### Summary
- Tencent's chief strategy officer, James Mitchell, is optimistic about the future of Tencent's AI-models-as-a-service (MaaS) business, as he believes that customers will have difficulty migrating away from it.
- LucasFilm is closing down its Singapore-based visual effects and animation studio due to "economic factors" and changes in the industry.
- Chinese state-owned media accuses India of using tax laws to hinder Chinese mobile phone brands and promote its own tech industries.
- Alipay, the Alibaba-owned digital payment platform, has expanded its international edition to allow tourists visiting China to attach local cards to their accounts and make payments.
- Apple celebrates its 30th anniversary in China, highlighting its contributions to the local economy, society, and environmental initiatives.
- Australia's domain administrator, auDA, has experienced a data breach, and cyber criminals may have access to its internal data.
### Facts
- 📈 Tencent's chief strategy officer believes that large enterprises will be early adopters of the MaaS business, followed by small and medium businesses.
- 🏭 LucasFilm has cited "economic factors" as the reason for the closure of its Singapore studio.
- 🇮🇳 Chinese media claims that India's tax laws are intentionally hindering Chinese mobile phone brands to promote its own tech industries.
- 💳 Alipay has updated its international edition to allow users outside China to attach local cards and make payments in China.
- 🍎 Apple celebrates its 30th anniversary in China, emphasizing its contributions to the local economy and society.
- 🌐 Australia's domain administrator, auDA, has experienced a data breach, and cyber criminals may have accessed internal data.
China has reportedly ordered officials at central government agencies to not use Apple's iPhones and other foreign-branded devices for work or bring them into the office, potentially impacting foreign companies operating in China as tensions between the US and China escalate.
Apple Inc. experienced a significant decline in its stock price after reports emerged that Chinese government agencies have banned the use of iPhones and other foreign-branded devices by their staff.
Apple stocks fell 3.6% after China reportedly banned officials from using or bringing iPhones and other foreign-branded devices into the office, signaling Beijing's push to reduce dependence on American technologies.
Apple is facing growing troubles in China, with tensions rising between the US and China, the ban on government employees using iPhones, and China's economic woes, prompting the tech giant to shift its focus to India as a potential market for growth.
People in China lined up at an Apple store in Beijing to buy the new iPhone 15, defying concerns about nationalist sentiment affecting Apple's sales in the country, with iPhone 15 sales via JD's Dada one-hour delivery app surging by 253% compared to last year's iPhone 14.
Apple has expressed concern to Chinese officials over new rules that would ban unregistered foreign apps from its App Store in China, which could impact users and limit the company's revenue in a critical market.
China is considering closing a loophole in its "Great Firewall" that allows citizens to access forbidden apps through Apple's App Store, potentially eliminating popular social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube from the Chinese version.
The US government's export restrictions on advanced computer chips is seen as a move to control China's access to AI technology and prevent Middle Eastern countries from becoming conduits for Chinese firms to acquire these chips, with countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Israel being the most likely candidates affected by the restrictions.
Apple has started requiring new apps on its China App Store to provide proof of a Chinese government license, bringing it in line with local rivals and tightening state regulations.
Apple has complied with a Chinese app law by requiring developers to have a registered local company in the country, potentially impacting social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in China.
