Tobias

At the 2025 World Robot Conference, 360 Group’s Zhou Hongyi playfully sparred with a Unitree robotic boxer. Video footage shows Zhou initiating the “fight,” even executing a leg trip. The robot, demonstrating resilience, recovered and exchanged blows. Zhou knocked the robot down multiple times, but it consistently recovered. Online commentators humorously noted the match, while some observed the potential for future robotic advancements, suggesting human challengers might face tougher competition in the future.

A recent “no-contact” traffic incident in Hubei, China, involving a scooter driver falling without colliding with a car, has sparked debate about liability. While the scooter driver was primarily responsible for violating traffic laws, the car driver (“YangYang”) received secondary responsibility for failing to yield, sparking controversy. Legal experts emphasize that liability in “no-contact” accidents depends on establishing a causal link between a party’s actions and the resulting damage, not necessarily physical contact. This case highlights the complexities of determining responsibility in such situations and the importance of demonstrating negligence.

Beijing is launching a program offering interest subsidies on individual consumer loans from September 2025 to August 2026. The subsidies, capped at ¥50,000 per transaction, target purchases in sectors like automobiles, elder care, education, tourism, home improvement, electronics, and healthcare. Borrowers can receive an annual 1% interest subsidy, up to 50% of the loan’s interest rate. Individuals are eligible for a cumulative subsidy of ¥3,000 per lending institution. The initiative aims to boost domestic consumption, sparking debate about consumer financing choices.

The hashtag “#EvilCultivation#” has exploded on social media, racking up over 450 million views. Originating from Chinese fantasy novels, “Evil Cultivation” refers to unconventional, often dark, self-improvement methods. Now, it’s a playful trend focused on simplifying life, from unorthodox cooking hacks using beverages and rice cookers to bizarre dieting and fashion shortcuts. While offering instant gratification, these methods face criticism for potentially sacrificing long-term well-being for quick results, reflecting a broader societal anxiety and the youth’s search for achievable goals.

AI is rapidly transforming reality, evidenced by AI-generated content ranging from music impersonations to deepfake voices. Recent trends also include popular AI-driven art styles. This increasing presence of AI-generated material blurs the lines of authenticity and raises questions about its impact.

Actress Guan Le’s untidy home became the subject of debate during a recent television program. The show highlighted the cluttered state of her living space, sparking online discussion about personal lifestyles and standards of cleanliness. The controversy focused on the contrast between Guan Le’s public image and the perceived chaos of her private residence.

Hong Kong stocks saw mixed performance, with the Hang Seng Index rising slightly while the Hang Seng Tech Index dipped. U.S.-listed Chinese companies in Hong Kong showed varied results; Alibaba and Baidu declined, but Tencent Music Entertainment (TME) gained, driven by anticipation of strong earnings. TME’s Q2 2025 results revealed a 17.9% YoY revenue increase and a 33% rise in adjusted net profit. Online music services and subscriptions saw significant growth, with paying users reaching 124.4 million. Brokerage firms have issued positive ratings, highlighting TME’s content strategy and user engagement.

Former Intel CEO Craig Barrett argues that Intel’s survival is crucial for U.S. chip manufacturing dominance. He believes underinvestment hinders Intel’s ability to compete with TSMC and Samsung. Barrett proposes a $40 billion collective investment from Intel’s major customers like Apple, Google, and NVIDIA to secure domestic chip supply and potential price advantages. He also urges adoption of advanced technologies and tariffs on imported chips to boost demand. Some of his suggestions align with current U.S. policies and Intel’s existing technology investments.

China Evergrande faces delisting from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) after failing to meet resumption guidance. Trading of its shares has been suspended since January 29, 2024. The HKEX Listing Committee made the decision, and Evergrande does not intend to seek a review. This marks the end of Evergrande’s 16-year run as a public company, following a liquidation order issued in January 2024, highlighting the severity of its debt crisis.

TikTok responded to complaints from Li Auto regarding negative online content targeting the EV maker and its customers. TikTok’s Douyin Blackboard announced it removed misleading and abusive content related to “Li Auto owners” and accounts exploiting the controversy, citing violations of community guidelines. This followed Li Auto CEO Li Xiang’s allegations of a coordinated smear campaign by a rival company, a recurring issue during new car launches, orchestrated by online influence agencies.