Chinese

An experiment has put four chatbots from the US and two from China to invest $10,000 in cryptocurrencies. The Chinese are sweeping

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What would happen if you gave GPT-5 $10,000 to invest in cryptocurrencies? What if you gave them to other models at the same time and they competed with each other? That’s just the idea they had in Nof1…and the result is fascinating. Six models investing in cryptos. Those responsible for Nof1 have created Alpha Arena, a new type of benchmark that according to them “gets more difficult the smarter the AI ​​is.” The idea is relatively simple: measure the performance of six cutting-edge models to see how they perform when given $10,000 (real) and invested in cryptocurrencies in real markets. The contenders are the following: GPT-5 Gemini 2.5 Pro Claude Sonnet 4.5 Grok 4 DeepSeek Chat v3.1 Qwen 3 Max DeepSeek has turned his $10,000 into almost $20,000, and Qwen into $15,000, fantastic. GPT-5 and Gemini 2.5 Pro have lost 65% of their value and are both at $3,500. Total disaster. DeepSeek and Qwen triumph, GPT-5 and Gemini sink. The result of these 11 days since this “race” began is fascinating. The two Chinese models, DeepSeek and Qwen, have obtained enormous benefits: in DeepSeek the return is 97% at the moment (it was as high as 123%), while Qwen is not doing badly at 53%. Claude (0.84%) and Grok (-8.2%) are maintaining or losing slightly, but pay attention, because GPT-5 (-65.7%) and Gemini 2.5 Pro (66%) are currently losing two thirds of what they invested. The summary of winners and losers not only shows that positive or negative return, but also something curious: the number of operations. GPT-5 (75 moves) and especially Gemini 2.5 Pro (193!) are extremely restless. Although it does not have to be this way always, those who operate the least are the ones who are earning the most. Crypto fortunes that come and go. For this experiment, the models can invest in six of the most relevant cryptocurrencies on the market: bitcoin, ethereum, dogecoin, ripple, solana and BNB. The models decide whether to take positions in one or several, as well as the amounts and level of leverage. Positions are normally held for a few hours, although in some cases they may be held for days. Learning little by little. All of them have been competing since last October 18 in the “first season” of an experiment that will last until November 3. As explain its creatorsthis first iteration will allow us to obtain the first conclusions about how these models perform in the financial field. Here we come to earn money. The goal is simple: maximize profits and minimize losses (PnL). This first season is just that, because from then on we will apply what we have learned after each season to polish the prompts and add new features to the experiment and thus create models that in theory will perform better and better when investing in financial markets. Algorithmic trading at its best. What these models are doing would be crazy for human investors, especially since all of them not only expose themselves to the volatility of the crypto market, but also multiply it because they make use of the leverage (leverage). With this mechanism one can achieve huge profits much faster, but the risk is also extreme. The models in fact use absolutely extraordinary leverages of 20x or 25x, and can take either short positions (short, you “bet” that the price of an asset will go down) or long (long, you “bet” that the price of the asset will go up). The operation of the benchmark experiment is relatively simple, but it will become more complicated in future seasons. Machines don’t panic. To try to control these risks, the models have clear rules in their prompts regarding risk limits (establishing clear stop loss signals, for example) or confidence in their criteria. And furthermore, they follow them, which allows the models to maintain their position unless these signals occur. Here, by the way, we are talking about medium or low frequency trading: decisions are made in minutes or even hours, not in microseconds. That, the creators say, allows us to answer the question of whether a model can make good decisions if it has enough time and information. Don’t even think about doing it at home.. This experiment is just that, an experiment, and in fact financially speaking it is leaking everywhere. To begin with, because the trial period of this first season is extremely short and does not allow long-term behavior to be evaluated. And finally (among many other things), because the information to which the models have access is very limited. They do not take into account news related to this area and only have numerical data that correspond to average prices and current and historical volumes, and some technical indicators. That information. On the right side DeepSeek v3.1 confesses how it maintains its position because no condition that invalidates it is met, and by clicking on it you can see what it takes into account (value of BTC or ETH, for example) to modify or not modify that criterion. The models tell everything. One of the sections of the interface shows the “Model Chat” where it is possible to see how each model “reflects” on its position. If we click on that reflection we can see all the current and historical data with which he has worked to reach that decision (I maintain my position, I change it) and thus we can find out at all times his reasons for making a move. Just because they win now doesn’t mean they are the best.. Those responsible for Nof1 explain that this is not about declaring the best trading model of the six, because this is just an experiment. As they say, “we are deeply aware of the flaws of this first season, including, but not limited to: response bias, limited sample sizes/lack of statistical rigor, and brevity of the evaluation period.” This experiment will be repeated over different seasons and with new features that will be added to the decision … Read more

