At 8 a.m., here's the latest news from 36Kr. Trump responds to the rumor of his "death"; 361° responds to terminating the contract with Zhang Shuihua; Giorgio Armani, the founder of Armani, has passed away at the age of 91.
Today's Hot News Guide
ByteDance responds to rumors of splitting its chip business: It's a rumor, and the business entity has remained unchanged.
Zhu Ling, former vice president of Zeekr, joins Volvo Cars Asia Pacific as Chief Operating Officer.
The 680-yuan scenic spot VIP "Fast Pass" service at Enshi Grand Canyon has been suspended.
ROMOSS has been enforced to pay over 300,000 yuan in a labor contract dispute case.
The prices of pure gold jewelry of many domestic brands have risen to 1,060 yuan per gram.
Both the 30-gram and 6-gram Chanel loose powder are priced at 600 yuan. The customer service responds.
Top 3 Biggest News
Trump Responds to Rumors of His "Death"
US President Trump responded to online rumors about his "death" at a White House press conference on the 2nd, calling them "fake news." Trump said he was "very active" this weekend and was unaware of the relevant rumors. "This is fake news. It's so false. That's why the media has low credibility," Trump said.
During the response, Trump also took the opportunity to disparage former President Biden. Trump said that speculation was sparked just because he didn't hold a press conference for only two days, while no one questioned Biden even though he hadn't made a public appearance for months. "We know that his physical condition is not very good," Trump added. Last week, the 79-year-old Trump once again caught public attention regarding his health condition after not making a public appearance for several consecutive days. Previously, the White House medical team explained to the public about Trump's swollen legs, saying that he was diagnosed with "chronic venous insufficiency." (Xinhua News Agency)
361 Degrees Responds to Terminating Contract with "Fastest Female Nurse" Zhang Shuihua
Recently, Zhang Shuihua, the "fastest female nurse," has continued to attract attention after winning the marathon championship and tearfully appealing for "leadership support for time off to run marathons."
On September 3, in the live - streaming room of the official flagship store of 361 Degrees, a piece of paper was placed in front of the live - streaming host who was promoting products. It read: "361° has terminated the contract with the 'fastest female nurse' marathon runner." Some netizens in the live - streaming room asked, "Is there no official announcement?" The host replied, "This is the live - streaming room of the official flagship store. Look at my face. The meaning of these three words is quite obvious." The live - streaming room showed the colorful words "Contract terminated. Promote sports and love life more."
Previously, Zhang Shuihua's personal short - video account homepage was marked with "Road running signed brand: 361°" and also indicated that she belonged to the MCN "Rabbit Hi - Running Camp." After the incident, Zhang Shuihua deleted the label "Road running signed brand: 361°." (Jiemian News)
George Armani, the founder of luxury brand Armani, passed away at the age of 91
Armani announced on September 4th that Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani had passed away at the age of 91. "Armani announces with infinite sorrow the passing of its creator, founder, and tireless promoter, Giorgio Armani."
George Armani was born on July 11, 1934, in Piacenza, Emilia - Romagna, Italy. He was an Italian fashion designer and the founder of luxury brand Armani. He once worked as a men's wear designer at Cerruti. On March 27, 2025, Hurun Research Institute released the "Hurun Global Rich List 2025", and George Armani ranked 219th on the list with a fortune of 80 billion yuan. (Red Star News)
Big Companies/Big Events
ByteDance Responds to Rumors of Spinning Off Chip Business: It's a Rumor, the Business Entity Has Remained Unchanged
36Kr learned that recently, there have been rumors that ByteDance has revoked the access rights of its entire chip team, spun off the chip business from the group and transferred it to a new entity without providing N+1 compensation. The relevant changes involve the entire chip team, not just the AI chip business. The key is to make some superficial moves to sever ties with ByteDance, and the business will later operate under the guise of a Singaporean company. On September 4th, a relevant person in charge at ByteDance responded that the relevant news is a rumor. The entity of ByteDance's chip business has remained unchanged. This time, it's just a switch of Feishu tenants, and all the excessive interpretations from the outside world, such as lay - offs, spin - offs, and entity changes, are untrue.
