SMIC’s plan to buy out chip unit approved
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC), China’s largest contract chipmaker, announced on Monday that its plan to purchase the remaining 49% stake in its Beijing subsidiary, Semiconductor Manufacturing North China (Beijing) Corp., for 40.6 billion yuan ($5.9 billion) through a share issuance has been approved. The buyers include the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, known as the “Big Fund,” as well as investment vehicles backed by the Beijing government.
China issues guidelines to regulate AI agents
The Cyberspace Administration of China, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology jointly issued guidelines on the application and innovative development of AI agents. The document establishes basic principles of security, order and innovation-driven development. It outlines measures including building technical foundations and standard protocols, defining product standards to prevent security risks, proposing 19 typical application scenarios across scientific research and industrial development and fostering an innovative ecosystem to promote industry cooperation.
Honda’s April sales in China drop nearly 50%
Honda Motor Co. said on Monday that its automobile sales in China reached 22,600 units in April, plunging 48.3% year-on-year. In the first four months of 2026, the Japanese automaker’s cumulative sales in China totaled 145,100 cars, a 28% decline from the same period last year. Facing rapidly shrinking market demand, Honda previously decided to further reduce its production capacity for internal combustion engine vehicles in China.
Tencent’s QClaw launches ‘file space’ feature
Tencent Cloud announced on Monday that QClaw, which can connect OpenClaw to WeChat, has officially launched the “file space” feature. With this function, QClaw can seamlessly integrate local files, Tencent docs and a knowledge base in a one-stop workflow. This effectively creates a closed-loop workspace where everything — from searching for materials and AI-powered processing to final output and collaboration — can be completed within a single platform.
Robotics startup Vbot raises 500 million yuan
Beijing-based embodied artificial intelligence firm Vbot said on Monday that it has raised 500 million yuan ($73.5 million) in a pre-A funding round co-led by Orient Renaissance Capital, Fosun RZ Capital and the investment arm of Huatai Securities, with participation from other investors including Cathay Capital, Capital Today and Baidu Ventures.
