At 9:00, 1 Krypton | In the first half of this year, the average monthly salary per person of 24 banks exceeded 30,000 yuan. Russia will implement a visa-free policy for Chinese citizens. The preferential policy for children's train tickets has been further optimized, with the lowest price reaching a 40% discount off the published fare.
Today's Hotspot Guide
The official responds to the allegation that Taoli Bread's advertising copy is educating consumers.
MediaTek responds to the rumor of being acquired by NVIDIA: It's not true.
Three Chinese porcelain collections were stolen from a museum in Limoges, France.
Apple's revenue in India reaches a record high of $9 billion.
Top 3 Big News
After winning the antitrust ruling, Google CEO thanks Trump in person.
24 Banks Had an Average Monthly Salary of Over 30,000 Yuan per Employee in the First Half of the Year
With the disclosure of the semi - annual reports of A - share listed banks in 2025 completed, the salary data of about 2.6 million employees from 42 banks have come to light. Wind data shows that the average monthly salary in the banking industry in the first half of the year was 30,200 yuan, a slight year - on - year increase of 1,300 yuan.
Previously, the market often debated that the salaries of bank executives were relatively high, and the high average salary of bank employees was due to the "averaging effect". Banks have optimized the distribution structure by tilting salary resources towards grass - roots employees and strengthening salary allocation in county - level areas. The salary reform has entered the deep - water zone where both "raising the low" and "risk constraints" are equally emphasized, moving beyond just "controlling the high". A new trend of salary cuts for management has emerged. Although the semi - annual reports disclose less data on executive salaries, looking at last year's annual reports, the total salaries of the management of 33 A - share listed banks decreased year - on - year, with the maximum decline reaching 82.4%, and the "clawback" mechanism has been continuously implemented. (Yicai Global)
Putin: Russia to Waive Visa Requirements for Chinese Citizens
According to a report by TASS on September 4th, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia will implement a visa - free policy for Chinese citizens. From September 15, 2025, to September 14, 2026, China will pilot a 30 - day visa - free policy for Russian ordinary passport holders. The report said that Putin remarked, "Russia will undoubtedly respond reciprocally to this friendly gesture. We will do the same."
According to Chinese regulations, Russian ordinary passport holders coming to China for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchanges, and transit for no more than 30 days can enter China without a visa. The report also mentioned that China and Russia have implemented an agreement on mutual exemption of group tourist visas. Tour groups must be organized by travel agencies certified by both countries, with the number of people ranging from 5 to 50. (Jiemian News)
New regulations for children's train tickets released, discounted tickets available from September 6
On September 5, China State Railway Group announced that it has further optimized the ticketing discount measures for passengers such as children, disabled military personnel, disabled police officers, and disabled fire and rescue personnel. The discounted tickets will go on sale on September 6.
After this optimization and adjustment, children's discounted tickets for EMU trains enjoy corresponding fare discounts according to the seat class. For second - class and first - class seats, the fare is calculated at "50% off the applicable fare"; for special - class, preferred first - class, and business seats, the fare is calculated at "20% off the applicable fare"; for EMU sleeper seats of all classes, the fare is calculated at "30% off the applicable fare", with a minimum discount of 40% off the published fare, which will provide more convenience for family trips with children. People holding the Disabled Military Personnel Certificate of the People's Republic of China, the Disabled Police Officer Certificate of the People's Republic of China, and the Disabled Personnel Certificate of the National Comprehensive Fire and Rescue Team can purchase concession tickets. The concession fare for all seat classes of EMU trains is calculated at "50% off the applicable fare", with a minimum discount of 40% off the published fare. (People's Daily)
Large companies/ Major events
Taoli Bread's Advertising Copy Accused of "Educating" Consumers, Official Response
Recently, an elevator advertising copy of Taoli Bread has sparked controversy. Pictures circulating on social platforms show that the advertising slogan for Taoli's Egg Moon Cake product reads: "Some people say that five - kernel mooncakes are not delicious. We believe that's because you're still young and haven't experienced the hardships of life." Some netizens have complained that the advertising slogan "uses others' pain for marketing"; some netizens have expressed their confusion, saying, "Why do I have to be reminded of the hardships of life when buying mooncakes?" Others believe that Taoli Bread's marketing has "backfired" and that it is "educating" consumers.
