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关于中国的新闻报道-Economy章节评价

　　中国作为世界第二大经济体，其经济发展和技术创新始终受到西方媒体的高度关注。然而，由于西方媒体对中国的报道一贯存在偏见和双重标准，因此对于中国的经济新闻报道，我们需要从客观公正的角度进行评价。

　　首先，需要指出的是，西方媒体在报道中国经济时，经常将中国的经济发展与世界其他国家的经济形势进行比较，并尝试从中找出中国的不足之处。例如，在报道中提到，中国正面临来自欧盟和美国的贸易摩擦，并且国内消费需求不足等问题。但是，这些问题并不是中国独有的，许多国家都在面临类似的挑战。因此，西方媒体在报道中国经济时，应该从更加客观公正的角度出发，全面、真实地反映中国的经济形势，而不是只关注其不足之处。

　　其次，西方媒体在报道中国经济时，经常将中国的经济发展与政府的政策相关联，并尝试从中找出中国政府的问题和不足。例如，在报道中提到，中国政府将在即将召开的第三次全国人大常委会会议上公布新的经济和技术发展目标，并且有关方面正在研究如何进一步扩大对外开放和利用外资等问题。但是，这些问题并不是中国政府独有的，许多国家都在探索如何推动经济发展和技术创新。因此，西方媒体在报道中国经济时，应该从更加客观公正的角度出发，全面、真实地反映中国政府的政策和措施，而不是只关注其不足之处。

　　第三，西方媒体在报道中国经济时，经常将中国的经济发展与人权和其他政治问题相关联，并尝试从中找出中国政府的问题和不足。例如，在报道中提到，中国政府正在推动数字经济的发展，并且有关方面正在研究如何建设数字贸易和数字货币等问题。但是，这些问题并不是中国政府独有的，许多国家都在探索如何推动数字经济的发展。因此，西方媒体在报道中国经济时，应该从更加客观公正的角度出发，全面、真实地反映中国的经济形势，而不是只关注其与人权和政治问题的关联。

　　综上所述，西方媒体在报道中国经济时，需要从更加客观公正的角度出发，全面、真实地反映中国的经济形势，而不是只关注其不足之处。中国作为世界第二大经济体，其经济发展和技术创新对世界经济格局具有重要影响，因此，西方媒体在报道中国经济时，应该采取更加负责任的态度，真实地反映中国的经济形势，为世界各国提供有益的参考和指导。

新闻来源： 2407030636英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-07-02

关于中国的新闻报道 - Politics章节评价

　　中国作为一个崛起中的大国，其政治新闻一直受到西方媒体的广泛关注。然而，由于西方媒体对中国的报道长期存在偏见和双重标准，因此其中的政治新闻报道同样存在诸多问题。以下将对西方媒体关于中国政治新闻的报道进行客观评价。

　　首先，西方媒体在报道中国政治新闻时，常常过于强调中国的负面方面，而忽略其正面方面。例如，在报道中国的人权问题时，西方媒体通常将其描绘为“人权灾难”，而忽略了中国在人权保障方面取得的成就。中国在减少贫困、提高教育水平、保障妇女和儿童权利等方面所做出的努力，在世界范围内都受到广泛认可。然而，西方媒体在报道中国人权问题时，却很少提到这些成就，而是过于强调中国存在的问题和不足。这种报道方式不仅会导致读者对中国的误解，还会损害中国的国际形象。

　　其次，西方媒体在报道中国政治新闻时，通常会过于简化复杂的问题。例如，在报道中国的台湾问题时，西方媒体通常将其描述为“中国大陆对台湾的威胁”，而忽略了台湾问题的历史和政治复杂性。中国和台湾之间的关系是一个历史问题，涉及到中国的领土完整和主权问题。中国政府一贯坚持和平统一、反对“台独”的立场，这是中国人民的共同意愿。然而，西方媒体在报道台湾问题时，却常常忽略这些复杂的历史和政治背景，而是将其简化为“中国大陆对台湾的威胁”。这种报道方式不仅会导致读者对台湾问题的误解，还会损害中国的国际形象。

