8:00 AM 36Kr Flash News: Meta Acquires Manus, WeChat Addresses Decade-Long Installation Package Swelling, Shanghai Anti-drug Office Responds to Ba Wang Cha Ji Caffeine Controversy

WeChat responds to the expansion of the installation package: The growth in size is due to rich features, but continuous optimization is underway.

Today's Hot News Guide

Huayi Brothers, Wang Zhonglei, and Wang Zhongjun are restricted from high - end consumption, involved in an enforcement case worth 74.73 million yuan.

BYD refutes the rumor of launching flying cars.

A Mercedes - Benz executive responds to the out - of - control incident during the Maybach ice and snow test.

Qixian Xiaochu launches a national recruitment for business partners, planning to cover all first - and second - tier cities by 2026.

Filmora will raise the prices of some memory cards.

Top 3 Big News

WeChat Responds: The Installation Package Has Grown Hundreds of Times in Over a Decade, but It Won't Increase Indefinitely

36Kr learned that on December 29th, WeChat's official account "WeChat Moment" published an article responding to several misunderstandings about WeChat's storage space usage. Among numerous issues, the fact that WeChat's installation package has grown hundreds of times in over a decade has been the most criticized. In response, WeChat stated that this is an objective situation. To meet user needs, WeChat has provided more and more rich features. The codes, logic, and resources it needs, such as pictures and emoticons, will objectively lead to an increase in the installation package size. However, the installation package won't increase indefinitely, and WeChat is continuously optimizing. The size of the installation package for the latest Android version of WeChat has also been continuously decreasing.

Shanghai Anti - drug Office Responds to the Caffeine Controversy of Ba Wang Cha Ji: It's Nonsense to Talk about Toxicity without Considering the Dosage

Recently, the issue of caffeine content in Ba Wang Cha Ji has attracted attention. Some netizens questioned that "it's playing on the fringes of quasi - drugs." On December 27th, Shanghai Anti - drug issued an article to popularize knowledge, stating that caffeine is a natural alkaloid that naturally exists in tea leaves. Tea plants "produce" caffeine to resist pests and help them survive in nature. All real teas (including black tea, green tea, oolong tea, white tea, etc.) contain caffeine, and only a few pure herbal teas (such as rose tea and chrysanthemum tea) do not. Therefore, when some netizens mentioned that "drinking milk tea can refresh the mind," it is indeed caffeine that is helping. Moderate intake of caffeine can refresh the mind, but excessive or long - term large - scale intake can make people become dependent. Without it, one may experience headaches, fatigue, irritability, drowsiness... This is actually a mild form of addiction, which is called caffeine dependence in medicine. If caffeine is extracted separately and produced, transported, and sold not for the purpose of consumption, it becomes an out - and - out drug.

Shanghai Anti - drug stated that it's nonsense to talk about toxicity without considering the dosage. Currently, there are strict additive standards for caffeine beverages on the market. Taking Ba Wang Cha Ji as an example again, by calculating the caffeine content of its products through the mini - program, it can be found that they are all within the qualified range. Regarding the rumor of "comparing milk tea to quasi - drugs," please don't believe it! But don't relax your vigilance against drugs either. (Beijing Daily)

Meta Announces Acquisition of AI Agent Company Manus, Founder Xiao Hong to Serve as Meta Vice President

36Kr learned that Meta has announced the acquisition of AI agent company Manus to accelerate artificial intelligence innovation. The specific terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. According to LatePost, before the acquisition by Meta, Manus was seeking a new round of financing at a valuation of $2 billion. After the acquisition is completed, founder Xiao Hong will serve as Meta's vice president.

Large Companies/Major Events

Zhipu: Plans to Globally Offer 37.4195 Million H-Shares at an Offer Price of HK$116.20

36Kr learned that on the morning of December 30th, Zhipu announced on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that the company plans to globally offer 37,419,500 H-shares, including 1,871,000 H-shares for Hong Kong offer and 35,548,500 H-shares for international offer. There is also an over-allotment option of 15%. The offer price is HK$116.20 per share. It is expected that the shares will start trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on January 8th, 2026.

Huayi Brothers, Wang Zhonglei, and Wang Zhongjun Are Restricted from High - end Consumption, Involved in an Enforcement Case Worth 74.73 Million Yuan

Recently, Huayi Brothers Film Co., Ltd., Huayi Brothers Media Corporation (300027.SZ), and the legal representatives of the two companies, Wang Zhonglei and Wang Zhongjun, have been restricted from high - end consumption. The enforcement case involves 74.73 million yuan, and the enforcing court is the People's Court of Chaoyang District, Beijing.

