Evelyn Cheng
@chengevelyn.bsky.social
Senior Correspondent in Beijing for CNBC.com
From New York
www.chengevelyn.com
From New York
www.chengevelyn.com
Why more global investors are looking more at China’s ‘cheap’ AI opportunities as bubble fears grow in the U.S.
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/26/c...
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/26/c...
CNBC's The China Connection newsletter: Foreign investors warm to China’s cheaper AI valuations despite fears of a U.S. bubble
For all the worries about a bubble in U.S. AI spending, capital flows into China's tech sector is far less, pushing startups to do more with less.
www.cnbc.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Why more global investors are looking more at China’s ‘cheap’ AI opportunities as bubble fears grow in the U.S.
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/26/c...
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/26/c...
Took a ride in one: www.cnbc.com/video/2025/1...
November 20, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Took a ride in one: www.cnbc.com/video/2025/1...
Tech execs from $NVDA to $BIDU say robotaxis are near an inflection point
You can see it in the pace of approvals and rollout pushes across the US, China, Middle East and Europe this year
The question now is which company can scale first:
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/20/g...
You can see it in the pace of approvals and rollout pushes across the US, China, Middle East and Europe this year
The question now is which company can scale first:
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/20/g...
‘Robotaxi has reached a tipping point’: Baidu, Nvidia leaders see momentum as competition rises
Global tech executives in recent weeks have proclaimed the robotaxi industry is finally near an inflection point.
www.cnbc.com
November 20, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Tech execs from $NVDA to $BIDU say robotaxis are near an inflection point
You can see it in the pace of approvals and rollout pushes across the US, China, Middle East and Europe this year
The question now is which company can scale first:
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/20/g...
You can see it in the pace of approvals and rollout pushes across the US, China, Middle East and Europe this year
The question now is which company can scale first:
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/20/g...
Chinese electric car company Xpeng attempts a global transformation
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/12/c...
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/12/c...
CNBC's The China Connection newsletter: Xpeng attempts a global transformation
What a trip to Chinese electric car company Xpeng's new headquarters shows about how the automaker's international ambitions.
www.cnbc.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Chinese electric car company Xpeng attempts a global transformation
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/12/c...
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/12/c...
“The tech is happening faster than we anticipated,” says Brian Gu, co-president of Chinese EV company Xpeng.
It's so fast, that about 18 months after Gu spoke skeptically about the robotaxi business, Xpeng is about to launch and test its own robotaxis next year.
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/05/c...
It's so fast, that about 18 months after Gu spoke skeptically about the robotaxi business, Xpeng is about to launch and test its own robotaxis next year.
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/05/c...
Chinese EV maker Xpeng to launch robotaxis, humanoid robots with self-developed AI chips
Chinese electric car company Xpeng is following in Tesla's footsteps by moving into robotaxis and humanoid robots.
www.cnbc.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:24 PM
“The tech is happening faster than we anticipated,” says Brian Gu, co-president of Chinese EV company Xpeng.
It's so fast, that about 18 months after Gu spoke skeptically about the robotaxi business, Xpeng is about to launch and test its own robotaxis next year.
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/05/c...
It's so fast, that about 18 months after Gu spoke skeptically about the robotaxi business, Xpeng is about to launch and test its own robotaxis next year.
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/05/c...
Apple CEO Tim Cook visited China last week just before the Singles Day shopping period kicked off. The company is trying new things with Chinese social media and livestreaming.
This week's China newsletter looks at what Western consumer giants have at stake: www.cnbc.com/2025/10/22/l...
This week's China newsletter looks at what Western consumer giants have at stake: www.cnbc.com/2025/10/22/l...
CNBC's The China Connection newsletter: Losing the Chinese shopper could soon have global consequences
Apple and other Western brands are still trying hard to reach Chinese shoppers as the Singles Day promotional period gets under way.
www.cnbc.com
October 22, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Apple CEO Tim Cook visited China last week just before the Singles Day shopping period kicked off. The company is trying new things with Chinese social media and livestreaming.
This week's China newsletter looks at what Western consumer giants have at stake: www.cnbc.com/2025/10/22/l...
This week's China newsletter looks at what Western consumer giants have at stake: www.cnbc.com/2025/10/22/l...
Airbnb CEO
“We’re relying a lot on Alibaba’s Qwen model. It’s very good. It’s also fast and cheap."
“We use OpenAI’s latest models, but we typically don’t use them that much in production because there are faster and cheaper models.”
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
“We’re relying a lot on Alibaba’s Qwen model. It’s very good. It’s also fast and cheap."
