BYD (比亚迪) claimed the title of World’s Best-Selling EV maker in    1     hard-fought battle with Tesla.

Both companies    2     (beat) analysts’ estimates for the numbers of EVs that they sold in the final three months of last year, and both benefited from cutting prices on their vehicles    3     a bid to grab market share. BYD sold a little over 3 million vehicles last year—     4     (most) in China. Tesla sold 1.8 million vehicles,    5     (fall) just short of CEO Elon Musk’s target of 2 million, but still beating analysts’ estimates. Tesla delivered 484,507 pure EVs between October and December,     6     BYD sold 526,409.

How did BYD overtake Tesla before the year-end finish line? Partly it is the price war which     7     (go) on in the EV sector—particularly here in China—for the last 12 months. Tesla started it last January by slashing prices on several     8     (model) and every other automaker followed suit. But it quickly became obvious that Tesla wasn’t going to win that price war.

While BYD has high-end types of its own, it also has cheaper ones. A cheaper car, which requires a smaller loan from the bank, can look a lot     9     (attract). And some analysts have said that tax credits in the US may have pushed some Tesla-buyers     10     (get) their cars in 2023 instead of 2024.

2 . In the complicated network of global economics, one figure has emerged at a highly influential level over the past couple years: Taylor Swift. The pop singer’s impact has extended far beyond her award-winning songs and into the international business stage, with what’s been referred to as “swiftonomics”.

Many believe that the start of Swift’s ongoing world tour, named “The Eres Tour,” was the beginning of exceptionally high economic impact across the United States. Ticketing giants like Ticketmaster and Seat Geek saw impressive sales as fans packed stadiums nationwide, earning an amazing $ 554 million. Globally, the tour raked in an estimated $ 1.04 billion in ticket sales-the first tour in history to hit the billion-dollar milestone.

Swiftonomics go beyond just ticket sales. As the singer added more dates in different countries to her tour, hotels, restaurants, and transportation services of each location’s economy experienced a notable rise. So far, Swift has generated $ 4.6 billion in consumer spending in the United States alone, and this number is expected to exceed $ 5 billion overall. With the Asia leg of her tour kicking off yesterday- starting in Japan-experts have predicted that similar economic boosts will ensue. According to Tokyo City University lecturer Mitsumasa Etou, Swift is expected to generate up to 34.1 billion yen. Etou named the tour Japan’s “biggest ever musical event in terms of predicted economic impact.”

For countries like Singapore, swiftonomics present an opportunity to boost more than just their economy; according to Singapore University Associate Professor Lau Kong Cheen. the Eras Tour concerts breathes new life into the country s reputation in terms of tourism. Cheen said the ripple effect of the tour makes them look “modern, open-minded, and vibrant” Experts say the country’s tourism levels are rising, reaching about 80% of pre-pandemic levels.

The level of spending, engagement, viewership and overall impact that Taylor Swift ha generated continues to reach unexplored heights, and it’s clear that many corporations and countries have profited off her global appeal.

3 . Recently turning 25, Amazon is undergoing great changes. One thing is sure: Amazon has big plans for you, your money and your data.

The main site and shopping experience are unlikely to change much over the next few years unless the company is forced to by the EU or US authorities. Instead, Amazon is looking to get into the physical world. However, there are still some things that people prefer to test in person rather than buy blind online. Aside from the main site, the future of retail (零售) for Amazon looks to be using abandoned department stores. According to The Wall Street Journal, Amazon will make some stores into fulfilment centres (仓储中心) while turning others into Amazon Department Store.

Food delivery is also an area that Amazon is interested in, and it currently owns roughly 16 per cent of the food delivery company Deliveroo. Many of its stores will soon begin using fingerprint scans to pay for goods. If anyone can compete with supermarkets Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, it’s Amazon.

The largest area of investment for Amazon is in the field of health, because it’s one of a few industries that offer it the large amounts of money needed when it comes to growth. Soon to offer services from telemedicine to insurance widely, Amazon has already offered some medicines. What’s more, from cameras outside your home to keyless entry, Amazon wants to deliver its packages more securely and directly.

These services mean Amazon will be in charge of more of your home than ever before. Amazon is thinking globally, too, planning to send several satellites into space to supply fast and affordable broadband services to tens of millions of people who do not have reliable Internet.

The next few years are important for Amazon’s continued success. The company needs your money and data to make that happen. While it was a huge force during the pandemic, Amazon’s next moves see them in new fields where success is important but not guaranteed. Time will tell whether you, and others, trust Amazon with their health and even more access to their homes.

In recent years, China    1    (see) a boom in “new tea beverages (饮料)” that combine brewed tea, fresh fruits and vegetables, sometimes laced with (加入) dairy products or juice, which are    2    (particular) popular among young people.

As new tea beverages, a    3    (vary) of tea drinks help meet young people’s desire for relaxation and social sharing, and have even become a part for social life. Now, when a new flavor of drink    4    (appear), plenty of young people would line up in front of beverage shops    5    crowd in online takeaway platforms    6    (look) forward to a freshly made cup and then cannot wait to post it on social media.

