8:00 am, 1st Kr | Official report on the progress of the "escheatment" of the estate of a deceased single woman; Luo Yonghao said that after complaining about China Telecom, the "internet speed was so fast that it was terrifying"; The withdrawal of 2G networks has rendered some functions of electric vehicles inoperable.
Today's Hotspot Guide
- Yu Minhong responds to netizens calling him the "Apology Guy": It's normal for employees to have complaints and voice their opinions.
- The A-share dividend amount hits a record high, exceeding the total for the whole year of 2024.
- Surpassing 25 billion, 2025 becomes the year with the highest box - office of animated films in Chinese film history.
- "Investment gold" is taken off the shelves in Shenzhen Shuibei.
- On the first day of the closed - border policy, Sanya's duty - free sales reach 118 million yuan.
Top 3 Big News
Official update on the progress of the estate of a single woman's passing "reverting to the state": The estate will be disposed of through legal procedures
Ms. Jiang, a 46-year-old woman from Shanghai, passed away recently. Without a spouse or children, and with her parents having passed away early, she lived alone. Her passing has drawn public attention to issues such as intended guardianship and wills. The official Weibo account of Hongkou District in Shanghai announced on the 21st that the relevant follow-up work is progressing steadily, with full efforts being made to safeguard the dignity of the deceased and protect the relevant rights and interests.
It is understood that the neighborhood committee where Ms. Jiang lived has contacted her former employer and distant relatives. Based on full consultations with relevant parties, the neighborhood committee will make proper arrangements. It is expected that a farewell ceremony will be held before the end of December to see the deceased off for the last time.
In terms of estate disposal, after preliminary verification, there are currently no legal heirs for Ms. Jiang. On December 22, the neighborhood committee will apply to the court to confirm the estate administrator. The court has stated that it will open a green channel to ensure that the case is accepted and filed on the same day. If the district civil affairs bureau is subsequently appointed as the estate administrator, it will legally inventory the estate, handle debts and claims. After going through legal procedures, the remaining property will be used for public welfare undertakings such as poverty alleviation, allowing kindness to be carried forward. (Jimu News)
Luoyonghao Responds to Complaints about Telecom Internet Speed: A Customer Service Representative Came the Next Day, and the Internet Speed Is So Fast That It's Scary
On December 21st, Luoyonghao responded to the online rumor of "seeking rights through public opinion." He stated that the relevant content was only posted on his WeChat Moments and not on public social platforms.
Luoyonghao said bluntly that his original intention was just to get normal internet speed after paying. He only chose to speak out because the problem had not been solved for a long time, not what was called "crying and complaining to seek rights." He also complained that some people may lose their judgment because they don't like others' styles.
Luoyonghao revealed that he received feedback on the day he posted the Moments, and a customer service representative contacted him the next day to handle the problem. "The current internet speed is so fast that it's a bit scary." He sighed that only when ordinary netizens can get such efficient service from customer service can it be regarded as the real "original intention." In addition, Luoyonghao mentioned that his next target to help seek rights is Daikin. (Cover News)
2G Network Shutdown Causes Some Electric Vehicle Functions to Become Inoperable
With the network upgrade, the "2G network" is gradually being phased out, and early smart electric vehicles that rely on this network are facing a "disconnection" crisis. Among the approximately 380 million electric bicycles in the country, the smart services of many models have been interrupted. Moreover, after some consumers contacted the enterprises or merchants, they found that to restore the functions, they were required to pay hundreds of yuan out of their own pockets to replace the equipment.
Different manufacturers have different attitudes towards this: some brands have actively announced that they will provide free upgrades for some users; some have proposed to "split the cost" with consumers; and others have directly passed the entire cost on to the vehicle owners. (Red Star News)
Big Companies/Big Events
LeLeTea Apologizes: Checks the Production of Apple Candy Series in All Stores Nationwide, and Immediately Removes Non - compliant Products from Shelves
36Kr learned that LeLeTea issued an apology statement: On the morning of December 19th, we successively received feedback from customers of multiple stores and online platforms, mainly focusing on the following issues: 1. The apples in the cups were not coated with sugar; 2. There was too little sugar coating, and the apples were prone to oxidation; 3. The sugar coating was too thick, resulting in a sticky taste; 4. The temperature of the syrup was too high, causing the apples to darken in color; 5. The top decorations were missing or not placed in a standard manner. After receiving the feedback, we immediately conducted a comprehensive check on the production of the apple candy series in all stores nationwide. Non - compliant products have been immediately removed from shelves, and the relevant stores have been ordered to make immediate rectifications. Stores with seriously non - compliant production have been severely punished. Currently, the apple candy series in all stores nationwide are being gradually restocked.