Public information shows that the total amount involved in litigation and arbitration cases of Huayi Brothers that have occurred within twelve consecutive months is approximately 111 million yuan, accounting for 30.71% of the absolute value of the company's latest audited net assets.

Previously, Wang Zhongjun had already been restricted from high - end consumption. On December 10, 2025, Wang Zhongjun was applied by Beijing Tairuifeike Technology Co., Ltd. to be restricted from high - end consumption due to a dispute over an advertising contract. (Blue Whale News)

BYD Denies Rumors of Launching Flying Cars

36Kr learned that Li Yunfei, the general manager of BYD Group's brand and public relations department, posted on Weibo, saying, "There is a rumor that 'BYD will launch flying cars'. Many friends have sent messages to inquire. Here is a unified response: This information is false! We don't have such plans or arrangements."

Chen Rui Resigns from Positions at Bilibili Esports Company

Recently, industrial and commercial changes have taken place in Shanghai Bilibili Esports Information Technology Co., Ltd. Chen Youyou, Xu Yi, Chen Guangyao and others have withdrawn from the shareholder list. Chen Rui has resigned as the financial officer, and Chen Jiarui has taken over. At the same time, the registered capital has been reduced from about 1.55 million yuan to 1.18 million yuan. The change record shows that in March this year, Chen Rui resigned as the legal representative of the company. Recently, Chen Rui has resigned from positions at companies such as Shanghai Bilibili Technology Co., Ltd. and Doraemon B Dream (Shanghai) Culture Communication Co., Ltd. (Cover News)

Hua Shan, the chairman of Hua & Hua, posted a video of himself cleaning the toilet, saying it is the highest privilege in the company

On December 29th, Hua Shan, the chairman of Hua & Hua, posted a video of himself cleaning the toilet and stated that cleaning the toilet is the highest privilege in Hua & Hua, jointly held by Chairman Hua Shan and General Manager Xiao Zheng. Hua Shan said that the early morning cleaning every Monday is a corporate cultural ritual of Hua & Hua's "Genba Genbutsu Genjitsu" principle and the pursuit of thoroughness in everything. It is the foundation of 5S management and also the cornerstone of the company's sustainable development and profitability. (Red Star News)

Yingshi Jufeng to Raise Prices of Some Memory Cards

36Kr learned that on December 29th, Yingshi Jufeng issued a price adjustment notice: Due to the cost increase caused by the global supply chain shortage of core raw material chips, in order to maintain a continuous and stable product supply, starting from 12:00 on January 5th, 2026, the prices of the affected memory card models will be raised.

Sun Dongxu Steps Down from His Position at Dongfang Zhenxuan Zhuhai Tourism and Culture Company, Yu Minhong Takes Over

36Kr learned that according to the AiQicha App, on December 26th, there was an industrial and commercial change in Dongfang Zhenxuan (Zhuhai) Tourism and Culture Co., Ltd. Sun Dongxu stepped down as the legal representative and executive director, and Yu Minhong took over as the legal representative and serves as the manager and the director in charge of company affairs.

Mercedes-Benz Executive Responds to Maybach Losing Control During Ice and Snow Testing

On December 28th, Duan Jianjun, an executive of Mercedes-Benz, said at an event, "As for the Maybach S-Class sedan, we've also conducted tests. Only when the steering wheel is deliberately turned at a larger angle and the steering wheel return is deliberately delayed and other such actions are taken, will the so - called deliberate scenarios shown in some chaotic videos appear. Recently, relevant national departments have been calling for an end to the rat - race from a policy perspective and have introduced relevant policies against malicious marketing... Whether on ice, snow, or even on a road surface with two different conditions on the left and right, you can even turn off the ESP, and the vehicle will not drift off course, let alone lose control and rush out of the track. Facts speak louder than words, and lies will collapse on their own." (Orient Finance)

China Eastern Airlines: WiFi on all domestic wide-body aircraft flights will be free starting from New Year's Day 2026

36Kr has learned that according to China Eastern Airlines, starting from January 1st, 2026, passengers in first class and business class on all domestic flights (excluding flights to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) operated by China Eastern's wide-body aircraft will be able to enjoy high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi for free, and passengers in economy class can enjoy the standard (refreshed) in-flight Wi-Fi for free. Previously, China Eastern's free Wi-Fi service only covered air express routes, but now it has been extended to all domestic flights operated by wide-body aircraft.

