A federal judge has blocked a law in the US state of Montana that sought to bar the use of TikTok, saying it “oversteps state power”, a month before the ban was due to take effect. Why it matters: The move suggests efforts to prohibit use of the Chinese-owned video sharing app in the US will face significant legal challenges. Montana was the first state set to implement a blanket TikTok ban. Details: In a statement, the US District Judge Donald Molloy said the ban targets “China’s ostensible role in TikTok” rather than protects Montana consumers. “We are pleased the judge rejected this uncon ..read more

Xingji Meizu, a Chinese smartphone maker controlled by Geely’s founder Eric Li, will launch its first own brand electric vehicle model in 2024, with a plethora of customized options for vehicle software, interior styling, and car wrapping. The DreamCar MX will be based on Geely’s dedicated electric vehicle chassis base, dubbed its Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), and come with Meizu’s in-car operating system called FLyme Auto, boasting the same smooth experience that its handset users are used to. Meizu has also been selling Geely and Volvo jointly branded Lynk & Co EVs at its b ..read more

Gaming giant Blizzard is reportedly engaging in negotiations with leading Chinese game publishers NetEase and Tencent, exploring the possibility of a return to Chinese servers for the World of Warcraft publisher almost a year after its deal with NetEase ended in acrimony. Tencent subsidiary Morefun Studios was reported to be streaming Warcraft-related content on Chinese video platform Bilibili on Thursday, but its livestream has now been discontinued. Tencent Games told Chinese media outlet Yicai that it was only a test stream. Morefun Studios is an in-house studio at Tencent and does not act ..read more

BMW and Mercedes-Benz, two of the world’s biggest luxury carmakers, announced on Thursday that they will begin operating their first batch of joint super-charging stations in China next year. They plan to expand the network to more than 1,000 facilities with roughly 7,000 charging piles by 2026. The two companies are establishing a 50:50 joint venture for the daily operations of the power infrastructure, which will also be available to electric vehicles from their competitors. BMW and Mercedes car owners can access online reservations to ensure their charging experience. This move is expected ..read more

More Chinese automakers are planning to adopt NIO’s battery swap technology as two giants join the program – Changan and Geely. NIO on Wednesday said it will partner with Geely to develop a common standard for electric vehicle battery packs and create a sprawling network of swap stations for both consumer cars and commercial fleets, just a week after Changan said it had become NIO’s first ally in a similar effort.  The move could give a further boost to NIO’s long-term plan to split its money-losing recharging infrastructure unit into a standalone business with financing from outside inv ..read more

Xiaomi’s budget smartphone sub-brand, Redmi, launched the Redmi K70 series on Wednesday, marking the brand’s 10th anniversary. At the anniversary event, Redmi CEO Lu Weibing claimed that the global sales of Redmi mobile phones amounted to one billion units in ten years. The Redmi K70 series includes the Redmi K70, Redmi K70E, and Redmi K70 Pro, all sharing a similar design. The flagship model, Redmi K70 Pro, is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. The standard Redmi K70 is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, while the Redmi K70E runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra SoC. Both the Redmi ..read more

Alibaba founder Jack Ma rarely appeared in an internal memo urging the e-commerce giant to “change and reform” after rival PDD nearly closed in on Alibaba’s market capitalization with a stronger earnings report. Ma congratulated eight-year-old PDD for its decision-making, execution, and efforts over the past few years, while calling on Alibaba employees to return to the company’s mission and vision to reform for securing “tomorrow and the day after’s glory.” Taobao and Tmall Group, despite operating as the most profitable business within Alibaba, are being challenged by emerging e-commerce pa ..read more

Chinese video platform Bilibili reported flat revenue of RMB 5.8 billion ($795.7 million) in the last quarter, managing to narrow its net loss by 22% to RMB 1.3 billion. This positions the company on a gradual path towards its commitment to achieve profitability by 2024. Revenues from mobile games dropped by 33% from a year prior, marking four consecutive quarters of decline. The company cautioned that its annual total earnings would likely fall at the “low-end” of the RMB 22.5 billion to RMB 23.5 billion range due to lower-than-expected revenues generated from games. Daily active users surpa ..read more

On Wednesday, a donation signing ceremony was held at Wuhan University, where Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun donated 1.3 billion ($183 million) to his alma mater to celebrate its 130th anniversary. This donation sets a new record for the largest single donation to Wuhan University since its establishment in 1893. Lei Jun stated that the donation will primarily focus on three areas: fundamental research in six disciplines (mathematics, physics, chemistry, literature, history, and philosophy), technological innovation in the field of computer science, and financial support for university students. In 1991 ..read more

Chinese-owned semiconductor company Nexperia announced on Monday that the Dutch government has approved its acquisition of Nowi, a Dutch semiconductor startup. Previously, the Dutch government had been investigating the transaction on the grounds of national security. Why it matters: In June, the Dutch government introduced the Act on Security Screening of Investments, Mergers and Acquisitions (Vifo Act), which includes the scrutiny of sensitive technologies such as photonics, quantum technology, and semiconductors. However, despite the influence of export sanctions led by the US, the Dutch g ..read more