Weekly Overview(01/02-07/02)
1. Chery Commercial Vehicles (奇瑞商用车) has established its European headquarters in Liverpool, the United Kingdom.
2. XPeng Motors (小鹏汽车) has begun large-scale overseas shipments of the 2026 XPeng P7+, branded as the world’s first AI-powered vehicle.
3. SF Express (顺丰) has further expanded its UK operations, with its cross-border e-commerce small-parcel business entering the industry’s first tier in 2025.
4. YTO International (圆通国际) has launched a new economy shipping service, covering 46 countries with average price reductions exceeding 30%.
5. JD.com (京东) announced that its European online retail platform Joybuy will officially launch in Europe in March this year.
6. Sinotrans (中国外运) has expanded into Hungary through the establishment of a joint venture.
7. Miniso (名创优品) is expected to surpass 10,000 stores globally within the next three years.
8. Media reports indicate that Ford (福特) is in talks with Geely (吉利) to allow Geely to use Ford’s manufacturing facilities in Europe.
9. ANTA Sports (安踏体育) has announced a strategic partnership with the Hellenic Olympic Committee (希腊奥委会).
10. Anker Innovations (安克) has partnered with Feishu (飞书) to launch an AI-powered voice recording device.
11. TARS (它石智航) has partnered with the Technology Innovation Institute (TII,阿布扎比技术创新研究所) to jointly develop embodied AI foundation models for global applications.
Selected Developments
1. XPeng Motors (小鹏汽车) has begun large-scale overseas shipments of the 2026 XPeng P7+, branded as the world’s first AI-powered vehicle.
[Event] On February 2, XPeng Motors (小鹏汽车) announced that large-scale overseas shipments of the 2026 XPeng P7+—marketed as the world’s first AI-powered vehicle—have officially begun. The model features upgraded intelligent hardware, incorporates second-generation VLA technology, and delivers up to 2,250 TOPS of effective onboard computing power, with AI algorithms deeply integrated into the vehicle’s underlying architecture to support a more human-like autonomous driving experience. To accommodate diverse overseas energy infrastructures, the P7+ is offered in both battery electric (BEV) and range-extended (EREV) variants, with an official price range of RMB 186,800 to RMB 198,800. Industry analysts note that as overseas deliveries progress, XPeng is well positioned to leverage its AI-driven intelligent driving positioning to establish brand differentiation and competitive barriers in markets such as Europe and Southeast Asia.
2.SF Express (顺丰) has further expanded its UK operations, with its cross-border e-commerce small-parcel business entering the industry’s first tier in 2025.
[Event] Recently, Liu Yang, General Manager of SF Express UK (顺丰英国分公司), attended the China–UK Business Forum held in Beijing. SF Express stated that it will seize emerging trade opportunities by centering its strategy on the China–UK direct service corridor and leveraging three core strategic pillars to help build new channels for bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Having operated in the UK market for over a decade, SF Express has become deeply embedded in the local logistics ecosystem. Through partnerships with local retail chains, its network now covers more than 5,000 outlets, achieving full service coverage across major Chinese diaspora cities in the UK.
The development of SF Express’s global logistics brand is underpinned by three strategic pillars. The first is the upgrade of its core infrastructure base. SF Express has established regular operations on its self-operated all-cargo flight route between Ezhou and East Midlands, covering key gateways such as Heathrow and Manchester, thereby building a stable aviation and customs clearance network. The second pillar is service model innovation. Through an integrated framework combining chartered direct flights, self-operated customs clearance, last-mile optimization, and coordinated warehousing, the China–UK express service has achieved delivery times as fast as four days. In the UK market, SF Express has also introduced an integrated clearance-and-delivery model, shortening last-mile delivery times by 0.5 to 1 day. The third pillar is capability deepening. In September 2025, SF Express put into operation a 3,000-square-meter self-operated warehouse at Heathrow Airport and a 5,000-square-meter sea freight warehouse at Felixstowe, further strengthening its localized warehousing, distribution, and support capabilities for manufacturing-oriented outbound expansion.
In 2025, SF Express achieved strong double-digit growth in both revenue and parcel volume in the UK, entering the first tier of the cross-border e-commerce small-parcel segment and emerging as one of the fastest-growing market leaders locally. Looking ahead, the company plans to further deepen cooperation in areas including supply chain collaboration, green transformation, and digital upgrading.
