8:00 am, Kr 36 | 91 Assistant will shut down this month; Donald Trump said "welcome Chinese students" on multiple occasions; The new national standard for electric bicycles came into effect on September 1st.

Today's Hotspot Guide

• The scale of A-share dividends and the cash dividend ratio hit record highs.
• Trump said he wants to increase the number of Chinese students in the US to 600,000.
• Tesla objects to the $1.7 billion compensation verdict in a fatal car accident.
• WeChat: Further standardize the identification of AI-generated and synthetic content.

Top 3 Big News

91 Assistant Will Shut Down This Month, and the Official Announces Refund Arrangements

On August 31st, according to the announcement from the 91 Assistant operation team, due to business adjustments and the need for product iteration and optimization, the 91 Assistant application will completely cease all services starting at 23:59 on September 27th, 2025, including but not limited to functions such as mobile phone connection management, file transfer, application installation and uninstallation, and system cleaning. The official recommends that users back up relevant data in a timely manner during this period. After the service termination, users' data on 91 Assistant will be permanently lost and cannot be retrieved in any way.

In addition, 91 Assistant will refund the fees to users who are still in the membership period, but users need to apply for the refund actively. Users who do not actively apply for a refund will not receive a refund. The deadline for refund applications is 24:00 on September 15th, 2025. Refund applications will no longer be accepted after the deadline. (Jiemian News)

Trump has stated on multiple occasions that he "welcomes Chinese students" and intends to expand the number to 600,000.

Recently, US President Trump has stated on multiple occasions that he "welcomes Chinese students" and even intends to expand the number to 600,000. He said bluntly that if there were no Chinese students, the US university system "would collapse soon".

However, this statement has attracted various dissenting voices within the United States. Fox News host Laura Ingraham publicly questioned what this had to do with "America First". Far - right figure Laura Loomer even claimed that no one wanted 600,000 "Chinese spies". (Global Times)

The new national standard for "electric scooters" will be implemented on September 1st, and the new standard improves the requirements for preventing speed tampering

On September 1st, the new national standard for electric bicycles will be officially implemented. The new national standard stipulates:

To improve the cruising range, the maximum weight of lithium - battery electric bicycles is 55 kilograms, and the weight of lead - acid battery models has been increased from 55 kilograms to 63 kilograms. Manufacturers are required to improve braking performance. The requirements for preventing tampering of the controller are improved. When the speed exceeds 25 kilometers per hour, the motor will no longer provide power. The proportion of plastic materials in the total vehicle weight is required not to exceed 5.5% to reduce the risk of fire; installing rear - view mirrors is encouraged to reduce the need for riders to turn their heads. It is required to have the Beidou positioning function. However, private "electric scooters" can choose not to install the Beidou module. Even if there is a Beidou positioning function, it can be turned off, and the positioning service is free. (CCTV News)

Large companies/ Major events

Multiple models in the iPhone 17 series are expected to see a price increase of $50, while the price of the standard version may remain unchanged

The Apple iPhone 17 series is about to be released. From the information obtained through channels, it is very likely that the prices of the iPhone 17 series will increase. The price of the standard version may remain unchanged, while the prices of the other three models will rise to varying degrees.

According to insiders, the starting price of the iPhone 17 standard version will be the same as that of the previous generation, starting at $799. It can be basically confirmed that the price in the Chinese market will be 5,999 yuan. The starting price of the new iPhone 17 Air is $949, which is $50 more expensive than the Plus version. The price in the Chinese market may start at 7,499 yuan.

The starting prices of the two Pro versions are $1,149 and $1,249 respectively, a $50 increase compared to the previous generation. It should be noted that the 128GB storage version of the iPhone 17 Pro has been discontinued, and the base storage has been increased to 256GB. The starting price has increased by $150, but the actual price increase is also $50. It is expected that the prices of the Chinese versions will be 8,499 yuan and 10,499 yuan respectively. (Hangzhou Daily)

The scale of A-share dividends and the cash dividend ratio have reached record highs. The total interim cash dividends of A-share companies have reached 639.129 billion yuan.

