8 o'clock, 1st Kr. The US military has started intercepting ships entering and leaving the Strait of Hormuz; Details of the cooperation between ByteDance and Honor on the "Doubao Phone" have not yet been finalized.
Today's Hot Topics Guide
Zhang Xue Responds to the Ban on Novice Motorcyclists
Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez Visits Xiaomi Science and Technology Park
The Cyberspace Administration of China: Strengthen the Standardized Management of Online Live Streaming Rewards
Redshop, the Cross - border E - commerce Platform of Xiaohongshu, Will Be Officially Launched in June This Year
The Investment Based on A - share Market Sentiment May Return to the Main Line
Top 3 Big News
US Military Begins Intercepting Ships Entering and Leaving the Strait of Hormuz
According to Al Jazeera, the US military has started to intercept ships entering and leaving the Strait of Hormuz. The US Central Command previously issued a notice stating that starting at 14:00 GMT on April 13 (22:00 Beijing time), the US military will impose a blockade in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea east of the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade will "apply to all ships, regardless of the flag they fly." The notice said that the blockade "covers the entire Iranian coastline, including but not limited to ports and oil terminals." "Any ship that enters or exits the blocked area without authorization may be intercepted, diverted and seized." The transportation of humanitarian supplies, including food, medical supplies and other necessities, will be allowed to pass after inspection. The notice also said that "this blockade will not impede the neutral transit passage to and from non-Iranian destinations via the Strait of Hormuz."
At noon local time on April 13, US President Donald Trump confirmed during a press conference at the White House that the US military's "blockade" of Iran had begun. Trump insisted that the United States "does not need" the Strait of Hormuz, but "cannot allow one country to blackmail the world." (CCTV World News)
ByteDance in talks with Honor about cooperation on "Doubao Phone"? Insider: Details not yet agreed upon
According to midday news on April 13, there are reports that Honor is in talks with ByteDance about cooperation related to the "Doubao Phone". In response, an insider revealed that the two sides have not yet reached an agreement on the details of the brand cooperation. The insider said that the difference between Honor and Doubao Assistant is not in the route of AI development. In fact, Honor is also actively exploring a model similar to the Doubao Phone internally. It once demonstrated ordering 2,000 cups of milk tea with a single sentence at a previous press conference. (Sina Tech)
Big Companies/Big Events
Magnum's advertisement linking to ballet shoes sparks controversy, customer service responds: will strengthen content review and control
Recently, many netizens noticed an advertisement for a new pistachio ice cream product of Magnum on a social platform. In its promotional materials, with the theme of "inspired by the color - matching aesthetics of ballet shoes", the color - matching design of ballet shoes was associated with the appearance of the ice cream. Some consumers felt that this association was uncomfortable and questioned that the content was suspected of objectifying women. The topic "Magnum's advertisement and ballet shoes" also quickly trended on the hot search list on April 13.
Perhaps due to the fermentation of public opinion, the relevant Magnum account has now deleted the advertisement, and the relevant link shows "the current content cannot be displayed". Regarding whether the advertisement was required to be taken off the shelves, another customer service staff of Wall's told Jiemian News that they had not received any notice in this regard for the time being, but the pistachio ice cream is still being sold normally through online and offline channels. (Jiemian News)
Zhang Xue Responds to the Ban on Novice Motorcycle Riders
During an exclusive interview with "Face to Face", Zhang Xue responded to the "ban on novice motorcycle riders by Zhang Xue's brand". He stated that the impact of the purchase limit on orders is more than 10%. However, large - displacement motorcycles tend to excite people. Once the engine speed increases, young people get more easily excited. When they can't control their excitement, danger may come. Although implementing this measure incurs some losses in terms of profit, if it sparks public discussion in society and promotes the implementation of a graded driver's license system, it is a meritorious deed. Earning less this year may have some impact for now, but when Zhang Xue's motorcycle brand aims to become a world - class high - end brand in the future, looking back on today 10 years from now, it will be seen as a great move, and these losses can be ignored. (CCTV News)
Iflytek Responds to "Employee Quits on the Spot After Winning 15 Million in Lottery"
Recently, the news that an employee of Iflytek quit immediately after winning 15 million yuan in the lottery has sparked heated discussions. On April 13th, Iflytek's official account issued a statement in response, saying: We have noticed the relevant information about the lottery win of our company's employee circulated online. If a colleague is really that lucky, we are truly happy for him. Compared with the unpredictable luck, we care more about providing each partner with "tangible" guarantees, which are a competitive salary, a space for continuous growth, and a set of reassuring welfare support. We believe that good things will always happen!