Yu Minhong Responds to Netizens Calling Him the "Apology Guy": It's Normal for Employees to Have Complaints
On December 21st, Yu Minhong, the founder of New Oriental, stated that he would issue an apology statement for his personal shortcomings, which is why he is now referred to as the "Apology Guy" on the internet. He said that it's normal for employees to have complaints. Later, New Oriental established a labor relations committee composed of employees, external individuals, and former employees, providing a channel for employees to voice their complaints. (China News Service)
The dividend amount of A-shares has reached a record high, exceeding the total for the whole year of 2024
In recent years, the willingness of A-share listed companies to pay dividends has significantly increased, and the market's dividend ecosystem has been continuously optimized, showing a trend of year-on-year increases in the total dividend amount, the proportion of companies participating in dividend distribution, and the number of companies paying dividends multiple times within a year. According to Choice data statistics, as of the time of publication, calculated based on the record date, the total cash dividends of A-share listed companies since the beginning of this year have reached 2.61 trillion yuan, exceeding the total for the whole year of 2024 and hitting a record high. (21st Century Business Herald)
Compensation Plan Ruling Finalized: Elon Musk Becomes the World's First Person with a Net Worth Exceeding $700 Billion
According to the Forbes Billionaires Index, after the Delaware Supreme Court reinstated Tesla's $139 billion stock options that were invalidated last year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk's net worth soared to $749 billion on Friday night. (Sina Finance)
Surpassing 25 billion, 2025 becomes the year with the highest box - office of animated films in Chinese film history
36Kr learned that according to data from online platforms, the annual box - office of animated films in 2025 exceeded 25 billion, making it the year with the highest box - office of animated films in Chinese film history. "Ne Zha: Rebirth of the Demon Child", "Zootopia 2", and "The Little Monster from Langlang Mountain" ranked among the top three on the 2025 animated film box - office list respectively.
"Investment Gold" Removed from Shenzhen Shuibei Market
On November 1st, the Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration issued the "Announcement on Tax Policies Related to Gold", clarifying the tax policies related to gold. More than a month and a half has passed since the implementation of the new policy, and the price system in the Shenzhen Shuibei market has quietly changed. Previously, after the release of the new gold tax policy, the large price display screens in the major trading centers of the Shuibei market would show the prices of "investment gold" and "jewelry gold" respectively. However, recently, some Shuibei merchants have posted on social media accounts such as WeChat Moments, indicating that market management has become stricter and there is no longer any "investment gold" in the Shuibei market. Recently, reporters visited the Shuibei market and found that both the offline large screens and the online mini-programs have quietly removed the mention of "investment gold". (Securities Times)
Mixue Enters the American Market, with the First U.S. Store Selling Ice Cream for Only $1.19
On December 20th, Mixue's Hollywood store in Los Angeles officially opened for business. The menu information of the store shows that the signature ice cream is priced at $1.19, the fresh ice lemonade at $1.99, the latte at $2.99, and the pearl milk tea starts at $3.99. The overall product price range is between $1.19 and $4.99, significantly lower than the product pricing of local similar brands. (Sina Finance)
On the First Day of the Customs Closure, Sanya's Duty-Free Sales Reached 118 Million Yuan
On December 18th, the full - scale customs closure operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port was officially launched. On that day, Sanya's duty - free sales achieved remarkable results. According to the statistics of the Sanya Municipal Bureau of Commerce, the city's duty - free sales reached 118 million yuan. Among them, the number of visitors to the Sanya International Duty - Free City exceeded 36,000, a year - on - year increase of more than 60%; the sales volume increased by 85% year - on - year, which intuitively reflects the strong driving effect of the customs closure policy on the consumer market. (Wall Street News)
6 Humanoid Robots Appeared on Wang Leehom's Concert Stage, Thanking Elon Musk for His Like
Recently, at Wang Leehom's concert in Chengdu, 6 domestic humanoid robots from Unitree Technology took the stage, completing the world's first group dance debut by a robot group.
On - site, the 6 robots' movements were exactly the same as those of Wang Leehom and the human backup dancer team, including complex movements such as arm - waving, leg - tapping, turning and jumping, precisely replicating the choreography. This performance also became an instant hit. Elon Musk reposted and liked it on the social platform, captioned with "Impressive".
