Alibaba Group vs JD Cloud

Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment Names Alibaba Group an Official Technology and Cloud Partner of the Brooklyn Nets

Alibaba Group has been named an official technology and cloud partner of the Brooklyn Nets by Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, announced September 28, 2026.

Huawei and Alibaba AI Chip Launches Boost Xi Ahead of US Visit

Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's first US state visit in over a decade, Chinese tech giants have accelerated AI chip and model launches, signaling resilience against US export controls. Huawei advanced its Ascent 960DT chip release by three quarters to Q1 2027, while Alibaba unveiled the Zhenwu V900 chip, claiming triple the performance of its predecessor, available in early 2027. DeepSeek reportedly assembled the largest known cluster of Huawei chips. These moves aim to demonstrate that US restrictions can slow but not halt China's AI progress. However, analysts note US models remain ahead, and China still depends on US advanced chips. Export controls were not on the summit agenda, as both sides focus on other issues.

• Xi Jinping's US state visit is his first in 11 years.
• Huawei advanced its Ascent 960DT AI chip release to Q1 2027, three quarters ahead of schedule.
• Alibaba unveiled the Zhenwu V900 AI chip, tripling predecessor performance, on sale in early 2027.

Alibaba Launches Qwen Intelligence for Agentic Smartphones

Alibaba has unveiled Qwen Intelligence, a new platform designed to power agentic AI on smartphones. The platform enables device manufacturers to develop intelligent assistants capable of planning and executing complex tasks across multiple apps. HONOR is the first partner to integrate Qwen Intelligence, with the HONOR Magic9 Series and the upcoming HONOR Robot Phone among the first devices to feature it. The platform includes three pre-configured agents: Mobile Planner, Mobile-Use, and Mobile Creative. It is built on three layers: optimized Qwen models, a modular platform for deployment and tool control, and a device-cloud architecture. Alibaba plans to add personalized memory, multimodal interactions, and specialized agents from partners. The company has also developed four benchmarks, including MobilePA-Bench with over 1,000 tasks, to evaluate mobile agent performance. HONOR and Alibaba report up to 91.8% task precision and orchestration of over 100 steps, with first devices launching end of September.

• Alibaba launched Qwen Intelligence, a platform for agentic AI on smartphones.
• HONOR is the first partner, integrating Qwen Intelligence into the Magic9 Series and Robot Phone.
• The platform includes three agents: Mobile Planner, Mobile-Use, and Mobile Creative.

JD.com Delivers 30,000 iPhones Within First Hour of Launch

JD.com reported delivering over 30,000 units of the iPhone 18 Pro series within the first hour of its launch in China, with some deliveries arriving minutes after the official 8 AM start. The company attributed this performance to pre-distributing inventory across its logistics network, including over 10,000 front warehouses, local fulfillment centers, and service stations, enabling rapid delivery in major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Wuhan. JD.com also offers additional services such as trade-in, device activation, data transfer, screen protection, and eSIM support, with over 3,000 service stations for Apple products and more than 20,000 service appointments booked before launch. This logistics capability is positioned as a key competitive advantage, supported by a survey indicating that over 60% of respondents prefer JD.com for purchasing new Apple products.

• JD.com delivered over 30,000 iPhone 18 Pro devices within the first hour of launch in China.
• JD.com operates over 10,000 front warehouses and stations for rapid delivery.
• Early deliveries were made in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Wuhan.

JD.com expands Physical AI platform with JoyAI, Dongdong, RoboBase

JD.com showcased its Physical AI strategy at JDDiscovery 2026, unveiling new models and robotics plans. The company introduced JoyAI-Echo WM, an interactive audiovisual world model, and Meta Brain 3.0 for logistics optimization. The shopping assistant Dongdong was upgraded in version 16.0 of the JD.com app, integrating deeper into the customer journey. JD.com also announced JoyInside for smart home integration, the Physical AI Acceleration Plan for robotics, and plans to invest 10 billion RMB by 2028 to support 100 robotics brands. The initiative aims to connect AI models with real-world processes across logistics, retail, healthcare, and robotics, positioning JD.com as a major platform for physical-world AI applications.

• JD.com unveiled JoyAI-Echo WM, an interactive audiovisual world model.
• JD.com launched Meta Brain 3.0 for logistics coordination.
• JD.com upgraded shopping assistant Dongdong in app version 16.0.

JD.com's Ceconomy Concessions Face Rival Criticism

JD.com's proposed concessions to address EU competition concerns over its planned acquisition of Ceconomy have faced criticism from rivals, according to a Reuters report. The European Commission has been informed of the negative feedback this week. Brussels is reviewing the approximately $2.5 billion deal under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation and must decide by October 23. JD.com's proposed measures include granting Ceconomy and smaller competitors access to its European logistics and technology infrastructure on fair terms, but rivals deem these insufficient. The EU also investigates whether JD.com benefited from Chinese state subsidies. The process has become a trade policy conflict after China's Justice Ministry instructed companies not to cooperate with EU investigations. If concessions are inadequate, JD.com may need to offer more, risking additional conditions or a block.

• JD.com's concessions for the Ceconomy acquisition face criticism from rivals (Reuters).
• EU Commission reviewing deal under Foreign Subsidies Regulation; decision by October 23.
• Deal valued at approximately $2.5 billion.