SK Hynix Considers U.S. ADR Listing to Boost Shareholder Value Amid Rising AI Chip Demand 
Mizuho Raises Broadcom Price Target to $450 on Surging AI Chip Demand 
Intel’s Testing of China-Linked Chipmaking Tools Raises U.S. National Security Concerns 
China Adds Domestic AI Chips to Government Procurement List as U.S. Considers Easing Nvidia Export Curbs 
Trello Outage Disrupts Users as Access Issues Hit Atlassian’s Work Management Platform 
Coca-Cola’s Proposed Sale of Costa Coffee Faces Uncertainty Amid Price Dispute 
United Airlines Flight to Tokyo Returns to Dulles After Engine Failure During Takeoff 
Nvidia Develops New Location-Verification Technology for AI Chips 
Coca-Cola’s Costa Coffee Sale Faces Uncertainty as Talks With TDR Capital Hit Snag 
SoftBank Shares Slide as Oracle’s AI Spending Plans Fuel Market Jitters 
Nomura Expands Alternative Assets Strategy With Focus on Private Debt Acquisitions 
Fortescue Expands Copper Portfolio With Full Takeover of Alta Copper 
United Airlines Tokyo-Bound Flight Returns to Dulles After Engine Failure 
SpaceX Begins IPO Preparations as Wall Street Banks Line Up for Advisory Roles 
Westpac Director Peter Nash Avoids Major Investor Backlash Amid ASX Scrutiny 
SpaceX Insider Share Sale Values Company Near $800 Billion Amid IPO Speculation 
Baidu (HK:9888) is accelerating the global rollout of its Apollo Go robotaxi service, following strong progress in China where the autonomous driving platform has reached operational profitability on a per-vehicle basis in select cities. According to Bloomberg, the tech giant is now in talks with government authorities in Australia and several Southeast Asian markets to extend its footprint.
The expansion push comes as Baidu secured 50 new trial licenses in Dubai this week, effectively doubling its autonomous fleet in the United Arab Emirates to about 100 vehicles. Halton Niu, general manager of Baidu’s overseas intelligent driving business, confirmed the development during an interview with Bloomberg TV. The Middle East is seen as a strategic testing ground for scaling its autonomous ride-hailing business, with regulatory openness accelerating adoption.
Apollo Go currently operates more than 1,000 autonomous cars across China and overseas. Niu highlighted that while individual vehicles in certain mainland cities are already profitable, the broader robotaxi division has not yet achieved overall profitability. The company expects large-scale deployment and improving unit economics to drive sustained growth in the coming years.
Baidu has been investing heavily in self-driving technology since 2013, pouring billions into research, infrastructure, and partnerships. In a major step toward expanding into Western markets, the company recently announced a collaboration with U.S. ride-hailing firm Lyft, with plans to launch operations in Europe starting in the UK and Germany next year. This move positions Baidu as one of the leading global challengers in the autonomous mobility race.
Despite the positive expansion news, Baidu’s Hong Kong-listed shares fell over 1% in early trading on Friday, moving in line with the broader benchmark index. Investors remain cautiously optimistic, balancing the company’s international growth ambitions with the long-term profitability challenges that continue to face the robotaxi industry.