However, according to a report by Nanfang Daily, the online - circulated picture shows that a lottery shop has a promotional banner hanging at its entrance, reading "Congratulations to the lottery winner at this shop for winning the first - prize of 14.62 million in the Double - Color Ball". After verification by reporters, it was found that the lottery shop in the picture is not in Hefei, Anhui, where Iflytek's headquarters is located, but in Gu'an County, Langfang City, Hebei Province. The person - in - charge of the lottery shop told reporters that someone did win 14.62 million recently, and this lottery winner used to buy lottery tickets in the shop. Regarding whether the winner is an employee of Iflytek, the person - in - charge said that the specific identity of the lottery winner is uncertain. Since the Double - Color Ball is not a real - name lottery and no personal information needs to be registered when purchasing, and the identity of the lottery winner is personal privacy, no further information can be disclosed. (China Newsweek, Nanfang Daily)
Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez Visits Xiaomi Science and Technology Park
On April 13, Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez and his entourage, who were on an official visit to China, visited the Xiaomi Science and Technology Park in Beijing. Lei Jun, the founder, chairman, and CEO of Xiaomi Group, accompanied Sánchez on a tour of the Xiaomi Technology Exhibition Hall and introduced Xiaomi's business layout and its development in the European market. According to Omida data, Xiaomi is the smartphone brand with the largest market share in Spain, ranking first with a 30% market share in 2025. In recent years, Xiaomi has continuously expanded its layout in the European market and established cooperative relationships with many local Spanish enterprises. (Global Times)
Official Response to the Rumor of Moutai General Manager Wang Li Being Taken Away for Investigation
Recently, there have been rumors on the internet that Wang Li, the vice - chairman and general manager of Kweichow Moutai Group Co., Ltd., has been taken away for investigation. On April 13th, Kweichow Moutai responded to a reporter from The Paper, saying that "According to the work arrangement, Wang Li has gone out for a two - month study and will return to the company at the beginning of May." According to the official website of Kweichow Moutai, Wang Li, female, Han ethnicity, was born in October 1972. She has a university degree and an engineering master's degree, and is a member of the Communist Party of China. Currently, she serves as the deputy secretary of the Party Committee, vice - chairman, and general manager of China Kweichow Moutai Distillery (Group) Co., Ltd., as well as the deputy secretary of the Party Committee, director, and acting general manager of Kweichow Moutai Co., Ltd. (The Paper)
NVIDIA Denies Acquisition of PC Manufacturer
According to JIN10 Data on April 14th, US media SemiAccurate reported that NVIDIA (NVDA.O) is in talks to acquire a major personal computer (PC) manufacturer. The media said that NVIDIA has been in talks for over a year, trying to acquire a "large company", which could "redefine the PC industry". Although the target was not named, investors immediately pointed to Dell and HP - the second and third largest PC manufacturers globally, with 17% and 19% of the global market share respectively. The stock prices of Dell (DELL.N) and HP (HPQ.N) soared due to the rumors. However, a NVIDIA (NVDA.O) spokesperson denied after - hours that the company is in acquisition talks with a PC manufacturer. (JIN10 Data)
Cyberspace Administration of China: Strengthen the Standardized Management of Online Live Streaming Tips
36Kr learned that the Cyberspace Administration of China has issued a notice on strengthening the standardized management of online live streaming tips. It is proposed that when website platforms provide users with top - up and tipping services, set up leaderboard rankings, and design interactive gameplay, they should formulate clear rules and make them public in a direct and concise manner. They shall not use methods such as multiple jumps and long - winded terms to affect users' awareness. For online live - streaming accounts applying to open the tipping profit - making permission, if there are violation records, the permission should be granted after 3 months from the end of the disposal period. If an online live - streaming account is muted, its tipping profit - making permission should be suspended synchronously, and the suspension period should be 2 to 3 times the duration of the mute. Without the user's consent, website platforms shall not publicly display users' consumption statistics such as top - up tipping and gift purchases. They shall not rank, promote, or recommend online anchors or rank users solely based on the tipping amount.
