Chinese Govt Summons Gaming Firms, Says Will Crack Down on Ride-Hailing

A Rogue Warriors esports team member trains for the game “Arena of Valor” at his club in Shanghai, China September 3, 2021. Picture taken September 3, 2021. (Reuters)
A Rogue Warriors esports team member trains for the game “Arena of Valor” at his club in Shanghai, China September 3, 2021. Picture taken September 3, 2021. (Reuters)
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Chinese Govt Summons Gaming Firms, Says Will Crack Down on Ride-Hailing

A Rogue Warriors esports team member trains for the game “Arena of Valor” at his club in Shanghai, China September 3, 2021. Picture taken September 3, 2021. (Reuters)
A Rogue Warriors esports team member trains for the game “Arena of Valor” at his club in Shanghai, China September 3, 2021. Picture taken September 3, 2021. (Reuters)

China’s government on Wednesday summoned gaming firms including Tencent Holdings Ltd and NetEase Inc to ensure they implement new rules for the sector.

It also said it would crack down on illegal behavior in the ride-hailing industry.

Beijing last month moved to ban under-18s from playing video games for more than three hours a week in a tighter set of regulations for gaming as it looks to strengthen control over sectors of its economy such as tech, education and property.

Gaming firms were told by the government on Wednesday to implement measures such as curbing minors’ hours of access to their video games to protect their physical and mental health, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Those that are found to have “inadequately” implemented the regulations will be severely punished, it said, adding that the firms present were also asked to resist engaging in improper competition and should instead focus on driving innovation.

Xinhua named the authorities involved as the ruling Communist Party’s Publicity Department, the National Press and Publication Administration, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Separately on Wednesday, the Transport Ministry said it would intensify a crackdown on illegal behavior in the ride-hailing industry and deal with online platforms that are still using noncompliant vehicles and drivers.

The statement comes after Chinese government regulators launched a cybersecurity probe into ride-hailing giant Didi Global Inc in July.

Meanwhile, the Cyberspace Administration of China said it has shut down and banned 1,793 so-called self-media accounts on online platforms since Aug. 27, when it announced a probe into the illegal release of financial information and badmouthing of financial markets.

The term “self-media” is mostly used describe independently operated accounts that produce original content but are not officially registered with the authorities.

The accounts closed include three with more than a million followers, while more than 47,000 pieces of “harmful information” have been cleaned up, the administration added.



Xiaomi's Electric Crossover Car YU7 to Have Range of Up to 770 km

A Xiaomi SU7 ultra electric car is displayed during the MWC (Mobile World Congress), the world's biggest mobile fair, in Barcelona on March 3, 2025. (Photo by Manaure QUINTERO / AFP)
A Xiaomi SU7 ultra electric car is displayed during the MWC (Mobile World Congress), the world's biggest mobile fair, in Barcelona on March 3, 2025. (Photo by Manaure QUINTERO / AFP)
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Xiaomi's Electric Crossover Car YU7 to Have Range of Up to 770 km

A Xiaomi SU7 ultra electric car is displayed during the MWC (Mobile World Congress), the world's biggest mobile fair, in Barcelona on March 3, 2025. (Photo by Manaure QUINTERO / AFP)
A Xiaomi SU7 ultra electric car is displayed during the MWC (Mobile World Congress), the world's biggest mobile fair, in Barcelona on March 3, 2025. (Photo by Manaure QUINTERO / AFP)

Chinese tech company Xiaomi's new electric crossover SUV, the YU7, will have a driving range of up to 770 kilometers (478 miles), a government document showed on Thursday.
The car will be Xiaomi's first SUV and is expected to hit the market this summer, to take on Tesla's Model Y.
The vehicle, which would combine features of a traditional crossover SUV with a battery-powered drivetrain, also comes in a shorter driving range of 675 km and 760 km, Reuters reported.
It was among newly added models to enjoy purchase tax breaks, according to an industry ministry notice.
Tesla began deliveries of refreshed Model Y at the end of February. The long-range variant of the redesigned Model Y has a driving range of 719 kilometers per charge, up from 688 km, while the rear-drive variant now has a range of 593 km, from 554 km.