The Chinese ambition to lead each and every area of ​​the planet has found its next adversary: ​​Jaén

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In 2024, a Chinese delegation visited 154 Príncipe de Vergara Street in Madrid. A priori, one might think that it is nothing that does not occur relatively frequently in most capitals of the world. And it would be true. After all, the only strange thing about the matter is that, in that corner of the country, is the headquarters of the International Olive Council. What does China look like in the international olive oil market? It’s a surprisingly simple question. The ‘Asian giant’ is a leader in many things, but there is one in which it is nobody: oil. According to the statistics we haveChina represents only 4% of world oil imports. Despite the enormous amount of vegetable oils that Beijing devours, the olive is an inconsequential product on a social, economic and cultural level. However, none of that data interests us. The key is another: that consumption is expected to grow at 7% annually and that, in the medium term, are big words. And China knows it. That is why, while the international market continues to lurch, Beijing has already designed a plan to become a mixed player (it not only wants a role in marketing, but also a producer willing to sit at the table of the elders). This would not only give it a margin of security (and independence) in the country’s food policy, it would also allow it to reinforce its commitment to the modernization of rural China. And what are you going to do for it? Planting olive trees as if there were no tomorrow and learning from the best for it. Right now, the heart of Chinese production is around Longnanin Gansu province. In the Wudu district alone it has twice as many hectares as Almería and produced 56,900 tons of fresh olives in 2024 (about 8,200 of virgin oil). But the focus now It is located in Sichuan: It is a province with inland valleys, medium altitude and a climate that fits the Mediterranean olive tree like a glove. The province already had scattered plantations, but now it is destined to become the “new Jaén.” Oh really? Isn’t that a bit exaggerated? It is true that in Sichuan the orography is complex, that there may be more humidity than optimal and the mechanization costs will be high; however, the California experience (and its high-density models) is there. And if anyone can achieve it, it is precisely China. And it seems like he wants to. Or, at least, there are signs that he is going to keep all options open. As the Californian olive grove demonstrates, building a country brand is something that takes a long time. You can’t improvise. But it seems undeniable that they are getting the bases of it. It is not free for Chinese producers have already achieved win international awards. These are the first steps of what may be the only adversary that Spain will encounter on this path. Image | Vincent Eisfeld | Li Yang In Xataka | The very high oil prices are a symptom of something worse: a sector on the way to disaster

The Chinese subsidiary of Nexperia has just broken ranks with its parent company in the Netherlands. And that takes the conflict to another level.

