National Standards Committee for Humanoid Robots Formed; Huawei and Xiaomi Join; FAW invests RMB 3.7bn in Leapmotor | Daily News Recap

1229 | Dolphin Research Focus

🐬 Macro/Industry

1. On Dec 27, MIIT set up the 'Technical Committee on Standards for Humanoid Robots and Embodied AI' in Beijing, chaired by MIIT's Chief Engineer with the secretariat at the Beijing Institute of Electronics; corporate members exceed 50%, including leaders such as Xiaomi and Huawei.

The mandate is to develop standards for foundational/common layers, key technologies, and safety, prioritizing urgent items like multimodal perception and whole-machine safety, while aligning with Intl norms. This marks a key step toward industry normalization, as unified standards cut interoperability costs and accelerate tech maturation and commercialization, benefiting top-tier players across the value chain.

🐬 Stocks

1.$XIAOMI-W(01810.HK)

Xiaomi co-founder Lin Bin plans to sell up to $500 mn of Class B ordinary shares per year starting Dec 2026 over four years, capped at $2 bn in total, while committing to remain in his role. The sale is framed as reasonable asset allocation after prior commitments expire, not a bearish call. The early disclosure and staggered approach should limit the impact, though near-term sentiment could wobble.

2.$XPENG-W(09868.HK)

XPeng P7+ is positioned as its first model to enter mass production globally in sync, debuting across 36 countries and upending the traditional 'domestic first, overseas later' playbook. A unified production and certification standard meaningfully lowers cross-border compliance costs, and the XNGP advanced driving system is locally adapted across regions. The globalization strategy is shifting from exporting products to exporting the brand, with standardized production and localized AD as dual engines to replicate its differentiated edge in the US and Europe, accelerating global share gains.

3.$LEAPMOTOR(09863.HK)

FAW subscribed for 74.8322 mn domestic shares of Leapmotor at RMB 50.03 per share, investing RMB 3.744 bn for an approx. 5% stake as a strategic shareholder, while the founding team retains control. The two sides will co-develop PHEV and range-extended powertrains, with proceeds largely for R&D, working capital, and channel expansion. The tie-up gives Leapmotor SOE backing and capital support, while FAW addresses its NEV gaps.

4.$Amazon(AMZN.US)

After a strategic review, Amazon paused its commercial drone delivery program in Italy, citing a regulatory framework that cannot support long-term goals despite progress with the aviation regulator. Pilots in the US and UK continue as planned. The move underscores industry-wide constraints from regulation and cost, with commercialization still at an early stage.

🐬 Leading Sectors

A-shares: Transaction & Payment Services, Tobacco, Forestry Products;

HK: Oil & Gas Refining & Marketing, Medical Devices, Copper;

US: Marine Ports - Operators, Precious Metals & Minerals, Kitchenware.

🐬 Watchlist for Tomorrow

1. None.

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