9:00 1Kr Flash News | A customer sues Fat Donglai for the free chopsticks without labels; Xiamen Airlines issues a statement on "a power bank catching fire and causing flight delays"; Liangpin Puzi apologizes for the AI advertisement of "peanuts on the tree".
Today's Hotspot Guide
- Xiaomi voluntarily recalls some power banks of model PB2030MI, a total of 146,891 units.
- 1.97 billion yuan worth of equity in Wanda Group has been frozen, and the preliminary sale of 48 Wanda Plazas has been finalized.
- Pinduoduo enters the self - produced short drama market and recruits planning, creative, and shooting personnel.
- Chu Ruixue, the wife of Xin Ba, had a wildly popular debut live - broadcast, and Xin Ba made a flash appearance during the live - broadcast by joining the video call.
- The physical version of the mini - Labubu has been criticized for its "ugly workmanship" and "poor quality control".
Top 3 Big News
Customer sues Fat Donglai over free chopsticks without production date. Fat Donglai: Will respond to the lawsuit in accordance with the law and actively cooperate with relevant work
On August 28, a consumer questioned that the disposable chopsticks freely distributed by Fat Donglai were not marked with the production date. The consumer said that they had sued Fat Donglai and posted a case acceptance notice on the social platform. On August 29, Xinxiang Fat Donglai replied to Daxiang News that the matter was true. They will respond to the lawsuit in accordance with the law, actively cooperate with relevant work, and will also handle it according to relevant national regulations and the final judgment of the court in the future.
When being interviewed by Daxiang News, Fat Donglai stated that the outer packaging box of the chopsticks clearly marked relevant label information and had a quality inspection report issued by the manufacturer. Subsequently, the market supervision department also intervened in the investigation and found no quality problems with the products. (Daxiang News)
Xiamen Airlines Issues a Statement on "Flight Delay Caused by Power Bank Fire"
On August 28th, some netizens posted a video claiming that a power bank caught fire in the cabin before the take - off of Xiamen Airlines Flight MF8086, and the smoke was extremely pungent.
In the afternoon of the 28th, a journalist called Xiamen Airlines regarding this incident. The staff told the journalist that after checking, it was confirmed that the incident had occurred, which caused the flight to be delayed. The scene was promptly handled after the incident, and the flight finally took off normally. According to the staff, the flight involved was MF8086 flying from Dalian to Nanjing, and the power bank caught fire before take - off. According to the Flight Master App, the original scheduled take - off time of Xiamen Airlines Flight MF8086 from Dalian to Nanjing on August 28th was 8:05, the actual take - off time was 10:16, and the actual arrival time was 11:41, indicating that there was indeed a delay. On August 29th, Xiamen Airlines issued a statement on this incident, stating that the incident did not cause any damage to the aircraft and did not affect the operation of subsequent flights. (Daily Economic News)
Goodsnacks Apologizes for "Peanuts on Trees" Poster: Erroneously Used AI-Generated Image
Recently, a promotional image of the snack brand Goodsnacks that clearly violated scientific common sense has sparked complaints from netizens.
On the product detail page of its "Compressed Biscuits (Peanut Flavor)", peanut fruits were shown hanging on tree branches, which was seriously inconsistent with the actual situation. Peanuts, also known as "groundnuts", are crops that "bloom above ground and bear fruit underground".
According to Da Wan News, another picture was criticized for the peanut field in the background looking like a cornfield, and there was also an absurd scene of a harvester harvesting peanuts. Many comments said that "everyone from design review to promotion lacked common sense".
In response, Goodsnacks apologized, stating that the picture was due to a work oversight and the erroneous use of AI-generated materials. (Jiemian News)
Big Companies/Big Events
The physical version of the mini Labubu was criticized for "ugly workmanship" and "poor quality control"
At 10 p.m. on the evening of August 28th, the mini Labubu under Pop Mart was officially launched for sale, instantly triggering a rush to buy. The product links on multiple platforms were quickly sold out.