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Nexperia has gone from being unknown to becoming the new focus of tension in the technological war between the West and China. The company, with Chinese capital but based in the Netherlands, has been intervened by the Dutch Governmentwhich alleges national security reasons. And its impact could soon be felt in sectors as sensitive as automobiles and consumer electronics. The movement is not minor: Nexperia controls an extensive network of factories and assembly centers in Germany, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Malaysia and China, all important for the global semiconductor chain. Since the Netherlands took over governance of the company at the beginning of the month, a key question has arisen: how far does its control over those international operations really extend? Different laws, one company: Nexperia, caught between Europe and China The answer, at least in part, we already have. Nexperia operations in China have recalled that They work “independently” from the Dutch headquarters. A gesture that not only challenges this European authority, but adds a new layer of uncertainty to an industry that continues to suffer the consequences of the chip crisis. The statement released by Nexperia China on October 17 through its official channel WeChat marks a turning point in the dispute. In the text, signed by all the group’s operating entities in the country, the company reaffirms its autonomy from the headquarters in the Netherlands and remembers that its activity is governed exclusively by Chinese legislation. The document clearly establishes that the legal representative has exclusive authority to make decisions and approve any instructions from abroad: “Nexperia companies in China are independent companies that operate in accordance with national laws. The legal representative has exclusive authority to make decisions and approve any external instructions. No employee is obliged to follow orders coming from outside without their express consent.” The Dutch headquarters, for its part, has denied that “independence” and has attributed it to unauthorized information and actions, which adds another chapter to the internal clash. A ban on exporting its products from China has put European manufacturers on alert, especially the automotive industry, which depends on Nexperia chips for the operation of numerous electronic components. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) warned last week that the situation could cause production stops if supply is not restored in the coming weeks. According to the organization, current stocks would barely cover a few assembly cycles and approving new suppliers would take months, a period incompatible with market demand. One of Nexperia’s facilities in Guangdong Nexperia’s weight in the semiconductor chain is best understood by looking at how its production is organized. Although the headquarters and operational management are located in the Netherlands, much of the group’s added value comes from Asia. Its assembly and test plants in China, the Philippines and Malaysia manage enormous production volumes that supply both the Asian market and Europe. The coming weeks will be marked by the search for a fragile balance between regulators and governments. Nexperia has confirmed that it is in talks with China’s Ministry of Commerce to reverse the export blockade, while the Netherlands retains control of its governance. The question is whether the company will be able to operate normally. without violating either of the two legal frameworks. For now, the signals are mixed: production continues, but under an environment of uncertainty that leaves manufacturers waiting for a quick outcome. Images | Nexperia In Xataka | The problem is not that Europe has “expropriated” Nexperia from a Chinese company: it is that it approved its sale just a year ago

A factory in Ireland made a fortune selling baby formula to China. Until the Chinese stopped having children

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If China’s demographic crisis is not reversed, if the world’s factories shrink and nothing stops the bleeding, its decline will drag and have effects throughout the world: from cost increases in consumer goods (telephones, footwear, electric vehicles) to inflationary pressures due to lower manufacturing efficiency. As an example, a “button”: thousands of kilometers from China, an entire population is already suffering from the lack of babies in Beijing. In Ireland, no one imagined a situation like this. Industrial mirage. For years, the small Irish town of Askeatonin County Limerick, found his redemption in a factory that produced gold dust. It wasn’t a metaphor. Infant milk was produced on Nestlé production lines for the chinese marketa product so profitable that some workers nicknamed it “the white cocaine” of the town. Overnight, that business transformed a town forgotten by modernization into a prosperous enclave, where credit flowed easily and employment was synonymous with stability. But when the Swiss managers arrived two years ago with the closure announcementdisbelief took over everyone. Nobody could conceive that such a modern plant, the result of a million-dollar investment, would simply be closed. Rely on China. Nestlé attributed the decision to a macroeconomic reason: he birth rate crash in China. The number of births had fallen from 18 million in 2016 to just nine million in 2023, and demand for foreign infant formula was sinking. However, The New York Times said that among the 1,100 inhabitants of Askeaton the official version did not convince. There were those who suspected that the multinational was simply responding to a Chinese demand: to move production to Asian territory itself. The argument made sense. For years, Nestlé had closed markets in Europe and the Middle East to concentrate exclusively in China. “We put all our eggs in one basket.” remember the diary Oliver Scanlon, one of the veterans of the place. And although the business experienced its golden age with that turn, everyone understood too late what it meant: China was not only buying the product, it was also learning how to manufacture it. Silent learning. The workers recount how every year Chinese auditors arrived, curious to the extreme, writing down every technical detail of the industrial process. Sometimes they even visited neighboring farms, taking an interest in dairy production methods. “They came to learn,” counted rancher Tim Hanley. “They can produce everything, and their goal is self-sufficiency.” Ultimately, what happened at Askeaton was the consequence of a repeated pattern: the initial enthusiasm for the Chinese market ended with the transfer of knowledge and the relocation of production. In November 2023, just a month after announcing the Irish closure, Nestlé obtained authorization to open a twin plant in Suzhoueast of China. While justifying the closure due to the drop in birth rates, the company proclaimed that the Chinese market “continued to be the largest in the world by absolute number of newborns.” Jobless. The Times remembered that the closure of the plant has left a visible scar. The machines stopped last month and, unless someone purchases the facilities for the 22 million euros at which Nestlé has valued them, the doors will close permanently in March. Layoffs, severance packages and outplacement programs have not compensated for the sense of loss. The factory was the invisible engine that made local businesses run, from Seán Moran’s hardware store to the credit union, which for years granted loans with only a payroll as collateral. “It was a good salary and the town prospered,” admits Patrick Ranahan, head of the entity. “But we knew it could disappear from one day to the next.” From globalization to dependency. He Askeaton’s case It is an example of the vulnerability of local economies in the era of globalization. The sudden success, sustained by Chinese demand, masked the fragility of a model based on a single customer and a single market. What began as a story of international cooperation ended up being technology transfer disguised as prosperity. In the process, China not only bought the product, but also the knowledge, and when it was ready to replicate it, it simply cut the tie. For Askeaton, the “crown jewel” has become a symbol of a bitter lesson: in global commerce, the shine of success can fade as quickly as the foam on the powdered milk that fed them for half a century. Image | Nestle In Xataka | The great paradox of China’s demographic crisis: its origin is due to a policy that worked too well In Xataka | China knows that its population is going to collapse but it already has a long-term plan to solve it. Of course, thanks to AI