Taoli's official response: "We apologize for this and will further improve our review mechanism. We will strive to better balance creativity and careful scrutiny while encouraging innovation to prevent similar situations from happening again." (Red Star News)
Three Chinese porcelain collections stolen from a museum in Limoges, France
According to reports from media such as France 24, the National Museum of Ceramics Adrien Dubouché in Limoges, France, confirmed that a burglary occurred at the museum in the early hours of the 4th local time, and three precious Chinese porcelain collections were stolen. According to preliminary estimates, the value of the stolen collections is about 9.5 million euros (approximately 79 million yuan).
The report quoted the museum as saying that the three stolen Chinese porcelain collections are regarded as treasures, including two "extremely important" porcelain plates dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries and a vase from the 18th century. (Global Times)
Jia Jingdong, former vice president of the vivo brand, joins Anker Innovations as CMO
According to exclusive news from Jiemian News, Jia Jingdong, the former vice president of the vivo brand and the former general manager of brand and product strategy, has joined Anker Innovations as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), which has been confirmed by Anker Innovations.
According to people familiar with the matter, Jia Jingdong joined the company last month. Jia Jingdong once led vivo's brand strategy and product planning. In June this year, vivo issued an internal announcement stating that Jia Jingdong left the company for personal reasons. (Jiemian News)
Apple services such as the App Store now officially support users to pay with Douyin Pay
On September 5th, Apple's App Store sent a message to users on that day, stating that "Douyin Pay is now supported in the App Store" and guiding users to set it up in the message. After practical operations by reporters, it was found that users can indeed bind their Douyin Pay accounts to their Apple accounts in the Apple ID settings and use Douyin Pay to make payments for services such as the App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, and Apple Care+. (Jiemian News)
Hospital Responds to the Allegation of "Fastest Female Nurse" Zhang Shuihua Being Fired or Transferred
In recent days, the incident of "fastest female nurse" Zhang Shuihua pleading for a day off after a marathon has continued to spark heated discussions. On the evening of September 4, it was rumored online that Zhang Shuihua had been fired or transferred from the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. On the morning of September 5, China Newsweek verified the information with the Human Resources Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. The staff member stated that Zhang Shuihua is still a senior nurse in the Department of General Practice at the hospital, and she has not been fired or transferred. According to a colleague of Zhang Shuihua at the hospital, a senior nurse is an intermediate - level professional title, not an administrative position. (China Newsweek)
Apple's Revenue in India Reaches a Record High, Hitting $9 Billion
On September 5th, media just reported that in the fiscal year 2024, Apple's revenue in the Indian market increased by about 13% year - on - year, rising from $8 billion a year ago to a record $9 billion (approximately 64.262 billion Chinese yuan at the current exchange rate). Among them, iPhone sales accounted for the highest proportion, and the demand for MacBook computers also increased significantly.
It's worth mentioning that Apple iPhones are subject to high tariffs in India, making their prices quite expensive. For example, the starting price of the entry - level iPhone 16 is 79,900 Indian rupees (approximately 6,474 Chinese yuan at the current exchange rate), while it is sold for $799 in the United States (approximately 5,705 Chinese yuan at the current exchange rate) and 5,999 yuan on the official Apple website in China. (IT Home)
Trump Invites Multiple Tech Company Executives to Dinner, Musk Skips Trump's Dinner
On September 4th, Trump invited multiple tech company executives, including Zuckerberg and Cook, to a dinner at the White House. Trump called on Bill Gates to speak. Bill Gates has publicly criticized Musk, and he didn't mention Musk during his speech at this dinner. Musk didn't attend this dinner. He previously said that he had received an invitation from the White House but would not attend. Musk was once a staunch ally of Trump. After their public split, they had several "verbal battles." On September 2nd, Trump said that he hoped Musk would return to the US Republican Party and hinted that the two would become allies again. (Beijing News)
Gree executives claim that they have never participated in price wars for 35 years and have always been long - term players in value wars
On September 5th, Gree Electric Appliances released a summary of its semi - annual report for 2025 last week, which showed that the company's operating revenue in the first half of the year was 97.325 billion yuan, a year - on - year decrease of 2.46%.
