china China's Social Credit System Blocks Millions From Travel and Financial Markets China's expanding social credit system currently bans millions of individuals and businesses from flights, trains, and financial services. Human rights advocates express concern that the system unfairly penalizes people without considering individual circumstances.
smartphones China Smartphone Shipments Drop 14% as Market Consolidates Around Top Vendors China's smartphone shipments fall to 396 million units in 2018, hitting their lowest level since 2013. The market consolidates heavily as top five vendors capture 88 percent of total market share.
gene editing Chinese Officials Condemn Scientist Behind First Gene-Edited Babies China officially denounces researcher He Jiankui for illegally creating the world's first gene-edited babies, citing his pursuit of fame and fortune. Investigators confirm the birth of the edited twins and reveal he faces serious punishment for forging ethical documents.
tiktok US Navy Blocks TikTok on Government Devices Over Security Fears The US Navy prohibits service members from using TikTok on government-issued phones, labeling the popular app a cybersecurity threat. The ban stems from ongoing concerns regarding the app's Chinese ownership and potential data privacy risks.
ucommune Struggling Chinese Co-Working Firm Ucommune Pursues Risky IPO Despite the infamous failure of WeWork's IPO, Chinese co-working startup Ucommune files to go public in the United States. The company exhibits similarly poor financial economics and desperately needs cash to sustain its massive operations.
github GitHub Considers Chinese Subsidiary Amid Rising Tech Decoupling GitHub is exploring the launch of a Chinese subsidiary to navigate ongoing trade tensions, while coworking giant UCommune pushes forward with its U.S. IPO plans.
ai index Stanford AI Index Reveals Exploding Investment and Rapid Training Speeds The 2019 AI Index report highlights massive global private investment exceeding $70 billion and a dramatic drop in AI training times. The study also shows China matching Europe in AI research publications while AI dominates computer science PhD specializations.
china China Orders State Offices to Ditch Foreign Tech Over Three Years The Chinese government reportedly mandates the removal of all foreign hardware and software from state offices by 2022. This phased replacement plan impacts millions of devices and targets major U.S. technology companies.
nintendo Nintendo Switch Breaks U.S. Sales Record During Thanksgiving Week The Nintendo Switch sells over 830,000 units in the U.S. during Thanksgiving week, marking its best sales week ever. A forthcoming launch in China promises to push global numbers even higher.
china Chinese Cloud Infrastructure Spending Surges to $2.9 Billion China's cloud infrastructure market grows over 60% to reach $2.9 billion in a single quarter, securing its position as the second-largest cloud market globally. Domestic giant Alibaba dominates the sector, driven heavily by rapid demand for artificial intelligence services.
china China Mandates Facial Scans for All New Mobile Phone Accounts China now requires all citizens to undergo facial recognition scans before purchasing new SIM cards. The controversial policy links faces directly to national IDs to combat fraud but sparks significant privacy concerns.
covid-19 Wuhan Officials Confirm Mysterious Pneumonia Cases as Global Crisis Begins On December 31, 2019, Wuhan health authorities publicly confirm dozens of pneumonia cases with an unknown cause, marking the first official acknowledgment of what later becomes the COVID-19 pandemic.
alibaba Alibaba Sees Strong 6% Jump in Record-Breaking Hong Kong Debut Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba kicks off its Hong Kong listing with a 6.6% gain, marking the world's largest stock offering of 2019. Analysts praise the move as a major confidence boost for the Asian financial hub.
tiktok U.S. Lawmakers Increase Scrutiny on Chinese App TikTok American regulators are investigating TikTok over data privacy concerns and its past acquisition of Musical.ly. The popular video app faces growing pressure as U.S.-China tech tensions escalate.
trade deal US and China Reach Preliminary Trade Agreement, Delay New Tariffs President Trump announces a "very substantial phase one" trade deal with China that includes large agricultural purchases and avoids upcoming tariffs. The agreement marks a significant shift in the prolonged economic tensions between the two nations.