China

Tech stocks rally after Trump halts tariffs

Global stock markets experienced a significant surge following President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 90-day suspension on tariffs for several countries. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index soared over 12%, marking its second-best day ever and the most substantial gain since January 2001.

Leading technology firms saw remarkable recoveries. Apple’s shares jumped over 15%, achieving their best performance since January 1998, after enduring a severe four-day decline that erased nearly $800 million in market value.

Tesla and Nvidia also experienced substantial gains, rising 18% and 22% respectively, while Meta Platforms increased by 15%. Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet each posted gains of around 10%.

Asian markets mirrored this positive trend, with Japan’s benchmark index climbing more than 2,000 points shortly after the Tokyo exchange opened. Investors responded favourably to the tariff relief, anticipating reduced trade tensions and improved economic prospects.

Despite the optimism, concerns remain regarding ongoing trade disputes, particularly with China. While tariffs were paused for several nations, levies on Chinese imports were raised to 125%, potentially impacting companies with significant manufacturing operations in China, such as Apple.

Analysts caution that, despite the current market rally, the long-term implications of these trade policies warrant close monitoring.

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DeepSeek teases next big AI model

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has introduced a new reasoning method aimed at enhancing the performance of large language models (LLMs).

The approach, developed in partnership with researchers from Tsinghua University, combines generative reward modelling (GRM) and self-principled tuning to improve the speed and quality of LLM outputs.

According to a recently published paper, the resulting DeepSeek-GRM models achieved competitive results, even outperforming public reward models in some instances. Although DeepSeek has expressed plans to open-source the GRM models, no release date has been confirmed.

The announcement comes amid growing speculation about DeepSeek’s next major release. The company gained global recognition earlier this year with its R1 reasoning model, which outperformed some older models like the original ChatGPT.

The R1’s success was notable not just for its performance but also for being open source and developed on a relatively modest budget. Industry observers believe DeepSeek is preparing to unveil the R2 model soon, possibly by the end of the month, though the company has declined to comment officially.

Founded in Hangzhou in 2023 by entrepreneur Liang Wenfeng, DeepSeek has prioritised research over public relations, quietly building momentum in the AI sector.

The company recently showcased DeepSeek-V3-0324, an upgraded model with improved reasoning, better web development capabilities and enhanced Chinese writing. DeepSeek has also made parts of its codebase available to the public, signalling a commitment to open development.

Backed by High-Flyer Quant, Liang’s hedge fund, the startup is emerging as a serious contender in the global AI race, drawing praise from the president of China, Xi Jinping, for its innovation and strategic significance.

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India among few developing nations with strong AI investment

India and China were the only developing nations to attract notable private investment in AI in 2023, according to the UN’s Technology and Innovation Report 2025. Instead of the US simply leading the field, it dominated with $67 billion in AI investment, accounting for 70 per cent of the global total.

China followed with $7.8 billion, while India ranked tenth worldwide with $1.4 billion. Instead of being evenly distributed, access to AI infrastructure and research remains heavily concentrated in a handful of countries, mainly the US and China.

India’s rise in the AI space stems from policy-driven innovation and education rather than organic growth alone. It climbed to 36th place out of 170 on the UNCTAD Frontier Technologies Readiness Index in 2024, improving from 48th in 2022.

Instead of only focusing on economic size, the index measures readiness through ICT availability, skills, R&D, industrial capacity, and financing. India performed well in R&D and industrial capacity but fell behind in ICT access and skill development.

India has supported its AI ecosystem through collaboration between the government, academia, and the private sector. The country hosts a large developer base, around 13 million, and contributes actively to generative AI projects on platforms like GitHub.

Programmes such as the India AI Mission aim to boost AI education and innovation in smaller cities, instead of keeping progress limited to major urban centres. Institutes like IIT Hyderabad and IIT Kharagpur were named among the country’s key centres of AI excellence.

Still, India faces challenges in expanding its AI capabilities across all sectors. Instead of allowing AI to widen inequalities, the report urges investment in workforce reskilling and inclusion. While AI can boost productivity, it may also displace jobs unless paired with supportive policies.

The technology, if harnessed wisely, could create new industries and strengthen employment rather than replace it.

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Chinese AI-powered translation aids Myanmar disaster response

A Chinese-developed AI translation system has been deployed to support earthquake relief efforts in central Myanmar.

The tool, built on the DeepSeek platform, facilitates communication in Chinese, Myanmar, and English, helping responders coordinate aid. The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar confirmed that more than 700 people have used the system since the earthquake struck.

Developed in just seven hours, the translation tool was created by a language service team from the National Language Service Corps of China and Beijing Language and Culture University.

The Corps, a public-service alliance guided by various Chinese government agencies, specialises in providing language support during emergencies and key national initiatives.

The use of AI-powered translation in disaster response highlights the growing role of language technology in humanitarian aid.

By breaking down communication barriers, the system enables more effective coordination, reinforcing efforts to build stronger international cooperation in times of crisis.

