8:00 am, 1st Kr. | Senior Apple executives are accelerating their departures; Five million-yuan anti-cancer drugs are included in the first edition of the commercial insurance catalog; 12306 responds to the issue of non-raised Braille on high-speed trains.
Today's Hotspot Guide
- Due to storage costs, PC manufacturers such as Lenovo, Dell, and HP plan to raise prices.
- Yu Minhong responds to employees' letters complaining about overtime work.
- Hubei announces a search for the original owners of 1.9 million virtual coins.
- The central bank has increased its gold holdings for the 13th consecutive month.
- Chen Zhen announces to stop updating and reflect: The team will be retained, and the company will try its best to maintain operations.
Top 3 Big News
Apple Witnesses an Exodus of Current Executives
The latest scoop in the early hours of December 7th reveals that Apple, an American company that will reach the milestone of its 50th founding anniversary in half a year, is facing the most severe personnel upheaval in the "post - Jobs era": senior executives are leaving at an accelerated pace for various reasons, and the poor progress in the AI field is also causing a large number of young engineers to jump ship.
Mark Gurman, a well - known Apple insider, summarized that just in the past week, Apple's head of artificial intelligence and head of interface design resigned one after another. Subsequently, the company also announced that the general counsel and head of government affairs would also leave. These four executives all reported directly to CEO Tim Cook, marking a rare top - level shake - up at the consumer electronics giant in the past decade or so. The reason behind this is not hard to explain: Apple's management is known for its high - level stability. After more than a decade of stability, these veteran executives are either in their sixties or approaching this age. Gurman also revealed that Johnny Srouji, the senior vice - president of hardware technology in charge of Apple's self - developed chips, recently told Cook that he is seriously considering leaving in the near future. Srouji has also told his colleagues that if he finally decides to leave, he intends to switch to another company. (Caixin Press)
Five Million-Dollar Anti-Cancer Injections Included in the First Edition of the Commercial Insurance Catalog
On December 7th, the 2025 Conference on High-Quality Development of Innovative Drugs was held in Guangzhou. At the conference, the 2025 "National Essential Medical Insurance, Maternity Insurance and Work-Related Injury Insurance Drug Catalog" and the first edition of the "Commercial Health Insurance Innovative Drug Catalog" will be released. It is understood that 114 new drugs have been added in this catalog adjustment, among which 50 are Class 1 innovative drugs, including popular drugs such as Tirzepatide and the domestic ADC (antibody-drug conjugate) Lulizumab. The commercial insurance innovative drug catalog covers 5 domestic anti-cancer CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell immunotherapy) cell drugs, 2 imported Alzheimer's disease drugs and rare disease drugs. It is reported that if the CAR-T therapy is paid for out of pocket, the single treatment cost exceeds one million yuan. (Daily Economic News)
12306 Responds to Non - Raised Braille on High - speed Trains: Staff Can Provide Assistance to Visually Impaired People
On December 6th, a netizen posted a video on a social media account, claiming that on a high - speed train, the Braille on a signboard providing convenience for the disabled had no protrusions and could not be felt by touch. Some netizens commented that it was just for show.
On the morning of December 7th, a reporter contacted 12306 for inquiries. A customer service staff member told the reporter that the location of the special area for disabled people on high - speed trains or bullet trains is not fixed. The customer service staff member said, "The special area for disabled people may be larger in space, which is convenient for storing assistive devices of disabled people." The staff member also introduced, "If visually impaired people need help when boarding the train, station staff will guide and assist them in boarding and help them find their seats. There will be staff to help them from entering the station and boarding the train to being on the train." (Jimu News)
Big Companies/Big Events
Hubei Announces Search for the Original Owners of 1.9 Million Virtual Coins: Worth 13 Million Yuan, to Be Turned Over to the State Treasury Legally if Unclaimed After 6 Months
According to the Jiayu Public Security Bureau, on December 5th, the Jiayu Public Security Bureau issued an announcement to search for the original owners of a batch of virtual currencies involved in a blackmail case. There are approximately 1.9 million USDT coins in the virtual currency wallet. According to the latest market settlement data, it is worth approximately 13.566 million RMB. As a reminder, virtual currencies cannot be used as currency in circulation within China, and China's financial regulatory authorities have not approved any tokenization activities of real - world assets. Relevant institutions are not allowed to carry out businesses related to virtual currencies and real - world asset tokens. The public should be highly vigilant and refrain from participating in activities related to virtual currencies and real - world asset tokens, as well as illegal fundraising and illegal securities issuance activities carried out under the guise of virtual currency "mining" to protect their own "wallets".
