China

A Chinese court rejected a lawsuit filed by a man seeking compensation after his mother tripped over another passenger’s luggage at a train station and later died. The court ruled that the woman, Ms. Wang, who was walking against the flow of traffic, was responsible for her own fall. Mr. Zhang, the passenger with the luggage, had no way to anticipate her actions and was not found negligent. The court cited the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China in its decision.

On August 11th, the Chinese AI model DeepSeek experienced a widespread service outage, impacting its API, website, and mobile app. The incident sparked widespread complaints on Weibo under the hashtag #DeepSeekDown. DeepSeek reported the issue was identified and resolved between 21:55 and 23:39. DeepSeek gained popularity in early 2025, surpassing ChatGPT in US app downloads and reaching 30 million daily active users faster than any other app.

Ant Group has publicly denied rumors of a joint venture with the People’s Bank of China and China Rare Earth Group to launch a rare earth-backed RMB stablecoin. This follows a previous denial from AntChain regarding collaboration on Real World Assets with Hainan HuaTie. Ant Group cautions the public against investment scams and misinformation related to digital assets, particularly those falsely implying association with Ant Group or AntChain. The company reserves the right to pursue legal action against unauthorized brand use.

Following U.S. approval of NVIDIA’s H20 AI chip export to China, Beijing reportedly summoned the company to discuss potential security risks, including alleged “backdoors.” NVIDIA denies these claims, but Chinese state media demands irrefutable proof of security. An exposé details potential hardware and software backdoor methods for remote shutdown and tracking, highlighting concerns over U.S. control of AI chip technology and its implications for Chinese data security and energy efficiency goals. The report suggests the H20 chip is neither secure nor environmentally friendly for China.

China’s food delivery platforms are engaged in intense subsidy wars, offering deep discounts to consumers and boosting order volumes. However, restaurants are struggling to profit, with some even losing money due to platform fees, delivery costs, and merchant-funded discounts. While consumers benefit from lower prices initially, experts warn this “burning money for market share” strategy is unsustainable and could compromise food quality and safety. Platforms and industry associations are now urging for fair competition and a return to value creation.

Apple closed its Dalian Parkson Centennial Shopping Center store on August 9th, marking its first directly-operated retail closure in China. The store opened in 2015. Online footage showed staff and customers bidding farewell after a decade. Apple cited the shopping center’s declining retail presence as the reason, stating that employees would be offered positions elsewhere. The shopping center has faced financial difficulties and a change in management.

A Hunan man in China won 12.56 million yuan (about $1.75 million USD) in the Super Lotto with a 6-yuan ticket. The experienced lottery player, who has been consistently buying tickets for over a decade, views it as a fun activity and a contribution to public welfare. The win sparked online discussion, with some sharing their less fortunate experiences and others questioning lottery industry market dynamics. The winner advises a balanced approach, cautioning against treating the lottery as gambling.

A driver, Wang Mouxin, was detained in Shanxi Province, China, after a video of a road rage incident went viral. The incident occurred when Wang, driving a newly purchased Audi with a temporary license plate, forcibly overtook a Mercedes. He then allegedly threw a betel nut at the Mercedes, verbally abused the driver, and pounded on the car windows. Police detained Wang for disorderly conduct and also issued penalties for improper license plate display and illegal overtaking, including a fine, points deduction, and a warning.

A video of a car being struck by lightning at a service area in Guangxi, China went viral. The driver reported being unharmed and unaware of the strike. Experts explain that lightning is caused by the uneven distribution of electrical charges within storm clouds. Drivers are advised to stay inside vehicles during thunderstorms and avoid parking under trees or in flood-prone areas. When driving through flooded roads, ensure the water level is below half the tire height.

Alibaba’s 88VIP membership program is expanding its perks without raising prices, adding over 10 new exclusive benefits. The upgrade combines features from previous programs, offering complimentary Hema X membership, prioritized Ele.me deliveries, Feizhu perks, movie ticket discounts, and Gaode ride-hailing vouchers. This builds upon previous enhancements and brings the total number of benefits to over 20, covering dining, entertainment, travel, and daily life. With over 50 million members, 88VIP is influential in Chinese consumer spending.