Vaccines could be ready next month

Pfizer and BioNTech may start delivering their COVID-19 vaccines next month, a company official said, capping off an encouraging week in which multiple vaccine developers posted positive trial results.

Final Phase 3 data for the so-called Pfizer vaccine suggests that the treatment is 95 percent effective at preventing infection and produces no serious side effects. The pharmaceutical companies behind the vaccine - United States-based Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech - are set to share their results with global drug regulators within days.

Clean power main focus of energy company

State Power Investment Corp, one of China's top five power generators, plans to raise its installed power capacity to more than 220 gigawatts by 2025.

Of that, more than 60 percent would be clean energy, said its top executive.

China has pledged to reach its peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. It is also striving to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. So, SPIC will build a stable, safe and economical clean energy system based on complementary multi-energy mix of hydropower, wind power, photovoltaic and energy storage in China for the long run, said Qian Zhimin, chairman of the Beijing-headquartered group.

  Baidu to further tap livestreaming

Baidu Inc announced on Tuesday it will acquire Joyy Inc's video-based entertainment livestreaming business in China for $3.6 billion in cash, a move that will mark the search engine giant's latest foray into the fast-growing online video and livestreaming segment, and diversify its revenue sources beyond its core search business, experts said.

The deal involves YY mobile app, YY.com website and YY PC, among others. The closing of the transaction is subject to certain conditions and is expected to take place in the first half of 2021, Baidu said.

AI hosts fuel China's livestream shopping boom

In recent years, China's online outlets and brands have been increasingly hiring social media influencers with a large fan following or professional salespersons to help promote their products via livestreaming. While the streamer presents the products, product links and vouchers appear on the screen for viewers.

The country's major online shopping platforms such as Taobao and its rival JD.com have both launched their own livestreaming platforms, Taobao Live and JD Live, which fueled the trend of livestreaming e-commerce.