Zhu Ling, former vice president of Zeekr, joins Volvo Cars Asia Pacific as Chief Operating Officer
Volvo recently announced that effective September 1, 2025, Zhu Ling will officially join Volvo Cars Asia Pacific as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and report directly to Yuan Xiaolin, President and CEO of Asia Pacific. According to the information, Zhu Ling graduated from Zhejiang University with a master's degree in engineering mechanics and obtained a master's degree and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln in the United States. He has more than 17 years of experience in the automotive industry, having worked in both China and the United States, and has in - depth insights and rich practical experience in the global and Chinese automotive industries. Before joining Volvo, he served as the vice president of Zeekr. (Sina Tech)
The "Bank of the Universe" Changes Hands: Agricultural Bank of China's Total Market Value Exceeds Industrial and Commercial Bank of China for the First Time
Less than a month after its A-share market value exceeded that of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (601398.SH, 01398.HK) in early August, Agricultural Bank of China (601288.SH, 01288.HK) has for the first time surpassed Industrial and Commercial Bank of China in total market value and ascended to become the new "Bank of the Universe".
As of the midday break on September 4th, the total market value of Agricultural Bank of China was close to 2.45 trillion yuan, slightly exceeding Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's 2.44 trillion yuan. (Yicai Global)
Second-hand Prices of Mini Labubu Plummet
On September 4th, exactly one week after the release of the Mini Labubu, reporters found that the second-hand prices of the Mini Labubu on trendy toy platforms began to decline. Some scalpers said, "The price of the Mini Labubu doesn't have as much staying power as that of the third-generation Labubu." Data from the Dewu app platform shows that since its release a week ago, the number of transactions of the Mini Labubu has exceeded 56,000 pieces. The average transaction price of a single blind box in the past three days was 138 yuan, still a 75% premium compared to the original price of 79 yuan. However, compared with the early stage of its release, the second-hand transaction price of the Mini Labubu has dropped by 10% - 60%. (Jiemian News)
Enshi Grand Canyon's 680-yuan Scenic Area VIP "Express Pass" Service Suspended
On the evening of September 3rd, the official WeChat account of Enshi Grand Canyon issued an announcement stating that since August 1st, 2025, the company has launched a trial operation of the VIP "Express Pass" service in Enshi Grand Canyon Scenic Area. Since the trial operation of this service, it has received high attention from tourists and netizens. Based on the opinions and suggestions of tourists and netizens, our company has decided to suspend the VIP "Express Pass" service as of now. In the future, we will systematically sort out the opinions and suggestions of tourists and netizens, optimize the product content, improve the service quality, and provide tourists with a more comfortable travel experience. The announcement is signed by Hubei Enshi Grand Canyon Tourism Development Co., Ltd., the scenic area operator.
According to a previous report by China Newsweek, at the beginning of August, Hubei Enshi Tourism Group (hereinafter referred to as "Enshi Tourism Group"), the investment management party of Enshi Grand Canyon Scenic Area, released information on its official website about the launch of the VIP "Express Pass". It is understood that the core selling point of this VIP "Express Pass" is "enjoying fast passage", which allows tourists to avoid queuing, including fast passage for ground cable cars, passenger ropeways, shuttle buses, etc. The adult ticket price for this VIP "Express Pass" is 680 yuan, and the child ticket price is 580 yuan. (Jiemian News, China Newsweek)
NIO Responds to Cooperation with McLaren for the First Time
On September 3rd, Li Bin, the chairman of NIO, publicly confirmed for the first time the cooperation with the British super - car brand McLaren and revealed that the revenue from technical services in the second quarter had reached hundreds of millions of yuan.
