Tobias

SF Express CEO Wang Wei was spotted wearing Xiaomi’s new AI glasses, sparking online buzz and jokes about him being a brand ambassador. The glasses, starting at $275, feature a 12MP camera, EIS, and long battery life claims, powered by a Snapdragon AR1 chip. However, early user reviews cite issues with low-light camera performance and shorter-than-advertised battery life. Reports indicate a high return rate of around 40% on platforms like Douyin, suggesting Xiaomi needs to address these issues.

Despite regulatory warnings from SAMR to Ele.me, Meituan, and JD.com regarding fair competition, the online food delivery subsidy war continues in China. Taobao Flash Sales maintained its “Super Saturday” promotion, but with tempered subsidies. While “zero-yuan” takeout orders were still possible, discounts were less aggressive than previous weeks. Meituan also reduced its high-value coupons. JD.com offered milder subsidies. The long-term impact of regulation on market competition is yet to be determined.

AI-generated videos are going viral, reimagining scenes from the historical drama “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” with a modern twist. One video features Diao Chan singing Lady Gaga’s “Always Remember Us This Way,” while other characters like Cao Cao and Lü Bu also perform the song. The seamless fusion of historic settings and contemporary music, made possible by sophisticated AI, is drawing large audiences and sparking conversations about AI’s entertainment potential on platforms like TikTok.

China’s Ministry of Finance has revised consumption tax regulations for luxury vehicles priced at 900,000 yuan (approximately $125,000 USD) or higher, impacting both traditional and electric vehicles. The new rules take effect on July 20th, 2025, prompting a surge in demand for high-end cars, particularly brands like Porsche. Dealerships report tight inventory and a buying frenzy as consumers rush to purchase vehicles before the tax hike, potentially saving thousands of yuan.

A video of a U.S. unicorn company’s CEO and CHRO in an intimate moment at a concert, projected onto the venue’s screen, has gone viral. The video, showing the pair embracing, garnered over 35 million views on TikTok. After the incident, the CEO issued an apology on X (formerly Twitter), prompting a reaction from Elon Musk.

South Korea’s UNESCO cultural heritage nominations, including Kimchi and the Gangneung Danoje Festival, face setbacks. Five nominations are on a “pending withdrawal” list due to insufficient evidence of unique Korean origin. China has challenged these claims, presenting historical evidence suggesting earlier origins for practices like pickling, Danoje rituals, and traditional carpentry. UNESCO has requested South Korea provide independent evidence, but reportedly, the submitted documentation was inadequate. This development raises questions about South Korea’s cultural origin claims.

Japan is considering a joint bid with China, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam to host the 2046 FIFA World Cup. The Japan Football Association confirmed discussions about the unprecedented six-nation effort, echoing the growing trend of multi-nation hosting driven by tournament expansion and escalating costs. A previous joint-bid proposal by South Korea involving China and Japan for earlier World Cups was reportedly dismissed by China. The 2026 and 2030 World Cups will exemplify co-hosting, suggesting FIFA’s embrace of shared responsibility to ease financial strain and promote regional development.

Police in Quzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, prevented an elderly woman from losing 1.6 million yuan to telecom fraudsters posing as Douyin (TikTok’s Chinese counterpart) customer service. The scammers claimed she unknowingly subscribed to a premium service and threatened her credit score. Alerted by a fraud detection system, police raced to her home, stopped the scam in progress, uninstalled malicious software, froze her accounts, and reversed the scammers’ actions to access her savings. Authorities warn citizens against unsolicited membership offers and screen-sharing requests.

Douyin is warning parents about a rise in scams targeting minors during the summer. Scammers lure young users with offers like free books or game accounts, then redirect them to external platforms. Tactics include impersonating law enforcement and using scare tactics to coerce fund transfers. Douyin recommends using “Teen Mode,” which disables features like messaging and live-streaming, to protect minors. Common scams involve impersonating police, falsely accusing minors of fraud, and using fake gaming streamers to install remote access software.

China will implement a revised national standard for refrigerator energy efficiency on June 1, 2026. The new standard, classifying fridges into five grades, tightens power consumption limits by 30-40%. Grade 1 fridges will see a 40% reduction, saving consumers ~68 RMB annually. This could lead to national energy savings of 13 billion kWh. The standard also introduces a “volumetric utilization rate,” aiming for 10-30% more usable space within the same external dimensions, requiring manufacturers to innovate in insulation and component miniaturization.