Honkai: Star Rail, miHoYo’s New Game, Tops Download Charts as Flagship Launches Return to China

A new game released by Genshin Impact developer miHoYo this week has become China’s top downloaded app, reflecting pent-up demand as gaming giants restart flagship launches with a crackdown on the industry easing. The blockbuster debut bodes well for several other games due to launch this summer in the world’s largest video games market. As of … Read more

Anime Luminary Masao Maruyama Warns Japan’s Top Spot Is at Risk

Japan’s powerhouse anime business risks being overtaken by rising Chinese competition because a tilt towards commercialism has stifled creativity, industry heavyweight Masao Maruyama has warned. Maruyama, a protege of manga great Osamu Tezuka, said he fears Japan is losing its edge. “In Japan, people are no longer trained in animation,” he told AFP in an … Read more

China’s CBDC e-CNY to Become a Salary Mode for Civil Servants in Changshu City: Details

China is among the largest nations in the world, that is experimenting extensively with its CBDC initiative. In a fresh development, China’s Changshu city has reportedly decided to compensate all civil servants within its jurisdiction in the form of the e-CNY CBDC. This marks the first time that the Chinese CBDC has been recognised as … Read more

TikTok Usage Banned on Irish Government Devices Amid Cybersecurity Concerns

The state body responsible for advising the Irish government on cyber security recommended on Friday that staff at government departments and state agencies not use Chinese-owned video app TikTok on official devices. A number of Western countries including Britain, the US and other European Union member states have barred TikTok over security concerns. The EU’s … Read more

Alibaba Invites Businesses to Test Its ChatGPT-Like AI Chatbot: Report

Tech giant Alibaba is seeking companies to test its Tongyi Qianwen AI chatbot, business publication STAR Market Daily reported on Friday, joining the rush to emulate the explosive success of ChatGPT. The free-to-use ChatGPT, a large language model (LLM) application created by Microsoft-backed OpenAI, was released to the public last November and can generate articles … Read more

Apple Shifts iPhone Production Base to India as Part of Secretive Gamble to Move Beyond China

In late March, when Tim Cook made his first public appearance in China since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Apple Inc.’s chief executive officer approached it with all the delicacy of a high-stakes diplomatic visit. Cook took colleagues to an Apple retail store in Beijing and met privately with high-ranking government officials to discuss … Read more

US Chipmaker Micron’s Products to Be Examined in China for Cybersecurity Risks

China’s cyberspace regulator will conduct a cybersecurity review of products sold in the country by US memory chip manufacturer Micron Technology, the regulator said on Friday. The move, which comes amid a spat over chip technology between Washington and Beijing, is aimed at protecting the security of the supply chain for critical information infrastructure, prevent hidden … Read more

Japan Said to Restrict Chipmaking Equipment Exports, to Align With US China Curbs

Japan said on Friday it will restrict exports of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, aligning its technology trade controls with a US push to curb China’s ability to make advanced chips. Japan, home to major global chip equipment makers such as Nikon and Tokyo Electron, did not specify China as the target of the … Read more

Alibaba to Monetise Non-Core Assets, Decide on Control of New Business Units After Breakup

Alibaba Group said on Thursday it will look to monetise non-core assets and consider giving up control of some businesses, as the Chinese tech conglomerate reinvents itself after a regulatory crackdown that wiped 70 percent off its shares. Group CEO Daniel Zhang said the company’s breakup into separate businesses will allow its units to become … Read more

Alibaba to Split Into 6 Units as China Vows to Ease Crackdown on Private Sector

Alibaba Group is planning to split into six units and explore fundraisings or listings for most of them, it said on Tuesday, in a major revamp as China vows to ease a sweeping regulatory crackdown and support its private enterprises. The US-listed shares of the Chinese e-commerce conglomerate, which have lost nearly 70 percent of … Read more