3.JD.com (京东) announced that its European online retail platform Joybuy will officially launch in Europe in March this year.
[Event] JD.com (京东) announced that its European online retail business, Joybuy, will officially launch in March this year.The platform is currently in trial operation across the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Leveraging JD.com’s supply chain and logistics capabilities, Joybuy has achieved same-day and next-day delivery in multiple cities in the UK during the pilot phase, with some orders delivered within the same day.
Through its “Global Logistics Network Initiative,” JD Logistics (京东物流) now operates more than 130 overseas warehouses across 23 countries and regions, managing a total floor area exceeding 1.3 million square meters. In December last year, JD Logistics officially put into operation its first overseas “Zhìláng” smart warehouse in the UK. As a benchmark automated facility, the warehouse covers over 3,000 square meters and is equipped with nearly 200 Zhìláng robots, boosting picking and outbound efficiency by approximately fourfold.
4.Miniso (名创优品) is expected to surpass 10,000 stores globally within the next three years.
[Event] On February 3, Miniso (名创优品) held its 2026 Global Partner Conference. At the event, Chairman and CEO Ye Guofu (叶国富) announced that Miniso will accelerate its transformation from a retail company into a globally leading IP operations platform, with the total number of stores worldwide expected to exceed 10,000 within the next three years. Positioned as a key global channel for the internationalization of Chinese IP, Miniso plans to actively incubate proprietary IP while supporting the overseas expansion of 100 Chinese IP brands.
Kou Weixuan (寇维宣), Global Vice President of Miniso Group, noted that the “MINISO LAND” concept—part of the company’s “theme park–style” store strategy—is a core pillar of this new vision. Through a channel strategy focused on larger-format and higher-quality stores, Miniso aims to roll out these urban IP-themed destinations globally. To date, more than 25 MINISO LAND stores have been opened worldwide, with IP-related products accounting for approximately 70% to 80% of planned merchandise assortments.
Since launching its globalization strategy in 2015, Miniso has expanded to more than 7,900 stores across 112 countries and regions as of June 2025. The company currently maintains deep partnerships with over 150 globally recognized IPs, including Disney and Harry Potter. In the first half of 2025, Miniso reported revenue of RMB 9.393 billion, representing a 21.1% year-on-year increase. Going forward, Miniso plans to continue leveraging China’s efficient supply chain capabilities and globally recognized IPs, while using diversified store formats to shape global trends in interest-driven consumer spending.
5.TARS (它石智航) has partnered with the Technology Innovation Institute (TII,阿布扎比技术创新研究所) to jointly develop embodied AI foundation models for global applications.
[Event] Recently, at a high-level closed-door forum on embodied intelligence held in Abu Dhabi, Chinese company TARS (它石智航) participated in the discussions and officially entered into a partnership with the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) of Abu Dhabi. The two parties will integrate their respective strengths across artificial intelligence, closed-loop data systems, and full-stack embodied intelligence technologies, with the shared objective of developing next-generation embodied AI foundation models for global applications.
At the forum, Dr. Chen Yilun (陈亦伦) , Founder and CEO of TARS, stated that China represents the most complex and challenging “ultimate proving ground” for physical intelligence. Embodied intelligence solutions validated in such an environment, he noted, are more likely to demonstrate strong generalizability on a global scale. Chief Scientist Dr. Ding Wenchao (丁文超) further outlined the company’s comprehensive technology stack, including its proprietary human-centered data paradigm and the AI World Engine (AWE 2.0) foundation model, which together aim to enable large-scale real-world deployment through tightly integrated software–hardware systems.
During the event, TARS showcased its self-developed SenseHub data acquisition suite. The system comprises the TARS Glove motion-capture gloves and the TARS Vision panoramic camera, enabling precise capture of human actions and their real-time conversion into visualized trajectories and structured data. Such high-quality real-world data, the company noted, provides a robust foundation for training embodied AI foundation models.
About EqualOcean
Since 2018, EqualOcean has been dedicated to tracking and analyzing the global expansion of Chinese enterprises. We welcome contributions from industry professionals to share your expertise and insights. Companies seeking international growth, media exposure, or discussions on overseas strategies are also encouraged to contact us directly.
You can reach us via WeChat at xyrnina or by email at xingyiran@iyiou.com.