Investors keen to buy TikTok’s US operations say they are left waiting as the sale is delayed again. ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, was required to sell or be blocked under a 2024 law.
US President Donald Trump seems set to extend the deadline for a fifth time. Billionaires, including Frank McCourt, Alexis Ohanian and Kevin O’Leary, are awaiting approval.
Investor McCourt confirmed his group has raised the necessary capital and is prepared to move forward once the sale is allowed. National security concerns remain the main reason for the ongoing delays.
Project Liberty, led by McCourt, plans to operate TikTok without Chinese technology, including the recommendation algorithm. The group has developed alternative systems to run the platform independently.
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Huawei Technologies is intensifying its AI strategy with the establishment of a dedicated foundation model unit within its 2012 Laboratories research arm, reflecting the heightened competition among China’s major tech companies to develop advanced AI systems.
A recruitment advertisement posted in October signals that the Shenzhen-based telecom and tech giant is proactively wooing global AI talent to assemble a world-class team focused on foundational model development.
Huawei has confirmed the establishment of the unit but has offered few operational details.
Richard Yu Chengdong, head of Huawei’s consumer group and newly appointed chairman of the Investment Review Board overseeing AI strategy, has personally promoted the drive on social media, urging young engineers to help ‘make the world’s most powerful AI.’
This movement underscores Huawei’s broader ambition to challenge both domestic rivals and Western AI leaders in core areas of generative AI technology.
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Global discussions on artificial intelligence have multiplied, yet the world still lacks a coherent system to manage the technology’s risks. China is attempting to fill that gap by proposing a new World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation to coordinate regulation internationally.
Countries face mounting concerns over unsafe AI development, with the US relying on fragmented rules and voluntary commitments from tech firms. The EU has introduced binding obligations through its AI Act, although companies continue to push for weaker oversight.
China’s rapid rollout of safety requirements, including pre-deployment checks and watermarking of AI-generated content, is reshaping global standards as many firms overseas adopt Chinese open-weight models.
A coordinated international framework similar to the structure used for nuclear oversight could help governments verify compliance and stabilise the global AI landscape.
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Chinese AI company DeepSeek has unveiled Math-V2, the first open-source AI model to achieve gold-level performance at the International Mathematical Olympiad.
The system, now available on GitHub and Hugging Face, allows developers to modify and deploy the model under a permissive license freely.
Math-V2 also excelled in the 2024 Chinese Mathematical Olympiad, demonstrating advanced reasoning and problem-solving capabilities. Unlike many AI systems, it features a self-verification process that enables it to check solutions even for problems without known answers.
The launch comes as US AI leaders, such as Google DeepMind and OpenAI, have achieved similar milestones with their proprietary models.
Open access to Math-V2 could democratise advanced mathematical tools, potentially accelerating scientific research and development globally.
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A key player is emerging in China’s AI chip market with Baidu’s Kunlunxin unit stepping in to fill the gap left by Nvidia due to US export restrictions.
The company plans a five-year roadmap for AI chips, beginning with the M100 in 2026 and the M300 in 2027, while already using its chips to run ERNIE AI models.
Strong domestic demand and shortages of AI chips among Chinese tech giants, such as Alibaba and Tencent, have created an opportunity for Baidu.
The company sells chips to third parties and rents computing capacity via its cloud, presenting itself as a full-stack AI provider with integrated infrastructure, models, and applications.
Analysts predict explosive growth for Baidu’s AI chip business, with sales expected to increase sixfold to 8 billion yuan ($1.1 billion) by 2026. Industry experts highlight that the timely delivery of competitive Kunlun chip generations could make Baidu a strategic supplier to the rest of China’s AI ecosystem.
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ByteDance unveiled a new AI voice assistant that will debut on ZTE’s Nubia M153 smartphone. The tool uses the Doubao large language model to handle spoken tasks such as content searches and ticket bookings.
ZTE’s shares jumped after the announcement, helped by strong interest in the device and recent 5G contract wins in Vietnam. The prototype handset is priced at 3,499 yuan and can be pre-ordered in limited quantities.
ByteDance confirmed discussions with multiple manufacturers to integrate the assistant into future smartphones. The firm stated it has no intention of developing its own hardware.
The assistant enters a competitive market led by Huawei and Xiaomi, while Apple has yet to introduce Apple Intelligence in China. Doubao remains China’s most popular consumer AI app, with 159 million monthly active users.