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Retail stocks slump after tariff shock

Retail giants are facing sharp declines in after-hours trading as new tariffs from the US on imports from China, the European Union, and Vietnam begin to rattle markets. Walmart and Amazon both saw their shares fall, with Nike also heavily impacted due to its dependence on Chinese manufacturing.

Walmart’s drop of over 4% reflects its heavy reliance on Chinese imports, with roughly 70% of its merchandise tied to the country. Amazon, similarly exposed through its third-party sellers, dipped close to 5% amid fears that rising costs will force sellers to raise prices, dampening consumer demand. These developments could severely affect the upcoming holiday shopping season.

Nike, meanwhile, saw shares fall by more than 6% as news emerged that many of its products, including popular sneakers, are produced in China and Vietnam. Although the company has been diversifying production to Vietnam, the move offers little relief now, as Vietnam faces an even steeper 46% tariff. The new policies may force widespread price hikes, putting further pressure on consumers and the broader retail sector.

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Tim Cook donates to Zhejiang University on China visit

Apple CEO Tim Cook made a surprise visit to China last week, marking the 10th anniversary partnership between Apple and Zhejiang University. During the visit, Cook announced a donation of RMB 30 million (£3.4 million) to support programming education and cultivate future talent in app development. The funds will establish the Apple Mobile Application Incubation Fund, offering training and connecting students to industry mentors and opportunities.

Zhejiang University, located in Hangzhou and considered one of the top institutions in China, has worked with Apple on mobile app innovation since 2015. Their long-standing collaboration has already reached over 30,000 students through competitions and workshops across the country. The new investment brings the total funding from Apple over the decade to RMB 80 million (£9.1 million).

Apple’s move reinforces its commitment to the Chinese market amid ongoing regulatory challenges. Some Apple Intelligence features remain unavailable in China, prompting the company to explore partnerships with local AI firms. While no formal agreements have been announced, the tech giant’s engagement with Chinese academia may also pave the way for future tech integration and regulatory compliance.

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AI transforms autism therapy in China

In Shenzhen, a quiet breakthrough is unfolding in autism rehabilitation as AI-powered tools begin to transform how young children receive therapy.

At a local centre, a therapist guides a three-year-old boy through speech exercises, while an AI system documents progress and instantly generates a tailored home-training plan, offering much-needed support to both therapists and families.

China faces a severe shortage of autism therapists, with only around 100,000 professionals serving a community of over 10 million individuals, including 3 million children.

Traditional diagnosis and treatment rely on time-consuming behavioural assessments. Now, AI is streamlining this process.

Centres like Dami & Xiaomi, in partnership with Amazon Web Services, have developed RICE AI, a system trained on over 80 million behavioural data points to generate faster, personalised interventions and even custom visual materials for home learning.

By dramatically reducing workloads and enhancing precision, AI is helping to close the gap in early intervention and support.

More facilities are following suit, with efforts underway to unify and open-source these tools across the country. As one mother tearfully recalled her autistic son’s first spoken word, the emotional impact of this technological shift was clear, AI is not replacing care, but deepening it.

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Chinese brain chip project accelerates human trials

A Chinese brain chip project has expanded its human trials, aiming to implant 13 patients with its semi-invasive Beinao No.1 device by the end of the year.

Backed by the Chinese Institute for Brain Research and NeuCyber NeuroTech, the project may soon overtake Elon Musk’s Neuralink in patient numbers.

Early results have shown paralysed patients using the chip to control robotic arms and transmit thoughts to a computer screen. The developers from China plan a larger clinical trial next year with 50 participants, pending regulatory approval.

The team is also working on a more advanced wireless chip similar to Neuralink’s, expected to begin human testing within 18 months.

While funding remains a challenge, scientists stress their focus is on helping patients, not profit.

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Alphawave acquisition eyed by arm for AI advancements

Arm Holdings, owned by SoftBank, recently considered acquiring UK-based semiconductor IP supplier Alphawave to bolster its artificial intelligence processor technology.

The focus was on Alphawave’s ‘serdes’ technology, essential for rapid data transfer in AI applications requiring interconnected chips.

Despite initial discussions, Arm decided against pursuing the acquisition. Alphawave had been exploring a sale after attracting interest from Arm and other potential buyers.

Alphawave’s joint venture in China, WiseWave, added complexity to the potential deal due to national security concerns raised by US officials.

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Guangdong eyes global role in AI and robotics

Guangdong is stepping up efforts to become a world leader in AI and robotics by offering generous subsidies to attract start-ups and top tech talent.

The province will grant up to 50 million yuan to major AI manufacturing hubs and millions more to smaller firms and developers.

Officials also plan to fund five open-source communities and ten industrial applications of AI each year, with up to 8 million yuan in support for each.

Local tech giants like Huawei and Tencent are expected to play a key role in the ecosystem.

The move follows the rise of AI firm DeepSeek in neighbouring province of China, Zhejiang, whose founder hails from Guangdong.

The government hopes to replicate that success at home by turning the region into a centre for innovation and global competitiveness.

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