However, the physical version of the mini Labubu displayed in stores on August 28th was criticized by many consumers due to workmanship issues. Some people said that the physical mini Labubu was extremely small, with poor workmanship, and some had tilted heads. In response, a Pop Mart clerk told the media that there are new product displays in the store currently, which are not for sale. The displayed physical items may have been touched by many people. If there are issues like a tilted head, consumers can adjust it themselves. On social platforms, some netizens also posted to complain that they thought the physical mini Labubu was ugly, the workmanship was not worth 79 yuan, and the quality control was "too abstract". Previously, there had been many posts on social platforms complaining about the quality control of Labubu, and even exchanging for a new one could not guarantee the same quality. (Jiemian News)
Xiaomi Actively Recalls Some Power Banks of Model PB2030MI, a Total of 146,891 Units
On August 29th, "Xiaomi Service" issued an announcement on the after - sales service policy regarding the active recall of some power banks of model PB2030MI. The announcement stated that affected by the incoming battery cells from the upstream supplier, some products of the PB2030MI model, due to the small - scale use of the 2.0 version of the 126280 - type battery cells from a certain supplier, may have certain safety hazards in extreme scenarios for a very small number of products. After communicating and applying with the market regulatory authorities, Xiaomi decided to actively initiate a recall plan. The scope of products to be recalled this time includes some PB2030MI power banks produced between August 2024 and September 2024, with a total of 146,891 units.
In addition, according to information from the upstream supply chain, Xiaomi has started to initiate economic compensation claims against the supplier Amprius and will hold Amprius accountable for the losses caused by the battery cell issues through legal means. (Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily, Jiemian News)
1.97 billion worth of Wanda Group's equity frozen, preliminary deal for selling 48 Wanda Plazas finalized
On August 29, public information showed that Dalian Wanda Group Co., Ltd. had a new equity freeze notice. 1.979 billion yuan worth of its equity in Dalian Wanda Commercial Management Group was frozen by the Beijing Financial Court. The freeze period is from August 27, 2025, to August 26, 2028.
In recent years, Dalian Wanda Commercial Management has been in a debt crisis and has sold its assets multiple times. Among them, the highly - watched overall sale of 48 Wanda Plazas has reached a preliminary stage. On August 25, a private equity fund named "Suzhou Kuanyu Equity Investment Fund Partnership", composed of 13 enterprises including PAG, Tencent, and Sunshine Life Insurance, was established to acquire 48 Wanda Plazas. The total capital contribution reached 22.429 billion yuan.
However, the speed of asset sales still seems unable to keep up with the pace of debt maturities. Since the beginning of this year, Dalian Wanda Group has had multiple equity freeze notices and information as an executed person. (Jiemian News)
The glue on Arc'teryx four - digit hiking shoes came off in less than a week, and some shoe models cause blisters and constriction on the feet
Recently, a netizen reported that the glued seams on the Arc'teryx AERIOS hiking shoes they bought had cracked.
According to the netizen, this pair of "professional outdoor equipment" bought for four - digit price had the glued seams at the bend of the forefoot come off during half - an - hour daily commutes. "The glue came off in less than a week of wearing," he said while showing the purchase record on his phone. "I just wore them normally, without wading in water or going hiking. I also bought a pair for my mom. She took good care of them, but they didn't last long either. The glue also came off after about a month." (China Newsweek)
Apple Store Official Flagship Store Officially Enters Douyin Mall
36Kr learned that on August 29th, the Apple Store official flagship store officially entered the Douyin Mall. Users can purchase Apple products and accessories on the Douyin Mall.
Box Horse NB Upgraded to "Super Box Deal NB", with Nearly 300 Stores
36Kr learned that on August 29th, Box Horse's affordable community supermarket, Box Horse NB, officially changed its name to "Super Box Deal NB". NB stands for Neighbor Business, meaning "neighborhood commerce". As of the end of August, the total number of Super Box Deal NB stores (including the former Box Horse NB stores that have been gradually renamed) has approached 300.
Xinba's wife, Chu Ruixue, had a wildly popular debut live - stream, and Xinba joined via a live connection
At 10 a.m. on August 29th, after Chu Ruixue took over Xinba's original account, she had her first live - stream. Just 15 minutes after the start, there were over 2 million people in the live - stream room. Xinba joined the live - stream through a phone connection.
Xinba said that although he had withdrawn, he came out to say a few words to reassure his fans. He came today to hand over the work and asked the Internet community to have fewer misunderstandings. After the live connection, the real - name authentication of this account will also be cancelled and it will be completely transferred to the company.