"The major shareholder of the company from Abu Dhabi acquired McLaren. In fact, we have exported some technologies to McLaren, and this part of the business constitutes the main source of our external technical service revenue," Li Bin said. Relevant revenue was recorded in the first quarter of this year, and there was more in the second quarter. "However, this part of the revenue is not stable at present." (Cailian Press)
Huawei's Smartwatch Shipments Surpass Apple's
According to the report "Global Smartwatch Shipment Tracking in Q2 2025" by Counterpoint Research, Huawei's smartwatch shipments surpassed Apple's for the first time in that quarter, successfully ranking first globally. The global smartwatch shipments increased by 8% year-on-year in that quarter, which was the first rebound after five consecutive quarters of decline since Q1 2024, and the Chinese market played an important role in this quarter's growth. This recovery was mainly due to the continuous recovery of consumer demand, especially driven by brands such as Huawei, Xiaomi, and Xiaotiancai in the Chinese market. (Star Market Daily)
ROMOSS Forced to Pay Over 300,000 Yuan in a Labor Contract Dispute Case
36Kr learned that according to the AiQicha app, recently, Shenzhen ROMOSS Technology Co., Ltd. has a new record of being an enforced person. The enforcement amount is over 300,000 yuan, involving a labor contract dispute case. The enforcing court is the People's Court of Nanshan District, Shenzhen.
Ubtech Secures the Largest Single Order in the Global Humanoid Robot Industry
On the evening of September 3rd, according to the official WeChat account of "Ubtech Robotics", after winning a nearly 100 million yuan single order, the largest in the global humanoid robot industry, in July, Ubtech (01361.HK) has once again broken the record. It has obtained a 250 million yuan procurement contract for embodied intelligent humanoid robot products and solutions from a well - known domestic enterprise. This contract mainly focuses on the humanoid robot Walker S2 (equipped with an autonomous hot - swap battery system), and Ubtech will initiate the delivery of this contract within this year. (Jiemian News)
Madame Tussauds Beijing to Permanently Close on October 1st: Most Celebrity Wax Figures to Be Transferred to Other Museums
On September 4th, Madame Tussauds Beijing issued a closure announcement. After careful consideration, due to the expiration of the lease and the adjustment of the brand's strategic plan, Madame Tussauds Beijing will permanently close starting from October 1st, 2025. Most of the celebrity wax figures will be moved to Madame Tussauds museums in other regions of China. (The Paper)
ByteDance Reports Employee Violations in Q2
36Kr learned that on September 4th, ByteDance's Corporate Discipline and Professional Ethics Committee issued Bulletin No. 3 for the Chinese mainland region in 2025, disclosing the handling of employee violations in the second quarter. The bulletin shows that a total of 100 employees were dismissed for violating the company's red lines. Among them, 18 were publicly named for serious violations such as criminal offenses and maliciously damaging the company's interests, and 8 suspected of criminal offenses have been handed over to the judicial authorities. The information was also shared with the industry alliance, and their stock options were cancelled.
