Tobias

A refrigerator exploded in an office on July 11th, captured on surveillance video showing a violent blast flinging the door open and filling the area with thick white smoke. The freezer compartment failed catastrophically – the poster stressed the actual blast was stronger than recorded. Manufacturer inquiries yielded an initial assessment ruling out the compressor but requiring on-site inspection for the exact cause. The incident highlights critical safety protocols: essential maintenance, avoiding repeated power cycling after circuit breaker trips, and never storing significant CO2-releasing items like carbonated drinks or passion fruit concentrates in sealed refrigerators.

At the China Automotive Forum 2025, Yin Tongyue, chairman of Chery Automobile, urged auto industry leaders to increase face-to-face meetings to prevent misunderstandings. He called for associations to facilitate more informal gatherings, with a moderate relaxation of anti-alcohol policies. Yin humorously noted AI advances make decision-making challenging, leading companies like Chery to act cautiously and sometimes follow others. (66 words)

At Shanghai BW Anime Expo (through July 13th), Nintendo debuts the Switch 2 console. The Hong Kong variant launches on JD.com, priced from CNY 4,099 with an initial CNY 150 discount and possible subsidies. Key features include a 7.9-inch 1080P portable display, 4K TV output, TV/tabletop/handheld modes, an adjustable kickstand, dual USB-C ports, and improved Joy-Con controllers with magnetic attachment and motion sensors. The console is backward compatible with original Switch games. JD.com hosts the official flagship store for its launch.

Chinese high school graduates seeking summer jobs faced exploitation through an employment agency. Placed at a facility using the STO Express logo, they were promised 200 yuan for an 11-hour shift sorting packages. After just four hours, the station dismissed them, citing “excessive sweating” and unsuitability, paying only 10 yuan for bus fare home instead. The agency challenged them, “Report it to the police if you want money.” STO Express pledged to investigate potential franchisee violations. Authorities separately noted the case highlights youth labor oversight issues, including failure to register underage workers.

The Chinese Football Association announced a public tender for its “Forward Plan” AI project, aiming to build a foundational Big Data Analysis Platform using artificial intelligence. This platform will process football data to support national team preparation, youth development, coaching, and referee training, addressing persistent performance challenges. The project has a strict cost ceiling of RMB 10.68 million. It follows the men’s national team’s recent 0-3 loss to South Korea, extending their winless streak against that opponent to six matches.

360 Digital Security Group and Bijie Vocational College partnered on July 10, 2024, establishing the Bijie Vocational-360 Digital Intelligence Security Industry College in Guizhou. This collaboration aims to accelerate talent development for the region’s digital economy through an integrated teaching-research-application system. The initiative features a “three-centers, one-platform” structure focusing on industry-aligned training, dual-qualified faculty, and technological innovation. Executives emphasize bridging academia-industry gaps to support Guizhou’s digital industrialization goals and create a sustainable talent pipeline, positioning it as a model for Western China’s development during the province’s 14th Five-Year Plan implementation. (100 words)

Huawei is expanding into the global AI chip market, targeting the Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia) and Southeast Asia (Thailand) with its Ascend 910B chip, challenging NVIDIA. To attract clients, it’s promoting its CloudMatrix 384 super AI server, powered by the Ascend 910C chip. This server integrates 384 Ascend NPUs and 192 Kunpeng CPUs, offering high throughput (2,300 tokens/sec) and massive scalability (up to 160,000 cards). It supports stable, resilient operation. While highlighting its AI cloud services as ideal for large models, Huawei is not exporting the Ascend 910C overseas due to supply constraints, prioritizing Chinese firms impacted by US restrictions. (98 words)

Luxeed (Chery-Huawei JV) faces owner backlash and plummeting sales. Despite Chery Chairman’s promise to prioritize Huawei during disagreements, owners accuse Chery of neglect: using Luxeed’s channel for Chery events, omitting standard features, listing Luxeed last in sales reports, inconsistent pricing, and internal restructuring lacking Luxeed clarity. Sales crashed to 2,459 units in June amidst these controversies. Despite multiple apologies and hints at Luxeed’s future independence, overcoming low sales and mistrust remains a major challenge.

Hong Kong’s insurance industry faces ethical scrutiny as elite graduates from Tsinghua and Peking universities flood into the lucrative sector. Former Professor Larry Lang accused it of being a “carefully constructed fraud,” citing large commissions drawn from policy premiums and brokers earning up to HK$2 million annually. While some recruits quickly achieve high sales targets, many fail. In response, Hong Kong’s Insurance Authority head Richard Lui acknowledged concerns over upfront commissions and proposed caps similar to Singapore and Malaysia for fairer practices. (98 words)

After China’s men’s football team lost 3-0 to South Korea in the East Asian Cup, social media attention shifted to their extensive luggage upon arrival. Responding to scrutiny, the Chinese Football Association clarified that the 51-member delegation carried 140 checked bags: 84 personal items and 56 essential equipment pieces (training, match, recovery gear). All were deemed necessary, and players assisted staff by carrying equipment to ease transit. This logistics effort was cited as routine for elite teams ensuring peak preparation and performance during international tournaments.