Russia has found a key advantage to multiply the range of its most lethal weapon in Ukraine: Chinese factories

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Last July Reuters was made with some documents that proved the scope of the help from Beijing to Moscow with the war in Ukraine as a backdrop. The proliferation of Russian drones was possible thanks to a system labeling called “industrial refrigeration units” during transportation, one that allowed sanctions imposed by the West to be bypassed through fictitious companies. Now we know something else: that there are entire factories dedicated to collaboration. The invisible industrial alliance. The war in Ukraine has entered a new phase in which Russia’s technological advantage on the battlefield increasingly depends on a network of factories and chinese suppliers. Although Beijing proclaims neutrality, the official customs data show a spectacular increase in exports of critical components (especially fiber optic cables and batteries lithium-ion) that have allowed Moscow to mass-build the wired drones that are transforming the balance of power on the front. These aircraft, operated through ultra-fine glass threads that unwind in flight up to more than twenty kilometers, They are almost immune to electronic warfare and have managed to breach Ukrainian defenses with an efficiency reminiscent of a silent industrial evolution. The Chinese quantitative leap. How much? counted the Washington Post that between May and August, Chinese exports of fiber optic cables to Russia multiplied tenfold, reaching 528,000 kilometers per month, while shipments of lithium-ion batteries climbed to $54 million. In contrast, Ukraine barely received a few tens of km of cable and a testimonial volume of batteries. For analysts, this asymmetry it is not coincidental: China has restricted the transfer of technologies to kyiv and its allies, but has opened the floodgates of the flow towards Moscowtransforming what were simple commercial components into decisive pieces of the Russian war machine. The combination of low cost, high production capacity and speed in developing prototypes makes Chinese factories a material extension of the Kremlin’s war effort, a “precision rearguard” capable of sustaining the offensive even under Western sanctions. The weapon against electronic chaos. we have been counting. Faced with Ukrainian dominance in FPV drones, Russia has found fiber optic models a devastating tool. As they do not depend on radio frequencies, these devices are impossible to block through interference, and their wiring guarantees total control even in environments saturated with electronic warfare. Moscow uses them to destroy logistics lines, command centers and jamming equipment before launching offensives terrestrial. Its scope (coinciding with the advances measured “by sections of cable”) illustrates how this technology defines the very geometry of the front. Since the Ukrainian withdrawal in the Kursk region, wired drones have been the protagonists of precision attacks, such as the registered in Kramatorsk on October 5, cementing a pattern of warfare in which electronic resistance has become useless. The new factories of conflict. After the withdrawal of the giant DJI of the Russian market in 2022, a constellation of minor Chinese manufacturers has taken up its space. Companies like Shenzhen Huaxin Energy either Nasmin Technologyofficially dedicated to civil products, have become major suppliers of batteries and motors for Russian assemblers. The signature Rustakt LLCone of the largest in the Russian military sector, imported from China more than 577 million dollars in pieces between July 2023 and December of the same year, a volume that reveals the scale of covert industrial support. In turn, Russian manufacturers as ASFPV or Stribog exhibit on their websites production lines located in Chinese territorywith personnel, machinery and labels in Mandarin, manufacturing ultralight coils 0.28 mm and 20 km range designed by Chinese engineers. It is a transnational industrial network that no contracts needed formal military to nourish the Russian war effort: the flow of trade is its camouflage. The dilemma of the West. We have also been counting. Despite the sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union, the majority of these shipments are protected by the ambiguity of the products “dual use”whose civil application allows controls to be avoided. For NATO, China has become a “decisive facilitator” of Putin’s war, Brussels accuses it of selectively applying its own export rules and to tolerate traffic of components that supports the Russian military industry. Beijing, meanwhile, continues to proclaim its neutrality, while its industrial system benefits economically from the prolongation of the conflict. Its strategy is subtle but effective: it does not supply weapons, but the infrastructure that makes them possible. A strategic advantage. Taken together, the convergence between Russian ingenuity and Chinese manufacturing capacity has created a war ecosystem that combines improvisation with industrial efficiency. The fiber drones optics symbolize that symbiosis: cheap, adaptable and difficult to counter. By providing Russia with technological independence from sanctions and tactical superiority on the battlefield, China not only strengthens its strategic partner, but also redefines global balance of power around a new form of hybrid warfare, where factories and cables count as much as missiles. The result is a cumulative advantage that, in the long term, threatens to turn the Ukrainian front into a manufactured warfare laboratorysupported not so much by soldiers, but by production lines on the other side of the world. Image | Ukraine Mod, Ministry of Defense Ukraine In Xataka | Europe has found the antidote to Russian drones. So demand for a 100-year-old gun has skyrocketed In Xataka | Europe has been working for three years to isolate itself from Russian gas. Two countries have decided to build a direct gas pipeline to Russia