“We use OpenAI’s latest models, but we typically don’t use them that much in production because there are faster and cheaper models.”
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Chesky Says OpenAI Tools Not Ready for ChatGPT Tie-Up With Airbnb App
Airbnb Inc. Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky said he didn’t integrate his company’s online travel app with OpenAI’s ChatGPT because the startup’s connective tools aren’t “quite ready” yet.
www.bloomberg.com
October 22, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Airbnb CEO
“We’re relying a lot on Alibaba’s Qwen model. It’s very good. It’s also fast and cheap."
“We use OpenAI’s latest models, but we typically don’t use them that much in production because there are faster and cheaper models.”
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
“We’re relying a lot on Alibaba’s Qwen model. It’s very good. It’s also fast and cheap."
“We use OpenAI’s latest models, but we typically don’t use them that much in production because there are faster and cheaper models.”
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Evelyn Cheng
On the latest episode of China Field Notes, @chinaecon.csis.org expert Scott Kennedy speaks with @chengevelyn.bsky.social, who has been reporting on China’s economy in Beijing since 2018, about the challenges of being a Western reporter in China and more.
Listen: www.csis.org/podcasts/chi...
Listen: www.csis.org/podcasts/chi...
September 14, 2025 at 7:00 PM
On the latest episode of China Field Notes, @chinaecon.csis.org expert Scott Kennedy speaks with @chengevelyn.bsky.social, who has been reporting on China’s economy in Beijing since 2018, about the challenges of being a Western reporter in China and more.
Listen: www.csis.org/podcasts/chi...
Listen: www.csis.org/podcasts/chi...
Robots are getting better at customer service
AI model engineers are now looking for AI application jobs
More on how Chinese companies are already making money in AI www.cnbc.com/2025/07/30/c...
AI model engineers are now looking for AI application jobs
More on how Chinese companies are already making money in AI www.cnbc.com/2025/07/30/c...
CNBC's The China Connection newsletter: Chinese AI companies are already making money
The AI industry in China is shifting its focus from cash-burning large language models to business applications.
www.cnbc.com
July 30, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Robots are getting better at customer service
AI model engineers are now looking for AI application jobs
More on how Chinese companies are already making money in AI www.cnbc.com/2025/07/30/c...
AI model engineers are now looking for AI application jobs
More on how Chinese companies are already making money in AI www.cnbc.com/2025/07/30/c...
U.S. hedge fund magnate Steve Cohen has jumped in, with multiple purchases that have brought his stake to 8.41% of issued voting shares, according to filings with the Hong Kong stock exchange.
www.cnbc.com/2025/07/20/i...
www.cnbc.com/2025/07/20/i...
If Apple makes a foldable phone, analysts say this stock will benefit
U.S. hedge fund magnate Steve Cohen has also jumped in to buy the stock, according to filings with the Hong Kong stock exchange.
www.cnbc.com
July 21, 2025 at 11:49 PM
U.S. hedge fund magnate Steve Cohen has jumped in, with multiple purchases that have brought his stake to 8.41% of issued voting shares, according to filings with the Hong Kong stock exchange.
www.cnbc.com/2025/07/20/i...
www.cnbc.com/2025/07/20/i...
Chinese gold sensation Laopu Gold opened its first overseas store last month in Singapore's Marina Bay Sands
Not only have Cartier execs warned of the pressure, but an NBA player picked up a Laopu necklace during a recent China trip
Details here:
www.cnbc.com/2025/07/07/l...
Not only have Cartier execs warned of the pressure, but an NBA player picked up a Laopu necklace during a recent China trip
Details here:
www.cnbc.com/2025/07/07/l...
This Chinese jeweler is using traditional techniques to challenge Cartier — and it's starting in Singapore
Chinese jewelry company Laopu Gold takes aim at global luxury giants with its first store outside the country in Singapore.
www.cnbc.com
July 7, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Chinese gold sensation Laopu Gold opened its first overseas store last month in Singapore's Marina Bay Sands
Not only have Cartier execs warned of the pressure, but an NBA player picked up a Laopu necklace during a recent China trip
Details here:
www.cnbc.com/2025/07/07/l...
Not only have Cartier execs warned of the pressure, but an NBA player picked up a Laopu necklace during a recent China trip
Details here:
www.cnbc.com/2025/07/07/l...
More Chinese companies are discussing AI-driven efficiencies, especially in marketing and coding www.cnbc.com/2025/06/11/c...