When talking about the slowdown in macro - consumption in the industry and the intensifying price competition, Zhu Lei, the marketing director of Gree Electric Appliances, emphasized that Gree should have perseverance: "Perseverance doesn't mean inaction, but rather not being passive, excessive, or over - spending. For 35 years, Gree has never been an impulsive participant in price wars and has always been a long - term player in value wars." (Caixin)
Samsung's prototype looks similar to iPhone 17 Pro, featuring a large horizontal matrix DECO
It is reported that a blogger posted pictures of Samsung's Galaxy S26 series prototypes on a social platform. Among them, the Galaxy S26 Edge features a large horizontal matrix DECO, and its camera module is similar to the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro, equipped with two cameras. The designs of the Galaxy S26 Pro and Galaxy S26 Ultra don't change much compared to the previous generation, both using vertical camera modules. This time, Samsung has removed the Galaxy S26 Plus. The new members of the Galaxy S26 series include the Galaxy S26 Pro, Galaxy S26 Edge, and Galaxy S26 Ultra. The new products will be launched in February next year. (Caixin Technology)
Google promises to provide $150 million in grants over the next three years to support the development of AI education and digital health
Google announced on social platform X, "On the 5th, our CEO Sundar Pichai talked about a series of initiatives we're carrying out in the United States to help students and educators receive AI training and improve relevant skills." (Sina Finance)
Morgan Stanley: Apple to Slightly Raise Prices of iPhone 17 Series
Morgan Stanley pointed out that Apple will slightly raise the prices of the iPhone 17 series at its September press conference, which is the first price increase since 2017. Morgan Stanley noted that the iPhone 17 Air will cost $100 more than the iPhone 16 Plus; the starting price of the iPhone 17 Pro will be $1,099 (256GB), and the low-capacity option will be cancelled. The new 1TB Air will be priced at $1,399. It is expected that these adjustments will increase the average selling price (ASP) in fiscal year 2026 by 5%, far higher than the market's general expectation, and it is expected that demand will not be affected. (Sina Finance)
Elon Musk's X's payment service, X Money, faces regulatory hurdles and an increase in employee turnover
According to a report in the evening of September 4th, Beijing time, Elon Musk's social media platform X's payment service, X Money, has encountered obstacles from regulatory authorities, leading to an increase in employee turnover. (Sina Finance)
Cerence AI Sues Apple for Patent Infringement
On September 4 local time, Cerence AI, a US multinational software company, issued a statement saying that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas. Cerence AI stated that the lawsuit against Apple involves several core technologies of the company, including text input and recognition, voice command monitoring and other technologies, which have been applied in Apple's products. (Jiemian News)
United Airlines Expands Winter Flight Schedule, Adds Multiple New Routes
United Airlines (hereinafter referred to as "United") announced on Thursday that it will expand its winter flight schedule and add routes to 15 cities, including Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Las Vegas. United's move aims to seize the flight market previously operated by Spirit Airlines in key regions. Just a few days ago, this pioneer in the low - cost airline industry filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in a year. (Sina Finance)
Cainiao Launches "Standard Express Line" for Small Parcels Directly from China to Multiple Southeast Asian Countries
36Kr learned that Cainiao has launched a "standard express line" for small parcels directly from China to multiple Southeast Asian countries. E-commerce express deliveries from China can reach Vietnam in as fast as 3 days, Singapore and the Philippines in 5 days, and Malaysia and Thailand in 6 days. The shipping fees are about 20% lower than the industry average.
Pop Mart: Has Completed Customs Filings in 27 Countries and Regions, and Currently Intercepted a Total of 7.91 Million Counterfeit Products
36Kr learned that Pop Mart stated that in order to improve the efficiency of global rights protection, it has completed customs filings in 27 countries and regions and gradually started to intercept infringing products through overseas customs. As of now, a total of 7.91 million counterfeit products have been intercepted, involving more than 240 batches. Customs in the UK, the Netherlands, France, Italy and other places have taken frequent actions. The customs in the Netherlands alone seized more than 260,000 counterfeit products. At the same time, Pop Mart also provided a multi - language anti - counterfeiting guide covering popular IP products such as THE MONSTERS, CRYBABY, and Xingxingren to help front - line law enforcement officers quickly identify counterfeit products.
