China

China Daily | English | News | Jan. 23, 2026 | UndeterminedTech Development/Adoption

Chinese biometric technology firm Saint Deem has launched its first dedicated vein-recognition manufacturing line in Huainan, Anhui province. The production line, covering more than 10,000 square meters, is designed to produce up to 2 million vein-recognition modules and authentication devices annually. This marks a step toward large-scale commercialization of vein recognition technology, targeting applications across consumer electronics, payments, vehicles, and smart infrastructure.

Saint Deem's new factory is the first specialized manufacturing line in China focused solely on vein-recognition products, addressing a gap in the country's biometric supply chain. Vein recognition identifies individuals by analyzing patterns of veins beneath the skin, offering a more secure alternative to passwords, fingerprints, and facial recognition, which are increasingly vulnerable to spoofing and AI-generated forgeries. Co-CEO Qian Haomin highlighted the shift from an R&D-driven model to one combining R&D and manufacturing, aiming to establish vein recognition as a trusted, universal key connecting people securely to both digital and physical worlds.

The technology has already been deployed in applications such as palm-vein payment systems, smart locks, public transport, and high-security environments. For example, Chengde Public Transport Group in Hebei province has implemented palm-vein payments to reduce reliance on cards and QR codes. Industry experts noted the potential for consumer markets to drive growth, given the relatively low penetration of smart locks in China despite significant sales.

Experts emphasized the importance of unified technical and security standards to ensure trust and prevent industry fragmentation as vein recognition moves toward mass adoption. Academician Zheng Zhiming and IT standardization expert Zheng Yinfei stressed that vein recognition’s higher-dimensional data provides fundamentally stronger security against evolving digital threats like AI-generated deepfakes, and that establishing evaluation and security benchmarks is critical to protect users and unlock the technology’s full value.

操盘必读：影响股市利好或利空消息_2026年1月22日_财经新闻

Sina Finance | Local Language | News | Jan. 23, 2026 | UndeterminedInvestor Sentiment

U.S. Trade Representative Grier indicated potential new trade talks with China, supported by China’s call to implement important bilateral agreements to stabilize economic cooperation. The People’s Bank of China emphasized accelerating RMB cross-border payment systems and reinforced regulatory supervision to ensure healthy industry development. Tax policies were extended to exempt personal income tax on gains from innovative enterprise China Depositary Receipts (CDRs) through 2027. Former U.S. President Trump ruled out forcibly acquiring Greenland and canceled upcoming tariffs on Europe, prompting increased optimism in U.S. stock markets. Meanwhile, the European Parliament indefinitely froze the review of the EU-U.S. trade agreement, with Denmark opposing U.S. demands regarding Greenland.

Industry updates included the expansion of inbound duty-free shops at ports, new real estate policies focusing on controlling added supply and optimizing financing, and long-term supply agreements in the semiconductor memory industry valid through 2030. Guangdong proposed advancing AI-driven smart transportation and autonomous driving tests. Intel and AMD’s server CPU supply is sold out for 2026, leading to planned price hikes. Guangdong raised the minimum commercial housing mortgage down payment ratio to 30%. Suzhou outlined plans to promote AI-driven scientific development and housing market revitalization.

Among companies, several reported expected net losses for 2025, including Moore Threads (950 million to 1.06 billion yuan), Xinda Real Estate (7.6 to 8.2 billion yuan), Jinko Energy (5.9 to 6.9 billion yuan), and Hongqiang Co., which anticipated a swing from profit to loss. Notable profit forecasts included Tianfu Communications (1.881 to 2.15 billion yuan, up 40–60%), Demingli (650 to 800 million yuan, up 85–128%), Jin’an Guoji (280 to 360 million yuan, up 656–871%), Daikin Heavy Industry (1.05 to 1.2 billion yuan, up 122–153%), and Juhua Co., Ltd. (3.54 to 3.94 billion yuan, up 80–101%). Other announcements included large contracts by Tengjing Technology and Nankuang Group and strategic investments by Hualan Co., Ltd. and Binhai Energy in AI drug R&D and advanced materials.

Global markets reacted positively to Trump’s announcement, lifting major U.S. indexes by over 1%, with memory stocks like SanDisk rallying strongly. The Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index also gained 2.21%. Spot silver dropped intraday but recovered slightly, while spot gold hit a record high near $4,888 per ounce. Natural gas prices surged due to weather threats to U.S. exports and ongoing cold across Europe and Asia, with U.S. natural gas futures up 29% for the day. Crude oil prices edged up amid geopolitical uncertainties focused on Greenland rather than Iran.

Investment opportunities highlighted include the spin-off of Zhiyuan Robotics’ dexterous hand business into an independent company, reflecting a maturing robotics sector poised for rapid growth through 2030. Neuralink’s brain-machine interface chip now supports wireless over-the-air upgrades, signaling progress toward commercial-scale deployment in the brain-machine interface industry, expected to reach $7.63 billion globally by 2029.

Additional updates feature no new trading suspensions and the resumption of trading for ST Zhongzhuang. Operating data revealed mixed corporate earnings forecasts, with strong profit growth expected in some sectors and significant losses in others. Key contract wins, share buyback plans, and shareholder reductions were also noted, alongside industry-focused investments in battery materials and carbon technologies. Executive resignations and production capacity adjustments were reported at select mining and chemical companies.

Peoples Daily | English | News | Jan. 23, 2026 | South China Sea

On January 12, 2026, the China Coast Guard vessel Fuying dismantled illegally planted fish traps near Xianbin Jiao in the South China Sea. These fish traps are characterized by buoyant materials such as tires, foam, or iron barrels visible above water, with ropes extending dozens to over a hundred meters deep, adorned with tree branches to attract fish.

The small above-water size of these traps makes them difficult to detect, but they pose significant risks to sailing, as their ropes and branches can entangle ship propellers. Additionally, the materials used in the traps release tiny particles that can be absorbed by fish, posing threats to marine life and the environment.

The China Coast Guard has pledged to continue vigilant patrols to identify and immediately dismantle illegal fish traps in the area to ensure the safety of navigation and protect the ecological health of waters under China's jurisdiction.