CNBC's The China Connection newsletter: AI hits an already weak jobs market
Companies in China are quickly discovering artificial intelligence's benefits.
www.cnbc.com
June 11, 2025 at 7:37 AM
More Chinese companies are discussing AI-driven efficiencies, especially in marketing and coding www.cnbc.com/2025/06/11/c...
U.S.-China agree to framework, taking it back to Trump/Xi for approval before implementation
Rare earths are a 'fundamental' part of it, Lutnick says
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/11/u...
Rare earths are a 'fundamental' part of it, Lutnick says
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/11/u...
China-U.S. agree on framework to implement Geneva trade consensus after second day of London talks
The U.S. and China have reached consensus on trade, representatives from both sides said after high-level talks in London.
www.cnbc.com
June 11, 2025 at 12:59 AM
U.S.-China agree to framework, taking it back to Trump/Xi for approval before implementation
Rare earths are a 'fundamental' part of it, Lutnick says
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/11/u...
Rare earths are a 'fundamental' part of it, Lutnick says
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/11/u...
As China’s electric vehicle price war intensifies, its top leaders have sounded the alarm with high-profile calls to halt excessive competition, known colloquially as “neijuan” or involution.
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/05/i...
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/05/i...
Involution or evolution? China wants to stop the EV price war, but analysts are doubtful
There's a buzzword in China to describe excessive competition, in a race to the bottom: nei juan, or "involution."
www.cnbc.com
June 6, 2025 at 11:30 AM
As China’s electric vehicle price war intensifies, its top leaders have sounded the alarm with high-profile calls to halt excessive competition, known colloquially as “neijuan” or involution.
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/05/i...
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/05/i...
Reports from the U.S. biotech hub of Cambridge and Boston reveal layoffs and empty labs.
Out of five critical tech sectors, “China has the most immediate opportunity to overtake the United States in biotechnology,” Harvard Belfer Center says
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/05/c...
Out of five critical tech sectors, “China has the most immediate opportunity to overtake the United States in biotechnology,” Harvard Belfer Center says
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/05/c...
It's not just AI — China's quickly gaining an edge over the U.S. in biotech
For all the attention on U.S.-China AI competition, new studies point to China's rapid rise in biotechnology, especially for drug and agricultural development.
www.cnbc.com
June 6, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Reports from the U.S. biotech hub of Cambridge and Boston reveal layoffs and empty labs.
Out of five critical tech sectors, “China has the most immediate opportunity to overtake the United States in biotechnology,” Harvard Belfer Center says
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/05/c...
Out of five critical tech sectors, “China has the most immediate opportunity to overtake the United States in biotechnology,” Harvard Belfer Center says
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/05/c...
Today in rare earths:
AmCham China - 75% of members needing rare earths face shortage in 3 months
EU Chamber of Commerce in China - rare earths export licenses tick up, but not enough
A critical minerals shortage looms this summer:
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/06/t...
AmCham China - 75% of members needing rare earths face shortage in 3 months
EU Chamber of Commerce in China - rare earths export licenses tick up, but not enough
A critical minerals shortage looms this summer:
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/06/t...
Long-awaited Trump-Xi call isn't enough to resolve looming critical mineral shortage this summer
A high-stakes U.S.-China call has yet to resolve a metals shortage that businesses say could halt production of cars and other industrial parts this summer.
www.cnbc.com
June 6, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Today in rare earths:
AmCham China - 75% of members needing rare earths face shortage in 3 months
EU Chamber of Commerce in China - rare earths export licenses tick up, but not enough
A critical minerals shortage looms this summer:
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/06/t...
AmCham China - 75% of members needing rare earths face shortage in 3 months
EU Chamber of Commerce in China - rare earths export licenses tick up, but not enough
A critical minerals shortage looms this summer:
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/06/t...
AI + manufacturing still has a long way to go
But many factories in China are trying it out
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/04/c...
But many factories in China are trying it out
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/04/c...
CNBC's The China Connection newsletter: AI integration gives China supply chains an even greater advantage
As more Chinese factories turn to tech for cost-cutting and quality controls, it's going to be even harder to resist buying from them.
www.cnbc.com
June 4, 2025 at 8:57 AM
AI + manufacturing still has a long way to go
But many factories in China are trying it out
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/04/c...
But many factories in China are trying it out
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/04/c...
AI hype vs reality
Why there isn't a chip shortage in China
What AI means for media/content
Whether cloud and data centers will win
And what about AI glasses?
10 qs with Temasek-backed founder Jerry Ye for a grounded look at genAI biz
www.cnbc.com/2025/05/28/c...
Why there isn't a chip shortage in China
What AI means for media/content
Whether cloud and data centers will win
And what about AI glasses?