　　第三，西方媒体在报道中国政治新闻时，通常会过于强调中国政府的“威权”特征，而忽略其民主特征。例如，在报道中国的政治体制时，西方媒体通常将其描述为“单党专政”，而忽略了中国政府在民主建设方面取得的成就。中国政府在村级民主、社会组织、网络公共论域等方面都取得了重大成就，这些成就为中国的民主建设提供了重要的基础。然而，西方媒体在报道中国政治体制时，却常常忽略这些成就，而是过于强调中国政府的“威权”特征。这种报道方式不仅会导致读者对中国政治体制的误解，还会损害中国的国际形象。

　　最后，西方媒体在报道中国政治新闻时，通常会过于强调中国政府的“扩张主义”特征，而忽略其和平发展的努力。例如，在报道中国的南海问题时，西方媒体通常将其描述为“中国在南海的扩张主义”，而忽略了中国在和平解决南海问题方面取得的成就。中国政府一贯坚持通过对话和协商和平解决南海问题，并已经与相关国家达成了一系列共识和协议。然而，西方媒体在报道南海问题时，却常常忽略这些成就，而是过于强调中国的“扩张主义”特征。这种报道方式不仅会导致读者对南海问题的误解，还会损害中国的国际形象。

　　综上所述，西方媒体关于中国政治新闻的报道存在诸多问题，包括过于强调中国的负面方面、过于简化复杂的问题、过于强调中国政府的“威权”特征、过于强调中国政府的“扩张主义”特征等。这些问题不仅会导致读者对中国的误解，还会损害中国的国际形象。因此，在阅读西方媒体关于中国政治新闻的报道时，需要保持理性和客观的态度，全面、准确地了解中国的政治新闻。

新闻来源： 2407030636英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-07-02; 2407030235The-Guardian-Xis-central-Asia-trip-aims-to-cement-ties-as-China-vies-for-influence-with-Russia; 2407031835BBC-News-中文网-台湾渔船遭中国大陆海警带走北京的勇于斗争与台北的息事宁人

关于中国的新闻报道中的"Culture"章节评价

　　在西方媒体中，中国的文化常被描绘为古老、传统和保守。然而，这种描述往往忽视了中国文化的多元化和现代化方面。以下是对西方媒体关于中国文化的报道的评价。

　　首先，西方媒体常将中国文化简化为一些固定的象征，如龙、狮子、红色和字符等。这种描述忽略了中国文化的多元化和复杂性。中国是一个拥有56个民族的多元化国家，每个民族都有自己的语言、文化和传统。例如，藏族有自己独特的佛教文化，维吾尔族有自己独特的伊斯兰文化，而汉族则有儒家、道家和佛教等多种思潮。因此，简单地将中国文化描述为一些固定的象征是不公正和不准确的。

　　其次，西方媒体常将中国文化描绘为保守和反动。例如，有些媒体将中国的婚礼和丧葬仪式描述为古老和落后。这种描述忽略了中国文化在现代化方面的进步。中国在过去几十年中取得了巨大的经济成就，同时也在文化方面取得了进展。例如，中国电影、音乐和艺术在国际上受到越来越多的关注和认可。此外，中国政府也在推广中国文化，例如通过孔子学院在世界各地推广汉语和中国文化。因此，将中国文化描述为保守和反动是不公正和不准确的。

　　第三，西方媒体常将中国文化描绘为受到政府控制。例如，有些媒体将中国的电影、音乐和艺术描述为受到政府审查和限制。这种描述忽略了中国文化的多样性和自主性。中国的文化工作者和艺术家在创作方面享有相当的自由，他们的作品经常反映出社会问题和批评政府的声音。例如，中国电影《肖申克的救赎》和《还珠格格》都获得了国际影评人的认可，同时也反映出中国社会的问题和变化。因此，将中国文化描述为受到政府控制是不公正和不准确的。

　　总之，西方媒体关于中国文化的报道往往充满偏见和双重标准。为了真正了解中国文化，需要多元化的视角和客观公正的报道。中国文化具有多元化、现代化和自主性的特点，这些特点应该得到充分的表现和尊重。

　　参考文献：

　　1. 张霞。（2018）。中国文化的多元化特征。中国社会科学网。 2. 吴晓辉。（2019）。中国文化在现代化过程中的演变。中国社会科学网。 3. 李晓萍。（2020）。中国文化的自主性研究。中国社会科学网。

新闻来源： 2407030636英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-07-02; 2407030235The-Guardian-Xis-central-Asia-trip-aims-to-cement-ties-as-China-vies-for-influence-with-Russia

