Wang Xin, director of the Research Bureau of the central bank: comprehensively promote the pilot of domestic and foreign currency integrated bank settlement account system

Chinese Restaurant Brands Going Global: What Keeps Customers Coming Back After the Opening?

How long can the queues outside a brand’s first overseas store last? And how many customers drawn in by the novelty will become regulars? For Chinese restaurant brands expanding internationally, opening a store is only the beginning of the challenge of building a local business and retaining customers.

Anjoy Agrees to Acquire 60% of Singapore’s IFC for US$30.5 Million

Anjoy Foods Group (安井食品) has agreed to acquire 60.0005% of Singapore-based International Foodgnostics Corporation Pte. Ltd. (IFC) for US$30.47 million in cash. The proposed acquisition would add frozen bakery capabilities and operations in China, Singapore and Malaysia.

Robam and Controlling Shareholder Plan Up to CNY 1.3 Billion to Fund iTronics Acquisition

Hangzhou Robam Appliances (老板电器) and its controlling shareholder plan to contribute up to CNY 1.3 billion to fund the proposed acquisition of 60% of iTronics Holding Limited, expanding the kitchen-appliance maker’s access to North American and European sales channels. Robam’s board approved the funding proposal on October 9; shareholder approval and completion remain pending.

Transsion Prices H Shares at HK$35.30 Ahead of Planned October 15 Listing

Shenzhen Transsion Holdings Co., Ltd. (传音控股) set its H-share offer price at HK$35.30 on October 13, ahead of an expected Hong Kong Stock Exchange debut on October 15. The smartphone maker, whose business focuses on emerging markets, would add a Hong Kong listing to its Shanghai STAR Market presence, broadening its access to international equity capital.

Ecosia Shifts AI Search Toward Open-Weight Models, Including Chinese LLMs

Ecosia, the Berlin-based search engine, is shifting more of its AI services toward open-weight models, including Alibaba’s Qwen, Z.ai’s GLM and Moonshot AI’s Kimi, through German AI platform Melious. Founder and CEO Christian Kroll told Politico that the change had roughly halved costs while improving quality and performance. The move shows how Chinese-developed models are entering Western products through European hosting and infrastructure.