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China’s DeepSeek Releases V3 AI Model, Boosting Competition with OpenAI

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Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has launched a major upgrade to its V3 large language model, DeepSeek-V3-0324, marking a significant step in its rivalry with U.S. tech giants such as OpenAI and Anthropic. The new model, available through the AI development platform Hugging Face, showcases notable improvements in reasoning and coding abilities, setting a new benchmark for performance in the AI space.

Benchmark tests indicate that the V3 model has outperformed its predecessor across multiple technical metrics, solidifying DeepSeek’s growing presence in the competitive AI market. DeepSeek, which has quickly become a key player in the global AI landscape, has been pushing forward with a series of model releases, including the V3 launch in December and the R1 model earlier in January.

The company’s rise is seen as part of a broader trend where Chinese AI firms are intensifying competition with Western companies, offering similar capabilities at lower operational costs. DeepSeek’s rapid development positions it as a formidable contender in the global AI race.

Xiaomi Raises $5.5 Billion in Share Sale to Accelerate EV Plans

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Xiaomi Corp, the world’s third-largest smartphone maker, announced on Tuesday that it raised $5.5 billion in an upsized share sale as the company ramps up its electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plans. The company sold 800 million shares at a price of HK$53.25 each, according to a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Originally planning to sell 750 million shares, Xiaomi decided to increase the size of the offering due to strong investor interest during the bookbuilding process. The final share price, which was at the lower end of the HK$52.80 to HK$54.60 price range, represented a 6.6% discount to Xiaomi’s closing price of HK$57 on Monday.

Investor enthusiasm for Xiaomi’s EV plans has played a significant role in the company’s stock performance, with its share price surging nearly 150% from HK$21.5 in the past six months. The sale attracted over 200 investors, with the book being oversubscribed multiple times. The top 20 investors purchased about 66% of the stock offered.

The funds raised will be used to further accelerate Xiaomi’s business expansion and invest in research and technology development, particularly in the EV sector. Xiaomi entered the electric vehicle market last year with the launch of the SU7 sedan. The company reported a 50% jump in fourth-quarter revenue and raised its target for EV deliveries this year to 350,000, up from 300,000.

Xiaomi’s EV business generated 32.1 billion yuan ($4.4 billion) in revenue in 2024, delivering more than 135,000 SU7 sedans. The company plans to start shipping cars overseas in 2027 and is expanding its production capabilities with a new land purchase for its auto factory in Beijing.

In addition to its EV ambitions, Xiaomi is also focusing on AI, planning to allocate 7-8 billion yuan out of its 2025 total R&D budget of 30 billion yuan to AI development. The share sale comes amid a wave of tech-focused capital raisings from Chinese companies, as positive sentiment around the tech sector grows, partly fueled by easing government scrutiny.

China’s Commerce Minister Welcomes Apple’s Investment Expansion in China

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China’s Commerce Minister, Wang Wentao, expressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook on Monday that the company is welcome to expand its investments in China. The two leaders discussed topics including Apple’s business development within China and the broader China-U.S. economic and trade relations.

Their conversation took place during the China Development Forum in Beijing, an event attended by foreign CEOs. Some of the attendees are expected to meet President Xi Jinping later this week, according to sources familiar with the discussions.