Pandaily's Digest #20210816
Alibaba employee detained over sexual assault allegations, ByteDance tests “Douyin Auction”, Wall Street English faces possible lawsuit, Meituan invests in self-driving startup QCraft, and more.
Jinan Police Investigate Disgraced Alibaba Manager Under Suspicion of ‘Forcible Indecency,’ Not Rape
A statement by Jinan police on August 14 revealed that after investigating an Alibaba Group employee’s sexual assault allegation against her boss, they didn’t find evidence of rape. At present, the case is undergoing further scrutiny.
ByteDance Starts Internal Testing of “Douyin Auction” to Increase Investment in E-Commerce Business
ByteDance’s Douyin platform, the Chinese domestic version of TikTok, has recently tested a new auction function in its e-commerce business. It is reported that only merchants with legal auction qualifications can carry out this function.
Wall Street English Faces Possible Lawsuit as Competing Firms Woo Former Students
Customers and employees of global adult language training company Wall Street English (WSE) are now seeking legal recourse against the firm in an attempt to reclaim tuition fees and unpaid salaries as it faces bankruptcy of its expansive China business.
Meituan’s Venture Capital Wing DragonBall Invests in Chinese Self-Driving Startup QCraft
Chinese food delivery giant Meituan has invested in autonomous driving startup QCraft’s latest fundraising round of $100 million, highlighting the intensifying bets made by the country’s Big Tech on the promising driverless car space.
Canadian Judge Challenges Prosecutors’ Arguments Over Huawei CFO’s Extradition
As the lengthy extradition case of Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Meng Wanzhou enters its final stage, a Canadian judge on Thursday challenged the validity of U.S. claims against Meng at the latest court hearings in Vancouver, Canada.
VIPKid Launches Bilingual Courses on ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’
VIPKid, an online English education platform for children, plans to launch bilingual courses on ‘intangible cultural heritage’ in the near future. The course will cover eight topics related to cultural heritage, integrating Chinese culture, local conditions and customs with daily English skills.
BYD Delivers Tang EV in Norway, Initiating Plan to Enter European Market
Chinese EV and battery maker BYD has completed the Norwegian listing of its Tang EV and held a first car delivery event in Oslo on August 12.
China to Introduce New Laws to Regulate “Big Data Killing” by Internet Enterprises
Authorities in Beijing have released the latest version of the country’s draft Personal Information Protection Law, affirming that it further improves rules on the processing of personal information, targeting in particular the collection of personal information and “big data killing.”
Nio ES8 Driver Dies While Driving with NOP Pilot
On August 14, the official Wechat for “Meiyihao” published an obituary for its founder, Lin Wenqin, stating that he had died on August 12 in a traffic accident. The release mentions that Lin’s vehicle, a Nio ES8, had its autonomous driving function (NOP pilot status) engaged at the time of the accident.