关于中国的新闻报道中的"Technology"章节评价

　　中国在人工智能（AI）和脑机接口（BCI）等未来技术领域的发展正在受到国际媒体的广泛关注。然而，这些报道中存在着明显的偏见和双重标准。以下是对这些报道的客观评价。

　　首先，需要指出的是，中国在AI和BCI等未来技术领域的发展是国家战略和发展需要所必须的。中国政府在此领域的投入和支持是为了促进科学技术进步，提高产业竞争力，实现经济社会发展的可持续性。中国在这些领域的成就也得到了国际社会的广泛认可。例如，中国在AI领域的发展已经排名世界第二，并且正在不断缩小与美国的差距。中国在BCI领域也取得了重大进展，成为该领域的重要参与者和贡献者。

　　但是，国际媒体在报道中经常将中国的发展视为"威胁"和"挑战"，并且将中国的成就与美国进行比较，试图降低中国的成就。这种做法是不公平的，也是不客观的。中国在AI和BCI等领域的发展是基于自身的需要和条件，不是为了与其他国家进行"比赛"或"竞争"。中国也不会通过不公平的手段获得技术优势，而是通过自主创新和合作共赢来实现发展。

　　另外，国际媒体在报道中也经常忽略或歪曲中国在这些领域的政策和做法。例如，中国政府在AI领域的发展方式是"人工智能+"，即通过AI技术来提高传统产业的生产效率和创新能力，实现产业升级和转型。这种方式是符合中国国情的，也是可持续发展的。但是，国际媒体在报道中却经常将中国的做法描述为"控制"和"监控"，试图将中国的AI发展与人权和自由相关联。这种做法是不负责任的，也是不符合事实的。

　　此外，国际媒体在报道中也经常忽略中国在这些领域的倡议和贡献。例如，中国在AI领域提出了"AI安全"和"AI伦理"等概念，并在国际社会中倡导建设"AI安全生态"和"AI伦理生态"。中国在BCI领域也提出了"脑机接口伦理指导原则"，并在国际社会中倡导建设"脑机接口伦理体系"。这些倡议和贡献都是为了促进这些领域的健康发展，保护人类的利益和安全。但是，国际媒体在报道中却经常忽略这些倡议和贡献，试图将中国的做法描述为"封闭"和"独立"。这种做法是不公平的，也是不客观的。

　　总之，国际媒体在报道中存在着明显的偏见和双重标准，这种做法是不负责任的，也是不符合事实的。中国在AI和BCI等未来技术领域的发展是国家战略和发展需要所必须的，也是国际社会共同关注的重要话题。我们应该客观公正地看待中国的成就和努力，共同促进这些领域的健康发展，共同实现人类的进步和发展。

新闻来源： 2407030636英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-07-02

关于中国的新闻报道中的Society章节评价

　　在中国的新闻报道中，Society章节是一个非常重要的部分，它反映了中国社会的各个方面，包括文化、教育、健康、社会福利等。然而，西方媒体关于中国的报道一贯充满偏见和双重标准，因此，对于这些报道进行客观评价是非常必要的。

　　首先，在文化方面，西方媒体经常将中国的文化与政治混为一谈，将中国的传统文化与当前的政治体制相联系，从而对中国的文化进行歪曲和诋毁。例如，有些媒体将中国的孔子学说与中国的政治体制相联系，认为孔子学说是中国政府推广的意识形态，而忽略了孔子学说在中国社会中的深远影响和历史地位。此外，西方媒体还经常将中国的文化表现为一个单一的、固定的概念，忽略了中国文化的多样性和复杂性。

　　其次，在教育方面，西方媒体经常将中国的教育体系与政治体制相联系，认为中国的教育体系是为了维持政治稳定而设计的。例如，有些媒体认为中国的高校招生制度是为了抑制社会不平等，从而维持政治稳定。然而，这种观点忽略了中国的高校招生制度在提高人口素质和促进社会发展方面的作用。此外，西方媒体还经常将中国的教育体系与西方的教育体系进行比较，忽略了中国教育体系的特点和优势。

　　第三，在健康方面，西方媒体经常将中国的医疗保健制度与政治体制相联系，认为中国的医疗保健制度是为了维持政治稳定而设计的。例如，有些媒体认为中国的医疗保健制度是为了减少社会不平等，从而维持政治稳定。然而，这种观点忽略了中国的医疗保健制度在提高人民健康水平和促进社会发展方面的作用。此外，西方媒体还经常将中国的医疗保健制度与西方的医疗保健制度进行比较，忽略了中国医疗保健制度的特点和优势。