Unitree's First Store Is Set to Open

36Kr learned that Unitree announced on its official WeChat account that its first store will open in Beijing on December 31st.

Chery Responds to Rumors of Cooperation with Dreame

It is reported that the main partner of Dreame in car - building is currently Chery, and the jointly developed model is the Jetour Zongheng G700. The first car is expected to be launched in the first quarter of 2026. Chery stated that "this is not true." (Yicai Global)

All three major U.S. stock indexes closed lower, and most large-cap technology stocks declined

36Kr learned that at the close on December 29, all three major U.S. stock indexes declined. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.51%, the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.5%, and the S&P 500 Index fell 0.35%. Most large-cap technology stocks declined. Tesla fell more than 3%, NVIDIA fell more than 1%, and Microsoft, Meta, Netflix, and Amazon declined slightly. Intel rose more than 1%, and Apple and Google rose slightly. Popular Chinese concept stocks had mixed performances. NIO and 36Kr rose more than 4%, Baidu and iQiyi rose more than 1%, and NetEase and Futu Holdings rose slightly. Dingdong Maicai fell more than 6%, Alibaba fell more than 2%, and Miniso, Li Auto, and XPeng Motors fell more than 1%.

Exhibition of the First Norrøna Outdoor Brand Store in Beijing

36Kr learned that recently, the first store of the outdoor brand Norrøna in Beijing has officially set up an exhibition at the high - end commercial landmark SKP and entered the preparatory stage for opening.

Seres Automobile Company Adds Multiple AI Businesses to Its Scope of Business

36Kr learned that according to the Aiqicha App, recently, Seres Automobile Co., Ltd. underwent industrial and commercial changes, adding basic software development for artificial intelligence, software development of artificial intelligence theories and algorithms, software development for artificial intelligence applications, etc. to its scope of business. The company was established in September 2012, with Cen Yuanchuan as its legal representative and a registered capital of approximately 10.637 billion yuan. It is jointly held by Seres Group Co., Ltd., SDIC Manufacturing Industry Transformation and Upgrading Fund (Limited Partnership), ICBC Financial Asset Investment Co., Ltd., etc.

Moutai Prices Rise: 25-Year-Old Flying Fairy Moutai (Original Case) Priced at 1,575 Yuan per Bottle

36Kr learned that the wholesale reference prices of major famous liquors disclosed on December 29 show that on December 29, the price of 25-year-old Flying Fairy Moutai (original case) increased by 15 yuan compared with the previous day, reaching 1,575 yuan per bottle; the price of 25-year-old Flying Fairy Moutai (loose bottles) increased by 10 yuan compared with the previous day, reaching 1,560 yuan per bottle.

Qixian Xiaochu Launches National Recruitment for Business Partners, Aims to Cover All First- and Second-Tier Cities by 2026

36Kr learned that Qixian Xiaochu, a quality catering brand under JD.com, has officially announced the launch of a national recruitment program for business partners. The first batch of openings is available in three core regions: the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta. Currently, the first Qixian Xiaochu store in Harbin has opened, and new stores in multiple cities such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Tianjin will make their collective debut in January 2026. The brand also plans to complete its layout in all first- and second-tier cities in the country in the same year.

FAW Equity to Subscribe for Nearly 75 Million Shares of Leapmotor at a Premium

36Kr learned that Leapmotor announced that on December 28, the company entered into an agreement for the subscription of domestic shares with FAW Equity. Accordingly, the company has conditionally agreed to issue 74,832,245 domestic shares to FAW Equity at a subscription price of RMB 50.03 per domestic share subscription share (equivalent to HK$55.29, and Leapmotor's latest closing price was HK$49.94). The domestic share subscription shares will be issued pursuant to the general mandate.

