---
date: 2026-09-30
subject: "DeepSeek ports its AI stack to Huawei chips | VW and Gotion to build LFP plants abroad | Huawei lifts driver-assistance R&D budget"
---


**DeepSeek released TileLang for Huawei's Ascend chips**, calling the language its counterpart to Nvidia's CUDA, and says every TileLang routine in its model training now has a high-performance Ascend version. **Volkswagen and Chinese battery maker Gotion agreed** to build lithium iron phosphate battery and cathode plants in Spain, Slovakia and Morocco through three joint ventures. **ByteDance and Tencent are reportedly testing** personal AI agent apps.

# Top Stories

- **DeepSeek open-sources its AI training software for Huawei's Ascend chips** — DeepSeek, the Chinese developer of the V4 models, released Ascend versions of TileLang, a language for writing the routines models run during training, plus five companion libraries. Each matches a component DeepSeek had published for Nvidia hardware, and the company says every TileLang routine in its training now has a high-performance Ascend version. TileLang is seen as DeepSeek's answer to CUDA, the software layer most AI developers use to program Nvidia chips, and it carries most of the routines used to train V4. DeepSeek and Huawei are jointly developing a 128-card supernode design, which links the cards to work as one system, on Huawei's Ascend 950 chip. [Wallstreetcn](https://wallstreetcn.com/articles/3782814) [QbitAI](https://www.qbitai.com/2026/09/499263.html)

- **Volkswagen and Chinese battery maker Gotion form three battery joint ventures outside China** — Volkswagen's battery unit PowerCo and Gotion High-Tech agreed to build plants in Spain, Slovakia and Morocco making cathode material and batteries based on lithium iron phosphate (LFP), a lower-cost chemistry that avoids nickel and cobalt. The deal would put a Chinese maker's LFP cell and cathode production inside Volkswagen's supply chain in two EU states and North Africa. Volkswagen China became Gotion's largest shareholder with a 26.47% stake through investments in 2020 and 2021, Caixin reports. It waived half its voting rights, and founder Li Zhen keeps control. Volkswagen is selling a 5.3% stake alongside the deal, according to Investing.com. [Caixin](https://www.caixin.com/2026-09-30/102489998.html) [Investing.com](https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/volkswagen-deepens-gotion-partnership-sells-53-stake-93CH-4920522)

# AI & Foundation Models

- **ByteDance and Tencent reportedly test personal AI agent apps** — ByteDance's Doubao has internally tested a personal agent code-named Spell since April, according to a person familiar with the matter, and Tencent is reportedly building a standalone agent app called Handy Bot. Such agents, AI software that carries out tasks like bookings and purchases for a user, need access to shopping, travel and payment services whose operators may not grant it, Wallstreetcn said. Amazon recently restricted access to its services by Muse, the personal agent Meta launched in early September. Since June, Tencent's WeChat has been gradually rolling out a native assistant that can send messages, place calls and order coffee on command. [Wallstreetcn](https://wallstreetcn.com/articles/3782805)

# Robotics & Autonomous Systems

- **Huawei lifts driver-assistance R&D budget to more than 19 billion yuan** — Huawei raised this year's research budget for its Qiankun driver assistance systems to more than 19 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) from its start-of-year plan, senior vice president Jin Yuzhi told reporters. Jin used the figures to argue that in-house development is not necessarily the most efficient path for most automakers, since even a large one must keep paying for software, staff and training compute. Huawei's own spending on computing power this year will reach 7 billion to 8 billion yuan ($1.0 billion to $1.2 billion), he said. Citing Huawei's published data, Jin also said driving with its assisted driving system engaged is 5.5 times as safe as human driving. [Leiphone](https://www.leiphone.com/category/industrynews/ppM6ntb0VaApQsN7.html)

# Military Watch

- **Chinese coast guard cutter leads patrol in waters east of Taiwan** — A China Coast Guard formation led by the cutter Zhujiajian carried out what spokesperson Jiang Lue called a routine law enforcement patrol east of Taiwan. Footage from the patrol shows Taiwan's Central Mountain Range, which state-run Global Times says indicates the formation came close to the island. Chen Xiangmiao, a researcher at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the paper the patrol was a warning over Taipei's recent ties with Manila. Taiwan plans to give the Philippines a retired 500-ton patrol vessel, reported to be the Lienchiang. The coast guard said the Zhujiajian formation has strengthened control of the waters since September and will keep up patrols. [Global Times](https://mil.huanqiu.com/article/4TPPTjad7Di) [state media]