They arrive in the middle of the offensive of the Chinese electric companies

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Tesla has presented in the United States the new “Standard” versions of its two most popular models: the Model 3 and the Model Y. They are the most affordable versions of the range and arrive at a time when the brand seeks to strengthen its position in the face of pressure from competitors. Although the new models already have prices and delivery windows in the US market, in Europe – including Spain – there is still no confirmation about their availability or how much they will cost if they finally reach the old continent. In the United States, the configurator shows the Model 3 Standard RWD at $36,990 and the Model Y Standard RWD at $39,990, base amounts before taxes and handling fees. CNN places the first deliveries between December and January for the Model 3 and between November and December for the Model Y. Compared to the Premium versions, the discount is around $5,000. With this move, Tesla seeks to reinforce the entry-level attractiveness of the range in a more competitive environment, without yet announcing changes for Europe. Europe looks at Tesla, but new versions have not yet arrived For now, Tesla’s movement is not reflected in the European configurator. In Spain, the screenshots that we have reviewed show the rear-wheel drive Model 3 at 39,990 euros in cash and the rear-wheel drive Model Y at 44,990 euros, without the “Standard” name or visible equipment adjustments. The card information preserves known autonomy and performance. As of today, Europe continues with the previous offer and without announcing prices or availability for these new variants. Tesla has not redesigned the vehicles from scratch: both ‘Standards’ adopt a metal roof instead of tinted glass. In the Model Y, in addition, the headlights are divided into two independent lenses instead of the continuous light bar. The structure and bodywork remain identical to those of the current Model 3 and Model Y, so the cost adjustment comes through changes in finish and small aesthetic details. Beyond the price adjustment, Tesla insists that the Standard versions offer the same digital ecosystem as the more expensive models. They incorporate a 15.4-inch screen with access to Tesla Theater and Tesla Arcade, comfort modes such as Sentry, Dog and Camp, route planning and vehicle control from the app. The front seats are heated and combine textile and vegan leather, with a heated steering wheel. Tesla has also highlighted the presence of ‘Grok AI’. According to data published by Tesla, the declared range for the Model 3 and Model Y Standard reaches 321 miles, equivalent to about 517 kilometers. The batteries used and the exact motors are not detailed, but the company describes both models as “extremely efficient.” Tesla has not yet offered figures adapted to the European WLTP cycle. The launch of the new Model 3 and Model Y “Standard” comes in an increasingly competitive US market, where electric vehicles are no longer an exclusive territory for Tesla. Brands such as BYD, Hyundai, Nissan or General Motors have expanded their catalog with more affordable models and comparable ranges. In Europe, the pressure is also noticeable: Chinese manufacturers are gaining presence and traditional groups are adjusting prices and strategies to avoid losing ground. As we say, in Europe there is still no confirmation about the arrival of the Model 3 and Model Y “Standard”. Tesla has not communicated dates, prices or details about whether these vehicles will maintain the same name as in the United States or if they will replace the current rear-wheel drive versions. The company usually introduces changes in a phased manner, and the European configurator continues without showing any changes. Until news is announced, the catalog available in Spain and the rest of the continent remains the same as before the launch. Images | tesla In Xataka | Xiaomi has taken the first step to bring its SU7 to Europe: inaugurating an R&D center in the city that makes the most sense