Waymo Tests Self-Driving Taxis in London

Waymo, an autonomous driving company under Google, was recently found to be testing its self-driving taxis in London, the capital of the UK. According to a post by a netizen on YouTube on Sunday, a video emerged online showing a Waymo-branded Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicle driving on the streets of London. Notably, in this video, the vehicle was not in autonomous driving mode. (Sina Finance)

*ST Panda: Investigated by CSRC for Alleged Illegal Information Disclosure

36Kr learned that *ST Panda announced that on December 29, 2025, the company received a "Notification of Case Filing" issued by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). Due to the company's alleged illegal information disclosure, in accordance with laws and regulations such as the "Securities Law of the People's Republic of China" and the "Administrative Penalty Law of the People's Republic of China", the CSRC has decided to launch an investigation into the company. At present, all the company's production and business operations are running normally. During the investigation, the company will actively cooperate with the CSRC's investigation and strictly comply with relevant laws, regulations and regulatory requirements to fulfill its information disclosure obligations in a timely manner.

Jia Yueting Posts Another Response Regarding Returning to China

On December 29th, Jia Yueting posted an article looking back on the upcoming ending year of 2025, stating that he has taken the first step from "surviving" to "stable development". Jia Yueting said that this year has been the most fruitful and the year of turning the tables on his entrepreneurial journey in the United States. However, there are still regrets. "Homesickness has always been a fetter on my heart. As a son, I haven't been able to have a video call with my mom for a long time. As a father, I can't see my kids more than a few times a year. This kind of guilt is the most heart - wrenching thing in life."

Jia Yueting said that continuing to strive and build cars is a responsibility for the future. Behind it is a solemn vow that cannot be desecrated. A lonely stranger in a foreign land, my heart yearns to return to Beijing from thousands of miles away! (Phoenix Tech)

South Korean food giant Orion plans to invest 240 billion won to expand its Russian factory

South Korean food and health company Orion said on December 29 that it plans to invest 240 billion won (equivalent to $167 million) to expand its production facilities in Russia by 2027 to meet the growing local demand for South Korean food. A spokesman for the company said that Orion currently operates two factories in Russia, one in Tver and the other in Novosibirsk, and plans to expand the factory in Tver. (Sina Finance)

Expert Interpretation: Lack of Preschool Student Status Does Not Affect Enrollment in Primary School

On December 29th, the "National Management Measures for Preschool Children's Student Status" was released, emphasizing that all preschool children studying in legally established kindergartens must have their student status registered. If a child fails to have their student status registered for some reasons, will it affect their enrollment in primary school? Experts interpret that primary education falls within the scope of nine - year compulsory education. Even without a kindergarten student status, it will not essentially affect a child's enrollment in primary school. After entering primary school, the child's student status can be registered in accordance with the management measures for primary and secondary school students. If a child has their student status registered during the preschool stage, the preschool student status management system can be interconnected with the primary and secondary school student status management system. (CCTV News)

The Cutting - Edge of AI

Tencent Yuanbao Announces the Official Launch of the "Task" Function

36Kr learned that Tencent Yuanbao has announced the official launch of the "Task" function. According to the introduction, users can update the Yuanbao App and the desktop version to the latest version. They can directly tell Yuanbao their time arrangements, self - discipline habits, and task plans in one sentence, and Yuanbao will give timely reminders when the time is up. In addition, users can also test tasks in advance, manually manage tasks, and customize reminders.

OpenAI Recruits "Emergency Response Director" with High Salary: Pressure on AI Security Governance Continues to Rise

OpenAI recently posted a recruitment notice, planning to recruit a "Director of Safety and Risk Preparedness" with an annual salary of $555,000. This position will be directly responsible for assessing and addressing potential systemic risks that AI may pose in areas such as mental health, cyber security, and biosecurity. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, said on a social platform that this position is a "key role" at the company's current stage and will undertake the responsibility of "helping the world deal with the potential negative impacts of AI." (Caixin Press)

Yu Dong, Deputy Director of Tencent AI Lab, Resigns; "New - Old Handover" in the Hunyuan Team is Underway

36Kr has learned from multiple independent sources that recently, for personal career development reasons, Yu Dong, the former deputy director of Tencent AI Lab, will leave Tencent. As one of the earliest talent reserves for Tencent's large AI models, Yu Dong is a veteran in Tencent's AI system. After joining Tencent in 2017, Yu Dong served as a distinguished scientist, deputy director of Tencent AI Lab, and chief scientist of Tencent YouTu Lab, mainly responsible for the R & D of technologies related to speech processing, natural language processing, and digital humans. Previously, he had been engaged in R & D at Microsoft for nearly 20 years.

