The news sent U.S. markets tumbling, with all three major stock indexes sharply lower by the close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Analysts say the move follows a series of recent Chinese measures that appear to have struck a nerve in Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, China\u2019s State Administration for Market Regulation launched an antitrust investigation into Qualcomm, the U.S. chipmaker long criticized for its steep licensing fees. Qualcomm\u2019s practice of charging royalties based on the total price of a handset has long burdened Chinese smartphone manufacturers. But with the resurgence of domestic chips such as Huawei\u2019s Kirin series, Beijing now has greater leverage\u2014and confidence\u2014to challenge foreign tech dominance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Second, China\u2019s Ministry of Commerce has imposed strict new controls over rare earth exports, extending oversight beyond raw materials to include technology, equipment, and finished products\u2014closing previous loopholes that allowed third-party re-exports. Though often overlooked, rare earths are indispensable for products ranging from electric vehicles to missile radar systems. The move is widely viewed as a direct counter to U.S. semiconductor export bans\u2014a clear display of tit-for-tat strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Third, China\u2019s Ministry of Transport announced plans to introduce a \u201cSpecial Port Service Fee\u201d on U.S. vessels entering Chinese ports\u2014a mirror measure, since the U.S. has long imposed similar charges on Chinese ships. The step underscores Beijing\u2019s message that trade rules should not be dictated unilaterally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After years of U.S. sanctions, China has accelerated its push for technological self-reliance. Gaps in critical sectors\u2014from chip manufacturing to rare-earth processing\u2014are gradually being filled, setting the stage for an increasingly balanced, and volatile, economic rivalry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
JD Logistics Expands Into On-Demand Delivery With $270 Million Acquisition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n On October 9, JD Logistics announced it would acquire its wholly owned local instant delivery unit from JD Group for $270 million, according to a filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The move sent JD Logistics\u2019 shares up more than 4% that same day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In its statement, JD Logistics said the strong performance of its instant delivery business in recent months had revealed \u201csignificant commercial potential\u201d and expansion opportunities. The company expects the acquisition to broaden its logistics solutions, strengthen \u201clast-mile\u201d delivery capabilities, and enhance competitiveness in China\u2019s fast-growing on-demand retail sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The acquisition also deepens JD Logistics\u2019 shift toward third-party logistics services. After integrating Dada, the group can now provide on-demand delivery across multiple platforms \u2014 including JD Express, Taobao Flash Purchase, and Douyin Hourly Delivery \u2014 offering a more flexible logistics network that extends beyond JD\u2019s own e-commerce ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Performance data backs the optimism. Dada\u2019s local instant delivery arm, Dada Now, was one of the fastest-growing business lines in 2024. Although Dada\u2019s total net revenue slipped 8% year-on-year to CNY 9.66 billion, revenue from Dada Now jumped 44.6% to CNY 5.81 billion, driven by strong order growth from chain retailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China\u2019s on-demand retail industry is booming. According to a report by the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, the market is being reshaped by big data and AI, which help forecast demand, optimize inventory and routes, and accelerate fulfillment times. The report projects that by 2027, China\u2019s on-demand e-commerce market will exceed CNY 5 trillion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
JD Logistics expects the newly acquired unit to post a net profit of CNY 7.52 million in the first half of 2025 \u2014 marking its first move into profitability and signaling that the logistics giant\u2019s latest bet may already be paying off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
German Luxury Carmakers Lose Ground in China as Local EV Rivals Surge<\/h3>\n\n\n\n After a sluggish first half, German luxury carmakers saw little relief in the third quarter as sales in China \u2014 their most important market \u2014 continued to slide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche all released their latest quarterly figures, revealing a growing divide between global and Chinese performance. BMW was the only one to post global growth, with worldwide sales up 8.8% year-on-year. But even for BMW, China remained a weak spot: sales fell 0.4% to 147,000 units, the only region where deliveries declined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The picture was bleaker for its peers. Mercedes-Benz sold 125,000 vehicles in China, down 27%, while Porsche\u2019s sales dropped 20.7% to 11,000 units. Audi has yet to publish third-quarter data, but its China sales were already down 10.2% in the first half of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the trio, Mercedes-Benz has taken the hardest hit. Its retail sales in China plunged to just 27,000 units in July, the lowest in five years \u2014 and more than 40% lower than the previous month. Even its core models failed to surpass the 10,000-unit mark that month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Porsche, once a symbol of China\u2019s appetite for ultra-luxury performance, is also feeling the chill. After two decades of steady growth since entering the market in 2001, China became Porsche\u2019s largest single market in 2015. At its 2021 peak, the brand delivered nearly 100,000 vehicles. But sales have been falling ever since \u2014 down 2.5% in 2022, then sharply lower in 2023 and 2024. So far this year, Porsche has sold only 32,200 units in China, 26% fewer than a year earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The shift reflects a broader structural change in China\u2019s premium auto market. Domestic brands such as HUAWEI\u2019s Aito and Li Auto have rapidly gained ground in the \u00a5300,000-and-above segment, leveraging their strengths in smart connectivity and electrification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Industry observers note that traditional luxury benchmarks \u2014 engine performance and brand prestige \u2014 no longer guarantee competitiveness in the era of intelligent electric vehicles. To stay in the game, the once-unshakable \u201cBBA\u201d trio (BMW, Benz, and Audi) have been forced to cut prices sharply at the retail level, underscoring how the world\u2019s largest auto market is rewriting the rules of luxury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meituan Pilots Feature Allowing Riders to Block \u201cDifficult\u201d Customers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n On October 11, a Meituan delivery rider confirmed that the company had begun testing a new feature allowing couriers to block specific customers following disputes or abusive behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to information displayed in the Meituan app, the feature is currently being piloted in seven cities, including Jinjiang (Fujian) and Shaoxing (Zhejiang). Riders can rate customers and block them within 48 hours of completing an order. If a customer is reported for verbal abuse or threats, couriers can select \u201cDo not deliver to this customer again\u201d or manually block the user in their settings. After verification, each rider may block up to two customers at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Meituan customer service representative confirmed the trial, explaining that once a customer is blocked, the rider will no longer receive orders from that individual for 365 days. The company plans to expand the feature to more cities, though it has not announced a detailed rollout schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new function has sparked lively debate online. Many netizens voiced support, saying delivery workers deserve the right to refuse service in cases of harassment or mistreatment. Others argued that the two-customer limit is insufficient, while some questioned the policy\u2019s real impact \u2014 noting that blocked customers\u2019 orders would simply be reassigned to other couriers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While small in scope, Meituan\u2019s pilot marks a rare instance of a major platform tilting policy in favor of gig workers, amid growing public attention to labor rights and workplace fairness in China\u2019s delivery industry.<\/p>\n","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-91697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-39"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gl-open.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gl-open.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gl-open.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gl-open.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gl-open.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91697"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/gl-open.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91697\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92912,"href":"https:\/\/gl-open.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91697\/revisions\/92912"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gl-open.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gl-open.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gl-open.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gl-open.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}