Chu Ruixue said that Xinba had prepared for this live - stream for as long as half a year. He was full of confidence in the product promotion mechanism. They came today to fight and aimed to challenge a single - product sales volume of 500 million yuan. (Lanjing News)
YouTube Says It Has Reached an Agreement with Fox to Continue Content Collaboration
On August 28 local time, YouTube posted on a social platform, "We're pleased to announce that we've reached an agreement with Fox to continue offering its content on the YouTube TV platform." Meanwhile, it added in a blog update, "This means that Fox's channels, including the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox News Channel, and Fox Sports, will continue to serve subscribers alongside more than 100 other channels." (Jiemian News)
Tesla's July Sales in Europe Plunge 40% as BYD and Other Competitors Rise
Tesla's troubles in the European market are intensifying. According to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), Tesla's electric vehicle registrations (which can serve as a substitute indicator for sales) in Europe in July were only 8,837 units, a sharp drop of 40.2% compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, the total registrations of electric vehicles in the region (including the UK and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)) increased by 33.6% in July, and the total registrations of all vehicles, regardless of the power type, also increased by 5.9%. (Sina Finance)
Pinduoduo Enters the Self - produced Short Drama Market, Recruiting Planning, Creation, and Shooting Personnel
Pinduoduo has started recruiting talents for short dramas, possibly in preparation for its self - produced short dramas. It is understood that Pinduoduo has posted a job opening for "Short Drama Production and Operation" on recruitment platforms. The requirements include being responsible for the production of short drama content, such as early topic selection and planning, organizing script creation, overseeing shooting and post - production. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in film and television drama content on major content platforms, and those with experience in creating hit short dramas are highly preferred. (Sina Technology)
Dicos: The Alleged Plagiarism of Drink Cup Illustrations Has Been Properly Resolved
On August 26, an illustrator blogger posted a complaint on a social platform, alleging that the pattern on a Dicos drink cup was suspected of plagiarizing his illustration work. The reporter noted that the blogger had published an illustration in 2024 depicting a hand forming an "OK" gesture accompanied by the text "under control". The design on the Dicos drink cup accused of infringement was nearly identical to the blogger's original work, except for the removal of the signature and date present in the illustrator's version.
On August 28, the blogger informed the reporter that the dispute had been resolved, though specific details were not disclosed. Concurrently, Dicos confirmed through official channels that the alleged plagiarism matter had been appropriately addressed. When queried about further particulars regarding the incident, the company's relevant responsible personnel declined to provide additional comments. (Southern Metropolis Daily)
510 Bottles of Moutai Involved in a Criminal Case Will Be Auctioned by the Judiciary, Including 8 Bottles of 30-Year-Old Moutai: Starting Bid Price is 997,000 Yuan, and the Court Does Not Guarantee Authenticity
On August 29th, reporters from Red Star News learned that the Intermediate People's Court of Wuhai City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, will publicly auction 510 bottles of Moutai on the Alibaba Judicial Auction Network Platform on September 3rd. It is reported that this asset belongs to the assets transferred from a criminal case.
Among this batch of Moutai, there are 9 bottles of 43° Feitian Guizhou Moutai, 415 bottles of 53° Feitian Guizhou Moutai, 54 bottles of 15-year-old 53° Guizhou Moutai, and 8 bottles of 30-year-old 53° Guizhou Moutai. The total appraised value is 1,424,597 yuan. The starting bid price for this auction is 997,218 yuan, the deposit is 100,000 yuan, and the price increase range is 9,500 yuan.
The auction announcement states that there are multiple defects in this batch of auction items, such as some bottles suspected of leaking wine, mildew spots on the outer packaging, and broken matching wine glasses. The court clearly states that it does not guarantee the authenticity and quality of this batch of Moutai. Defects not indicated are not within the scope of the auction liability. Bidders need to conduct their own appraisals and accept the items in the delivered condition. Currently, 3 people have signed up for this auction, 187 people have set up reminders, and there have been nearly 3,000 views. (Red Star News)
Intel CFO: Intel Received $5.7 Billion in Government Grants from the US on the 28th
Zinsner, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Intel, publicly stated that the Trump administration's investment in Intel aims to prevent the chip manufacturer from selling its manufacturing division. Zinsner said that Intel had received $5.7 billion in government grants on the 28th. The remaining $3.2 billion investment has not been disbursed yet, and the remaining investment will depend on whether Intel meets the conditions stipulated in the relevant plans of the US Department of Defense. (Caixin)
Leapmotor Responds to Rumors that FAW is Planning to Invest in the Company
Regarding the rumors that FAW is planning to invest in Leapmotor, Cao Li, the senior vice president of Leapmotor, responded during the Chengdu Auto Show on August 29. He said, "I'm also quite puzzled about the cooperation with FAW. The cooperation projects in the strategic agreement have been advancing. If there are other cooperation contents such as equity investment, our official will announce it immediately." On August 20, multiple media reported that FAW is planning to invest in Leapmotor and become its strategic shareholder. The report said that people familiar with the matter revealed that FAW plans to make an initial tender offer to acquire about 10% of Leapmotor's shares, and the plan has been circulated and promoted within relevant departments of FAW. (Sina Finance)
Going Public in Progress
Chery Automobile
36Kr learned that documents from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange showed that Chery Automobile submitted a listing document to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Investment and Financing
"Hefei Tianyao" Completes Tens of Millions of Yuan Series A Financing
36Kr learned that "Hefei Tianyao", a developer of semiconductor material cadmium zinc telluride, recently announced the completion of a Series A financing of tens of millions of yuan. The financing was led by Houxue Capital, with SMIC Juyuan and Guoyuan Fund following. The funds will be mainly used for expanding production lines and product R & D, as well as expanding overseas markets and downstream detector integration business.
