Daily Buzz: 11 February 2026

Chinese President Lauds Self-Sufficiency in IT Park Visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited an information technology industry park in Beijing, stressing the need for the nation to achieve self-reliance in science and technology, end reliance on foreign suppliers and develop industries of the future. Those goals are at the core of many policies included in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), with support pledged to development of domestic semiconductors, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, electronics and aerospace. According to the Global Innovation Index 2025 released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, China ranked 10th, entering the top 10 for the first time.

Trump Threatens to Block Opening of New US-Canada Bridge

In his latest vendetta against Canada, President Donald Trump is threatening to block the opening of a new Detroit River bridge connecting Ontario province with the US state of Michigan. Trump said the span won't open until Ottawa "treats the US with fairness and respect." The US$4.6-billion Gordie Howe International Bridge, named after the Canadian hockey legend who played for the Detroit Red Wings, was financed by Canada but will be jointly owned by Canada and Michigan. Trump also berated the Canadian government for taking advantage of the US. He has been belittling the northern neighbor on trade and political fronts since taking office last year, even suggesting that Canada become the 51st US state.

Separately, the 2026 Munich Security Report said Trump is a prominent "demolition" man in an era of "wrecking-ball politics," putting decades of international stability and order under unprecedented strain. The report cites his systematic dismantling of longstanding alliances and norms. It was issued ahead of the annual Munich Security Conference, where US Vice President JD Vance shocked attendees last year with a speech lambasting European leaders.

Israel to Discuss Military Options Against Iran in US Talks

Israel, skeptical of nascent nuclear talks between the US and Iran, has placed possible military actions against Iran on the agenda when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets US President Donald Trump in Washington this week, CNN reported, citing Israeli sources. The military options would be contingencies should the nuclear talks fail. Netanyahu plans to present Trump with fresh intelligence on Iran's military capabilities, the report said, citing concerns about rising Iranian stockpiles of ballistic missiles. Trump earlier threatened military attacks on Iran if Tehran doesn't agree to end its nuclear weapons program and scale back missile production. Last year, Israel and the US launched military attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.

For Health Advice, Choose a Doctor Over a Chatbot

The push by artificial intelligence into medicine is raising concerns from doctors, Reuters reported in a series on the trend. It reported examples where chatbots available on mobile apps have given consumer faulty information on serious diseases and medical conditions. A study published this month in Nature Medicine said turning to AI for advice on medical symptoms doesn't necessarily help people make better health decisions. In a survey by researchers at Oxford University that looked at diagnoses provided by app devices, only about 44 percent pointed to the correct courses of action. Their advice: stick with health professionals. The Reuters series also cited cases where AI added to medical devices used in operating theaters led to botched surgeries and misidentified body parts. It said at least 10 patients were reported injured between 2021 and 2025.

Top Business

Axera Breaks String of Strong AI Debuts, Shares End Flat

Shares in Chinese AI chip supplier Axera Semiconductor closed flat at the offer price in their trading debut in Hong Kong on Tuesday after an initial public offering that raised HK$2.96 billion (US$378.7 million). The result broke a long string of double-digit first day gains by Chinese mainland technology companies debuting in Hong Kong that began last year and has continued into 2026. Montage Technology, a designer of high-speed interconnect chips for data centers, jumped 64 percent on its debut on Monday, and GigaDevice Semiconductor rose more than 37 percent on its first trading day in mid-January. Shanghai-based Axera specializes in designing AI perception and edge computing chips for applications such as smart vehicles, the South China Morning Post reported. The company said it would use proceeds of the sale to enhance performance and efficiencies of existing products and finance research and development on new products.

Alibaba, ByteDance Target Google's Nano Banana

Alibaba Cloud and ByteDance released updated imaging tools targeting the popular Nano Banana Pro image editor from Alphabet's Google, the South China Morning Post reported. TikTok owner ByteDance said its Seedream 5.0 image model offers stronger reasoning capabilities, improved accuracy and enhanced editing control. "Think Nano Banana Pro, but much cheaper," the company said in a post. The new model comes on the heels of ByteDance unveiling its new video model Seedance 2.0, which became a sensation online.

Alibaba Cloud said its new Qwen-Image-2.0 is its first model to integrate image generation and editing functions for a streamlined user experience, and beats Nano Banana in rendering Chinese characters. Separately, Alibaba moved further into robotics with the Tuesday launch of artificial intelligence model RynnBrain, designed as a robotic brain. A video accompanying the announcement showed a robot identifying a piece of fruit and putting it in a basket.

Global Tech Giants Tap Debt Markets for AI Financing

US tech giants are going deeper into debt to finance development of AI technologies. Alphabet, parent of Google, is close to finalizing a global bond issue in excess of US$30 billion, CNBC reported. In its earnings report last week, the company said it expects to spend up to US$185 billion this year on capital expenditures, more than double its 2025 capex. Oracle last week was first large tech company to test the debt market this year with a US$25 billion dollar offering, and Meta is reportedly preparing a large debt offering to accelerate its data center development. The unprecedented outlays of money for AI – estimated now as high as US$700 billion for 2026 – have concerned investors worrying that returns from the investments won't be evident for some time. The tech-heavy Nasdaq closed down 0.6 percent on Tuesday in New York.