Dreame is Dyson’s Chinese rival. And now it is going to arrive in Spain copying Xiaomi’s strategy

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Dreame has more than doubled its revenue in Europe in recent months and Spain has become its key market for the next step: replicating Xiaomi’s manual eight years ago. Why is it important. The Chinese company has not only come to sell vacuum cleaners. It has come to build a complete connected home ecosystem that fully competes with traditional European brands. Dyson, Philips or Bosch compete in design and brand prestige, but Dreame focuses on another aspect: offering 80% of the quality at 40% of the price. It is the same strategy that Xiaomi used to conquer Spain: launch an anchor product at an aggressive price, quickly gain market share and expand to the rest of the home. The current situation. Dreame has reported a 139% growth in its year-on-year revenue in Europe between January and July 2025, as published Expansion. Spain has exceeded the company’s initial expectations, which now plans to open two physical stores in Madrid and Barcelona. The brand already operates combining online sales with presence in MediaMarkt and El Corte Inglés. Although the greatest weight remains in digital, the physical channel is growing. The background. The expansion plan goes far beyond robot vacuum cleaners: At IFA 2025, Dreame presented a complete ecosystem of 22 product lines, 15 of them new. It will soon launch televisions, dishwashers, air conditioners and small kitchen appliances in Spain. It will also consolidate its personal care range with hair dryers and straighteners, and add robotic lawnmowers and pool cleaners. It is the exact copy of the Xiaomi model: You enter with a competitive technology product at a disruptive price. You gain market share quickly. You build loyalty with an ecosystem of connected devices. And you expand category by category until you become a relevant player in the market. Xiaomi, by the way, entered the field of large household appliances in Europe just a few days ago with the trojan horse strategy. In detail. The commitment to innovation is the central argument of Dreame. More than 60% of its staff is dedicated to R&D and it has more than 6,300 patents worldwide. At IFA he announced a cleaning robot capable of climbing stairs or with an arm to clean in difficult areas. But that race “for innovation” has also taken them to court. Dyson sued Dreame for marketing two stylers very similar to its Airwrap model. The Unitary Patent Court ordered the provisional withdrawal of two models of these hair stylers in Spain due to their similarity to the British device. Whether or not the blood reaches the river (Dreame is going to resort), it is evident that there is inspiration in Dyson. You just have to look, for example, at the air purifier in the image that heads this article. The contrast. The question we ask ourselves at this stage is how long Dyson, Philips, Bosch and company can last before losing market share. Dreame is the type of China in the shoe (pun intended) that makes the grown-ups very uncomfortable and against which there is no easy antidote. Traditional brands have built their business on design, prestige and high margins. Dreame offers them direct competition in technical quality at less than half the price. It is the same dilemma that European mobile phone manufacturers had to face years ago when Chinese brands arrived. AND We already know how that movie ended.. At stake. If Dreame replicates Xiaomi’s success in Spain, European brands will have to face a difficult decision: Or they lower prices (and margins) to compete. Or they accept a progressive loss of market share. The third option, less likely, is that one of them will progressively weaken and end up being bought by a Chinese competitor seeking quick access to European distribution and Western brand prestige. The same thing happened with the Swedish Volvo, the British MG or the Italian Pirelli: they all ended up in Chinese hands at some point this century. For now, Dreame avoids giving specific figures about its growth plans. But the strategy is clear: Spain is a key market for its international expansion and the company is going to redouble its efforts to expand its presence. The physical stores in Madrid and Barcelona are just the starting signal. In Xataka | Xiaomi is no longer a brand: there are several brands fighting over the same logo Featured image | Dreame

