China

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Shanghai Launches Zhangjiang AI Innovation Town to Accelerate Artificial Intelligence Industry Growth

Sept. 18, 2025 | Technology & Innovation

China is accelerating its artificial intelligence ambitions through the launch of the Zhangjiang AI Innovation Town in Shanghai’s Zhangjiang Science City.

**On September 16, authorities officially opened the 2-square-kilometer Innovation Town, which aims to cluster more than 500 AI companies by 2027 and expand to 1,000 companies with an industry scale of 100 billion yuan by 2030.**
The development provides over 700,000 square meters of industrial space alongside commercial venues, convention facilities, and talent housing, all designed to foster an integrated ecosystem that unites research and development, ecological cooperation, real-world application scenarios, and daily living.

**At the launch event, Hillhouse Ventures and Pudong Venture Capital unveiled a 2 billion yuan Link Fund dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and nurturing AI unicorns.**
This new fund will operate in tandem with the existing 2 billion yuan Pudong AI Seed Fund, which has already backed more than 20 companies specializing in reinforcement learning algorithms, intelligent control technologies, and applications aligned with the Innovation Town’s strategic priorities.

**The opening of the Zhangjiang AI Innovation Town Service Center coincided with the release of key municipal and district AI application demands and the signing of multiple partnership and enterprise settlement agreements.**
Since the town’s concept debuted at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, over 40 companies—including Yuntian Lifi and Acceleration Era—have established operations in the zone, marking a new phase of scalable AI innovation in Shanghai.

**In 2024, Pudong’s AI industry chain reached a scale of 160 billion yuan—nearly 40 percent of Shanghai’s total AI market—and hosted more than 600 key enterprises across intelligent terminals, autonomous driving, education, finance, cultural media, and the online economy.**
Zhangjiang AI Innovation Town will build on this foundation by aligning municipal and district policies, creating comprehensive support systems, and driving industry upgrades to develop a world-class AI cluster.

**To ensure high-quality development, the Innovation Town introduced “Ten Measures” that include extremely low rents for entrepreneurial spaces and youth apartments; financial subsidies for computing power, model training, and R&D public service platforms; and dedicated funding for AI demonstration scenarios and large-model filings.**
These incentives aim to lower operational costs and stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship within the new AI hub.

China’s Intensified Diplomatic Engagements and Sovereignty Actions in Late 2025

Sept. 18, 2025 | Geopolitics & Defense

China’s diplomatic activity in late 2025 has combined expressions of humanitarian respect, firm maritime sovereignty enforcement and extensive ministerial visits to deepen bilateral and multilateral ties.

**Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian offered deep condolences for the death of South Korean Coast Guard officer Lee Jae-seok, who drowned on September 11, 2025, while rescuing a stranded Chinese national near Incheon.**
The Chinese Embassy in South Korea conveyed sympathy to Lee’s family, and Consul General Zhong Hongnuo attended Lee’s farewell ceremony, praising his selfless humanitarian spirit and noting that millions of Chinese in Korea will remember his sacrifice. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung also sent condolences through his chief of staff. This exchange mirrored the response in June 2025, when driver Xiao Bo died protecting South Korean passengers in Zhangjiajie; at that time, the South Korean Consulate General in Wuhan paid respects to Xiao’s family. In May 2025, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province granted honorary citizenship to four Chinese Coast Guard members who rescued distressed local fishermen, reflecting ongoing China–South Korea maritime cooperation and mutual goodwill.

**On a recent Tuesday morning near Huangyan Dao, a Philippine vessel rammed a Chinese ship and other Philippine government vessels attempted to enter China’s territorial waters.**
Spokesperson Lin Jian condemned these actions as serious violations of Chinese sovereignty and maritime rights that disrupted regional peace and stability. He stated that China took necessary legal measures—justified and beyond reproach—to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime interests, and he called on the Philippines to cease provocations and respect China’s position.

**Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded a five-day tour of Austria, Slovenia and Poland devoted to bolstering traditional friendships and deepening cooperation in development, peace and investment.**
Host leaders welcomed Chinese investment and pledged to maintain high-level exchanges. In Austria, both sides agreed to expand strategic communication and advance green cooperation. In Slovenia, they launched practical projects, while in Poland they pledged to promote ties under the Belt and Road Initiative. At the Fourth Meeting of the Poland–China Intergovernmental Committee, they issued joint conclusions to secure the China–Europe Railway Express, develop direct air links and enhance export-control dialogues on rare earths and dual-use items. Wang Yi urged partnership over rivalry with Europe, opposed arbitrary tariffs and called for a rational EU understanding of China, with Austria, Slovenia and Poland playing constructive roles.

**During the tour, Wang Yi marked the 80th anniversary of the World Anti-Fascist War victory, stressed China’s contribution to the post-war international order and reaffirmed the restoration of Taiwan to China.**
He condemned Taiwan independence efforts and advocated peace talks in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, reiterating China’s neutrality and refusal to join sanctions or become involved in the war. Observers noted the strategic timing of Wang’s visits to Central and Eastern Europe following Western Europe engagements and China-EU dialogues, and they pointed out that China’s capital and industrial capacity align with the modernization needs of those states.