Statistics show that as of August 30, 809 listed companies have announced interim cash dividend plans, and the number of dividend-paying companies accounts for 14.91% of the total number of A-share companies. While the group of companies paying interim cash dividends has expanded, the intensity of dividend payments has also increased. According to the cash dividend plans, the total interim cash dividends of A-share companies have reached 639.129 billion yuan, accounting for 21.36% of the total net profit of A-shares in the first half of the year (i.e., the cash dividend ratio). Both of these figures are at record high levels.

The dividend yield is a core indicator for measuring the return on stock investment and a "touchstone" for the authenticity of a company's earnings, the health of its cash flow, and the stability of its operations. Statistics show that, based on the cash dividends per share in the interim dividend plans and the closing prices on August 29, a total of 72 stocks have a dividend yield of over 2%. In terms of performance data, among the above stocks with a dividend yield of over 2%, the net profit of 6 stocks in the first half of this year increased by more than 50% (including turning losses into profits), namely Glaciers Network, King Energy Corporation, Blum Orient, Thinkingtrain, Hengdian DMEGC Magnetics, and Jiuqi Co., Ltd. (Securities Times)

Crunchy Shark Apologizes for the Remark "Eating Won't Cause Depression"

Recently, the snack brand Crunchy Shark has been complained about by some netizens because the administrator of its live - streaming room claimed that "eating [our products] will definitely not lead to depression", and this incident has continued to ferment on social platforms. According to pictures posted by many netizens, the administrator of the official live - streaming room explained in the bullet comments that this remark was not meant to make fun of depression, but rather because some fans of certain artists had caused trouble in the live - streaming room first.

On August 30th, Crunchy Shark told reporters that the brand conducted an internal investigation immediately. The cause was an operational error in the back - end account management settings of the "Crunchy Shark Official Flagship Store" live - streaming room, where non - Nestle and non - authorized store official personnel were mistakenly set as live - streaming room administrators. Crunchy Shark said that it deeply apologized for this account management mistake. After the incident, the brand quickly conducted a comprehensive and urgent review and strengthened and upgraded the management and operation process of the live - streaming account to firmly prevent such incidents from happening again. (Southern Metropolis Daily)

48 Years Ago, a 72 - Second Alien Signal was Deciphered. Latest Research Says: It's a Sudden Brightening of an Interstellar Cloud

An event that occurred half a century ago still attracts scientists to seek answers today - the radio signal known as the "Wow!" signal detected by researchers in 1977. That puzzling radio event was captured by the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence project (also known as the "Big Ear" project) at Ohio State University in the United States.

Recently, on the website of the "Wow!" project at the Planetary Habitability Laboratory of the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, the scientific team released their research results to date. The researchers at the laboratory re - analyzed this signal and preliminarily overturned the conclusion that the signal was generated by an extraterrestrial civilization.

The research results show that the "Wow!" signal may have been naturally generated by celestial bodies. According to the researchers' speculation, this 72 - second radio signal was caused by the sudden brightening of the hydrogen line in an interstellar cloud, which might have been triggered by a strong transient radiation source, such as a magnetar flare or a soft gamma - ray repeater. (Red Star News)

Li Bin's Internal Speech: NIO Must Achieve Profitability in the Fourth Quarter, and This Time It Must Rely on Its Own Abilities

Since the pre - release of the L90 on July 7th, NIO's Hong Kong - listed shares have risen by nearly 90% in total, and its market value has returned to the "100 billion yuan" range. "The launch campaigns of the L90 and ES8 have shown the industry a different NIO. We're not just talking about long - termism without being able to execute in the short term. Everyone has demonstrated excellent execution capabilities," Li Bin said in an approximately 90 - minute all - staff speech within the company on August 29th. "In 2019, we climbed out of the trough thanks to our users, but this time, if we want to get out of the trough, we must rely on our own abilities." (LatePost Auto)

Individual consumer loans are eligible for fiscal interest subsidies starting from September 1st

