☕️ Good morning, friends,

While the West is still debating the risks and opportunities of self-driving cars, China has now unveiled a self-shooting police car.

So don’t be fooled by the cute round eyes if you’re ever in Tianjin with mischief on your mind.

🤝 On our own behalf: We are now an official media partner of IFA Berlin — and that’s less than three months after launching this little passion project.

This is only possible because you’ve been reading and supporting us so faithfully. As a thank-you, we’re giving away 100 tickets to the world’s largest trade fair for consumer electronics and home appliances.

More on this in the partner section below. 👇🏻

BENCHMARKS

NUMBER OF THE DAY

247 million USD

Japan’s green tea exports hit this record high last year, a fourfold increase within a decade driven by the global matcha boom.

🍵 Green Gold: Matcha prices doubled within a year. Even in Tokyo, shelves are empty as TikTok-driven demand overwhelms traditional producers.

🌱 Production Bottleneck: Japan’s aging farmers can’t keep up with the boom. The government is considering subsidies for labor-intensive tencha fields, which must be protected from the sun.

Watch: The matcha hype illustrates the power of social media in the food market, while centuries-old Japanese tea producers struggle to balance tradition and mass production.

TOP BIT

📈 China’s Stock Rally Divides Investors

The CSI 300—China’s main benchmark for onshore stocks—has risen more than 14% since the end of June, outpacing U.S. and European markets.

Retail investors in particular are pouring money into the market as property and bonds offer little return. Prices are climbing, but international investors remain cautious: in Hong Kong, options data suggest hedging is cheap and few are betting on the rally to continue.

The Details

💰 Liquidity boost: Low interest rates,…