China Optical Earnings, SoftBank-ABB Deal Blocked, HarmonyOS PCs Hit 1 Million

China · Morning briefing · November 6, 2026

On November 6, Global Times (Huanqiu) focused on strong nine-month results at Chinese optical communication makers and HarmonyOS PCs passing one million shipments. The Paper highlighted foreign executives' remarks at the China International Import Expo and Beijing's block on SoftBank's purchase of ABB's China robotics business.

Key points

• Zhongji Innolight and Eoptolink posted nine-month net profit of about CNY 22.2 billion and CNY 11.4 billion; YOFC's profit rose roughly twelvefold.
• China's foreign investment security review office barred SoftBank from acquiring ABB's robotics business in China.
• Cumulative HarmonyOS PC shipments passed one million units, with WPS and other key apps natively adapted.
• November air bookings to Zhangjiakou jumped about 293% year on year, while Jiangyin in Jiangsu pushed back school start times.

Economy: Optical stocks deliver profits as the Import Expo pitches openness

Global Times: Optical communication makers show strong nine-month profits despite sector pullback

• Zhongji Innolight and Eoptolink earned CNY 22.24 billion and 11.37 billion in nine-month net profit
• YOFC's net profit grew about twelvefold to CNY 6.13 billion
• Faster AI computing center build-outs lifted both volumes and average prices
• TFC Optical reports demand still outpacing capacity, with expansions at home and abroad
• Foreign investors, insurers and mutual funds raised stakes in module leaders during the Q3 pullback

The Paper: Foreign executives at the Import Expo see more opportunity in an opening Chinese market

• The 9th China International Import Expo opened in Shanghai on November 5
• Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang offered four views on achieving trade balance
• A record 4,142 foreign companies from 162 countries, regions and organizations took part
• Executives from P&G, Sanofi, Qualcomm and GM voiced long-term commitment to China
• Rio Tinto cited long-term demand for iron, copper, aluminum and lithium

How the coverage compares

• Global Times centered on hard earnings numbers and institutional stake changes in one sector, while The Paper emphasized the Expo's scale and executives' investment messages.
• Global Times pointed to AI infrastructure as the growth driver; The Paper highlighted broader opportunities in consumer goods, pharma and the energy transition.

Market read: Positive · Sectors: Optical communications, Consumer goods, Pharmaceuticals
Sharp profit gains at optical makers and foreign firms reaffirming China investment at the Import Expo

Industry & Companies: Homegrown PCs scale up while a foreign robotics deal is stopped

Global Times: HarmonyOS PCs pass one million units, testing China's domestic supply chain

• Cumulative HarmonyOS PC shipments topped one million as of October 2026
• Huawei's Zhu Dongdong expects one million units in 2026 alone
• Joint development of domestic mid-size OLED driver and controller chips
• WPS and other productivity apps now natively adapted

The Paper: SoftBank's $5.4 billion bid for ABB Robotics hits a Chinese roadblock

• China's review office barred the purchase of ABB's China robotics business
• The deal, agreed in October 2025, carried an enterprise value of $5.375 billion
• China is ABB's largest robot market, with over 90% produced locally
• Robot data security cited as a possible regulatory concern
• China's foreign ministry referred questions to the competent authorities

How the coverage compares

• Global Times presented HarmonyOS PCs as a win for domestic chips and software; The Paper covered a foreign takeover of Chinese robotics assets being blocked.
• Both used security as a theme: Global Times as a selling point of domestic products, The Paper as a factor in cross-border deal review.

Market read: Neutral · Sectors: Industrial robots, PCs and software
SoftBank's ABB China robotics deal blocked, while HarmonyOS PC shipments pass one million

Policy & Politics: Off-season travel surges as Jiangsu eases school hours

Global Times: Off-season air bookings soar as ski and winter-sun trips take off

• Bookings to Zhangjiakou for November 1-15 rose about 293% year on year
• Q3 domestic air passengers exceeded 180 million, up about 4%
• Airlines shifted capacity toward Hainan, Yunnan and Guangxi
• November hotel orders rose about 50% year on year

The Paper: Jiangyin sets later school start times for all grades

• Arrival times set at 8:00 for primary and 7:20 for high school
• Parents reported high schoolers spending around 15 hours a day at school
• Jiangsu's education chief pledged tough enforcement against excessive hours
• Many high schools now end evening study by 21:00-21:30

How the coverage compares

• Global Times relied on booking data to show off-season travel demand, while The Paper covered a local education rule change.
• Global Times named family autumn breaks as a demand driver; The Paper cited student sleep and health as the policy rationale.

Market read: Positive · Sectors: Airlines, Travel and hotels
Zhangjiakou bookings up about 293% and higher November hotel orders point to stronger off-season travel demand

Market snapshot

Source: Naver Finance, CNBC · collected Nov 5, 2026 5:45 PM ET

Sources

• Global Times (Chinese): Optical communication makers show strong nine-month profits despite sector pullback · finance.huanqiu.com
• The Paper (Chinese): Foreign executives at the Import Expo see more opportunity in an opening Chinese market · thepaper.cn
• Global Times (Chinese): HarmonyOS PCs pass one million units, testing China's domestic supply chain · tech.huanqiu.com
• The Paper (Chinese): SoftBank's $5.4 billion bid for ABB Robotics hits a Chinese roadblock · thepaper.cn
• Global Times (Chinese): Off-season air bookings soar as ski and winter-sun trips take off · china.huanqiu.com
• The Paper (Chinese): Jiangyin sets later school start times for all grades · thepaper.cn

This article is for information only and is not investment advice. Investment decisions and their outcomes are the reader's own responsibility. Summaries were written with AI from the local reports linked above; headlines are English summaries, not translations. Please check the originals.