The UK Ministry of Defence has procured about 1,000 Starshield terminals and 500 Starlink terminals from SpaceX at a total cost of approximately GBP 29.5 million, or USD 39.9 million. Starshield spending accounted for about GBP 13 million, including terminals and communications services, while Starlink accounted for GBP 16.5 million. The UK is the first country outside the United States to publicly confirm adoption of Starshield, SpaceX's service for military and intelligence missions.
Apple will unveil its first foldable smartphone at a fall event on September 9, marking the first product launch under new CEO John Ternus. Chinese companies, including Lens Technology, have entered the supply chain for components such as UTG glass, hinges, MIM precision parts, and thermal solutions, mostly as secondary suppliers. Several firms cited confidentiality agreements, while some denied involvement.
Chinese banks are introducing AI interviewers for 2026 campus recruitment, with China Merchants Bank requiring candidates to complete AI interviews by September 9, 2026. Several joint-stock and city commercial banks have adopted or are considering the practice, while JD. com also launched AI interviews for its 2027 graduate recruitment. The AI tools are typically outsourced, not developed in-house.
Apple launched its first foldable smartphone this week, officially entering the foldable market and ending years of speculation. The same week, Huawei, Xiaomi, and Apple all held events centered on foldable devices, with Huawei introducing its latest triple-fold phone, continuing its ultra-premium product strategy.
The first industry consensus on low-glycemic-index (GI) foods was released in Shanghai, aiming to clarify boundaries in testing, labeling, and claims before a national standard is issued. The sector has surpassed RMB 100 billion in scale, yet official regulations remain absent. The consensus was jointly drafted by multiple industry bodies.
China Telecom introduced TeleAgent, a desktop office agent built on its self-developed Xingchen large model and domestic AI computing infrastructure, supporting over 400K token context. In tests, it generated event plans, student schedules, and product launch materials, adapting to changes while preserving file versions. The product reflects a shift toward longer, delegated knowledge-work tasks.
WeChat has introduced a new entry point for publishing private Moments posts, now in grayscale testing on iOS and Android. Users can mark posts as private or convert them to public. Tencent customer service confirmed the feature is being tested and adapted for other devices.
Two books published in 2026 examine distinct technological and agricultural transformations. "The Allure of Crayfish" traces the global journey of Louisiana crawfish through the US, Japan, and China, analyzing the rise of rice-crayfish co-culture and its structural overcapacity. "The Ambition of Algorithms" by Harvard historian Jill Lepore uncovers the history of a 1960s simulation company, warning of unregulated data collection. Both works offer critical perspectives on invented traditions and data-driven control.
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued a notice on September 7 requiring automakers to shorten supplier payment cycles, with payments to small and medium-sized enterprises due within 30 days and a maximum of 60 days. The policy, the first national industry-specific payment term regulation, follows commitments by 17 major automakers in June 2025. It also sets acceptance timelines, encourages cash payments, and establishes oversight mechanisms.
Microsoft is developing an automatic light and dark mode switching feature for Windows 11. Strings in the preview build reveal an option to schedule auto mode, allowing the system to switch themes based on local sunrise and sunset times. The feature may also defer switching until the PC is idle to avoid disruptions during active use.
Apple's backend has revealed 37 new hardware identifiers ahead of its Wednesday "Surprise and Shine" event, spanning iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and HomeAccessory. The iPhone identifiers include seven numbers (19,1 to 19,7), with known models such as iPhone 18e, iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Ultra, and iPhone Air 2. At least one identifier remains unconfirmed.
The world's first 500-ton-per-year continuous tower extraction demonstration line for rubidium and cesium from lithium ore, built by the Institute of Process Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ganfeng Lithium, has reached stable full-capacity operation. Its cesium carbonate and rubidium carbonate products, with purity above 99.9%, have been launched for sale, marking a breakthrough in efficient green separation of low-grade associated rubidium and cesium resources.
China has released its first fully self-developed high-precision tomato breeding gene chip, Jingfan Chip 1.0, covering nearly 5,000 core loci. With a detection rate of 99.12% and repeatability of 99.85%, the chip is tailored to domestic germplasm and costs significantly less than imported alternatives, aiming to boost breeding efficiency and reduce reliance on foreign tools.
Some ride-hailing drivers in China have turned their vehicles into mobile shops, selling jade ornaments, coffee, and snacks during trips, with one product priced at up to RMB 29. Platforms prohibit such activities but enforcement depends largely on passenger complaints. In November 2025, a driver in Guangzhou was involved in a fatal accident while video-chatting, prompting renewed scrutiny of in-car safety features.
In the 2026 interim reporting season, 92 listed Chinese developers saw average operating cash flow turn positive, rising from RMB316m to RMB736m year-on-year, though overall profitability continued to decline. Major developers including China Vanke, Greenland Holdings, China Merchants Shekou, and Binjiang Group reversed negative operating cash flows, with China Merchants Shekou swinging from a RMB2 billion outflow to a RMB24.1 billion inflow. On August 28, three ministries issued new rules raising pre-sale thresholds and promoting sales of completed homes, alongside financial reforms shifting bank credit toward project companies.