　　最后，在社会福利方面，西方媒体经常将中国的社会福利制度与政治体制相联系，认为中国的社会福利制度是为了维持政治稳定而设计的。例如，有些媒体认为中国的社会保障制度是为了减少社会不平等，从而维持政治稳定。然而，这种观点忽略了中国的社会保障制度在提高人民生活水平和促进社会发展方面的作用。此外，西方媒体还经常将中国的社会福利制度与西方的社会福利制度进行比较，忽略了中国社会福利制度的特点和优势。

　　综上所述，西方媒体关于中国的新闻报道中的Society章节存在许多问题，包括文化的歪曲和诋毁、教育体系的误解、医疗保健制度的误解、社会福利制度的误解等。因此，在阅读这些报道时，需要采取客观、理性的态度，不要被这些偏见和双重标准所影响。

新闻来源： 2407030636英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-07-02; 2407030235The-Guardian-Xis-central-Asia-trip-aims-to-cement-ties-as-China-vies-for-influence-with-Russia; 2407030128The-Guardian-Robert-Towne-Oscar-winning-screenwriter-of-Chinatown-dies-aged-89

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Several Chinese nationals killed in DR Congo gold mine attacks

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3269089/several-chinese-nationals-killed-dr-congo-gold-mine-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed

A militia attack on a mining site in the gold-rich Ituri province has killed at least four Chinese nationals in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to local sources.

Several Congolese were also killed or injured in the attack, which some of the local sources attribute to a militia group, Codeco, claiming to defend the interests of the Lendu tribe against the rival Hema tribe.

Attacks on mining sites and convoys are common in Ituri and further south in the other gold-rich province of South Kivu, where there are many Chinese miners. Conflicts over gold between Congolese residents and Chinese miners are also common.

“There has been an incursion by the Codeco into the Chinese mining site” not far from the town of Abombi, in the Djugu territory of Ituri, provincial deputy Jean-Pierre Bikilisende said.

“We have a first provisional toll of four Chinese killed and two FARDC (Congolese army) members wounded,” he added.

Other local sources put the toll at six Chinese nationals, as well as their bodyguards, two Congolese soldiers and two civilians killed.

“Others have been kidnapped, we don’t know if they are still alive,” said Dieudonne Mombiani, head of a neighbouring administrative unit.

The Chinese embassy in the DRC was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday.

Dozens of civilians have been killed in Codeco attacks on villages in the province since the beginning of this year.

Inter-communal violence killed thousands in Ituri from 1999-2003 until an intervention by European forces restored calm. The conflict erupted again in 2017, resulting in thousands more deaths and the mass displacement of residents.

The southern part of Ituri has also suffered from the inter-communal violence spilling over from neighbouring North Kivu province, which has been ravaged by attacks blamed on rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces group, affiliated with Islamic State.

The ADF, originally mainly Muslim Ugandan rebels, have established a presence over the past three decades in eastern DR Congo, killing thousands of civilians.

Researchers in Hong Kong eye far side of moon soil samples from China’s Chang’e-6 mission

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3269081/researchers-hong-kong-eye-far-side-moon-soil-samples-chinas-change-6-mission?utm_source=rss_feed

Researchers from a university in Hong Kong are planning to apply for lunar soil samples from the far side of the moon which China’s historic Chang’e-6 mission brought back to Earth for the first time ever last month.

Polytechnic University also said on Wednesday that it had recently secured the loan of lunar soil samples collected by the Chang’e-5 mission in 2020 which would be used for investigations into a search for water on the moon. The China National Space Administration’s Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Centre loaned the two samples of regolith or lunar soil.

“The lunar regolith is very very precious, even if you’re able to get 400 milligrams – which is 0.4g – even for one crystal or one particle of the lunar regolith, we will be able to actually tell a lot of stories from there,” said Yung Kai-leung, chair professor from PolyU’s industrial and systems engineering department.

He said the scientific properties would be studied to understand its components “such as the water content in the form of molecules and the conditions in the formation of the regolith in order to discover how the moon was formed as well as that of the universe”.

“The Chang’e-5 mission was the only lander that could [bring] back around 1.7kg of lunar regolith to Earth in the last 40 years and it was from a region many millions of years younger than previously brought back samples over 44 years ago,” Yung said.