The price of pure gold jewelry from multiple domestic brands has risen to 1,060 yuan per gram
On September 4th, the prices of pure gold jewelry sold within the country by multiple domestic gold and jewelry brands continued to rise compared to the 3rd. Among them, the price of Chow Sang Sang's pure gold ornaments was reported at 1,062 yuan per gram, and the prices of Chow Tai Fook and Luk Fook Jewelry's pure gold jewelry were reported at 1,060 yuan per gram. (Yicai Global)
Xiaomi: This year marks the first year of home appliance and new retail expansion overseas, and cars will go global in 2027
It is learned from Xiaomi that 2025 will be the first year for Xiaomi's home appliances and new retail business to expand overseas, and the company plans to export cars in 2027. Xiaomi plans to open 10,000 Mi Homes overseas within five years. (Securities Times)
The first batch of Tesla Model Y L new cars from the Shanghai Gigafactory were delivered in Shanghai
Two new Tesla models produced by the Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory located in Lingang, Shanghai, have recently started nationwide deliveries simultaneously. They include the Tesla Model Y L, a luxury six - seat SUV, and the Tesla Model 3 Long Range Rear - Wheel Drive version with a range of 830 kilometers (CLTC). On September 4th, reporters saw at the Tesla Shanghai Minhang Delivery Center that the first batch of new cars had been shipped from Lingang, Shanghai, to the center and were being delivered to Shanghai customers. (Shanghai Securities News)
Huiyuan Responds to Allegations of Unauthorized Seal Loss Report: Original Seals Remain in Proper Custody
Recently, the restructuring storm of Beijing Huiyuan Food and Beverage Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Huiyuan"), once a well - known domestic juice brand, has resurfaced. A "loss statement" of the company's official seal and business license has further intensified the conflict between the company and the restructuring party. On September 4th, a relevant person in charge of Huiyuan responded, "The company's original seals have been properly kept until now. There is no situation of loss or damage. At present, we have entrusted a lawyer to witness the situation and reported the case to the police. In the future, we will safeguard the company's stable operation through reasonable and legal means." Previously, Huiyuan issued a relevant statement on its official WeChat public account, stating that recently, an unknown third - party has unauthorizedly issued materials such as "the official seal or the original and duplicate copies of the business license are lost" in the company's name. This act is a false loss report, and there are malicious intentions of obtaining a newly - engraved seal or a new business license through fraudulent means. (Shanghai Securities News)
Lower the annual sales target by 16%? BYD: No comment
On September 4th, there were reports that BYD had lowered its 2025 sales target by 16%, from the 5.5 million vehicles set at the beginning of the year to 4.6 million vehicles. A journalist verified this information with BYD, and BYD stated that it would not comment. In the first eight months of this year, BYD's cumulative sales of new energy vehicles were approximately 2.8639 million, a year-on-year increase of 23%. If calculated based on the annual sales target of 5.5 million vehicles, the target completion rate would be only about 52%; if calculated based on 4.6 million vehicles, the target completion rate would be about 62%. (Shanghai Securities News)
The three major U.S. stock indexes closed up collectively, and large technology stocks generally rose
36Kr learned that at the close on September 4, the three major U.S. stock indexes rose collectively. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.77%, the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.98%, and the S&P 500 Index rose 0.83%. Large technology stocks generally rose. Amazon rose more than 4%, Arm rose more than 3%, Netflix rose more than 2%, Tesla and Meta rose more than 1%, and Google, Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft rose slightly. Most popular Chinese concept stocks fell. Alibaba fell more than 4%, NIO fell more than 3%, Weibo and XPeng Motors fell more than 2%, Tencent Music and NetEase fell more than 1%; Baidu rose more than 1%.
Report: Starting Price of iPhone 17 Air is $1099
On September 4th, according to the latest report released by research firm TrendForce, the starting price of Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Air is $1099 (approximately 7,851 Chinese yuan at the current exchange rate), offering 256GB of storage. The highest - configuration 1TB version can be priced at $1499 (approximately 10,708 Chinese yuan at the current exchange rate).
The report also states that the iPhone 17 and Air are expected to be equipped with the A19 processor, while the Pro series will feature the A19 Pro. The memory capacity of the Air, Pro, and Pro Max will be increased to 12GB. The NAND Flash storage capacity of these models will start from 256GB and can be expanded up to 1TB. (IT Home)
The stock price of the listed company backed by Trump's two sons soared at one point
The bitcoin mining company "American Bitcoin" supported by Trump's two sons began trading on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange on September 3 local time after completing its merger with digital mining company Gryphon Digital Mining. The new combined company uses the stock symbol "ABTC". Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of Trump, Eric Trump, the second - son, bitcoin miner Hut 8 and other shareholders of "American Bitcoin" will collectively hold about 98% of the shares of the combined company, while investors of the original Gryphon company will hold the remaining shares.
