Pandaily Digest | Feb 20, 2023
Editor's note: A “press release” about the cancellation of the traffic restrictions based on the last digit of license plate numbers by a local government in China went viral on February 16.
ChatGPT-Generated Fake News Spreads in China
A “press release” about the cancellation of the traffic restrictions based on the last digit of license plate numbers by a local government in China went viral on February 16. After tracking the actual publisher, it was determined to have been written by ChatGPT, a chatbot developed by OpenAI. Link
Headlines from China
Tencent Plans to Introduce Meta Quest 2 for Its XR Business
Tencent’s extended reality (XR) department underwent adjustment and started to focus on building software, but this does not mean that the Chinese tech giant has completely given up exploring XR. Link
Chinese Telecoms Equipment Provider ZTE Begins Layoffs, Rumors Say
ZTE, a Chinese technology company that specializes in telecommunications, has started a round of layoffs involving its wireless research institutes, terminals and other departments, according to a report by China Star Market on February 20. Link
China’s Car Services Specialist Dida Restarts Hong Kong IPO
Chinese shared car specialist Didi’s smaller and similarly named rival, Dida, just filed for a Hong Kong IPO on February 20, with CICC, Haitong International and Nomura International as co-sponsors. Link
WM Motor Responds to Recent Difficulties, No Mention of Layoffs and Salary Reductions
In the last few months, Chinese electric vehicle maker WM Motor has experienced a series of upsets, such as internal salary reductions, headquarter layoffs, co-founder resignations and about 130 million yuan ($18.9 million) of assets being frozen. Link
Battery Giant CATL Cuts Prices in China
The battery industry in China is about to undergo a price war. Media outlet 36Kr reported that CATL is taking the initiative to implement a battery price reduction plan for key car companies, and put forward a price reduction requirement of about 10% to its raw material suppliers. Link
Baidu Accelerates Development of ChatGPT-Style Project
After announcing its ChatGPT-style project Ernie Bot, Chinese tech giant Baidu united two departments for tackling key technical problems and applying ChatGPT-related technologies to search and content products. Link
Alibaba’s Jack Ma Appears in Australia
Social media users recently spotted Jack Ma, the billionaire founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, in a hotel in Melbourne, Australia. Fans snapped a photo of him browsing his phone and drinking Coke. Another photo of Ma with an Australian family was also posted on social platforms. Link
Commercial Vehicle Manufacturer Newrizon Secures Series B+ Financing from NIO Capital
On February 20, Newrizon, a smart new energy commercial vehicle company in China, announced that it had received a Series B+ round financing of over 100 million yuan ($14.6 million) from NIO Capital. Link
Geely-Backed EV Brand Zeekr Denies Fraud Accusations
On February 17, Geely’s electric automobile brand Zeekr denied recent accusations of sales fraud on social media. The Chinese company has already filed for a U.S. initial public offering. Link
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