☕️ Good morning comrades,

word’s gotten around: at asiabits, you’re the first to know who’s setting trends and driving innovation in Asia.
That’s why yesterday, subscribers from Zeekr joined our community too. Welcome aboard!

Investment tip: Durian prices are expected to drop by 30% next month. Time to short the stink fruit!

🚀 Benchmarks

🔢 Facts & Figures

5 mio

Projected annual demand for new housing in Chinese cities according to Goldman Sachs—just a quarter of the 2017 peak of 20 million units.

233 mio

The number of Chinese citizens living with diabetes, nearly one and a half times more than in 2005.

475 mio USD

Estimated insurance losses following the Air India crash; industry experts expect airline premiums worldwide to rise by up to 30%.

Top Bit: 🦟 China Unveils Mosquito Drone for the Battlefield

A lab at the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) has unveiled a UAV prototype the size of an insect. The 1.3 cm “mosquito” flies using two flapping micro-wings, can be controlled via smartphone, and is designed for covert indoor reconnaissance.

Details

🪶 Bionics: Flapping leaf wings and three hair-thin “legs” enable hovering, slipping through windows, and perching.

🔋 Electronics in a pinhead: Battery, control SoC, and sensors fit into a housing the size of a penny.

📡 Control: Bluetooth link to a smartphone; AI stabilization maintains course in gusty winds.

🪰 Possible missions: Close-range urban reconnaissance, search for trapped persons, or operations in GPS-denied environments.

Why it matters

• Technological edge – Nano aerial robotics are considered a breakthrough for the next generation of electronic warfare and could set new standards in micro-propulsion and AI-based swarm coordination.
  

• Arms race – Beijing showcases high-tech capabilities while Washington and Oslo (Black Hornet) push similar projects — adding pressure in already tense US-China relations.
  

• Dual-use potential – Beyond military use, such microdrones could transform environmental monitoring, industrial inspections, or disaster relief — provided regulators resolve data protection and export control issues.

Background

Since the 2018 U.S. chip restrictions, China has heavily invested in independent core technologies. NUDT is a central node in the country’s military-academic innovation network, spanning from quantum radar to swarm AI.

This new microdrone joins a global wave of research, with U.S. projects like Harvard’s RoboBee continuing to set the bar in miniaturization.

Further Reading: NDTV, IE

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Head Of The Day

Liang Wenfeng

🤖 From Village Kid to AI Pioneer: Born in a small village in Guangdong, he founded the AI startup DeepSeek. In January 2025, he launched the DeepSeek-R1 model, trained on 2,048 GPUs for just $5.6 million. The accompanying free app took the U.S. App Store by storm, knocking ChatGPT from the top spot.

With a personal fortune of $1 billion (Forbes #2933), the 40-year-old ranks among China’s most influential tech visionaries and was already invited to expert roundtables by Premier Li Qiang and Xi Jinping in 2025.

Market Bit: 🚗 Stellantis Considers Selling Maserati

Details

📝 Option Review: McKinsey is reportedly evaluating all strategic options for Stellantis’ loss-making luxury brand – including a full sale.

📉 Weak Performance: Only 11,300 units sold in 2024 (down 55% YoY); operating loss of €260 million. New model rollouts currently on hold.

🤝 Potential Buyers: Insiders suggest Chinese automakers (e.g., Chery) are eyeing the brand to gain a foothold in the European prestige market.

🚦 Internal Debate: Some within Stellantis advocate portfolio consolidation (14 brands seen as “too many”), while others worry about reputational damage, since Maserati is the group’s only luxury label.

🔧 Tariff Pressure: U.S. tariffs on Italian sports cars worsen profitability issues and are accelerating the strategy review.

Why it matters

• Portfolio consolidation: A sale would relieve pressure on Stellantis’ low-margin operations and free up capital for EV and AI investments.
  

• China push: Acquisition by a Chinese OEM could reshape competition in Europe’s premium segment.
  

• Luxury under fire: Even iconic brands aren’t immune to tightening trade barriers.

Further reading: Handelsblatt, Reuters

Top Reads

🇰🇷 South Korea Bets on Shipbuilding: Seoul is leveraging its high-tech shipyards in the tariff standoff with Washington. Companies like HD Hyundai and Hanwha Ocean are offering the U.S. maintenance capacity for Navy ships and multi-billion dollar LNG carrier orders — a powerful argument to avert the looming 25% tariff hike in July. At the same time, South Korea hopes to preserve jobs and export revenues — as Chinese shipbuilders are already pulling ahead. More on this.

🇵🇰 Pakistan Nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize: Islamabad hails the U.S. President as a “true peacemaker,” citing his crisis call in May that ended bloodshed between India and Pakistan and enabled a ceasefire in Kashmir. More on this.

🚗 China’s EV Success in Three Steps: Long-term government support, cheap batteries, and dense charging networks have turned EVs into a mass product — nearly every second new registration is electric. Automakers like BYD and Xpeng are now pushing affordable, high-tech models onto global markets, while Western carmakers struggle to catch up. More on this.

Optional Reads

Africa: Chinese companies say their survival is threatened by conflicts in African mining countries. More on this.

Japan: Reports Chinese ships near the disputed Senkaku Islands for the 216th consecutive day. More on this.

Hong Kong: Launches “Payment Connect,” a real-time cross-border mobile payment system with mainland China. More on this.

🥠 Fortune Cookie of The Day

🔪 Sharp Accessory: An increasing number of young Singaporeans are walking around the city with folding knives and karambits as fashion statements. These weapons are lightweight and easy to buy online. But what starts as a trendy accessory often ends up in court — fueled by impulsiveness, online aggression, and a lack of self-control.

Singapore has one of the strictest legal systems in the world. Illegal possession of weapons can result in jail time and corporal punishment.

See you tomorrow,

Thomas, Michael & the Team of asiabits.

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