Acquired by NVIDIA? MediaTek responds: It's not true
Regarding the acquisition rumors in the market, MediaTek has refuted them. "It's not true," MediaTek said. Previously, NVIDIA officially disclosed details of the GB10 super chip jointly developed with MediaTek, triggering speculation in the market that NVIDIA might acquire MediaTek for $73 billion. (Yicai Global)
Zhang Liang Exits as Direct Shareholder of Zhang Liang Malatang Company
36Kr learned that the Aiqicha App shows that recently, industrial and commercial changes have taken place in Zhang Liang Enterprise Management (Group) Co., Ltd., a company associated with Zhang Liang Malatang. Shanghai Yiheng Business Development Co., Ltd. and the founder Zhang Liang have exited the list of shareholders. Shanghai Yiyan Jiuding Enterprise Management Co., Ltd. under Zhang Liang's name has been added as a shareholder, achieving full - shareholding.
Google CEO Thanks Trump in Person After Winning Antitrust Ruling
At a White House technology dinner on the 4th, US President Trump congratulated Google CEO Sundar Pichai and co-founder Sergey Brin on the company's recent victory in an antitrust ruling. The market value of Google's parent company, Alphabet, increased by $230 billion this week after a US judge rejected the US Department of Justice's request for the tech giant to sell its Chrome browser and Android operating system. However, the judge ordered Google to share data with competitors to open up competition in the online search field. This ruling is a key victory for Google. (Sina Finance)
Game Science has applied for copyrights for the peripherals of the Black Myth series
36Kr learned that on September 4th, Yang Qi, the co-founder of Game Science and the art director of "Black Myth: Wukong", posted a recruitment notice on a social platform. The official offline store for Black Myth derivatives will open in Xihu District, Hangzhou. Currently, they are recruiting store clerks and store managers. According to the Aiqicha App, Hangzhou Youke Interactive Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the affiliated company of Game Science, has applied for copyrights for peripherals such as "Black Myth Wukong - Peripherals - Canvas Bag and T-shirt Series", "Black Myth Wukong - Peripherals - Plate Series", and "Black Myth Wukong - Peripherals - Canvas Bag Print and Shopping Bag Series". All the works are classified as fine arts.
Jiang Hairong, the former CMO of Honor in China, assumes the position of CEO of Deepal, and Deng Chenghao is promoted to Chairman
There has been a personnel adjustment at Deepal. Jiang Hairong, the former CMO of Honor in China, has joined and taken up the position of CEO of Deepal. Deng Chenghao, the former CEO of Deepal, has been promoted to Chairman of Deepal. Currently, the nickname and certification on Deng Chenghao's Weibo have been changed to Deng Chenghao, Chairman of Deepal. (Sina Tech)
More than 9.4 billion yuan worth of equity held by Wanda Group has been frozen
36Kr learned that according to the Aiqicha app, recently, Dalian Wanda Group Co., Ltd. has two new pieces of equity freezing information. The companies where the equity is located are Shanghai Wanda Network Financial Services Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Wanda Microfinance Co., Ltd. respectively. The total amount of frozen equity is more than 9.4 billion yuan, and the freezing period is three years for both. The enforcing courts are both the Beijing Financial Court.