In September, a batch of new national and local regulations will come into effect. According to the "Implementation Plan for the Fiscal Interest Subsidy Policy for Individual Consumer Loans", individual consumer loans are eligible for fiscal interest subsidies starting from September 1st. The scope of interest subsidies includes consumption of less than 50,000 yuan per transaction, as well as consumption in key areas such as household cars, home improvement, and electronic products with a single - transaction amount of 50,000 yuan or more (People's Daily)

Guangzhou to Suspend the "Replacement and Upgrade" Subsidy Policy for Automobiles as of 0:00 on August 30

36Kr learned that the Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce announced that after research, it has decided to adjust the "Replacement and Upgrade" policy for automobiles in Guangzhou in 2025. The subsidy policy for automobile "Replacement and Upgrade" will be suspended as of 0:00 on August 30, 2025. Consumers who have obtained the "Uniform Invoice for Motor Vehicle Sales" for new cars and the "Uniform Invoice for Second - hand Vehicle Sales" for old cars on or before August 29, 2025, can submit subsidy applications after the system upgrade of the WeChat mini - program "Sui Che Gou". The specific time will be announced separately.

“China Travel” Continues to Heat Up, Family Group Tours to China Become a New Summer Hit

During this year's summer travel season, the number of international passenger flights reached a peak in early August, with around 2,100 flights operated daily, about 93% of the 2019 level. The popular countries for entry and exit during the summer are mainly concentrated in the traditional tourist source and destination countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia. The number of flights to some emerging markets and long - haul countries in South Asia, Central and West Asia, and Europe has increased significantly. Among them, the number of flights to countries such as the Maldives, Switzerland, and Sri Lanka has increased by more than 50% year - on - year. (CCTV News)

National Bureau of Statistics: The PMI in August was 49.4%, up 0.1 percentage points from the previous month

36Kr learned that data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that in August, the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector was 49.4%, up 0.1 percentage points from the previous month, indicating an improvement in the manufacturing industry's prosperity level. In terms of enterprise size, the PMI of large enterprises was 50.8%, up 0.5 percentage points from the previous month, above the critical point; the PMI of medium-sized enterprises was 48.9%, down 0.6 percentage points from the previous month, below the critical point; the PMI of small enterprises was 46.6%, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, below the critical point. Looking at the sub - indices, among the five sub - indices that make up the manufacturing PMI, the production index and the supplier delivery time index were both above the critical point, while the new orders index, the raw material inventory index, and the employment index were below the critical point.

The estimated passenger volume during the summer peak season of civil aviation is 147 million trips

Reporters learned from the Civil Aviation Administration that during this year's summer peak season, civil aviation across the country is expected to transport a cumulative total of 147 million passengers, with an average daily volume of 2.37 million, a year-on-year increase of 3.6%. Among them, on August 15, the passenger volume reached 2.5653 million, exceeding the historical highest level. During the summer peak season, civil aviation across the country is expected to handle a total of 1.199 million flights, a year-on-year increase of 3.6%. The average seat occupancy rate reached 84.82%. In addition, data from the Civil Aviation Administration also shows that during this year's summer, the international air transport market has also expanded rapidly, with the number of countries with air routes increasing to 80. It is estimated that 123,000 international passenger flights of Chinese and foreign airlines will be handled. During this year's summer peak season, the volume of international passenger flights reached its peak in early August, with about 2,100 flights operated daily, approximately 93% of the level in 2019. (CCTV News)

UK Reportedly Demands Access to Apple iCloud Data, Including Emails and Passwords

Recently, media reports revealed that the UK government has been reported to have asked Apple to create a global "backdoor" access to iCloud data. The scope exceeds previous expectations, targeting not only the "Advanced Data Protection" feature but also cloud backup contents such as messages and passwords.