Nintendo announced a full remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time exclusively for Switch 2, launching November 5, 2026. Priced at $60 in the US and HK$449 in Hong Kong, the remake features completely rebuilt visuals, a new 3D art style, orchestral music, and modern gameplay enhancements. The company confirmed that loading screens are intentionally retained to replicate the original N64 experience.
In the first half of 2026, 19 of 42 A-share listed banks, nearly half, saw their net interest margins stabilize or rebound, driven by funding costs falling faster than asset yields. The average yield on interest-earning assets fell 32 basis points year-on-year to 2.98%, while the average cost of interest-bearing liabilities dropped 34 basis points to 1.51%. Deposit repricing, especially of high-rate time deposits, was the main driver. China Merchants Bank and Postal Savings Bank of China saw deposit costs fall below 1%.
The PCB industry is entering an AI-driven supercycle focused on precision improvements. Major Chinese manufacturers including Shenghong Technology, WUS Printed Circuit, Founder Technology, and Kinwong Electronic are competing more intensely as technological changes reshape the sector.
China State Construction Engineering Corporation reported first-half 2026 revenue of RMB 975.8 billion and new contracts of RMB 2.46 trillion, with overseas new contracts surging 45.3% year on year. The company highlighted progress in smart construction, digital transformation, and international projects, while its gross margin improved by 0.9 percentage points.
China has officially released a major plan for the information and communication technology (ICT) industry, targeting a trillion-yuan market and faster development of infrastructure and applications. The plan outlines goals to significantly enhance network infrastructure, technological innovation, and application depth by a specified timeframe. It includes projects for network construction, core technology breakthroughs, and industrial ecosystem building, with emphasis on integrating ICT with manufacturing, energy, and transportation. It also addresses data security, regulation, and international cooperation.
WeChat is conducting a small-scale test of a new feature called Xiaowei AI Social, which enables users' AI assistants to contact friends' assistants and handle initial conversations. The design allows the two AI assistants to exchange information first, with users stepping in only for authorization and key decisions. The feature remains in internal testing, with no final release scope or availability announced.
Six listed loan facilitation platforms reported their first-half 2026 results after new industry rules took effect, showing sharp contractions in loan origination and outstanding balances, with revenue and net profit broadly declining. Qifu Technology saw second-quarter loan origination fall 25% year on year to RMB 63.38 billion, while outstanding balances dropped 23% to RMB 107.58 billion. Two platforms posted net losses, and net profit declines reached as high as 95%.
Microsoft has confirmed it will reintroduce several classic personalization and taskbar options in future Windows 11 updates, responding to criticism from Windows 10 users. The company acknowledged that removing certain features was too abrupt and is now focusing on core desktop experience improvements, including taskbar size adjustments, label merging options, and classic Start menu features.
China plans to add roughly 1,000 gigawatts of combined wind and solar power capacity over the next five years, according to an official objective. The expansion would significantly boost the country's renewable energy base as it pursues its long-term decarbonization goals. The target underscores Beijing's continued commitment to scaling up clean power generation to meet rising electricity demand and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Jinan's 13 government departments issued a 2026-2028 action plan to embed artificial intelligence across manufacturing. The city aims to build over 40 industrial large models and agents, promote 30 typical AI application scenarios, and establish at least three AI capability centers by 2028. In 2025, Jinan's industrial revenue reached RMB 1.0786 trillion, with AI core industry scale at RMB 64 billion.
Several leading Chinese battery manufacturers have recently raised product prices in quick succession, signaling that cost increases in the lithium battery supply chain are now reaching the battery segment. The move reflects broader upward pressure on raw materials and marks an acceleration of price hikes across the industry, though specific percentage increases were not disclosed.
The lithium battery industry's price surge has extended to the battery segment, with several leading manufacturers raising product prices in quick succession and smaller players following suit. The increases are linked to higher costs from adjustments to the battery consumption tax. Actual implementation of the price hikes varies among producers.
The 8th China Grain Trade Conference concluded in Changsha, Hunan province, on May 7, with total transactions and intended contracts for 29.2 million tonnes of grain and oil products and 2,111 units of grain machinery, valued at RMB 87.871 billion. The event also saw the signing of 49 strategic cooperation agreements across provincial, government-enterprise, enterprise, consumption assistance, and talent cooperation categories.
Microsoft is developing a new battery monitoring feature for Windows 11, as indicated by code in the latest test build. The upcoming battery widget will appear on the lock screen and in the native widgets panel, showing power levels for the PC and connected Bluetooth peripherals such as mice, keyboards, styluses, and earbuds. It follows Fluent design, supports dark and light modes, and offers multiple card sizes.
On September 7, China Mobile Cloud unveiled AutoLab for Quantum, an AI agent offering one-stop research services for universities and research teams. Users describe experiments in natural language, and the agent autonomously handles quantum circuit construction, noisy simulation, variational algorithms like VQE and QAOA, Grover search, quantum neural network training, pulse-level simulation, and paper retrieval with experiment reproduction.