Acquisition of Television Station Operator Tegna
On August 19, US media group Nexstar issued a statement saying that it has agreed to acquire television station operator Tegna for $3.5 billion in cash. Nexstar said that this deal will significantly increase the proportion of US households it covers to 80%. (Jiemian News)
SoftBank and Intel Negotiate on Acquisition of Contract Chip Manufacturing Business
It is reported that SoftBank and Intel are negotiating on the acquisition of the contract chip manufacturing business. (Yicai Global)
The Cutting - Edge of AI
Baidu Debunks Multiple Overseas Counterfeit URLs of the SteamMachine Video Generation Model
On August 19th, Baidu Marketing issued an official statement, stating that recently, a large number of fake websites related to Baidu's video generation model, SteamMachine (MuseSteamer), have emerged overseas. It urgently reminded users to be vigilant and carefully distinguish to avoid being deceived.
The statement also mentioned that since its launch, Baidu's SteamMachine (MuseSteamer) has attracted widespread attention. An upgrade press conference will be held on August 21st to officially launch the new Baidu SteamMachine 2.0, including the full range of models such as Turbo, Lite, Pro, and the audio version.
Baidu's SteamMachine (MuseSteamer) was officially launched on July 2nd. On the day of its release, an average of over a hundred people applied per minute, and the number of registered users exceeded 300,000 within two weeks. (Jiemian News)
Zuckerberg Plans Another Reform of Meta's AI Business
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, has been adjusting the company's artificial intelligence business in the past few months. Now, he plans to take further action, which may intensify the internal turmoil in this technology field. People familiar with the matter revealed that Meta is expected to announce on Tuesday that it will split its artificial intelligence department, namely the Meta Super Intelligence Laboratory, into four groups. One group will focus on artificial intelligence research; one group will concentrate on a potentially powerful artificial intelligence technology called "super intelligence"; one group will be responsible for product - related work; and another group will focus on infrastructure such as data centers and other artificial intelligence hardware. (Sina Finance)
Maimai: The number of AI job openings has skyrocketed 29 times, and interns can earn a daily salary of 4,000 yuan
According to the statistics of relevant job openings released by Maimai, in July 2025, the number of newly posted artificial intelligence job openings on Maimai skyrocketed 29 times compared to January 2024. More than 1,000 artificial intelligence companies are recruiting talents on Maimai, and the number of relevant job openings exceeds 72,000. In addition to technical positions, many non - technical positions such as design, sales, human resources, finance, administration, operations, and marketing are also in high - demand recruitment. The average monthly salary of artificial intelligence - related positions generally ranges from 47,000 to 78,000 yuan, and the daily salary of some artificial intelligence interns reaches 4,000 yuan. (Jiemian News)
ChatGPT's energy consumption may be 20 times higher than that of the initial version, and the issue of AI hallucination has also attracted attention
Recently, blogger "Chen Jing of Fengyun Society" proposed that ChatGPT's energy consumption may be 20 times higher than that of the initial version, which has sparked heated discussions.
Meanwhile, the long - standing "hallucination" problem in the AI field has once again been pushed to the forefront. The blogger believes that these two major issues highlight that there may be deviations in the current development direction of AI. AI hallucination refers to the phenomenon where large language models fabricate information that they think is real and even seems reasonable or credible. In short, it means that AI is "talking nonsense." (Top News, ZEALER)
Can Arm Challenge NVIDIA? Reportedly Hiring Amazon AI Chip Expert to Develop Self-Designed Chips
According to people familiar with the matter, Arm Holdings has hired Rami Sinno, the director of Amazon's artificial intelligence chips, to participate in its plan to develop self-contained chips. Sinno was previously responsible for the research and development of Amazon's self-designed AI chips, Trainium and Inferentia, which are specifically designed to build and run large AI applications. (Zhitong Finance)
Financial Reports of Large Companies
Xiaomi: Revenue Reached 116 Billion Yuan in Q2, a Year-on-Year Increase of 30.5%, with Smart Electric Vehicle Revenue at 20.6 Billion Yuan
36Kr learned that Xiaomi released its financial report for the second quarter of 2025. The report shows that the revenue in the second quarter was 116 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 30.5%; the adjusted net profit was 10.8 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 75.4%.
The financial report shows that the revenue of the innovative business segment including smart electric vehicles and AI was 21.3 billion yuan in the second quarter. Among them, the revenue from smart electric vehicles was 20.6 billion yuan, and the revenue from other related businesses was 0.6 billion yuan. In this quarter, the gross profit margin of the innovative business segment including smart electric vehicles and AI was 26.4%. In the second quarter of 2025, the operating loss of the innovative business segment including smart electric vehicles and AI was 0.3 billion yuan. In the second quarter of 2025, 81,302 new vehicles were delivered.
Pop Mart: Revenue Reached 13.88 Billion Yuan in the First Half of the Year, a Year-on-Year Increase of 204.4%
36Kr learned that Pop Mart released its semi - annual report for 2025. The financial report shows that in the first half of the year, Pop Mart's revenue was 13.88 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 204.4%, and the adjusted net profit was 4.71 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 362.8%. By region, the revenue in China was 8.28 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 135.2%; the revenue in the Asia - Pacific region was 2.85 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 257.8%; the revenue in the Americas was 2.26 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 1142.3%; the revenue in Europe and other regions was 0.48 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 729.2%.
XPeng Motors: Revenue in the Second Quarter Reached 18.27 Billion Yuan, a Year-on-Year Increase of 125.3%
36Kr learned that XPeng Motors released its financial report for the second quarter of 2025. The report shows that in the second quarter, the company achieved a revenue of 18.27 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 125.3%; the net loss was 480 million yuan, compared with a net loss of 1.28 billion yuan in the same period last year. The vehicle delivery volume in the second quarter was 103,181 units, a year-on-year increase of 241.6%.
ZTO Express: Net profit of 4 billion yuan in the first half of the year, a year-on-year decrease of 1.4%
36Kr learned that ZTO Express announced in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that its revenue in the first half of 2025 increased by 9.8% year-on-year to 22.7233 billion yuan; the gross profit margin was 24.8%, compared with 32.0% in the same period of the previous year; the net profit decreased by 1.4% year-on-year to 4 billion yuan.
China Resources Beer: Net profit in the first half reached 5.79 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 23%
36Kr learned that China Resources Beer released its semi-annual report. The financial report shows that the company's revenue in the first half was 23.94 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 0.8%; the net profit was 5.79 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 23%. The interim dividend per share is 0.464 yuan, compared with 0.373 yuan in the same period last year.
Going public in progress
Figure Technology Solutions
The cryptocurrency exchange startup Figure Technology Solutions plans to list on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbol "FIGR". Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, and Bank of America will act as underwriters. Sources said the company plans to raise between $500 million and $1 billion. (Caixin)
Cool Products
Unitree Robotics Releases Teaser Poster for New Humanoid Robot
On the evening of August 19th, Unitree Robotics released a teaser poster for a new humanoid robot, with the caption "Stay tuned". According to the official poster, the robot will be equipped with 31 joints (6*2 + 3 + 7*2 + 2). (Jiemian News)
Compiled | Qiuxia