According to the latest news, American Bitcoin triggered a temporary trading halt due to volatility shortly after the opening. Before the halt, it rose 31% to $9.04 per share. Subsequently, the gain of American Bitcoin widened to 90%, triggering another trading halt at $13.2 per share. At the close, American Bitcoin's stock price was reported at $8.04 per share. (Yicai Global)
Exclusive: Lamborghini's Chief Exterior Designer Joins Xiaomi as Head of European Exterior Design for Xiaomi Cars
Recently, a blogger revealed that Fabian Schmölz, the former chief exterior designer of Lamborghini, has joined Xiaomi Cars and is now serving as the head of European exterior design for Xiaomi Cars. During his tenure at Lamborghini, Fabian Schmölz designed the Temerario model. Even earlier, when he worked at Porsche, he was involved in the design of the 718 Boxster, the Vision GT concept car, and the Mission E, the prototype of the Taycan.
The SU7 and YU7 launched by Xiaomi Cars have attracted significant attention in the market, but their exterior designs have also sparked some controversy. Li Tianyuan, the general manager of industrial design at Xiaomi Cars and the vice - chairperson of the Group Design Committee, once specifically responded. He emphasized that the design concept of Xiaomi Cars is to "create designs that conform to science, designs that follow the laws of nature, and designs that are intuitive." (Sina Tech)
Chanel Loose Powder: Both 30g and 6g Cost 600 Yuan, Customer Service Responds
On September 4th, news reported that the pricing of two light loose powder products from Chanel has recently drawn consumers' attention and raised questions. Among them, the 30g full - size product is priced at 600 yuan, and the 6g travel - size product also costs 600 yuan, and there are no refills. Some netizens believe that the 6g version is overpriced, while others think the price is normal, saying, "What Chanel sells is not the loose powder but the box."
Chanel's customer service responded that these two products are of the same type (i.e., they have the same powder texture) but different net weights. "The light loose powder (travel - size) features a delicate and compact design for easy carrying. It comes with a makeup mirror and a delicate powder puff, which is convenient for daily makeup on the go. The regular (full - size) version doesn't have a mirror."
Jiemian News checked Chanel's official mini - program and found that there are also slight differences in the ingredients of the two products. Apart from several common ingredients, the 30g loose powder contains silica, while the 6g version contains cellulose. (Jiemian News)
Institutional Forecast: iPhone 17 May See a Price Hike, with the Starting Price of the Pro Version Potentially Rising to $1,099
According to a report by Yicai Global, Apple will hold its autumn product launch event next week. As is customary, Apple will introduce a new series of iPhone smartphones. Some institutions predict that the new iPhone 17 from Apple may see a price increase.
Edison Lee, an analyst at Wall Street investment bank Jefferies, stated in a report in July that the average selling price of the iPhone 17 will rise by $50. Analysts at Goldman Sachs said that the average selling price of Apple devices may increase, and Apple's smartphone portfolio has always been tilted towards higher prices. Analysts at JPMorgan Chase predicted that Apple may discontinue the entry - level version of the Pro model. Users will need to spend $1,099 to buy the iPhone Pro. Corresponding to the higher price, the storage capacity of the iPhone 17 Pro will exceed that of the previous generation. (Yicai Global)
Nasdaq Proposes to Revise Listing Rules for Small IPOs and Chinese Companies
On September 3 local time, Nasdaq announced a proposal to revise its listing standards and is submitting the proposed rules to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for review. If approved, the rules will be implemented immediately. The revised standards include: a minimum public float market value of $15 million (currently $5 million), applicable to new companies listing on Nasdaq under the net profit standard; accelerating the suspension and delisting processes for companies with listing deficiencies and a market value of listed securities below $5 million; and a minimum requirement of $25 million in funds raised through public offerings for new listed companies mainly operating in China. (Jiemian News)
WeRide: Its Robotaxi GXR Launches 24/7 Driverless Commercial Operations in Huangpu, Guangzhou
36Kr learned that WeRide announced that its new mass - produced autonomous ride - hailing vehicle (Robotaxi) GXR has officially launched 24/7 driverless commercial operations in Huangpu District, Guangzhou.
