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Open-weight AI models accounted for 78.4% of tokens processed through the Vercel AI Gateway in a single day.
Chinese automotive brands are approaching 12% market share in Europe, with hybrid vehicles driving sales.
Airbus is expanding production in Tianjin and has delivered the first aircraft from its second assembly line.
The number of foreign tourists on Yangtze River cruises increased by 56.8% with the return of travel demand.
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Open-weight models accounted for 78.4% of tokens processed through the Vercel AI Gateway in a single day.(link)
Open-weight models accounted for 78.4% of tokens in the Vercel AI Gateway on September 19, compared to 27.5% on July 1 — their share nearly tripled in less than three months. Chinese models Moonshot AI and DeepSeek, based on estimated spending, ranked third and fourth, respectively; together with Z.ai, they surpassed OpenAI's share. The September production index, based on August traffic, found that open-weight models processed 56% of tokens — compared to 7% in December 2025 — and accounted for 14% of spending. Their introduction in August reduced the average price per token in this gateway by 23.2%. Although the daily figure reflects the traffic of a single managed gateway with users who have chosen it, a similar trend is visible on other platforms including OpenRouter.
InnoCare Pharma signs licensing agreement with Eli Lilly for $3.3 billion.(link)
Eli Lilly has signed a research collaboration and licensing agreement with Beijing-based InnoCare Pharma, potentially worth up to $3.35 billion. Lilly will pay up to $100 million upfront and in the form of milestone payments in the near future, and approximately an additional $3.25 billion for development and commercial milestones. InnoCare will also receive tiered royalty payments based on annual net sales. Under the agreement, InnoCare will use its own drug discovery platform to identify compounds targeting up to five new targets. The agreement took effect on September 24, 2026.
U.S. Battery Startup Prioritized China Over Kentucky for Its First Factory
EnerVenue, a U.S. battery startup founded by Stanford professor Yi Cui, opened its first factory in Changzhou, China, on September 24th. This move came after the company scrapped plans for a $264 million plant in Kentucky that was expected to create 450 jobs. CEO Henning Rath pointed to the industrial cluster of experts in hydraulics, pneumatics, and automation in Changzhou, and stated that with available capital, it would be "very difficult" to demonstrate the viability of commercial-scale production in the United States. The factory, which is 95% automated, costs $20-$50 million. It is expected to employ approximately 400 people by the end of the year and plans to have a capacity of 250 MWh by the third quarter of 2027, increasing to 1 GWh. Engineers fresh out of college earn approximately 12,000 RMB (approximately $1,792 USD) per month. EnerVenue raised over $300 million in March; its investors include Saudi Aramco and SLB.
China Overtakes the U.S. as the Top Workplace for Elite AI Researchers
According to a Carnegie China study titled "Who's Leading in the Global Race for AI Talent?", 41% of the world's leading AI researchers were working in China last year, surpassing the United States with 34%. This is a dramatic shift from 2022, when America concentrated 46% of the top AI talent, while China had 27%. More and more elite Chinese researchers are choosing to stay at home and build their careers, attracted by the rapidly growing domestic AI industry; others are discouraged by stricter U.S. visa restrictions. Silicon Valley no longer holds the same unparalleled appeal for the best and brightest Chinese talents.
China Installed 59% of All New Industrial Robots Worldwide
In 2025, China installed 354,000 industrial robots, accounting for 59% of all new factory robots worldwide. The number of installations increased year-on-year by 20%, helping to boost the global total by 11% to a record 603,000 units. China installed more than nine times as many robots as the United States, which came second with 38,500 units, representing a 12% increase. China's share of global installations increased from 32% in 2016 to 54% in 2024. The expansion of robotics is being driven by Beijing's efforts to automate, which already includes more than 43,000 smart factories. Chinese suppliers sold 195,000 robots installed on the domestic market last year, accounting for a 55% share. Installations in Japan fell by 19% to 36,200 units, while in Germany they decreased by 8% to 25,000. Globally, there were 5.08 million robots in operation, an increase of 9% year-on-year.