Most popular Chinese concept stocks fell before the U.S. stock market opened, with Li Auto down more than 2%
36Kr learned that most popular Chinese concept stocks fell before the U.S. stock market opened. As of press time, Li Auto was down more than 2%, Alibaba and JD.com were down more than 1%, XPeng Group was down 0.86%, NetEase was down 0.55%, Pinduoduo was down 0.31%, NIO was up more than 1%, Baidu was up 0.68%, and Bilibili was up 0.17%.
Central Bank: RMB Loans Increased by 8.6 Trillion Yuan in the First Quarter
36Kr learned that the central bank released the financial statistics report for the first quarter of 2026. At the end of March, the balance of domestic and foreign currency loans was 284.51 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.7%. At the end of the month, the balance of RMB loans was 280.51 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.7%. RMB loans increased by 8.6 trillion yuan in the first quarter. By sector, household loans increased by 296.7 billion yuan. Among them, short-term loans decreased by 164 billion yuan, and medium - and long - term loans increased by 460.7 billion yuan; loans to enterprises (institutions) increased by 8.6 trillion yuan. Among them, short - term loans increased by 4.13 trillion yuan, medium - and long - term loans increased by 5.42 trillion yuan, and bill financing decreased by 1.1 trillion yuan; loans to non - banking financial institutions decreased by 368 billion yuan.
The central parity rate of the RMB against the US dollar was lowered by 3 basis points on April 13
36Kr learned that on April 13, the central parity rate of the RMB against the US dollar was lowered by 3 basis points to 6.8657. The central parity rate on the previous trading day was 6.8654.
Longji Machinery: There is currently no business intersection with Zhangxue Motorcycle
36Kr learned that Longji Machinery stated on the interactive platform that the company's main business is the R & D, production, and sales of components such as automobile brake discs, brake drums, and hubs. Its main customers are concentrated in the fields of passenger cars and commercial vehicles, and its products are sold to more than 50 countries and regions around the world. As an emerging motorcycle brand, Zhangxue Motorcycle's brake system supporting system does not belong to the same system as the company's existing automobile supply chain, and there is currently no business intersection.
Multiple leading companies refute rumors: The rumor of polysilicon production control to support prices is untrue
On April 13th, the main contract of polysilicon futures soared in the afternoon and finally closed at the daily limit, reaching 34,770 yuan per ton, with a daily increase of 9%. Meanwhile, photovoltaic concept stocks rebounded with fluctuations in the afternoon, and the entire silicon material sector strengthened. Behind the sharp rise was a "short post" fueling the flames. On that day, there were rumors in the market that leading polysilicon companies such as Tongwei and GCL held a closed - door meeting in Chengdu earlier this month to discuss mandatory production control to support prices. In response, GCL Technology, TCL Zhonghuan and others clearly stated that the news was false. LONGi Green Energy said that as a company in the downstream of the industrial chain, it was unaware of the relevant meeting. Some industry insiders said that there were irrational factors in the short - term market fluctuations. Currently, the trading atmosphere in the polysilicon spot market is weak, and there has been no obvious price fluctuation. Investors should rely on official information and be vigilant against the risks of short - term fluctuations caused by market rumors. (China Securities Taurus)
Xiaohongshu's cross-border e-commerce platform Redshop will be officially launched in June this year
According to a report on the morning of April 13th, people close to Xiaohongshu told the media that its cross-border e-commerce platform Redshop will be officially launched in June 2026. This marks Xiaohongshu's full entry into a new strategic stage of "platform going global" from the testing phase of "merchants going global", further improving its global business layout. In response, people close to Xiaohongshu said, "Redshop will be officially launched in June 2026. In the first phase, it plans to invite some selected seed merchants by invitation only, focusing on categories such as intangible cultural heritage handicrafts and special handicrafts, and will gradually expand to more categories later." (Sina Technology)
Investment in the A-share market's prosperity may return to the main line
