Pandaily's Digest #20220722
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) on July 21 issued a series of punishments for Chinese ride-hailing platform Didi, following a digital security review.
Chinese Regulators Announce $1.19B Fine on Didi
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) on July 21 issued a series of punishments for Chinese ride-hailing platform Didi, following a digital security review.
The announcement shows that after verification, Didi indeed violated China’s Network Security Law, Data Security Law and Personal Information Protection Law. Didi was therefore fined 8.026 billion yuan ($1.19 billion). Will Cheng, the chairman and CEO of Didi, and Jean Liu, the president of Didi, were each fined 1 million yuan ($147,900).
Luxury Confections Brand Lady M to Pull Out of Mainland China
Lady M, a New York-based luxury confections brand, announced on July 21 the future termination of all stores in the Chinese mainland.
According to the announcement, Shanghai Muxin Catering Management Co., Ltd., as the exclusive operator of the Lady M brand in mainland China, will close all existing stores of Lady M in the country.
Honor Launches New Laptops, Tablets, Headphones and More
CATL to Invest $2B in New Energy Battery Project
Chinese battery giant CATL announced on July 21 that it plans to invest in the construction of a new energy battery base in Shandong Province’s Jining, with a maximum total investment of 14 billion yuan ($2.07 billion).
The project involves setting up a production line for power battery systems and energy storage systems. It is estimated that each phase will not exceed 24 months from the start of construction, and the planned land area of the project is about 2,000 mu (329 acres).
BYD Announces Entry into Japanese Passenger Car Market
On July 21, BYD JAPAN Co., Ltd., a branch of Chinese new energy vehicle company BYD, held a launch conference in Tokyo wherein it announced its official entry into the Japanese passenger car market. During the event, BYD Japan unveiled three models, the Yuan PLUS, Dolphin and Seal.
Baidu and Pony.ai Allowed to Pilot Robotaxi Commercial Operation in Beijing
On July 20, the Beijing High-level Automated Driving Demonstration Area opened its first commercialization pilot of unmanned travel service in China. Baidu and Pony.ai are the first licensed enterprises to operate within the area.
This means that Baidu and Pony.ai will deploy 30 unmanned vehicles in the 60 square kilometers of core areas in Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area to carry out normal charging services.
Rate of New Energy Commercial Vehicles in China to Increase Rapidly
A report, jointly released on July 19 by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), China Automotive Engineering Research Institute Co., Ltd. (CAERI) and other two institutions, indicates that during China’s 14th Five-Year Plan period, the penetration rate of new energy commercial vehicles is expected to increase rapidly, while the business volume of used cars also stands to increase.
Breton Completes Series C Financing Worth Several Hundred Million Yuan
Heavy-duty truck developer Breton had completed a C round of financing worth several hundred million yuan, local media outlet 36Kr reported on July 20. The financing was led by Rockets Capital (with Xpeng Motors as strategic cornerstone investor), Hefei Rendun and Milestone Capital, and joined by CIMC Vehicles, Shanghai Science and Technology Investment Corp. and Kesheng Investments.
OnePlus 10T 5G Smartphone to Be Released Overseas on August 3
Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus officially announced that its new 10T 5G model will be released on August 3.
In terms of configuration, the new device will use a 6.7-inch FHD + AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ processor. Moreover, the OnePlus 10T comes with a three-camera design of a 50 megapixel main camera, an 8 megapixel super wide-angle lens, a 2 megapixel macro lens, along with a 16 megapixel lens on the front.
Honor Launches New Laptops, Tablets, Headphones and More
Chinese tech firm Honor launched a variety of new devices on July 21, such as the MagicBook 14 AMD Ryzen Edition, Pad 8, X40i, Smart Screen X3, and Earbuds X3.
At a press conference, many interconnections between Honor products were displayed, and the Honor Developer Service Platform was announced. This open platform not only empowers developers to cooperate in one locale, but also helps developers expand in overseas markets. Its support policies for domestic and overseas developers will be launched in succession.
GAC Aion Builds Power Battery Mass Production Line
On July 21, Chinese media outlet Cailian Press learned from sources familiar with the matter that Aion, a new energy vehicle marque under Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC Group), is currently establishing a power battery company to promote the industrial layout of self-developed batteries, realizing independent and controllable power battery supply.