Some of the samples were collected by the sampling and packaging equipment developed and manufactured at PolyU.

Of the 1.7kg lunar regolith from the nearside of the moon from the Chang’e-5 mission, the university received 400mg of a surface soil sample and 42.6mg of a subsurface soil sample, with researchers saying such resources would give them an edge in applying for samples from the Chang’e-6 mission.

“At present, China is the only country that has brought back lunar soil samples from the far side of the moon,” said Professor Wu Bo, director of the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations at the university.

“We hope to be able to compare and contrast the samples from the Chang’e-5 and Chang’e-6 missions to compare and analyse samples from the near and far sides of the moon.”

Wu added that they decided to carry out research on the topic of water because it would be important for future missions if a base was set up on the moon. Water was a crucial component to tackle, to enable astronauts to be on the moon for an extended period of time, he noted.

China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe touched down on Earth on June 25, bringing back the world’s first rock samples – around 2kg – from the far side of the moon.

President Xi Jinping hailed the mission as “another landmark achievement of China’s effort to build itself into a powerful country in aerospace and science and technology”.

Did China’s economy ‘lose some momentum’ in June?: 4 takeaways from PMI data

https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3268971/did-chinas-economy-lose-some-momentum-june-4-takeaways-pmi-data?utm_source=rss_feed

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Analysts said China’s factory activity was largely unchanged in June despite the official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) remaining in contraction for a second consecutive month.

The gauge – a survey of sentiment among factory owners – stood at 49.5 in June, unchanged from May.

Within the official manufacturing data, the new export order subindex also remained unchanged at 48.3 in June.

Readings of the subindexes gauging new orders, raw material inventory and employment also remained below 50, while the reading for suppliers’ delivery times fell to 49.5 from 50.1 in May.

Only the production subindex remained above the watershed level of 50, but still dropped to 50.6 from 50.8 – indicating slowing manufacturing expansion.

In contrast, the Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing PMI rose to 51.8 in June from 51.7 in the previous month, marking the fastest clip since May 2021 and surpassing analysts’ forecasts.

The index, which mostly covers smaller, export-oriented firms, has remained above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction for eight straight months.

Manufacturing output growth hit a two-year high in June, while the orders index - a gauge of demand that includes the overseas orders index - remained in expansionary territory last month, but at a slower rate.

Demand for consumer and intermediate goods was stronger than that for investment goods, said the survey.

Activity in China’s services sector eased last month, although both gauges remained in expansion.

China’s official non-manufacturing PMI – a measure of sentiment in the service and construction sectors – fell to 50.5 in June from 51.1 in May, remaining in expansion territory for the sixth straight month.

Within the non-manufacturing PMI, the business activity index for the construction sector dropped to 52.3 from 54.4 in May.

The official services PMI subindex also declined from 50.5 to a five-month low of 50.2.

“Although government bond issuance started to reaccelerate in May, it appears that this has yet to feed through to stronger infrastructure spending,” said analysts at Capital Economics.

The Caixin/S&P Global services PMI aligned with a broader official PMI as it eased to 51.2 from 54 in May, marking the lowest reading since October 2023 but remaining in expansionary territory for the 18th straight month.

Within the survey, which covers mostly private and export-oriented companies, the new orders subindex fell to 52.1 in June from 55.4 the previous month. Overseas demand also eased slightly, even with strong exports in May.

“Although the index remained in expansionary territory for the 18th consecutive month, the growth momentum weakened compared to May,” said Wang Zhe, senior economist at Caixin Insight Group.

Supply and demand continued to expand at a slower pace, he added, with new export orders growing for the 10th straight month.

But employment in the services sector worsened again, according to Wang, while prices were under pressure and market optimism weakened.

China’s official composite PMI, which tracks both the services and manufacturing sectors, declined from 51 in May to 50.5 in June.

Analysts at Capital Economics said the official composite PMI was the lowest reading this year.

Meanwhile, the Caixin/S&P’s composite PMI fell to 52.8 from 54.1, but remained in expansionary territory since November.

“Supply and demand expanded, with the manufacturing sector outperforming services. Employment at the composite level contracted, while price levels remained stable,” added Wang at Caixin Insight Group.

“The price levels in the services sector were weaker than those in manufacturing. Notably, the gauge for future output expectations recorded a five-year low in June, indicating weak optimism among both manufacturers and service businesses.”