In the past week, the A-share market bottomed out and rebounded. Market sentiment and trading activity recovered simultaneously, with the technology and growth sectors leading the gains significantly. According to the analysis in institutional strategy research reports, the recent recovery of the A-share market is mainly due to the following reasons: The geopolitical conflict in the Middle East has tended to ease, leading to the restoration of market risk appetite; In April, the A-share market entered the intensive period of earnings report releases, and sectors with performance expectations, such as optical modules, lithium batteries, and securities, strengthened collectively, driving market sentiment. Looking ahead, although there is still uncertainty in the Middle East situation, the market has formed a relatively full and rational expectation of it. The stage where the Middle East geopolitical conflict was the main contradiction in asset pricing may be coming to an end, and investment in prosperity is returning to the main line of the market. (Shanghai Securities News)
Guo Mingji: There is no logic that "compressing KV Cache can eliminate memory requirements"
Well - known analyst Guo Mingji posted an article stating that three seemingly independent events that have occurred recently are alleviating the impact of the memory bottleneck from different levels. They are as follows: NVIDIA: Stabilize low - latency output through Groq 3 LPX to enhance the value of Tokens; Google: Maximize infrastructure utilization with TurboQuant; Anthropic: Support a stateful agent architecture for long - running operations. Guo Mingji said that the diverse solutions adopted by different participants reflect that the memory - intensive problem is not a component - level issue but a system - level challenge involving both hardware and software. The above solutions are complementary to each other and cannot be substituted. There is no simple logic that "compressing the Key - Value Cache (KV Cache) can eliminate memory requirements". Instead, the memory - intensive problem must be alleviated simultaneously and continuously at all levels. (Sina Finance)
Organization: It is estimated that Apple will capture nearly 20% of the foldable phone market share this year
36Kr learned that according to the latest industrial research by TrendForce, Apple is expected to enter the foldable phone market as early as the second half of 2026, which has attracted external attention to relevant technological innovations. Among them, the optimization of panel creases is shifting from the previous "mechanical confrontation" that relied on hinges and support structures to the "stress management engineering" centered on material stacking. Crease treatment has become a core indicator for measuring a brand's display technology integration ability. The organization estimates that Apple will capture nearly 20% of the foldable phone market share in 2026, thanks to its brand image and consumers' expectations.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz Completely Halted Again
On April 13 local time, sources from the UK indicated that all shipping through the Strait of Hormuz had ceased after US President Donald Trump announced on social media that the United States would impose a blockade on the strait. It is reported that the blockade has lasted for several hours. Details show that before Trump announced the "blockade order," the number of oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz increased slightly on the 11th. Although the shipping volume in the strait decreased on the 12th, passage was still possible. However, "after Trump announced the maritime blockade, all traffic seems to have stopped," and at least two ships that were originally leaving the strait have turned back. (CCTV News)
Going Public in Progress
Desay SV
36Kr learned that Desay SV announced that the company submitted an application to The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (referred to as "HKEX") on April 12, 2026, for the issuance of overseas-listed shares (H shares) and listing on the Main Board of HKEX. On the same day, the application materials for this issuance were published on the HKEX website.
Wise Company
Wise Company is approaching a critical turning point in its global positioning. The company confirmed that it is still on track to move its primary listing venue from London to Nasdaq on May 11. Management described this move as a way to potentially enhance its visibility and reach in the United States. The company is targeting partnerships with more than 4,000 banks. (Sina Finance)
Sifang Co., Ltd.
36Kr learned that Sifang Co., Ltd. announced that it is planning to issue foreign shares (H shares) for overseas listing and apply for listing on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. As of the date of this announcement, the company is discussing the relevant work of this H-share listing with relevant intermediary institutions, and the relevant details have not been determined. This H-share listing will not result in changes to the company's controlling shareholder and actual controller.