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Leading Chinese technology companies are increasingly training their latest AI models outside the country to maintain access to Nvidia’s high-performance chips, according to a report by the Financial Times. Firms such as Alibaba and ByteDance are shifting parts of their AI development to data centres in Southeast Asia, a move that comes as the United States tightens restrictions on advanced chip exports to China.
The trend reportedly accelerated after Washington imposed new limits in April on the sale of Nvidia’s H20 chips, a key component for developing sophisticated large language models. By relying on leased server space operated by non-Chinese companies abroad, tech firms are able to bypass some of the effects of US export controls while continuing to train next-generation AI systems.
One notable exception is DeepSeek, which had already stockpiled a significant number of Nvidia chips before the export restrictions took effect. The company continues to train its models domestically and is now collaborating with Chinese chipmakers led by Huawei to develop and optimise homegrown alternatives to US hardware.
Neither Alibaba, ByteDance, Nvidia, DeepSeek, nor Huawei has commented publicly on the report, and Reuters stated that it could not independently verify the claims. However, the developments underscore the increasing complexity of global AI competition and the lengths to which companies may go to maintain technological momentum amid geopolitical pressure.
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EU lawmakers have accused national governments of stalling a major customs overhaul aimed at tackling the rise in low-cost parcels from China. Parliament’s lead negotiator Dirk Gotink argues that only stronger EU-level powers can help authorities regain control of soaring e-commerce volumes.
Talks have slowed over a proposed e-commerce data hub linking national customs services. Parliament wants European prosecutors to gain direct access to the hub, while capitals insist that national authorities must remain the gatekeepers to sensitive information.
Gotink warns that limiting access would undermine efforts to stop non-compliant goods such as those from China, entering the single market. Senior MEP Anna Cavazzini echoes the concern, saying EU-level oversight is essential to keep consumers safer and improve coordination across borders.
The Danish Council Presidency aims to conclude negotiations in mid-December but concedes that major disputes remain. Trade groups urge a swift deal, arguing that a modernised customs system must support enforcement against surging online imports.
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Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed has overseen a digital currency payment between the UAE and China. The transfer used the ‘mBridge’ central bank digital currency platform to settle funds directly. Officials say the move marks the formal launch of ‘mBridge’ for cross-border payments.
New links have been established between the UAE Instant Payment System and China’s internet banking payment platform. Users can securely send clock transfers for study, remittances and trade. Officials expect faster payments to deepen economic ties and modernise cross-border settlement channels.
Ceremonies in Abu Dhabi also launched the first ‘Jaywan-UnionPay’ multi-scheme prepaid card. The product links Jaywan’s domestic network with UnionPay’s global acceptance in more than 180 countries.
Transactions inside the UAE are processed locally, while overseas spending routes through UnionPay’s international infrastructure. Officials say the projects highlight partnerships between the UAE and China and strengthen the Emirates’ role in digital finance.
Sheikh Mansour and Pan Gongsheng also signed a memorandum on future cross-border payment cooperation. Further expansion of the ‘mBridge‘ network and domestic Digital Dirham pilots is planned from 2026.
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The Dutch government has paused its intervention in chipmaker Nexperia after officials described promising diplomatic progress with China, easing a months-long standoff that had disrupted global supply chains. The suspension follows talks in which Beijing began relaxing export limits it had imposed on Nexperia’s finished chips, restrictions that had deepened shortages for major carmakers including BMW, Honda, Nissan, Volkswagen, and Bosch.
The dispute began in September when the Netherlands seized control of Nexperia from its Chinese owner Wingtech, invoking the Goods Availability Act, a Cold War-era law that had never been used before. Dutch authorities stated that the takeover was necessary to safeguard national security and prevent Wingtech founder Zhang Xuezheng from relocating production to China, citing allegations of mismanagement and attempts to undermine European operations.
Beijing retaliated by restricting chip exports, while management on both sides blocked shipments and orders amid a worsening internal corporate conflict.
Economy Minister Vincent Karremans stated that the government was encouraged by China’s efforts to restore chip supplies and would continue negotiations alongside European and international partners. The EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič and several major automakers welcomed the announcement, though industry leaders cautioned that it remains too early to predict how quickly supply chains will stabilise.
With the Chinese side now selling stockpiled chips to ease shortages and the European side planning its response, the easing of tensions marks a temporary reprieve in a dispute that highlighted the fragility of Europe’s semiconductor dependencies and the geopolitical risks tied to them.
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