Framer, a web design platform, is valued at $2 billion in its latest financing round
Framer, a web design platform, said on Thursday that in its latest round of financing, the company raised $100 million and was valued at $2 billion. This financing highlights the optimistic attitude of venture capitalists towards technology and software-related startups. Currently, the market's expectation that the US Federal Reserve (the Fed) may cut interest rates, along with the rising stock market, has boosted market sentiment, and such startups are thus attracting a large amount of investment from investors. (Sina Finance)
NVIDIA and Google Lead Investment: Fusion Startup CFS Secures Another $863 Million in Financing
On August 28 local time, Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), a U.S. fusion energy startup, announced that it had recently received $863 million in financing. The investors include AI giant NVIDIA. According to a statement released by CFS, NVentures, NVIDIA's venture capital arm, participated in this round of financing. Other investors also include existing shareholder Khosla Ventures, Google's parent company Alphabet, as well as several sovereign wealth funds and investment banks. Since its establishment, CFS has raised approximately $3 billion in total, accounting for about one - third of the global fusion energy industry's total financing. (Jiemian News)
The Cutting - Edge of AI
NetEase Cloud Music Officially Launches the "AI Recommendation" Feature
36Kr learned that recently, NetEase Cloud Music officially launched the "AI Recommendation" feature, enabling users to "generate a personalized song list with one sentence". Users can customize song lists according to their personal needs and save them with one click.
Tencent Yuanbao Launches AI Oral English Practice Companion Function
36Kr learned that on August 29th, Tencent Yuanbao officially launched an AI oral English practice companion function. This function provides users with a 24/7 online private foreign teacher. Through modes such as Chinese - English comparison, oral English evaluation, and targeted imitation, it helps users improve their oral English skills anytime and anywhere. Currently, this function has been fully launched on the mobile version of Tencent Yuanbao. Users can click the phone icon on the home page, switch to the oral English practice companion mode, and start a free conversation.
Financial Reports of Large Companies
BYD: Net profit attributable to the parent company in the first half of the year was approximately 15.51 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 13.79%
BYD announced that in the first half of 2025, the Group achieved revenue of approximately RMB 371.281 billion, a year-on-year increase of 23.30%. Among them, the revenue from the automotive, automotive-related products and other products business was approximately RMB 302.506 billion, a year-on-year increase of 32.49%; the revenue from the mobile phone components, assembly and other products business was approximately RMB 68.744 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 5.54%; the proportions in the Group's total revenue were 81.48% and 18.51% respectively; the R & D investment was approximately RMB 30.88 billion, a year-on-year increase of 53.05%; the net profit attributable to the shareholders of the listed company was approximately RMB 15.51 billion, a year-on-year increase of 13.79%. (Jiemian News)
Country Garden: The net loss attributable to the company's shareholders in the first half of the year was approximately RMB 19.08 billion
On the evening of August 29, Country Garden announced in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that for the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Group, together with its joint ventures and associated companies, achieved a total contract sales amount attributable to the equity of the company's shareholders of approximately RMB 16.75 billion, and the contract sales area attributable to the equity of the company's shareholders was approximately 2.05 million square meters. During the period, the Group achieved a total revenue of approximately RMB 72.57 billion, a year-on-year decrease of approximately 28.9%; the net loss was approximately RMB 19.65 billion, and the net loss attributable to the company's shareholders was approximately RMB 19.08 billion. (Jiemian News)
Huawei: Revenue Reached 427 Billion Yuan in the First Half of the Year, Up 3.94% Year-on-Year
36Kr learned that Huawei released its performance report, showing that its revenue in the first half of the year reached 427 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3.94%; the net profit reached 37.1 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 32%.
Alibaba Releases Financial Report for the First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2026
36Kr learned that Alibaba released its financial report for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026. The report shows that the company achieved revenue of 247.652 billion yuan this quarter, compared with 243.236 billion yuan in the same period last year. Excluding the impact of sold - off businesses, the overall revenue of the group increased by 10% year - on - year. The net profit was 42.382 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 76%. The quarterly capex was 38.676 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 220%, hitting a record high.
Compiled | Anya, Jingjing