**In Beijing, Wang Yi met Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol to reinforce bilateral relations and high-level exchanges.**
They reviewed progress on the “Industrial Development Corridor” and “Fish and Rice Corridor,” affirmed mutual support for core interests and opposed unilateral trade coercion. Both sides pledged to build an all-weather community with a shared future and discussed the Cambodia–Thailand border conflict, with Wang offering Chinese assistance for reconciliation while Chanthol affirmed Cambodia’s commitment to dialogue and negotiation.

**South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun departed for Beijing on September 17, 2025, for the first high-level diplomatic engagement under President Lee Jae Myung’s administration.**
In talks with Wang Yi, Cho will address bilateral cooperation, supply-chain stability and regional tensions, including disputes in the Yellow Sea. He emphasized China’s importance as a neighbor and the need to resolve undesirable issues swiftly, reflecting Seoul’s pragmatic approach of seeking common ground with China while maintaining strong ties with the United States and trilateral cooperation with Washington and Tokyo.

Monitored Intelligence for China - Sept. 18, 2025

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Erudite Risk takes an all risks approach to intelligence reporting. We categorize key intelligence into one of 40 different risk intelligence categories.

The goal is to provide intelligence that allows decision makers to avoid being blindsided by what they may have missed, while informing them to make better decisions as well.

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退市公司“顽疾”曝光监管部门“一查到底”重拳整治

Exposure of Persistent Problems in Delisted Companies Regulatory Authorities Launch Thorough Crackdown

Sina Finance | Local Language | News | Sept. 18, 2025 | Regulatory Enforcement Actions

Regulatory authorities continue to investigate delisted companies for illegal activities such as financial fraud, fraudulent issuance, occupation of funds, and illegal guarantees. Despite companies being delisted, authorities have imposed heavy fines totaling several hundred million yuan and enforced securities market bans on responsible individuals. Investigations extend to companies, controlling shareholders, senior executives, and intermediary institutions, emphasizing a strict policy of accountability that does not end with delisting.

Recent high-profile cases include Yili Clean Energy, fined approximately 375 million yuan with lifetime and multi-year securities bans imposed on key executives for systematic financial fraud from 2016 to 2023. The regulators also opened separate investigations into the controlling shareholder, Yili Group. Huatie Shares faced penalties of 24.15 million yuan for information disclosure violations and financial misstatements after delisting.

Regulators have also aggressively pursued the return of occupied funds. Delisted companies like Longyu and Taian Tang have been fined and subjected to administrative measures demanding repayment of large sums—Longyu's controlling shareholders repaid over 400 million yuan, while Taian Tang Group repaid 572 million yuan through litigation and mediation. These actions align with the enhanced delisting supervision mandated by the new "Nine National Rules," reinforcing the principle that delisting does not exempt companies from responsibility.

Intermediary institutions involved in facilitating fraud have also faced regulatory actions. Yuekai Securities and Zhongwei Zhengxin received warnings for inadequate diligence and procedural failures related to Taian Tang’s asset sale project. These measures underline regulators' commitment to holding capital market gatekeepers accountable for enabling illegal behavior.

The ongoing rigorous enforcement, including the intensified delisting supervision and investor protection mechanisms such as compensation rulings and special representative actions, demonstrates regulators' zero-tolerance stance toward violations and their dedication to safeguarding investor interests in delisted companies.

【华源原创】基于产品全生命周期的专利布局建议——以乐高公司为例

Kangxin Partners PC | English | AcademicThink | Sept. 18, 2025 | UndeterminedIP Protection

在当前激烈的市场竞争环境下，将专利布局贯穿产品全生命周期，有助于巩固企业竞争优势并延长产品生命周期。以乐高公司为例，专利布局在研发期、成长期、成熟期和衰退期的动态调整，体现了产品生命周期视角对专利策略制定的重要性，确保技术和专利的持续迭代和有效保护。

乐高公司的专利布局在研发期重点保护核心创新技术，及时申请基础专利形成技术壁垒，如1958年的“玩具连接积木”专利。成长期则扩展专利范围，申请改进型和外围专利，同时开展国际专利布局，形成以基础专利为中心的组合专利保护网，保障市场垄断地位。成熟期核心专利陆续到期，导致竞争者利用过期专利进入市场，乐高由技术垄断转向品牌垄断，重视外观设计专利及商标保护，强化品牌认知。进入21世纪后，乐高通过跨界技术创新及积极专利申请，延长产品生命周期并重建技术壁垒。

对企业专利布局的建议包括：研发期需及时申请并保护核心技术，建立研发与专利协同机制；成长期扩大专利布局范围，形成全方位防御，同时应对竞争对手；成熟期注重专利组合评估和替代方案规划，平衡存量专利优化和技术迭代；衰退期则应及时清理无效专利，适时进行专利转让以降低管理和资金压力，同时防范潜在风险。

Defense Ministry spokesperson responds to question on whether aircraft carrier Fujian’s commissioning is imminent

Global Times | English | News | Sept. 18, 2025 | Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes

China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, recently completed its maiden sea trials and passed through the Taiwan Straits to conduct test and training activities in the South China Sea. The Chinese Defense Ministry confirmed these movements but stated they are a normal part of the carrier's construction process and align with international law and practices, without targeting any specific country or objective.

The Defense Ministry emphasized that China's development of the Fujian is in line with its policy of peaceful development and a defensive national defense posture. The Fujian is described as a critical strategic asset that will support safeguarding China's national sovereignty, security, and development interests.

There was no direct confirmation on whether the commissioning of the Fujian is imminent, but the spokesperson highlighted that the aircraft carrier's advancement continues according to national security needs and technological development.

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