Hangzhou Normal University Responds to the Copying of a List of Names in a Public Welfare Project
Recently, media reported that in the "Colorful Teaching in Chun'an" project funded by the Welfare Lottery Public Welfare Fund announced by the School of Humanities of Hangzhou Normal University in November 2022, many names on the list of beneficiaries of the online courses were taken from the "List of 10,000 Common Chinese Names".
On December 6th, Hangzhou Normal University issued a notice stating that this project was a project funded by the Zhejiang Provincial Welfare Lottery Public Welfare Fund in 2022 and was applied for by the Alumni Association of Hangzhou Normal University, with a total budget of 450,000 yuan. There was no direct cash distribution of the project funds. The actual beneficiaries of the in - kind assistance such as school supplies and books, as well as the online and offline courses, were students from two mountain primary schools in Chun'an County. The notice also stated that during the specific implementation of the project, the staff did not carefully follow the work regulations and failed to keep real - time statistics of the actual list of students in the online courses. During the project acceptance, in order to meet the requirement of the number of beneficiaries stated in the project application, the staff resorted to fraud and simply used an online list for seven rounds of public announcements, resulting in an inaccurate list. (The Paper)
China's Central Bank Increases Gold Holdings for the 13th Consecutive Month
On December 7th, data released by China's central bank showed that China's foreign exchange reserves at the end of November were $3.346372 trillion, compared with $3.343343 trillion at the end of October. China's gold reserves at the end of November stood at 74.12 million ounces (about 2,305.39 tons), an increase of 30,000 ounces (about 0.93 tons) from the previous month, marking the 13th consecutive month of increasing gold holdings. (Jiemian News)
CSRC Chairman Wu Qing: Securities firms can moderately increase leverage
Wu Qing, Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), mentioned during his speech at the 8th Member Congress of the Securities Association of China on December 6 that during the 15th Five - Year Plan period, the securities industry will shoulder four major missions, including serving the real economy, assisting residents in optimizing asset allocation, supporting the construction of a financial powerhouse, and promoting high - level opening - up. Wu Qing said that at the regulatory level, classified supervision will be strengthened. For high - quality institutions, evaluation indicators will be optimized, the capital space and leverage ceiling will be moderately expanded, and the efficiency of capital utilization will be improved; for small and medium - sized institutions and foreign - funded institutions, differentiated regulatory policies will be explored to promote characteristic development; for problem institutions, strict supervision will be carried out in accordance with the law.
Wang Chuanfu: BYD will never belittle others
On December 5th, BYD held an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders in Pingshan, Shenzhen. At the meeting, some shareholders mentioned that the company had been maliciously slandered and attacked in recent years. Wang Chuanfu stated that as the industry leader, BYD adheres to the principle of not belittling its peers. Although it may lose market share in the short term, it can gain long - term reputation and the recognition of the country and the industry. "The leading enterprises should bear the grievances, and the country also hopes that we can take the lead," Wang Chuanfu revealed that after repeated discussions within the company, although BYD may lose the performance growth for one or two quarters, it can gain long - term reputation. "We can be bullied, but we can't bully others," Wang Chuanfu sighed. BYD will always adhere to the principle of not belittling others, use technology to impress consumers, and become an example for the industry. (Yicai Global)
Baidu Issues a Clarification Announcement
Baidu Group announced in its Hong Kong - listed shares that the company has noted that on December 5, 2025, some media reported that the company intends to spin - off its non - wholly - owned subsidiary, Kunlunxin (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd., for an independent listing. The company clarifies that it is currently evaluating the proposed spin - off and listing. If the spin - off and listing proceed, they will be subject to relevant regulatory approval procedures, and the company does not guarantee that the spin - off and listing will take place. (Cailian Press)
Yu Minhong Responds to Employees' Letter Complaining about Overtime: Has Asked Relevant Departments to Conduct a Serious Investigation and Listen to Employees' Demands
36Kr learned that Yu Minhong, the chairman of New Oriental Group, posted on social media: The Antarctic incident and the public letter from New Oriental employees have repeatedly pushed me and New Oriental onto the hot search. Some friends are worried that the employees who wrote the letter will be harassed. Please rest assured that they are all working normally in their respective positions. Regarding the problems they raised, I have asked the relevant departments to conduct a serious investigation and listen to the employees' demands. If there are indeed problems, they will be corrected immediately.
