Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun drops watermelons, reveals juicy truth about firm's bulletproof coating
The founder and CEO of Xiaomi, China's innovative tech firm, demonstrated the effectiveness of the company's bulletproof coating by tossing watermelons from a height in a video that captured the amusing reactions of online fans.
Advertisement
Before launching the fruits from the rooftop of a building within the company's compound in Beijing, Lei Jun stated that they had been treated with the company's advanced bulletproof coating. This experiment was designed to test the material's remarkable functionality.
In a video uploaded to his personal account on a prominent social media platform, Lei threw three watermelons from the top of a six-storey building located in the complex of Xiaomi's electric vehicle division on the outskirts of Beijing.
The watermelons had been coated with a layer of grey, 'bulletproof' material that Lei claimed was applied to the bottom of the car battery pack.
The watermelons were encased in a layer of grey, 'bulletproof' material that Lei asserted was applied to the underside of the car battery pack. Photo: Weibo
Xiaomi commenced sales of its SU7 Ultra EV in February, with a price tag of 529,900 yuan (US$73,000), marking the company's latest strategic push into China's competitive luxury car market.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Asia Times
3 hours ago
- Asia Times
American protectionism hands China the future
Subscribe now with a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99. Deal with China is not yet done Scott Foster analyzes the latest developments in US-China trade talks, highlighting Donald Trump's exaggerated claims of victory despite an unfinished deal. While a tentative framework was reached in London, China appears to have gained leverage. Ukraine in strategic crisis as ceasefire hopes fade James Davis analyzes the intensifying aerial war between Russia and Ukraine, highlighting Ukraine's drone attacks on Russian airfields. Meanwhile, Zelensky is intensifying lobbying in Washington, attempting to politically box in Trump by portraying him as soft on Russia. SPD's peace manifesto signal fracture in German security policy Diego Faßnacht analyzes a growing intra-party revolt within Germany's center-left SPD, where over 100 prominent figures have released a policy manifesto demanding a diplomatic reset with Russia and a sharp turn away from NATO's militarization path.
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China's yuan fixing rate hits 2-month high as US dollar drops
China's central bank set the yuan's daily fixing against the US dollar at its strongest level in more than two months, as the greenback tumbled to a multi-year low amid expectations for more interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve later this year. On Friday, the People's Bank of China set the yuan's midpoint rate – also known as the daily fixing rate – at 7.1772 per US dollar, its strongest showing since late March. The move came as the US dollar index plummeted to 97.61 on Thursday - a three-year low - after the May producer price index came in below market expectations, prompting traders to price in more interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Confidence in the currency has also wavered after US President Donald Trump announced plans to set unilateral tariff rates for America's trading partners, saying countries could 'take it or leave it'. Amid concerns over US tariff policy and the sustainability of its debt levels, the country's currency has been under pressure for months, lending relative strength to the yuan. While an agreement 'in principle' between China and the US after two days of trade talks in London this week appeared to signal a truce, some analysts remained cautious.
Asia Times
8 hours ago
- Asia Times
The power calculus driving Trump's tariffs
Despite dire predictions that US President Donald Trump's foreign policy, dominated by real and threatened manipulations of American tariffs and trade practices, US inflation rates and other measures of American economic vigor do not yet give cause for alarm. Indeed, at this writing US-China trade talks seem productive enough so that spokespersons for the European Union say they hope their trade talks take on a similar format. Trump's approach to tariffs has been anything but static—shifting abruptly like a spotlight sweeping across a stage. Yet beneath the political theater lies a calculated strategy with far-reaching implications. While critics assume tariffs invariably raise consumer prices, the reality is more nuanced. Trump's policies appear designed not just for economic leverage but as an extension of his foreign policy vision, particularly in Asia and the Western Hemisphere. Whether this constitutes strategic brilliance or overreach is debatable, but the mechanics of tariffs—and who ultimately bears their cost—demand closer scrutiny. The impact of a tariff hinges on market dynamics, competition and geopolitical leverage. Consider a US$100 product imported from Country X. If the US imposes a $25 tariff, the seller faces a choice: absorb the cost by cutting their price to $75 (keeping the consumer's total at $100) or pass the expense to buyers and risk losing market share. In competitive markets—like coffee from Colombia, Brazil, or Mexico—sellers often absorb tariffs to retain customers. But the calculus shifts when alternatives are scarce. A monopolist, such as OPEC in the oil markets, can dictate prices precisely because competitors lack the capacity to undercut them without facing ruin. This imbalance of power invites broader consequences: nations disadvantaged by such asymmetries may resort to political or even military retaliation, as nearly occurred during the 1970s oil crises. Tariffs also reshape local economies. A Mexican manufacturer facing US tariffs might offset losses by raising prices for domestic consumers or slashing wages. A Canadian auto supplier could lobby for government subsidies to preserve jobs while lowering export prices. Meanwhile, China's state-influenced exporters might reduce prices to maintain access to the elastic US market, repurposing tariff revenue for Chinese domestic projects. Trump's tariffs align with a modern revival of the Monroe Doctrine, which asserts US hegemony in the Western Hemisphere. Recent maneuvers, such as discouraging Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, signal that the administration views tariffs as both economic tools and geopolitical signals. The message is clear: the US will enforce its sphere of influence, and trade policy is one lever to do so. It is possible to imagine Trump's 'super big picture' plan as a compressed version (spanning three years) of the 150-year evolution of the British Empire, beginning with Mercantilism and culminating in free trade. At first, Trump treats the rest of the world as composed of client states, whose economies are tied tightly together with the 'mother ship', the dependent states all at first directed by force majeure to contribute to the greatness of the Metropolitan Authority. Later on, when the dependencies have grown to maturity, a managed form of free trade emerges, and wealth becomes more widely shared. Ultimately, outcomes will be determined by raw power—economic, military and diplomatic. While Trump's aggressive posture may yield short-term gains, inconsistency risks undermining his objectives. China, the primary challenger to this strategy, may currently perceive his actions as domestically focused rather than existential. But if tariffs become an erratic flicker rather than a steady beam, the US could squander its leverage. In an era where trade is war by other means, Trump's tariffs are less about economics than they are about reasserting American primacy. The question isn't whether the world will adapt—it's who will blink first.