The Cutting-Edge of AI
Meta Bets on AI Digital Humans, Creating an AI Version of Zuckerberg
Meta is creating an artificial intelligence version of Mark Zuckerberg that can interact with employees on his behalf. This is one of the important measures for the tech giant to fully transform into AI. According to four people familiar with the matter, the group with a market value of $1.6 trillion has been developing photo-realistic, real-time interactive AI 3D digital humans. Three of them said that the company has recently prioritized the AI version of Zuckerberg. (Sina Finance)
Honor Launches YOYO Claw, the Pre - installed Lobster AI Agent Technology for the First Time
36Kr learned that on April 13th, Honor officially released its self - developed terminal - side "Lobster" AI agent, YOYO Claw, and announced that this technology will be first installed in Honor's MagicBook series of thin and light laptops. Verified by Honor's laboratory based on the PinchBench test set, Honor's YOYO Claw can achieve a 50% reduction in comprehensive token consumption, which can lower the long - term usage cost for users of lobster - type AI.
AGIBOT Launches Zero-Code Application Platform Genie Studio Agent for Embodied Work Scenarios
36Kr learned that after continuously releasing datasets, simulation platforms, base models, and world models, AGIBOT launched a zero-code application platform for embodied work scenarios, Genie Studio Agent, on the fifth day of the "AI Release Week". AGIBOT stated that from providing technical capabilities to building industrial infrastructure, the launch of Genie Studio Agent marks that AGIBOT has completed the full-link closed-loop of embodied intelligence.
Baidu Duclaw Launches Crayfish Life Assistant
36Kr learned that recently, DuClaw under Baidu Smart Cloud announced a new round of upgrades. On the basis of previously connecting with Xiaodu hardware, it further connects with Baidu Maps. Now, users can deploy crayfish through DuClaw. With just one travel instruction, they can simultaneously activate Xiaodu and Baidu Maps to complete tasks including schedule query, weather and traffic conditions, and travel planning suggestions, and the results will be feedback to users in real - time through voice interaction with Xiaodu hardware.
Alibaba Cloud: Adjust the Free API Quotas for Standard and Professional Edition Users and Support Pay-as-You-Go
36Kr learned that Alibaba Cloud announced the adjustment of the free API quotas for standard and professional edition users and supports pay-as-you-go. For DataWorks standard and professional edition users, the daily limit on the number of API calls will be removed. For the DataWorks standard edition, the free API call quota will be adjusted to 100,000 times per month; the excess part will be charged according to the pay-as-you-go model of OpenAPI. For the DataWorks professional edition, the free API call quota will be adjusted to 500,000 times per month; the excess part will also be charged according to the pay-as-you-go model of OpenAPI. The DataWorks basic and enterprise editions will remain unchanged, and the QPS limits for each edition will remain the same. The adjustment will be gradually rolled out starting from April 14, 2026, and will take effect in all regions by April 23, 2026.
Financial Reports of Large Companies
SpaceX's Starlink business revenue may increase by 50% to $11.4 billion in 2025
It is reported that the latest financial data of SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, shows that the revenue of the Starlink business will increase by 50% to $11.4 billion in 2025. However, the other two businesses of SpaceX - rocket launches and artificial intelligence - have not generated sufficient growth to convince investors to pay for the astonishing valuation that Musk is seeking. (Jiemian News)
Yaxiang Integrated: Net profit in the first quarter is expected to increase by 181% - 223% year-on-year
36Kr learned that Yaxiang Integrated announced that it is expected that the net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company in the first quarter of 2026 will be between 230 million yuan and 265 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 180.52% - 223.21%.
Tengyuan Cobalt: Net profit in Q1 is expected to increase by 308%-352% year-on-year
36Kr learned that Tengyuan Cobalt announced that it expects the net profit attributable to shareholders of listed companies in the first quarter of 2026 to be between 504 million yuan and 558 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 308.22%-351.95%.