Wuliangye Responds to "First Price Cut in 10 Years": It's an Increase in Channel Support Policies
On December 5th, market news reported that Wuliangye will adjust the price of the eighth - generation Wuliangye starting next year. While keeping the payment price of 1,019 yuan per bottle unchanged, it will offer a payment discount of 119 yuan per bottle, meaning the invoiced price will be 900 yuan per bottle. According to China Newsweek, some industry insiders said that if the manufacturer's subsidies are included, the price could drop to over 800 yuan per bottle.
In response, reporters verified the information with Wuliangye. The response they received was that currently, it's not an adjustment of the payment price, but an increase in the intensity of support policies for channels. (21st Century Business Herald)
Affected by storage costs, computer manufacturers such as Lenovo, Dell, and HP plan to raise prices, with a maximum increase of up to 20%
As the wave of rising storage prices continues to intensify, after mobile phone manufacturers, PC and laptop manufacturers are also beginning to feel the pressure. According to reports from multiple media outlets, Lenovo, Dell, HP, etc. all plan to raise prices, with a maximum increase of up to 20%. Among them, Lenovo has started to notify customers of the upcoming price increase adjustment. The current quotes for all servers and computers will expire on January 1, 2026, and the new quotes will see a significant price increase at that time. (STAR Market Daily)
SpaceX Aims for a Valuation of $5.7 Trillion, Musk Responds Late at Night
Elon Musk, the world's richest man, posted a message in the early hours of December 7th Beijing time, saying that the news that SpaceX is seeking to raise funds at a valuation of $800 billion (about 5.7 trillion yuan) "is not accurate." Musk stated that SpaceX has been a company with positive cash flow for many years. It conducts stock buybacks twice a year to provide liquidity for employees and investors. The increase in valuation depends on the progress of Starship and Starlink.
Musk further said that there is something more important than the $800 billion valuation. He wrote, "I personally have great respect for NASA, but their share of our total revenue next year will not exceed 5%. The commercialized Starlink remains the largest contributor to our revenue. Some outside claims that SpaceX was 'subsidized' by NASA are completely wrong." Currently, Musk has not responded to the matter of "SpaceX aiming for an IPO next year." (Cailian Press)
Pop singer Justin Bieber lashes out at Apple. Head of rival OpenAI: You're officially invited to our weekly design review meeting
On December 7th, according to foreign media BUSINESS INSIDER, Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber recently lashed out at Apple over the voice input function on iPhones, and his related remarks have sparked heated discussions on social media. On December 5th, Bieber posted on social media to vent his dissatisfaction with the function. The voice input button he referred to is a voice - to - text function on iPhones that users often accidentally touch. Bieber wrote in the post, "Even if I turn off the voice input, I always accidentally trigger the voice memo function. The send button shouldn't have multiple functions in the same position." He also attached a screenshot of the iMessage interface, specifically marking the voice input function. Bieber's post received thousands of supportive comments and also caught the attention of Ian Silber, the head of product design at OpenAI, a competitor of Apple. Silber invited Justin, saying, "You're officially invited to our weekly design review meeting." (Global Technology Network)
Hundreds of Porsches Suddenly Locked in Russia
Recently, hundreds of Porsche cars in Russia suddenly failed to start. This problem is particularly serious in cities such as Moscow and Krasnodar. It is said that the problem with these vehicles is either sudden engine shutdown or sudden interruption of fuel supply. Porsche said that the problem lies in the safety system installed in the vehicles at the factory. It is reported that the faulty component is the VTS module, which can locate the vehicle via satellite and lock it when necessary. To unlock the vehicle, the control unit of the vehicle's anti - theft system must be removed and the in - vehicle system must be restarted.
Automobile experts speculate that this fault is caused by a large European telecommunications network operator deploying artificial intelligence in its infrastructure. Some experts explained that this deployment led to incorrect satellite positioning signals. The in - vehicle system judged that the vehicle was at risk of being stolen, so it entered the anti - theft mode and locked the car. (Reference News)
Doubao Mobile Assistant: Unable to directly query bank card balance, user authorization and manual confirmation are required
36Kr learned that on December 6th, Doubao Mobile Assistant issued a statement saying that the online rumor claiming that "Doubao Mobile Assistant can directly query bank card balances and read user information without authentication" is false. Doubao Mobile Assistant stated that it only helps users query bank card balances upon users' request and authorization. Since this involves sensitive operations, users need to manually confirm. In addition, during the process of user authorization, Doubao Mobile Assistant does not have the system permission to directly skip authentication steps such as password input and face recognition. Users still need to manually complete real - person verification and password input as required by the bank's App during the query process.
