Chinese tech stocks charged into 2026 with an AI chip IPO surge and more listings lined up (www.businessinsider.com)

The Hong Kong stock market witnessed a significant surge as Shanghai Biren Technology, an AI chip designer, debuted with a striking 120% increase after raising $717 million in its initial public offering. This strong performance reflects a broader rally in Chinese tech stocks driven by a renewed investor appetite for domestically produced AI hardware, especially following the success of the DeepSeek-R1 AI model that boosted the Hang Seng Tech Index by 23% in 2025. The frenzy for IPOs highlights a pivotal shift in China's AI landscape, spurred by US export restrictions on advanced Nvidia chips, creating a lucrative environment for local alternatives. As the enthusiasm for AI technology continues to grow, several other companies are poised to enter the public market, including Baidu's AI chip unit, which has filed for a Hong Kong listing. The surge in IPOs, particularly in the tech sector, indicates a resurgence after years of regulatory challenges for China's tech industry. With at least 25 companies making market debuts last month, many expect that this trend will further accelerate, positioning Hong Kong as a central player in global AI investments and potentially reshaping the competitive dynamics in the intelligent computing arena.