Archive - China Innovation Watch

China digital landscape in 12 charts

E-commerce saturation, mini program breakthroughs, and shifting engagement patterns define China’s digital economy in 2025.

Aug 24

China internet in 2025: scale, shifts, and the battle for user time

China’s internet user base reached 1.123 billion by June 2025, adding 14.36 million in six months, for a penetration rate of 79.7%. Find out details…

Aug 22

Chinese humanoids gain edge in retail, logistics

VLA-powered humanoids and vertical data moats are driving hundreds of commercial deployments, cutting costs and reshaping service work.

Aug 19

Tencent rides AI surge to double-digit profit growth

AI-driven games and marketing push Tencent’s Q2 revenue to RMB184.5 billion, with international gaming up 35% YoY.

Aug 13

Agentic AI upshift in China

AI agent market in China to surge 75× by 2028 as tech giants race to standardize.

Aug 5

July 2025

China rallies world for AI rules

China's AI action plan positions as AI rule-shaper at a time when the U.S. deregulates and the EU tightens controls.

Jul 28

China payment markets overview 2025

Cross-border payment growth slows to 2.9% while AI adoption reshapes China’s domestic transaction landscape.

Jul 22

China AI IaaS spend jumps 165%

China’s generative AI training spend will quadruple to RMB 40.87B by 2029, reshaping its cloud future.

Jul 15

Baidu rewrites search for the AI age

Baidu is reshaping its search engine with AI-native tools, agent integration, and a massive open ecosystem—signaling China’s distinct path in the global…

Jul 10

Huawei’s rise, Apple’s rethink

Apple’s iPhone rebound in China came at a cost: deep discounts. Huawei leads as rational consumption reshapes China’s premium smartphone market.

Jul 8

China’s next interface: AI companions

Fusing tactile design with emotional intelligence, China’s AI companion boom is reshaping global norms in consumer tech, monetization, and intimacy…

Jul 3

Inside China’s FMCG slowdown and premium pivots

From discount shopping in smaller cities to premium toothpaste and coffee, China’s shoppers are redefining value. Here’s how brands are adapting to win.

Jul 1

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