Headline News

**Shein Plans Hong‑Kong IPO in August with Valuation Potentially at $80‑90 Billion** According to Financial Times report dated July 21, fast‑fashion firm Shein intends to kick off its Hong Kong IPO in mid‑August, targeting a valuation ranging from $80 billion to $90 billion. Its business footprint covers over 150 countries worldwide. Supported by flexible‑supply‑chain deployments in Türkiye and Italy, it maintains robust growth momentum amid tightening EU regulatory scrutiny.

**Chinese Game Developers Generate $14.2 Billion in Overseas Revenue H1; DotJoy Ranks Top Five** Sensor Tower’s H1 2026 Chinese Mobile Game Overseas Report shows domestic game developers collectively brought in $14.2 billion in overseas revenue. miHoYo and Tencent take the top two spots. Powered by titles such as Whiteout Survival, DotJoy climbs to fifth place. Strategy and ACG‑themed games remain core export categories.

Tinavi Surgical Robot by MicroPort Secures FDA Clearance; First Chinese Surgical Robot to Enter the US MarketOn July 19, Shanghai‑based MicroPort Medical announced that its Tinavi laparoscopic surgical robot obtained FDA marketing authorization. It marks the first Chinese surgical robot to win FDA approval, breaking Intuitive Surgical’s Da Vinci system’s over‑20‑year‑long monopoly in the United States. Commercial roll‑out in the US is scheduled for early 2027.

Alipay+ Cross‑border Payments Cover 100+ Countries and Regions; H1 Cross‑border Transaction Volume Surges 150% Year‑on‑YearAnt Group disclosed on July 17 that Alipay+ has integrated merchants and digital wallets across more than 100 countries and regions globally. Its cross‑border transaction volume rose 150% year‑on‑year in the first half of the year. It prioritizes wallet‑interconnection solutions in emerging markets to bypass traditional card‑network infrastructure, continuously strengthening its self‑owned global‑payment‑infrastructure capabilities.

CATL‑SQM Joint‑venture Lithium‑salt Plant in Chile Officially Commissioned with 100,000‑ton Annual CapacityOn July 20, the lithium‑carbonate plant jointly built by CATL and Chile’s SQM went into operation in Antofagasta, Chile. The project requires a total investment of $1.8 billion and delivers an annual lithium‑carbonate output of 100,000 tons; CATL holds a 51‑percent stake. Lithium salts produced will be directly supplied to CATL’s battery factories worldwide, greatly boosting self‑sufficiency for upstream raw materials.

**TikTok Shop US Launches Black Friday Recruitment, Targeting Doubled GMV Exceeding $5 Billion** On July 18, TikTok Shop US kicked off its 2026 Black‑Friday merchant‑recruitment campaign, aiming to double Black‑Friday GMV to above $5 billion. The platform allocates over $500 million in subsidies and traffic resources, prioritizing 3C electronics, home goods, and outdoor‑sports categories. It simultaneously advances both fully‑managed and semi‑managed merchant models.

GWM Tank 500 Earns ANCAP Five‑star Safety Rating; Great Wall Motors Delivers Strong Performance in AustraliaOn July 20, GWM Tank 500 obtained a five‑star ANCAP safety certification in Australia and launched pre‑orders the same day. In H1 2026, Great Wall Motors sold more than 25,000 vehicles in Australia, ranking first among Chinese brands in the off‑road‑SUV segment by market share.

COSCO SHIPPING Completes Maiden Arctic‑route Voyage; Shanghai‑to‑Rotterdam Transit Cut to 18 DaysOn July 15, COSCO SHIPPING’s MV Tianhui departed Shanghai Port and sailed via Russia’s Northern Sea Route to Rotterdam, completing the whole journey in merely 18 days — roughly two weeks faster than the Suez‑Canal route. Extended summer navigation windows in the Arctic may reshape Eurasian maritime‑trade patterns.

Emerging‑market Insight｜Oman: Moving Away from Oil‑gas Dependence to Build a New Global‑capital HubDriven by its “Vision 2040” strategy, Oman has consistently advanced economic diversification from 2022 to 2024. Previously constrained by local‑shareholder requirements and administrative barriers for foreign‑market access, Oman enacted the new Foreign‑Capital‑Investment Law in 2025, permitting up to 100‑percent foreign ownership for more than 1,700 types of industrial and commercial activities. Reforms accelerated further in 2026: the Oman Global Financial Centre was established with independent legislative and regulatory authority, and an AI Special Zone was set up in Muscat with unified special‑zone regulatory frameworks. Transforming from a traditional oil‑gas exporter, Oman is evolving into a capital‑and‑technology transit hub linking the Gulf, Africa and South Asia.

Key Developments

Implementation of 100‑percent Foreign‑ownership RegimeIn July, Oman’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion finalized supporting updates for its foreign‑investor registration system. Foreign investors no longer require local partners and may complete company registration via investment‑service centres or the Invest Easy online portal. Renewable 5‑to‑10‑year investor‑residency permits are also available.

Al Mazunah Free Zone Unveils Major IncentivesIn July, Al Mazunah Free Zone introduced relief for existing and new investors: 30‑percent write‑off of accumulated historical debts and a 50‑percent rent reduction for the next five years to boost investment appeal.

Royal Decrees Advance AI‑focused and Cross‑border‑investment CooperationIn June, Oman issued Royal Decree 45/2026 and signed an investment‑cooperation agreement with Belarus to set up a bilateral joint‑commission. Royal Decree 50/2026 approved the launch of the Muscat AI Special Zone, driving the national economy toward digital‑technology transformation through institutional reforms.