Microsoft Shareholders Approve $96.5 Million Pay Package for CEO Nadella
On December 5th local time, Microsoft voted to approve all the proposals supported by the company, including the election of 12 directors and the 2026 stock plan. It is reported that the compensation of Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella has been increased from $79.1 million last year to $96.5 million, and the nomination of John David Rainey, the Chief Financial Officer of Walmart, to the Microsoft board of directors has also been approved. (Jiemian News)
Chen Zhen Announces Halt to Updates for Reflection: Team to Be Retained, Company to Do Its Best to Keep Operating
On December 7th, Chen Zhen posted a message on his WeChat Moments. He said that the overseas accounts had stopped updating and he would no longer publish any content. He also stated that the team would be retained in the future, and the company would do its best to keep operating. He would properly handle existing matters and assume the due responsibilities within his capabilities. "Next, I will suspend all external expressions, slow down, reflect calmly, figure out the previously ignored issues, and seriously think about the company's future development direction."
Recently, the Third Inspection Bureau of the Beijing Municipal Taxation Bureau of the State Taxation Administration has investigated and dealt with the case of tax evasion by Chen Zhen, an online car reviewer, in accordance with the law. After investigation, from 2021 to 2023, Chen Zhen evaded personal income tax by concealing income, changing the nature of income, and making false declarations, with a total of 1.1867 million yuan less paid. The tax bureau has made a decision on handling and punishment, including recovering the tax, adding late - payment fines, and imposing a fine, totaling 2.4748 million yuan. (Electric Vehicle World)
Greater Bay Area University Officially Established
Greater Bay Area University held its inauguration ceremony at the Songshan Lake Campus on December 6, marking the official establishment of this new research - oriented university focusing on science and engineering. Tian Gang, the founding president of the university and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stated that the university is positioned as a "science - and - engineering - focused, small - scale, high - level research - oriented" institution. Based on the advantages and development needs of relevant fields in the Greater Bay Area, it focuses on six fields, including material science, advanced engineering, life science, information science and technology, natural sciences, and financial management, to cultivate high - quality research - oriented talents with the ability to solve complex problems and engage in innovative practices. (Nanfang Plus)
The Cutting - Edge of AI
Meta Acquires AI Wearable Company Limitless
On December 5th local time, Limitless, a startup in the field of artificial intelligence wearables, announced that it has been acquired by Meta. Limitless manufactures a small AI-powered pendant that can perform tasks such as recording conversations and generating summaries. (Jiemian News)
Investment and Financing
Cristiano Ronaldo Invests in Perplexity AI
It is reported that football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has purchased shares in Perplexity AI. On December 4th local time, Perplexity AI issued a statement announcing a global partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo. In addition, Perplexity AI has launched a "Cristiano Ronaldo Interactive Zone" within its search engine, allowing fans to ask questions in real-time and generate personalized content. The statement did not disclose the specific investment scale or financial terms. (Jiemian News)
Cool Products
Meta Delays Release of Phoenix Mixed Reality Glasses to 2027, Aims to "Perfect the Details"
Meta has postponed the release of its mixed reality glasses codenamed "Phoenix" to 2027 in order to "perfect the details." An internal memo stated that the company needs "breathing room" as it hopes to launch a "fully polished" device. Meanwhile, Meta is also developing the next - generation Quest headset and a wearable device codenamed "Malibu 2." (Sina Finance)
Tencent Hunyuan 2.0 Launched
36Kr learned that on December 5th, Tencent Hunyuan announced the official release of the latest versions of its language models, Tencent HY 2.0 Think and Tencent HY 2.0 Instruct. HY 2.0 adopts a Mixture of Experts (MoE) architecture, with a total of 406 billion parameters and 32 billion active parameters, and supports a 256K context window. Compared with the previous version (Hunyuan - T1 - 20250822), HY 2.0 Think has significantly improved the pre - training data and reinforcement learning strategies.
Compiled | Chi Yu