According to data from iMedia Research,     7     market scale of China’s tea-based drinks increased to 279 billion yuan ($39 billion in 2021) and is expected    8    (reach) about 375 billion yuan by 2025. “Previous popular beverages like milk tea used to be brewed with tea powder and creamer. With living standards improved, customers are now demanding    9    (high) quality food and drinks than before,” said Wang Jingyuan, founder of LINLEE, a brand    10    focuses on novel tea-based lemon drink.

6 . Powerful demand for Huawei products is fueling investor interest in the shares of its suppliers, which have resisted declines in the broader mainland Chinese stock (股票) market.

Expectations that the Chinese technology company may continue to see strong sales for recently launched products are sending stocks of some of Huawei’s suppliers to record highs.

Analysts say the successful launch of the M7 car model by Huawei-backed electric-vehicle brand Aito could see order books continue to swell, based on the response to the launch during a national holiday known as the Golden Week.

Shares of Seres Group, an Aito partner, and Ningbo Shenglong Automotive Powertrain System, a car-parts manufacturer, have risen by the 10% daily limit on the Shanghai Stock Exchange this week since the mainland markets reopened for trading after the holiday. The benchmark (基准) Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0. 7% in Tuesday trading.

“Aito’s sales have been propelled by the new M7 model, up sharply compared with monthly sales of below 10,000 units as of August,” Shengang Securities analyst Xute Cao said in a note.

“Sales in the fourth quarter are expected to improve significantly on month,” Cao added.

Separately, stocks of Huawei’s component suppliers have also gained following the launch of the Mate 60 smartphone model in late September.

Ofilm Group advanced 9. 9% on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on Tuesday and has, gained 21% so far this week, while Vanchip(Tianjin) Technology rose as much as 10%, and has added around 8% this week. By contrast, the technology-heavy Shenzhen Stock Exchange closed down 0.4% Tuesday.

“We sense that investor interest in the smartphone supply chain has increased after iPhone and Mate 60 launch and anticipation of smartphone demand bottoming, “ Citigroup analyst Kyna Wong said in a note after the bank’s recent meeting with institutional investors, about China’s tech sector.

“Huawei’s return could have implications on market share and competition in the tech-hardware sector,” Wong said.

“Component makers could benefit from restarting spec (规格) upgrade and operating leverage (运营杠杆) from volume growth ( regardless of market-share shift), “ Wong said.

8 . In recent years, labels have increasingly been used by the food industry. Whether “non-GMO” or “zero trans fat”, “no added hormones” or “sugar-free”, consumers are demanding more information about what’s in their food.

A report by Nielsen found that 39 percent of consumers would switch from the brands they currently buy to others that provide clearer, more accurate product information. Food manufacturers are using the new labels to meet consumers’ demand, with an eye towards giving their products a leg up over the competition, and their bottom lines a boost as well.

On its face, the new marketing strategy makes sense. But these so-called “absence claims” labels are harmful both to the consumers who purchase the products and the industry that supplies them. For example, Hunt’s put a “non-GMO” label on its tomatoes a few years ago — despite the fact that, at the time, there was no such thing as a GMO tomato on the market. Over the long term, this strategy will have the opposite effect: by creating fear, we run the risk of damaging consumers’ trust.

Eventually, it becomes a question in consumers’ minds: Should I have ever been eating these foods in the first place? By purchasing and consuming these types of products, have I already done some kind of harm to me?

For food manufacturers, it will damage consumers’ trust, which in turn would lower sales for the whole food industry. And this isn’t just supposition. A recent study by a group of academics at the University of Delaware found that “absence claims” labels can stigmatize(污名化) food produced with conventional processes even when there is no scientific evidence that they cause harm.

In addition to the likely negative long-term impact on sales, it sends a message that innovations in farming and food processing are unwelcome, eventually leading to less efficiency, fewer choices for consumers, and, ultimately, more costly food products. Therefore, it’s clear that food manufacturers must be careful when using “absence claims” as a marketing strategy. If we allow this kind of label fear-mongering to continue, the losers will be all of us.

China’s economy has grown by an average of 4.5 percent each year during the past three years. Consumer prices in China     1     (remain) stable throughout 2022, with the Consumer Price Index rising     2     around 2 percent. Moreover, production, sales, and exports of new energy vehicles rank first     3     (global). But officials remain cautious.

The 2022-2023 Annual Economic Conference,     4     (hold) by the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, kicked off in Beijing on Saturday. Several Chinese economic and     5     (finance) officials discussed China’s economic blueprint outlined at the just-concluded Central Economic Work Conference.

Han Wenxiu, an official with     6     Central Committee for Commercial and Economic Affairs, noted that while fully     7     (recognize) China’s achievements, “we must also be aware     8     challenges remain”.

“The epidemic still poses a negative impact, industrial supply chains are not functioning smoothly, the scientific and technological     9     (innovate) capacity is not strong, new factors to boost growth     10     (be) not sufficient, and social development such as employment is also facing a challenge,” Han said.