It is reported that according to the disclosed documents from the UK Investigatory Powers Tribunal, the UK government's secret demands on Apple far exceed external expectations. They not only require Apple to crack the "Advanced Data Protection" (ADP) feature of iCloud but also attempt to obtain standard cloud backup data including messages and passwords. Note from IT Home: ADP is an end-to-end encryption scheme that protects sensitive information such as photos, memos, and device backups. (IT Home)

Guotai Haitong Overseas: Under the Fed's resumption of interest rate cuts, there is a possibility of unexpected inflow of foreign capital into Hong Kong stocks

36Kr learned that the overseas strategy team of Guotai Haitong released a research report stating that since May this year, the Sino-US economic and trade negotiations have eased on a phased basis. Coupled with the continuous fermentation of the weak US dollar logic, foreign capital has flowed back into Hong Kong stocks on a phased basis. Looking ahead, the Fed's policy has clearly shifted recently. Powell unexpectedly turned dovish at the annual meeting. Currently, the market expects that the Fed will most likely resume the interest rate cut cycle in September this year, with the number of interest rate cuts reaching twice within the year. The US dollar may continue its weak and volatile pattern. At the same time, the subsequent Sino-US trade relations are expected to stabilize, which is expected to provide a good macro environment for the marginal improvement of foreign capital and even an unexpected inflow. Foreign capital is expected to continue the inflow trend since May.

Apple Appeals in the US to Challenge the Ban: Mandating External Payment Links in the App Store Deprives It of the Right to Normal Commissions

It is reported that Apple submitted documents to the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals again on Friday local time in the United States, opposing the punitive antisteering ban against the App Store. The ban stems from a multi - year legal dispute with Epic Games. It requires Apple to allow third - party apps to direct users to external websites to complete payments and prohibits Apple from collecting commissions from these transactions. (Sina Finance)

Tesla Challenges $1.7 Billion Verdict in Fatal Crash

Newly filed court documents show that Tesla has asked a judge to set aside a $243 million verdict related to its Autopilot system or allow a new trial. Tesla's lawyers said the verdict reached by a jury earlier this month "violates Florida's basic tort law, the due - process clause, and common sense." In the latest filing, Tesla again blamed the driver, George Mckee, for the bulk of the accident. The jury ultimately found that Mckee was two - thirds at fault and Tesla was one - third at fault. (Sina Finance)

South Africa Successfully Performs First Robot-Assisted Donor Kidney Removal Surgery

Stellenbosch University in South Africa recently issued a statement saying that the institution, in collaboration with a South African hospital, successfully completed the country's first robot-assisted donor kidney removal surgery. The surgery involved a 45-year-old mother donating a kidney to her 24-year-old daughter and was carried out by a joint team from Tygerberg Hospital in the Western Cape Province and Stellenbosch University. The urologists on the team used a robotic platform to control four robotic arms and performed the donor kidney removal surgery with extremely high precision. The statement said that the surgery took less than 90 minutes, and the robotic platform resulted in smaller surgical incisions, reducing post-operative pain and speeding up the recovery process. (Xinhua News Agency)

Southwest Airlines' New Airliner Enters Service

Southwest Airlines recently announced that its first airliner equipped with a secondary cockpit barrier (to prevent unauthorized entry) has officially entered service. The airline said that the involved airliner is a Boeing 737 MAX 8 model recently delivered by Boeing, which took off from Phoenix on Friday afternoon and flew to Denver. (Sina Finance)

Rolls-Royce Denies Report of Planned IPO for Its Small Nuclear Reactor Division

Rolls-Royce on Saturday denied a report that it was exploring an initial public offering (IPO) for its small nuclear reactor division. People familiar with the matter said the company was considering raising funds for the division through an IPO and other financing methods, and added that consultations with investment institutions and banks were still in the early stages. A spokesman for the division (Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor division) said in an email statement: "Rolls-Royce SMR currently has no plans for an initial public offering and is not in the process of advancing an IPO." (Sina Finance)

Going Public in Progress

Hesai Technology

According to documents from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Hesai Technology has passed the Hong Kong Stock Exchange's hearing and plans to list in Hong Kong. Data shows that in 2022, 2023, and 2024, Hesai Technology's net revenues were RMB 1,202.7 million, RMB 1,877.0 million, and RMB 2,077.2 million respectively. In the first quarter of 2025, the company achieved a net revenue of RMB 525.3 million, a year-on-year increase of 46.3%. (Jin10 Data)

The Forefront of AI

WeChat: Further Standardize the Identification of AI-Generated and Synthesized Content