Chinese car brands achieved a record share in Europe thanks to demand for hybrids (link)
Chinese automakers have gained a record share of the European car market, taking advantage of consumer demand for hybrid vehicles, on which the EU currently does not impose high tariffs on imports of purely electric cars. In August, Chinese brands including BYD accounted for nearly 12% of total new car sales in Europe. They captured a quarter of all hybrid sales and a third of plug-in hybrid sales. This growth helped offset the decline in vehicles with internal combustion engines and contributed to an overall market increase of 4.6%. While Chinese brands achieved a share of 6.4% in Germany, Europe's largest car market, their penetration was even higher in the United Kingdom, where EU tariffs do not apply: more than one in five new cars sold bore a Chinese brand.
Chinese companies have secured more than 90% of the global market for legged robots (link)
According to Counterpoint Research, global shipments of legged robots in the first half of 2026 are expected to reach around 35,000 units, with 40% of shipments going to industrial applications. Chinese companies accounted for more than 90% of the global market in 2025. Unitree led the overall market with a 37% share, but its strength remains focused on entertainment and education, which accounted for over 70% of its shipments. In industrial applications, AGIQUAD and DEEP Robotics ranked first and second respectively; AGIQUAD held a 16.3% share of the entire market. Counterpoint expects that total shipments will exceed 90,000 units by the end of 2026, generating revenue of $1.5 billion. The market is expected to surpass $10 billion by 2030.
Airbus delivers the first aircraft from its second A320 assembly line in Tianjin. (link)
Airbus has delivered the first aircraft from its second final assembly line for the A320 in Tianjin. The A320neo was delivered to China Eastern Airlines less than a year after the line opened. The facility supports Airbus's goal of producing 75 aircraft per month from the A320 family by the end of 2027 and helps address the large backlog of orders. Airbus currently operates ten final assembly lines for the A320 worldwide – in Tianjin, Toulouse, Hamburg, and Mobile. Chinese suppliers are becoming increasingly involved in production, providing titanium and aluminum alloys, rudders, seats, wing spars, and passenger doors. This milestone underscores China's growing role in Airbus' global manufacturing network.
China's river cruises are riding a new wave of leisure travel and a surge in foreign tourists. (link)
China's river cruise industry is shifting from sightseeing tours to comprehensive leisure stays, supported by a dual network on the Yangtze and Pearl Rivers. In August, 47 vessels with 21,351 berths operated cross-provincial cruises on the Yangtze River, achieving an occupancy rate of 79.5% for the first seven months; 39 ships with 10,690 berths were deployed on the Pearl River. International demand is surging: the number of foreign tourists on the Yangtze River increased by 56.8% last year to 117,600, increasing their share from 1.5% in 2023 to 9.8%. On the Pearl River, the number of foreign tourists jumped by approximately 75% to 61,000. The transition to premium services is also accelerating: in the first five months, the number of passengers on luxury Three Gorges cruises increased by 18.2%, while economic cruises decreased by 21.3%. Luxury cruises now account for 86% of this market. Older travelers continue to dominate, accounting for more than 56% of passengers in June, but younger age groups are also increasing.
DiDi's next-generation R2 robotaxi has begun driverless rides in China. (link)
On August 31st, DiDi Autonomous Driving launched fully driverless test rides of the R2 robotaxi in parts of Beijing and Guangzhou, which can be ordered through the DiDi app. The vehicle, initially developed jointly with GAC Aion as a robotaxi and manufactured directly in the factory, is equipped with 33 sensors – lidar, cameras, 4D radar, infrared, and acoustic sensors – that provide data to a central computer with over 2,000 TOPS of AI processing power. According to DiDi, the system costs 74% less than the previous generation. Braking, steering, power, and communication all have backup systems; PIN verification and control of cabin functions are provided by a 17.3-inch ceiling screen and a voice assistant. DiDi, which provides 40 million rides daily, is now trying to catch up with Baidu's Apollo Go service, which already operates in 28 cities.
Tomáš Kučera & Yereth Jansen