Chinese hypermarkets are in crisis and have found the solution: follow the Mercadona model

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The golden age of Chinese hypermarkets is coming to an end. With the economy stepping on the brake, these mastodons are in a tighten and desperately seek new formulas to hook consumers who look more at the pocket. In this new panorama, the solution seems to be betting on the strategy that Mercadona dominates perfectly for years. What’s happening. The great Chinese supermarkets are having You would be difficult to survive. In recent years, Carrefour has closed more than 140 stores, Tesco has disappeared and last year the main leading hypermarkets had Important losses. With The economy in decelerationChinese consumers are more cautious when spending and that is causing the main chains to change their strategy drastically, as reported in Bloomberg. The Mercadona model. Many neighborhood stores and more white brands, this is how some Chinese giants are adapting to this new era. The own brands were not usual in China, but currently they take more and more space in the halls of the main chains. In addition, they are beginning to change their store strategy, favoring the proximity of smaller stores instead of hypermarket that forces us to move by car and plan a larger purchase. Adapt or die. Chinese hypermarket chains are transforming with smaller formats and their own brands. Walmart, with its stores proximity to Lo Carrefour Express and its MarketSide brand, is a good example of this trend. The Wumart Group has launched Six stores with discounts in Beijing and FreeShyppo, from Alibaba, already has more than 300 stores under its cheap chaopa brand. Approximately 60% of the products found in these stores are white brands. This strategy responds to the search for savings and convenience by the consumer. The Pangdonglai case. It is a Henan supermarket that has achieved viral success. Its strategy is based on exceptional customer service, good treatment of unique employees and services such as ticket offices with dog water and personalized preparation of the purchase basket. But the main secret of their success is that they have placed their profit margin in 30%, which allows them to keep low prices all the time, without having to resort to specific promotions. Despite having been born in a smaller city, its model is so influential that Yonghui Superstores, the fourth chain of China, is reforming its stores following its example. Image | Wikipedia In Xataka | The US studied what would happen if it enters war with China. Now he has started a career desperate to double missiles

We have a new winner to generate images with AI. And he is not American, but Chinese

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Tencent has just launched a new model of AI capable of Generate images from a text prompt. Traditionally the proprietary models have dominated this type of creative task, but the Tencent model has given the surprise and according to various benchmarks is able to generate images better than the rest of competitors, including those of Google and Openai. Hunyuan Image 3.0. This is the name of the new Tencent model, which in the LMARENA classification Of more powerful models for the generation of images from text has managed to overcome Gemini 2.5 Flash image preview (popularly known as Nano Banana), in addition to other proprietary models such as GPT-IMAGE-1, FLUX-1-KONTEXT-MAX or QWEN-IMAGE. The Tencent image model has already managed to overcome its competitors according to LM Arena experts. Blind vote. This LM Arena classification works through a blind voting system in which the users choose their favorite images without knowing what model generated them. And according to this vote, this Tencent model surpassed all its opponents, including Google’s popular “Nano Banana”. Of course: the vote also takes into account long -term results, and the short period that has been available Hunyuan Image 3.0 makes the results qualify as “preliminary” and not definitive. How it works. Those responsible for Tencent explain in the description of the model How they have used a new diffusion architecture that makes use of dual encoders (a multimodal llm and another that better understands characters in different languages) and RLHF optimization (Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback, which refines the previous result) for the creation of higher quality images. The system makes use in addition to a compression system so that the entire process consumes less resources without loss of quality. Open pesos and commercial license. Hunyuan Image 3.0 is a model that shares Your code in github and that offers A license surprisingly permissive. In fact it is possible to use it for commercial and professional purposes. The price is not entirely economic. Although the model can be tested for free in the Project websitein our tests we could only create an image (10 credits). The platform allows you to buy monthly credits: $ 8 per month allow Buy 500 creditswhich a priori would allow us to create 50 images of 10 credits each. Each would go to $ 0.16, when Nano Banana It has a cost of $ 0.039, four times lower. There are other options to try it, such as Hugging Face “Spaces”. It is also possible to get an API key In Tencent Cloud To use the locally. Gemini continues to win as “editor”. Although the Tencent model is interesting and remarkable, Nano Banana continues to win the game if we consider that it has become a unique substitute for the traditional Photoshop. Many users no longer edit photos but carry one in Gemini and then they tell the AI ​​what changes they want to make in that image. Alibaba, more conversational. Although Hunyuan Image 3.0 can allow something like that – in fact There are demos In this regard – the interface is now more aimed at a single prompt to generate images, not to a “conversation” as GEMINI allows. Another of the protagonists of this land is Alibaba, who with Qwen-Image-Editor adopts the same approach as Google with Gemini and Nano-Banana. In that Alibaba model “you speak” with your image to ask for changes, something that at the moment does not seem that the Tencent model does so directly (although it does not seem difficult for him to get it). But be careful. The differential here is that the generation of images, which seemed to be dominated by proprietary models, can be apparently equally good (or even superior) through open models. One more time The Chinese commitment to that philosophy is remarkable and contrasts with the closed approach and owner of most American companies that develop AI models to generate images and text (or, of course, video). Image | Hunyuan In Xataka | In China they do not conform to create advanced robots: a company has developed a head that gestures like a human