Google: Issues Affecting Gmail and Drive Services Resolved
The Google Workspace Status Dashboard shows that the issues affecting Gmail and Google Drive services have been resolved. Previously, the Gmail and Google Drive services were suspended, and some customers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa were unable to access these services. (Jiemian News)
Going Public in Progress
Huaheng Biotechnology
36Kr learned that Huaheng Biotechnology announced that the company plans to issue foreign shares for overseas listing (H shares) and apply for listing on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. This proposal still needs to be submitted to the company's general meeting of shareholders for review.
The Cutting - Edge of AI
DeepSeek Aims to Release AI Agents by the End of This Year
Market news: DeepSeek aims to release AI agents by the end of this year. (Sina Finance)
Meta Plans to Launch New Smart Glasses Priced at Around $800
Meta Platforms rose 1.8% in pre - market trading on September 4th in the U.S. stock market. According to reports from Mark Gurman, a journalist who has long focused on covering the company's product developments, and supply - chain analyst Ming - Chi Kuo, the company plans to launch a new type of smart glasses. The product will be equipped with an integrated display and a wrist - worn input device, and is priced at around $800, which is lower than market expectations. (Sina Finance)
OpenAI Plans to Launch an AI-Powered Employment Platform in 2026
OpenAI plans to launch an AI-powered employment platform in 2026 to assist companies and job applicants with AI skills. (Cailian Press)
Investment and Financing
Tencent Participates in Lightelligence's Series C Financing Round Exceeding 1.5 Billion Yuan
Lightelligence, a provider of optoelectronic hybrid computing power, announced the completion of a Series C financing round exceeding 1.5 billion yuan. This financing round attracted investment institutions such as China Mobile, Shanghai State Investment, Guoxin Fund, and Pudong Venture Capital. Existing shareholders like Zhongke Chuangxing, Yijing Capital, and an internet company continued to increase their investments. It is reported that the internet company participating in the investment is Tencent. (Caixin)
Cool Products
OpenDataLab to Collaborate with DingTalk to Create Enterprise-Level Parsing Tool DLU
36Kr learned that recently, OpenDataLab and DingTalk, based on MinerU, launched a document parsing tool called DLU (Document Language Understanding) for enterprise users. It is understood that the OpenDataLab platform has more than 7,700 open-source and precisely labeled datasets, and has provided over 2 million data acquisition services to more than 100,000 users.
The starting price of Huawei's triple-foldable phone, the Mate XTs Ultimate Design, is 17,999 yuan
36Kr learned that the price of Huawei's triple-foldable phone, the Mate XTs Ultimate Design, has been announced, with a starting price of 17,999 yuan.
Story Collection: "Workplace Childhood Friends"
Workplace childhood friends, also known as first - generation colleagues, refer to young people who, after graduating and entering the workplace for the first time, join the same company at the same time or work together. Perhaps because they are of similar ages and have similar experiences, they develop deep friendships while accompanying and growing with each other in the workplace.
In many people's hearts, the friendship with workplace childhood friends is as precious as that in school, and they are the eternal white moonlight in the workplace. Netizens describe it as "colleagues can't be friends, but first - generation colleagues are an exception." It's not because they are extremely close to each other, but because this relationship carries too many precious memories.
This time, the "Post - 90s and Post - 00s Research Institute" is launching a story collection about "workplace childhood friends". How long have you known your workplace childhood friend? What kind of stories have happened between you? Everyone is welcome to scan the QR code below to fill in the information. We look forward to your sharing!
Story Collection: "Workplace Childhood Friends"
Compiled | Anya