36Kr learned from the WeChat Coral Security official account that according to the requirements of the "Measures for the Identification of AI-Generated and Synthesized Content", the platform should add explicit and implicit identifiers to AI-generated and synthesized content. To ensure the transparency and credibility of users' information acquisition, the platform has further optimized its content recognition capabilities. AI-generated and synthesized content obtained by users through the platform may carry explicit or implicit identifiers. The platform will also provide corresponding prompts for content that may be AI-generated and synthesized, so that users can clearly identify it. According to the provisions of the "Measures for the Identification of AI-Generated and Synthesized Content", when users publish or disseminate AI-generated and synthesized content, they must not delete, tamper with, forge, or conceal the AI identifiers added by the platform in any way. At the same time, they must not use AI technology to produce and spread false information, infringing information, or engage in any illegal or irregular activities. For behaviors that violate laws, regulations, and platform rules, the platform will impose penalties according to the severity of the violations.

Meta Temporarily Adjusts Policies for AI Chatbots Targeting Teens

On Friday local time, Meta said that in light of lawmakers' concerns about safety issues and inappropriate conversations, the company is temporarily adjusting its policies regarding AI chatbots for teenagers. A Meta spokesperson confirmed that the social media giant is currently training its AI chatbots not to generate responses to teenagers on topics such as self - harm, suicide, and eating disorders, and to avoid potentially inappropriate emotional conversations. Meta stated that at an appropriate time, the AI chatbots will recommend professional help resources to teenagers. (Sina Finance)

Time Magazine Releases Annual AI 100 List: Chinese Entrepreneurs Including Ren Zhengfei Make the Cut

36Kr has learned that Time Magazine has released its list of the 100 most influential people in the field of AI in 2025. The list includes many AI stars, such as Sam Altman, Jensen Huang, Elon Musk, etc., as well as multiple employees from major companies like OpenAI, Meta, and Google. Chinese faces also have a place on the list, including Liang Wenfeng, CEO of DeepSeek, Ren Zhengfei, founder of Huawei, Wang Xingxing, CEO of Unitree Robotics, and Peng Jun, CEO of Pony.ai.

Major Company Earnings Reports

Suning.com: Revenue Reached 25.895 Billion Yuan in the First Half of the Year

36Kr learned that on the evening of August 29th, the semi - annual report of Suning.com for 2025 showed that the company achieved a revenue of 25.895 billion yuan in the first half of the year, with a profit of 48.693 million yuan, a year - on - year increase of 230.03%. The sales revenue of offline stores increased by 11.7% year - on - year. Among them, the revenue of comparable stores in the home appliance, 3C, and home living specialty stores increased by 14.45% year - on - year, and the sales per square meter of comparable stores increased by 11.12% year - on - year.

CSCA: Listed companies achieved operating revenues of 35.01 trillion yuan in the first half of the year

It was learned from the China Association of Listed Companies that a total of 5,432 listed companies on the Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing stock exchanges disclosed their semi - annual reports for 2025. Data shows that the industrial structure of Chinese listed companies continues to optimize, and new productive forces are accelerating growth. In the first half of 2025, listed companies across the market achieved operating revenues of 35.01 trillion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 0.16%. They achieved a net profit of 3.00 trillion yuan in the first half of the year, a year - on - year increase of 2.54%, and the growth rate was 4.76 percentage points higher than that of the whole previous year. Nearly 60% of companies across the market saw positive revenue growth, and over 75% of companies achieved profitability. 2,475 companies had positive net profit growth, and 1,943 companies had both revenue and net profit growth. (CCTV News)

Focus Media: Revenue and Net Profit Growth Slowed in the First Half of the Year, Plans to Pay Interim Dividends of Over 1.4 Billion Yuan

36Kr learned that on the evening of August 29, Focus Media Information Technology Co., Ltd. (Focus Media, 002027.SZ) released its semi - annual report for 2025. In the first half of the year, the company achieved an operating income of 6.112 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 2.43%; the net profit attributable to the mother company was 2.665 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 6.87%. At the end of the reporting period, the company's total assets were 25.665 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 12.57%; the net assets attributable to the mother company were 16.348 billion yuan, a year - on - year decrease of 3.99%.

Compiled by | Yuting He