Nio, Zeekr Recalling Some Auto Models

Carmakers Nio and Zeekr are recalling some models of electric vehicles, the State Administration for Market Regulation announced. Nio is recalling a record 246,229 ES8, ES6 and EC6 models due to a software issue that could cause the instrument panel and center screen to temporarily go blank, preventing drivers from seeing speed and warning alerts. Zeekr, the premium electric vehicle arm of auto giant Geely, is recalling almost 40,000 of its 001 WE models over battery quality issues that could cause "thermal runaway" risks in extreme cases.

Separately, Nio said on Tuesday that it plans to keep expanding its charging, battery-swapping and sales service networks. The carmaker is projecting operating profit of up to 1.2 billion yuan (US$173.6 million) for the fourth quarter of 2025.

Economy & Markets

China 10-Year Bond Yield Drops

The yield on China's 10-year government treasury bonds fell below 1.8 percent for the first time since November as traders priced in growing expectations for monetary easing sometime around the Lunar New Year that begins on February 17, Yicai Global reported. The yield fell to 1.793 percent at the lowest point on Tuesday. The People's Bank of China has signaled a more accommodative monetary stance and has injected liquidity in the market to ensure sufficient funds for the nine-day holiday period.

Chinese Mainland Economists Remain Upbeat

Yicai's monthly survey of 13 leading Chinese mainland economists found optimism for the seventh straight month as the government rolls out policies to stabilize the economy. The Yicai Chief Economists Confidence Index came in at 50.2 this month. A reading above 50 indicates confidence.

Quant Fund Qube Assets in China Surge 10-Fold

Quantitative hedge fund giant Qube Research & Technologies' assets in its China long-only equity fund has surged more than 10-fold over the past year, Bloomberg News reported. Its Dao fund has topped US$2 billion, up from around US$190 million about a year ago, according to the firm's Asia-Pacific chief operating officer Murray Steel. It's currently the only fund of four overseen by the London-based firm that is open for additional capital, he said. Money managers have been warming to investment in China, according to Goldman Sachs and BNP Paribas, dismissing concerns about slowing economic growth and rising geopolitical tensions.

S&P Lowers Forecast for China Property Sector

Standard & Poor's Global Ratings has lowered its forecast for China property this year, predicting primary real estate sales will likely drop by 10 percent to 14 percent. The firm said the property slump that started in 2021 is so entrenched that it will take longer than expected to recover. It praised programs by local governments to buy unsold properties and turn them into affordable housing, but said the measures aren't expansive enough.

Corporate

Hengli Wins Ship Contracts Valued at Up to US$1 Billion

China's Hengli Shipbuilding said it has secured orders for 10 large crude oil tankers valued as much at US$1 billion. Nine of the ships were ordered by Athens-based Dynacom Tankers Management. A 10th vessel of the same size was ordered by an unidentified European shipowner. The orders are the sixth for Hengli this year. Hengli is owned by Shanghai-listed Songfa Ceramics.

Insta360, Vivo Take Aim at DJI Gimbal Cameras

Chinese electronics companies Insta360 and Vivo are moving into the so-called "gimbal-stabilized" camera market in a direct challenge to market leader DJI's dominance, the South China Morning Post reported. A gimbal is a pivoted support that permits stable rotation of an object about an axis. Insta360 is planning a handheld gimbal camera aimed at DJI's popular Pocket series, which was first introduced in 2018. Vivo is also set to unveil a "vlog camera" aimed at the Pocket line, Chinese outlet Jiemian reported last week. Shenzhen-based Honor last October teased a concept AI handset featuring a fold-out, gimbal-mounted camera.

Amap Called on Regulatory Carpet

Alibaba's Amap ride-hailing service was summoned by China's Ministry of Transport regulators for talks related to regulatory concerns related to inadequate management of ride-hailing partner platforms, fare-level suppression practices and the improper handling of emergency response measures. Amap needs to fulfill its public commitment to reducing commission rates to ensure reasonable earnings for drivers, a ministry statement said.

Doubao to Give Away Robots, Drones in Holiday Promotion

ByteDance's Doubao AI platform will provide 100,000 giveaway prizes during the televised Chinese New Year Eve gala on CCTV. Prizes include Unitree's robots, DJI drones, and usage rights for SAIC Audi's E5 Sportback and Mercedes-Benz's CLA. ByteDance is competing with a cash splash by Alibaba and Tencent during the holiday period as the companies seek to woo consumers to their AI apps.

Horizon, CATL Team Up on Self-Driving Technology

Horizon Robotics, a Chinese self-driving startup, and a unit of Contemporary Ampere Technology (CATL) are teaming up to support intelligent-driving upgrades for new energy vehicles. Under the deal, Horizon will contribute autonomous driving products and CATL will provide its Bedrock Chassis technologies.

East Buy o Launch E-Commerce School

Chinese education and e-commerce firm East Buy Holding is set to open an e-commerce training school this year, founder Yu Minhong said. The school aims to train e-commerce operators and live-stream hosts from across China. East Buy's e-commerce venture was launched in 2021. The Hong Kong-listed company is predicting that its fiscal first-half ended November 30 will turn to a profit of 239 million yuan (US$35 million) from a year-earlier loss of 96.8 million yuan.