Chinese astronauts have spent six hours reinforcing tiangong against an increasingly dangerous enemy: space garbage

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The night in orbit just leaves truce. In low orbit, the Tiangong Space Station It becomes the scene of a constant activity that requires millimeter precision. In the last extravehicular exitChinese astronauts had to face a challenge that does not come from technical failures or scientific experiments, but from a silent enemy that multiplies the risks of each mission: the Space garbage which accumulates in the low terrestrial orbit and threatens to hit the structure of the complex. The schedule of China’s manned flight agency places the start of extravehicular activity on September 25 at 19:45 (Beijing time), with Wang Jie as the first astronaut to leave the Wentian module. It was followed shortly after Chen Zhongrui, in charge of attending the installation of the equipment. Chen Dong, from inside Tiangong, managed communications with the control center and supported his teammates throughout the maneuver. The walk concluded at dawn, at 1:35 of September 26, when the two crew closed the hatch after completing the planned agenda. The maneuver was carried out with support from the robotic arm of the station and the team on land. Sludes against fragments: Tiangong’s strategy to resist in space During the walk, the main objective was to install a protection device against Orbital fragmentsdesigned to reinforce the most exposed areas of the station. The operation also included the review of the state of external equipment and structures, with special attention to the systems that suffer greater wear due to continuous exposure to the spatial environment. According to those responsible for the programthis combination of installation and maintenance seeks to ensure that Tiangong maintains its operational capacity in the middle of an increasingly saturated environment of remains. The increase in spatial garbage in the low orbit is one of the factors that most worries agencies in recent years. Each launch adds fragments that, although small, reach speeds that multiply their damage. For China, reinforcing Tiangong does not respond to a specific incident, but to the need to get ahead of an increasingly complex scenario. China is not the only one that has had to reinforce its station in the face of the threat of orbital fragments. The International Space Station Specific armor systems for years have beenknown as anti-mmod shields, which protect their habitable modules from impacts from Micrometeoritos and space garbage. The difference is in the context: it is an infrastructure with more than two decades of service, which has needed to adapt continuously to an increasingly congested environment. In the ISS, this philosophy materializes in shields in Whipple and Stupfed Whipple layers, with several hundred shields distributed in critical areas. The comparison between Tiangong and the International Space Station helps to understand the scope of its protection systems. The Chinese station completed its construction in 2022 with a T configuration formed by the Tianhe, Wentian and Mengtian modules. The ISS, on the other hand, began to assemble in 1998 and ended its main segment in 2011, with a much broader and more complex structure. This difference in dimensions and seniority explains why its shields follow different logics: ISS combines protections included from its design with reinforcements added over the years, while Tiangong integrates solutions designed from the beginning for a more congested environment. The closure of this extravehicular activity does not imply a break, but the beginning of a new stage for the Shenzhou-20 mission. The three astronauts They will continue with numerous scientific experiments and technological tests, in addition to participating in on -board celebrations linked to the Chinese calendar. The installation of additional shields has a clear objective: to hold over time the crew safety and the integrity of Tiangong, which aspires to consolidate as a stable basis for space research in the midst of a more demanding orbital environment. Images | Xinhua In Xataka | 24 years ago, the earth was symmetrical. Now the northern hemisphere is “unequivocally” darker than the southern hemisphere

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