At the third show of his concert tour in Chengdu, Wang Leehom responded to Elon Musk's like, saying, "The competition is fierce! Let's keep it up!" Besides the on - site response, Wang Leehom also posted on the social platform, expressing his gratitude for Elon Musk's like. (Kuaikeji)
A survey by the Japanese Cabinet Office shows that over 70% of respondents believe the price situation has deteriorated
An annual survey released by the Japanese Cabinet Office on December 19th (local time) shows that over 70% of respondents believe the situation in the price field has deteriorated. The survey results show that when asked about which areas of society have seen a deterioration in the situation, 73% of respondents cited prices, the highest proportion, and also the highest value since the survey on this issue began in 1998. 52% of respondents believe it is the Japanese economic situation, and 41% believe it is the Japanese national finance, ranking second and third in proportion respectively. (CCTV News)
Federal Reserve's Hammack: Putting Rate Cuts on Hold Is My Current Baseline Forecast
Beth Hammack, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, said that monetary policy is currently at a good level, and rate cuts can be put on hold to assess the impact of the cumulative 75 - basis - point rate cuts on the economy. Hammack said that she would not overemphasize any single economic report and hopes to take time to observe the broader economic situation before the next meeting. (Cailian Press)
Large-scale Power Outage in San Francisco, USA, Affects Over 120,000 Residents
On December 20th local time, the city of San Francisco in California, USA, experienced a widespread power outage, affecting approximately 125,000 residents. Pacific Gas and Electric Company stated that the power outage affected a significant portion of the city. The San Francisco Emergency Management Department issued a notice on social media, urging residents to call 911 only in life-threatening emergencies. At the same time, residents were advised to avoid non-essential travel, treat malfunctioning traffic lights as four-way stops, and try to turn off large electrical appliances and keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed to prevent the risk of power surges when the power is restored. (CCTV News)
US Aircraft Successfully Launched, Carrying a "Wheelchair User" into Space
On the 20th, the "New Shepard" aircraft of Blue Origin, a US company, sent six crew members into space during a manned spaceflight. Among them was a paraplegic woman, who became the first "wheelchair user" to enter space. At around 8:16 a.m. Central Time in the United States on the 20th (around 10:16 p.m. Beijing Time on the 20th), the "New Shepard" aircraft took off from a launch site in western Texas. After reaching the Earth's sub - orbit about 100 kilometers above the ground, it separated from the carrier rocket. After flying autonomously for several minutes, it returned to the ground under the buffer of a parachute. The entire flight lasted about 10 minutes. (Xinhua News Agency)
Going Public in Progress
Zejing Pharmaceutical
36Kr learned that Zejing Pharmaceutical announced that on December 19, 2025, the company submitted an application to The Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited for the issuance of H-shares and listing on the Main Board of The Hong Kong Stock Exchange. On the same day, it published the application materials for this issuance and listing on the website of The Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The application materials are in draft form, and the information contained therein may be updated and revised from time to time. The issuance targets for this issuance and listing will be limited to overseas investors who meet the relevant conditions and qualified domestic investors. The company will not publish the application materials on the websites of domestic securities exchanges or in the media that meet the conditions stipulated by the regulatory authorities. The company's issuance and listing this time still require the filing, approval, or verification of relevant government agencies, regulatory authorities, and securities exchanges, and there is still uncertainty about this matter.
Shenzhen Huada Beidou Technology Co., Ltd.
36Kr learned that documents from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange show that Shenzhen Huada Beidou Technology Co., Ltd. has submitted a listing application to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The joint sponsors are China Merchants Bank International and Ping An Securities (Hong Kong).
The Cutting - Edge of AI
WTO Report: AI May Boost Global Trade by Nearly 40% by 2040
The World Trade Organization's "World Trade Report 2025" states that with appropriate supporting policies in place, artificial intelligence is expected to increase cross - border trade in goods and services by 34% to 37% and global GDP by 12% to 13% by 2040 through improving productivity and reducing trade costs. The report emphasizes the need to bridge the digital infrastructure gap, strengthen skills training, and maintain an open and predictable trade environment to ensure more inclusive growth. WTO Director - General Ngozi Okonjo - Iweala said that trade can play a key role in making AI "benefit all economies." (Xinhua News Agency)
Compiled by | Yuting He