🔥 Hot Topics · Aug 13, 2026
Former Premier Zhu Rongji dies at 98; the Ecological Environment Code takes effect Aug 15, banning fume-heavy restaurants in residential buildings; Alo, pricier than Lululemon, enters China; DeepSeek's latest version hides a big play; Pangdonglai's Xuchang old store closes at end of December; Russell Westbrook announces retirement after 18 NBA seasons; Jackson Yee wins Hundred Flowers Best Actor for 'Big World'; Chinese and Indonesian navies drill east of Taiwan for the first time; a Zhejiang firm gets a 262M RMB US tariff refund; Li Xuejian is now fully deaf, relying on speech-to-text.
1. Comrade Zhu Rongji Passes Away
Former Premier and 14th/15th Politburo Standing Committee member Zhu Rongji died of illness in Beijing at 11:06 on Aug 12, aged 98.
2. New Rule Bans Fume-Heavy Dining in Residential Buildings
The Ecological Environment Code, effective Aug 15, bars building fume/odor/emission restaurants in residential buildings, with closure and fines for those refusing to comply.
3. Yoga Brand Alo, Pricier Than Lululemon, Enters China
Alo opened its Tmall flagship and WeChat mini-program, with two Zhao Lusi-endorsed pieces topping 10M RMB in sales; a HK flagship follows in September.
4. DeepSeek's Latest Version Hides a Big Play
DeepSeek V4 Pro is live with much stronger agent capabilities at unchanged prices; docs tease the coming DeepSeek Harness minimal framework.
5. Pangdonglai Closes Its Xuchang Old Store
Yu Donglai announced the Xuchang Life Plaza store closes at end of December 2026; nearby merchants say their business will be affected.
6. Westbrook Announces Retirement
On Aug 13, Russell Westbrook announced on social media that he is retiring after an 18-year NBA career.
7. Medical Staff Praise Yi Yangqianxi's Realistic Performance
Yi Yangqianxi won Best Actor for his cerebral-palsy role in 'Big World'; medical staff involved in filming say his performance faithfully mirrored real patients.
8. First China-Indonesia Drill East of Taiwan
PLA Navy's Honghe and Indonesia's frigate Rai completed navigation drills east of Taiwan — the first time Chinese and foreign navies have exercised there.
9. Zhejiang Firm Receives 262M RMB US Tariff Refund
CFMOTO, Yindu, and others announced their overseas units received US tariff refunds plus interest; CFMOTO's came to about 262M RMB.
10. Li Xuejian Is Now Completely Deaf
In his 26th year battling cancer, actor Li Xuejian has lost his hearing entirely from chemo and now communicates through speech-to-text tools.
11. Banks Can Now Issue Marriage Certificates
Tianjin's first in-bank marriage registration point opened at a PSBC branch, processing certificates Wednesdays and Thursdays; two couples have already tied the knot there.
12. Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks
The Perseid meteor shower peaks the night of Aug 12–13, headlining the summer night sky.
Sources and verification
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