10 qs with Temasek-backed founder Jerry Ye for a grounded look at genAI biz
www.cnbc.com/2025/05/28/c...
CNBC's The China Connection newsletter: What chip shortage? 10 questions with AI startup unfazed by U.S.-China tensions
Hearing about artificial intelligence from inside Chinese business paints a very different picture of the tech than popularly understood.
www.cnbc.com
May 28, 2025 at 11:50 PM
AI hype vs reality
Why there isn't a chip shortage in China
What AI means for media/content
Whether cloud and data centers will win
And what about AI glasses?
10 qs with Temasek-backed founder Jerry Ye for a grounded look at genAI biz
www.cnbc.com/2025/05/28/c...
Why there isn't a chip shortage in China
What AI means for media/content
Whether cloud and data centers will win
And what about AI glasses?
10 qs with Temasek-backed founder Jerry Ye for a grounded look at genAI biz
www.cnbc.com/2025/05/28/c...
Just a week after a breakthrough in U.S.-China trade tensions, neither side can yet be confident that the other is holding up their end of the bargain. www.cnbc.com/2025/05/21/c...
CNBC's The China Connection newsletter: A fragile truce as tempers flare
Just a week after a breakthrough in U.S.-China trade tensions, neither side can yet be confident that the other is holding up their end of the bargain.
www.cnbc.com
May 21, 2025 at 6:48 AM
Just a week after a breakthrough in U.S.-China trade tensions, neither side can yet be confident that the other is holding up their end of the bargain. www.cnbc.com/2025/05/21/c...
Chinese companies still want to compete for the U.S. consumer, despite tariffs
Shanghai-based Bc Babycare says it has been building a global supply chain over the last few years
www.cnbc.com/2025/05/20/c...
Shanghai-based Bc Babycare says it has been building a global supply chain over the last few years
www.cnbc.com/2025/05/20/c...
Tariffs or not, a Chinese baby products company is ramping up its U.S. expansion
One Chinese baby products company announced it is officially entering the United States, the world's largest consumer market — regardless of the trade war.
www.cnbc.com
May 20, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Chinese companies still want to compete for the U.S. consumer, despite tariffs
Shanghai-based Bc Babycare says it has been building a global supply chain over the last few years
www.cnbc.com/2025/05/20/c...
Shanghai-based Bc Babycare says it has been building a global supply chain over the last few years
www.cnbc.com/2025/05/20/c...
Big Chinese companies like Alibaba show that AI-powered ads are giving shopping a boost www.cnbc.com/2025/05/16/c...
Big Chinese companies like Alibaba show that AI-powered ads are giving shopping a boost
Alibaba, Tencent and JD.com reported earnings that showed better Chinese consumer spending — and the growing benefits of artificial intelligence in advertising.
www.cnbc.com
May 16, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Big Chinese companies like Alibaba show that AI-powered ads are giving shopping a boost www.cnbc.com/2025/05/16/c...
The 90-day reprieve in U.S.-China tariffs is enough to address a major pain point: Christmas shopping
But for running shoes produced in China, the total tariff is now 47%, still well above the 17% level in January, says Tony Post, CEO of Topo Athletic
www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/t...
But for running shoes produced in China, the total tariff is now 47%, still well above the 17% level in January, says Tony Post, CEO of Topo Athletic
www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/t...
U.S.-China tariff reprieve is enough to get products on the shelves in time for Christmas
Nearly a fifth of U.S. retail sales last year came from Christmas shopping, according to CNBC calculations based on data from the National Retail Federation.
www.cnbc.com
May 13, 2025 at 5:03 AM
The 90-day reprieve in U.S.-China tariffs is enough to address a major pain point: Christmas shopping
But for running shoes produced in China, the total tariff is now 47%, still well above the 17% level in January, says Tony Post, CEO of Topo Athletic
www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/t...
But for running shoes produced in China, the total tariff is now 47%, still well above the 17% level in January, says Tony Post, CEO of Topo Athletic
www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/t...
The tariff impact is starting to get real for companies trying to plan for the Christmas shopping season
www.cnbc.com/2025/05/02/c...
www.cnbc.com/2025/05/02/c...
U.S. retailers scramble to secure China-made Christmas merchandise as tariff uncertainty persists
As Chinese factories and their U.S. buyers try to navigate tariff uncertainty, there's a concern about whether products will arrive in time for Christmas.
www.cnbc.com
May 5, 2025 at 2:33 AM
The tariff impact is starting to get real for companies trying to plan for the Christmas shopping season
www.cnbc.com/2025/05/02/c...
www.cnbc.com/2025/05/02/c...