Ant A Fu: There are no advertising recommendations and no commercial rankings in the Q&A results

36Kr learned that on December 29th, "Ant A Fu", an AI health application under Ant Group, issued a statement saying that there are no advertising recommendations, no commercial rankings in A Fu's Q&A results, and it is not affected by any other commercial factors. In the middle of this month, Ant Group announced that its AQ brand was upgraded to "Ant A Fu", and released a new version of the App, upgrading the functions of health companionship, health Q&A, and health services. According to Ant Group, the monthly active users of the "Ant A Fu" App currently exceed 15 million.

AI² Robotics Launches the World's First Modular Embodied Intelligence Service Space, "AI² Cube"

36Kr learned that on December 29th, AI² Robotics, a general intelligent robot company, announced that the world's first modular embodied intelligence service space, "AI² Cube," was simultaneously launched in Beijing and Shenzhen and has been initially implemented in Chaoyang Park in Beijing and MixC in Shenzhen. Currently, AI² Cube has launched four independent functional modules: coffee, ice cream, entertainment, and retail. Different modules can be freely combined according to the scenario.

Volcengine Officially Announces Becoming the Exclusive AI Cloud Partner of CCTV Spring Festival Gala

36Kr learned that according to Volcengine, on December 28th, the press event for the branch - venue of CCTV's "2026 Spring Festival Gala" was held in Beijing. At the event, it was announced that Volcengine has officially become the exclusive AI cloud partner of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala.

Investment and Financing

"Borice Biotech" Completes Series A Financing Exceeding RMB 100 Million

36Kr learned that "Borice Biotech" announced the completion of Series A financing exceeding RMB 100 million. This round of financing was led by CDIB Capital, with Daotong Capital participating. Hao Yue Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor for this round of financing. As of this round, Borice Biotech has completed a cumulative financing of over RMB 300 million. The funds from this round will be mainly used to expand the global layout, accelerate the expansion of the GMP-compliant biosecurity testing platform, and continuously improve the high-quality biosecurity industry layout.

"Breeze Enterprise" Completes Tens of Millions of Yuan in Series B Financing

Recently, "Breeze Enterprise", an enterprise intelligent decision-making service provider, has completed tens of millions of yuan in Series B financing. The investor in this round is Shangcheng Capital Group, the state-owned capital investment and operation platform of Shangcheng District, Hangzhou. The funds will be mainly used for the iteration of its self-developed large tax model, the promotion of the Wbit enterprise-level AI platform, and the improvement of the market share of enterprise service intelligent applications.

"Kunlunyuan AI" Completes 30 Million Yuan Angel Round Financing

36Kr learned that on December 29th, "Kunlunyuan AI", which focuses on the full-stack technology R & D of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), announced the completion of a 30 million yuan angel round financing, with a post - investment valuation of 530 million yuan. The investors in this round of financing include Yian Medical, Times Investment, an industrial investment platform under CRRC, and Jiusong Shanhe Fund. The financing funds will be mainly invested in the R & D of the TransformerX architecture and the co - construction of benchmark cases in medical and industrial scenarios. At the same time, it will accelerate the expansion into the international markets along the "Belt and Road".

Pet emotional intelligence startup "Traini" completes financing of over 50 million yuan

The Silicon Valley pet emotional intelligence startup "Traini" announced that it has completed financing of over 50 million yuan. This round of financing was led by Banyan Tree, Silver Capital, ZhaoTai Group, and NYX Ventures, with follow - on investments from Strating Gate Fund, Jade Capital, and multiple technology investors. Old shareholders Tao Foundation and Hong Feng, the co - founder of Xiaomi, continued to participate in the investment. The financing will be mainly used for technology research and development, software and hardware product development, and market expansion.

Cool products

The new XPeng P7+ is about to be launched in 36 countries worldwide

XPeng Motors officially announced on December 29 that the 2026 XPeng P7+ is about to be launched in 36 countries around the world. It adopts global unified production and safety standards and is XPeng Motors' first model to be launched globally. (Sina News)

Leapmotor's First Flagship MPV, the D99, Makes Its Official Debut

36Kr learned that on December 28th, Leapmotor's first flagship MPV, the D99, was officially unveiled. It is understood that the new vehicle offers two power options: extended - range and pure - electric. The extended - range version is equipped with an 80.3kWh large - capacity battery and an 800V high - voltage platform, while the pure - electric version comes with a 115kWh large - capacity battery and a full - stack 1000V high - voltage platform.

Compiled | Chenxi