Northern Rare Earth: Net profit in Q1 is expected to increase by 109%-118% year-on-year
36Kr learned that Northern Rare Earth announced that it is expected to achieve a net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company of 900 million yuan to 940 million yuan in the first quarter of 2026, a year-on-year increase of 109.14% - 118.43%.
Huagong Technology: Net profit in Q1 is expected to increase by 46.38% - 56.13% year-on-year
36Kr learned that Huagong Technology announced that it expects the net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company in the first quarter of 2026 to be between 600 million yuan and 640 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 46.38% - 56.13%.
Investment and financing
AI trendy toy brand "MOMOTOY" completes tens of millions of yuan in financing
36Kr learned that the AI trendy toy brand "MOMOTOY" has completed tens of millions of yuan in financing, invested by Yipu Fund, with a post - investment valuation of 250 million. The brand's person - in - charge revealed that the funds from this round of financing will be mainly invested in four core areas: AI technology iteration, the implementation of high - end product matrix, global channel expansion, and the establishment of flagship stores in core business districts.
"Yijia Bionic" Completes First Round of Angel Investment
36Kr has learned that recently, "Yijia Bionic", which focuses on the R & D and commercialization of bionic flying birds for the ToC market, has completed its first round of angel investment. The funds from this round of financing will be entirely focused on the R & D iteration of consumer - grade products, large - scale mass production, and the channel layout of the global ToC market, covering the operation of all domestic e - commerce platforms and the expansion of overseas markets.
"Tomorrow's New Journey" Completes Two Rounds of Consecutive Financing
36Kr learned that recently, "Tomorrow's New Journey", a new company founded by the original team of Microsoft Xiaoice, announced that it has completed two rounds of consecutive financing and heavily invested in the Harness group multi - agent track. Among them, the angel round of financing was jointly led by Sinovation Ventures and Atypical Ventures, with Miracle Plus continuing to follow - up invest. Other participating investors include individual investors such as David Ku, former global vice - president of Microsoft, and the company's exclusive financial advisor, Anke Capital. Currently, the company has raised the funds needed for continuous innovation in the next three to five years.
UNICUS Completes a New Round of Financing Worth Millions of US Dollars
36Kr learned that UNICUS, a personalized manufacturing brand (formerly Fangzai Photo Studio, Shenzhen Qianzhi Technology Co., Ltd.), recently completed a new round of financing worth millions of US dollars. This round was led by Linear Capital, with Jiukun Venture Capital and Skyline Capital participating as follow - on investors. Yuanyi Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor. The company's founding team and the founders of leading companies in the Maker track participated in the follow - on investment in their personal capacities. The funds from this round will be mainly used for the training of the large model for building block generation, the R & D of AI Agents, and the expansion of the overseas market, continuously building the core competency system of "AI - driven personalized manufacturing".
Cool Products
Chery Sells Humanoid Robots Online at a Price of 285,800 Yuan
The humanoid robot products of Mojia Robot under Chery are officially on sale online. On April 13th, Jiemian News inquiry found that the Mornine M1 full - size general embodied intelligent robot of Mojia Robot has been launched on the "AiMOGA Smart Robot JD Self - operated Flagship Store". The specific opening time of this store is April 2nd, 2026. (Jiemian News)
JD Auto Reaches Strategic Cooperation with Deepal
36Kr learned that on April 13th, JD Auto and Deepal officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The two parties announced that the National Good Car 2.0 has officially locked in the Deepal L06 Extended - Range Edition, which will be exclusively sold on JD.
RoboSense's Robot Vision Category Secures Large-Scale Orders from a Leading European Humanoid Robot Company
36Kr learned that RoboSense announced that its new robot vision product category, the Active Camera series, has received large-scale orders from a leading European humanoid robot company and will achieve mass production and delivery within 2026.
Yu Chengdong Officially Announces Huawei's New Large-Folding Smartphone
36Kr learned that on April 13th, Yu Chengdong, Executive Director of Huawei, Director of the Product Investment Review Committee, and Chairman of the Consumer Business Group, officially announced that Huawei's large-folding smartphone, the new Huawei Pura X Max, will be officially launched on April 20th.
Compiled | Kris