☕️ Good morning, friends,

We’re kicking off the week with a truly spooky coffee creation: latte macchiato served in a durian (which fittingly translates to “stink fruit” in German).

No, we didn’t make this up—see for yourself….

Last Friday we launched our Labubu referral campaign, and promptly subscribers from Mercedes-Benz and the ING Group joined our asiabits community. The craze is catching even PS enthusiasts and investment bankers. Welcome!

🤝 P.S. We’re incredibly proud of our Partner of the Week: Tencent. They’ve announced a programming competition with a 3.6 million CNY prize pool and are inviting the asiabits community to participate.

BENCHMARKS

NUMBERS

18.1 billion CNY

This is how much Huadian New Energy raised with its IPO in Shanghai, breaking the record for China's largest IPO in 2025.

200 million USD

That's the fresh capital Farizon secures for methanol-hydrogen vehicles. The new-energy company is backed by Geely.

53

That’s how many African states will benefit from China’s zero-tariff imports, making coffee especially cheaper.

TOP BIT

🏍️ Instant Retail: Turbo Delivery Conquers Everyday Life

China’s major instant-delivery apps — including Meituan (similar to Uber Eats), Ele.me (Alibaba’s delivery service), and online retailer JD.com — are outbidding each other with discounts worth billions. With doorstep deliveries in just 30 to 60 minutes, they aim to win new customers and expand market share.
The regulator is now stepping in and calling for fair competition.

The Details

📈 Order records: Meituan logs 150 million daily orders, while Alibaba’s “Taobao Instant” hits 80 million orders and 200 million daily users.

💵 Discount arms race: Alibaba is pumping roughly $7 billion into coupons; Meituan is dangling about $14 billion in additional price cuts.

🏃 New challenger: JD.com is aggressively entering food delivery, waiving fees for merchants initially and planning 100,000 full-time couriers.

⚙️ Logistics power: Meituan operates over 30,000 micro-warehouses; Ele.me leverages Alibaba’s nationwide network. Average delivery time: 34 minutes.

🛑 Regulatory stop sign: The watchdog urges platforms to curb promotions, pay couriers fairly, and strictly enforce hygiene standards.

Why It Matters

• Consumption impulse: Flash discounts stimulate domestic demand and support China’s growth targets.
  

• Job engine: Hundreds of thousands of new rider jobs are created, though social-security coverage remains a concern.
  

• Global relevance: China’s race for minute-speed delivery sets new e-commerce benchmarks worldwide—companies from Amazon to DoorDash are watching whether this model can be sustained and exported.

Background

“Instant retail” merges online shopping with local delivery in under an hour. A 2023 government study valued the market at $90 billion; it could exceed $280 billion by 2030. As classic sale events like Singles’ Day lose momentum, the giants are banking on speed as the new selling point.

The big question: Can they maintain this pace once the discount billions dry up?

📊 All Data & Details: CGTN, Yicai, Financial Times

OUR PARTNER

🎯 Ready for the toughest AI challenge of the year?

You’ve got the skills. Tencent brings the stage.

The Tencent Advertising Algorithm Competition (TAAC) is back – and looking for the brightest minds in the game. This year’s theme, “Generative AI, Future RecSys”, isn’t about tweaking old models. It’s about reimagining the future of recommendation systems.

🧠 Your mission:

• Build a generative recommendation model based on users’ multimodal behavior – text, image, and interaction.

• Go beyond traditional frameworks and show what GenAI is really capable of.

🏆 What’s in it for you:

• RMB 3.6 million prize pool

• Guaranteed Tencent job offers for all Top 10 teams

• Internships & iPads for strong performers

📅 Register now – deadline: July 31
👉 Questions? Email [email protected]

HEAD OF THE DAY

🇨🇳 Wang Wei

🚚 From a single van to a logistics giant: In 1993 he founded SF Express with just six employees and one delivery van.

Today SF Express is China’s largest courier company, handling billions of parcels a year with 400,000 staff and its own fleet of trucks and aircraft. Think of it as a blend of Amazon Logistics and FedEx. SF Express runs its entire network in-house and invests heavily in technology and infrastructure to achieve unmatched speed and reliability.

👉 Lesson learned: Take control of your core processes and invest boldly in infrastructure to earn trust and set industry standards.

MARKET BIT

🚗 BMW Pulls in Momenta for China Assistance

Details

🤝 Joint approach: BMW is developing a driver-assistance package for highway and urban use together with Beijing software specialist Momenta; the first production models of the Neue Klasse will hit Chinese roads from 2026.

🗺️ HD mapping included: Momenta is one of the very few companies officially approved to create high-definition street maps in the Middle Kingdom—a mandatory component for lane-keeping and future Level-3 upgrades.

⚡ Pipeline turbocharge: Thanks to pre-trained AI algorithms, BMW cuts localization time by about a year and saves a high-three-figure-million sum in in-house development costs.

🌐 Modular setup: Momenta’s software plugs into BMW’s global platform (Qualcomm/Arriver, Alibaba AI); German 7 Series already run Level-3 pilot projects today.

Why It Matters

• Local differentiation: Momenta’s China-tuned maps make BMW models immediately competitive against BYD & Co.
  

• Cost & speed: Ready-made HD maps and AI shave roughly a year off development and save a high-double-digit-million amount.
  

• Data boost: Every BMW delivered in China generates training data that will accelerate future Level-3/4 systems worldwide.

👉🏻 Full story: Handelsblatt, BMW Press, Reuters

TOP READS

🌊 China Cools AI Underwater: Shanghai gets a sea-floor data center cooled by seawater, 97% powered by wind. The project that started in June cuts energy use by 30% versus land centers. Technology first tested by Microsoft, now a global trend. Full Story.

🚩 Japan Swings Right: Sanseito surges in Upper House. Former YouTube fringe party Sanseito rides anti-globalist, "Japan First" slogans—gains up to 22 seats. Ruling coalition loses majority, PM Ishiba under pressure. Full story.

🌏 EU deal awakens Indonesia: EU and Indonesia sign free trade agreement after 10 years. Goal: Make Indonesia Europe’s new “China”. Nation has 280 million people, world’s fourth largest population. Full Story.

OPTIONAL READS

China: The southern region Guangxi launches an AI competition to boost start-ups for Asean. More on this.

Japan: Government-backed startup Rapidus has produced Japan’s first 2 nm transistor. More on this.

Bali: Provincial government bans production of small plastic packages from 2026 after environmental suggestions. More on this.

BEHIND THE BITS

🤖 Snack Express on Rails: The city of Shenzhen in southern China is famous for its crazy tech stunts. The latest trend is delivery robots in the subway.

On less-frequented lines, robots now supply 7-Eleven convenience stores. They exit the train at the respective stations to restock shelves with snacks and drinks.

The woman in the picture still looks skeptical, but that will surely change quickly—robots are becoming more and more part of everyday life in Asia.

We think it’s great! At least robots on the train don’t have to listen to German rap over the speakers…

FEEDBACK

See you tomorrow in your inbox, 

Thomas, Michael & the Team of asiabits