HEMA Neighborhood Self-pickup Service to Cease Operations Completely on October 4
On September 4, HEMA Neighborhood Self-pickup issued a notice to users, announcing that the HEMA Neighborhood Self-pickup service and related services will completely cease operations on October 4. HEMA gift cards and HEMA points held by users can continue to be used at other HEMA stores. Public information shows that the HEMA Neighborhood Self-pickup service was launched in 2021, and at its peak, there were 1,500 stores (self-pickup points). Recently, HEMA has been making frequent store adjustments. At the end of August, all HEMA X Membership Stores were closed. HEMA said that its future development will focus on the "Freshmart + NB" business model, concentrating on key areas. HEMA Freshmart plans to open nearly 100 stores within the fiscal year and add more than 50 covered cities. By then, the number of HEMA Freshmart stores will exceed 500. (Yicai Global)
Cutting-edge AI
The Dark Side of the Moon Announces Kimi K2 Model Update: Context Length Extended to 256K
36Kr learned that on September 5th, The Dark Side of the Moon released the latest version 0905 of the Kimi K2 model, extending the context length to 256K and supporting an output speed of up to 60 - 100 Tokens/s. The K2 model in the Kimi app and web version has been fully upgraded to the latest version 0905.
Antom Launches AI Agent Payment Solution
36Kr learned that Antom, a brand under Ant International, has released an innovative AI agent payment solution. It adopts Antom's first - of - its - kind payment intention authorization model and payment security management technology, enabling agents to more accurately identify users' payment intentions and making the entire transaction process traceable and verifiable. Through the AntomEasySafePay payment plan, mobile payment transactions are made more convenient and secure. Antom can help AI agents access multiple payment methods such as credit cards, e - wallets, and bank transfers. In the Asia - Pacific region, Antom will conduct the first batch of pilot projects for agent credit card transactions with Mastercard and Visa respectively.
The world's first "one-stop" digital and intelligent life science research platform, AI4S LAB, is officially launched
36Kr learned that recently, the Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University and Baidu Smart Cloud jointly announced that the "one-stop" digital and intelligent life science research platform - AI4S LAB, which they jointly created, is officially launched. This platform deeply integrates the four major elements of computing power, data, models, and experiments, and develops a multi - agent collaborative system, bringing cloud - based scientific research experience of "AI - driven, dry - wet closed - loop, and full - chain digital intelligence" to scientific research workers.
Investment and Financing
Zhipingfang Completes 7 Rounds of Hundreds of Millions of Yuan in Financing in Half a Year
36Kr learned that Zhipingfang recently completed a new round of Series A financing. Among them, the Series A+ financing was led by Puhua Capital, and old shareholders Dunhong Assets and SDIC continued to increase their investments. In the past half a year, Zhipingfang has continuously completed 7 rounds of financing worth hundreds of millions of yuan. The funds from the Series A financing will be used for the continuous iteration of the company's core large model GOVLA and the general intelligent robot AlphaBot, the expansion of self - built production lines, and the global market expansion.
Financial Reports of Large Companies
Lululemon's net revenue in the second fiscal quarter increased by 7% year-on-year, and the gross profit margin decreased by 110 basis points to 58.5%
On September 4th local time, Canadian sports goods company Lululemon released its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2025, ending on August 3rd, 2025. In the second fiscal quarter, the company's net revenue increased by 7% year-on-year to $2.5 billion; gross profit increased by 5% year-on-year to $1.5 billion, and the gross profit margin decreased by 110 basis points to 58.5%; diluted earnings per share were $3.10, compared with $3.15 in the same period last year. (Jiemian News)
New Hope: Pig sales revenue reached 1.722 billion yuan in August, a year-on-year decrease of 30.73%
36Kr learned that New Hope announced that in August 2025, the company sold 1.3378 million pigs, a month-on-month increase of 2.71% and a year-on-year increase of 4.72%; the revenue was 1.722 billion yuan, a month-on-month decrease of 4.45% and a year-on-year decrease of 30.73%. The large year-on-year decline was due to the year-on-year decrease in the sales price.
Cool Products
Lenovo Unveils the World's First AI PC with a Vertically Rotatable Screen
36Kr learned that on September 5th, at the 2025 Lenovo Innovation World Conference, Lenovo launched the world's first AI PC with a vertically rotatable screen - the Lenovo ThinkBook VertiFlex concept machine. This product supports dual - mode switching between the traditional horizontal and vertical orientations. In the vertical display mode, smartphones can be seamlessly connected to the PC via Lenovo Smart Connect.
Compiled | xm
This article is from the WeChat official account "36Kr", and is published by 36Kr with authorization.