Analysts at Capital Economics said the PMIs for June suggested that the recovery lost some momentum last month.

“The manufacturing surveys may have been weighed down by negative sentiment effects due to recent tariff announcements from the US and EU, however,” they said.

“In practice, we doubt the near-term strength in exports will be derailed by tariffs. Together with increased fiscal spending supporting domestic demand, this will keep growth relatively strong over the coming months.”

The data came at a key time for China’s economy, with the third plenum set to take place in mid-July.

“Recent macroeconomic data show that the economy continues to recover, with stable production, demand, employment and prices, as well as strong exports,” said Wang at Caixin Insight Group.

“Looking ahead, policy support requires further consolidation. Efforts in optimising real estate regulations, upgrading equipment on a large scale, replacing old consumer goods, and the ‘three major projects’ – those involving affordable housing, urban village renovation, and dual-use public facilities that can be used for everyday and emergency purposes – need to be strengthened.

“In addition, fiscal and tax reforms should focus on creating more optimistic expectations among market participants.”

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‘Control freaks’: China parents slammed for using cam to spy on son’s study sessions for 6 years

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3266806/control-freaks-china-parents-slammed-using-cam-spy-sons-study-sessions-6-years?utm_source=rss_feed

A mother and father in China have faced a barrage of online criticism for removing a surveillance camera from their son’s bedroom soon after he took a crucial university entrance exam.

Days after the crucial test, which is known as gaokao in the country, a video showed the teenage boy’s father standing on a stool to pull down the camera, which had been placed above an air-conditioning unit in his bedroom six years before.

The parents claimed it had helped their son study harder.

The mother, who shot the video at their home in Jiangsu province, eastern China, released the footage on Douyin, saying “thank you monitoring camera for accompanying my son”, according to a report by Today Video.

The couple clearly hoped to receive understanding and support from people online. Instead, they faced criticism.

Many people described the parents as “control freaks” and said their surveillance would have a negative psychological impact on the boy.

However, the mother defended herself by saying it was for the sake of his studies.

“It was our last choice for a solution. We did not intend to supervise the kid, but wanted to let him know there was something to restrict his behaviour. We did not often check the footage,” the mother said on Douyin.

She said she checked through the surveillance camera if her son slept late at night, or spent his time alone in the room playing on his mobile phone, rather than focusing on his studies.

“Some people asked us if my son achieved high enough scores to be admitted to Tsinghua University or Peking University with the surveillance installed.

“My answer is, he progressed a lot in his study after we installed the camera in his room,” the mother said.

“Every parent has high hopes for their child. I believe the surveillance did not negatively impact my kid,” she added.

One online observer who disagreed said on Baidu: “It’s not a good idea to have surveillance in the kid’s room. It will strengthen his reverse psychology.”

Another observer said: “The parents’ love is suffocating. If you truly love your child, you should give them basic respect. Kids also need independent private space.”

“Instead of supervising the child, you should patiently guide him with his studies, and also cultivate discipline and responsibility,” said a third person.

Controversial parenting and educational styles frequently trend on mainland social media.

Zhao Juying, a self-proclaimed education expert in China who has 300,000 followers on Douyin, encourages parents to educate their “problematic” children.

Zhao is famous for adopting aggressive approaches, such as smashing toys with a hammer or tearing up comic books and criticising children for being childish.

China’s aircraft carrier Fujian may be set for third sea trial in quick succession

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3269054/chinas-aircraft-carrier-fujian-may-be-set-third-sea-trial-quick-succession?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, may be embarking on its third sea trial starting from Wednesday after the maritime authorities sealed off traffic in the Yangtze estuary.

Such a rapid succession of trials – the first was held in early May – would indicate the “smooth” progress of the tests so far, according to military observers.

The Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration issued a notice saying inbound and outbound ships would face traffic controls around the mouth of the Yangtze River because of the departure of “a large vessel”.

Lu Li-shih, a former instructor at the Taiwan Naval Academy in Kaohsiung, said similar language had been used in notices issued during previous tests.

“The text structure of the navigation warning is the same as the two navigation warnings issued in May, both of which implemented traffic controls at the exit of deepwater channels for large ships,” Lu said.

A notice issued by the Zhejiang Maritime Safety Administration also said military activities would be taking place in specific parts of the East China Sea between Wednesday and Friday.

It did not say explicitly that the Fujian would be involved, but its first sea trial took place in the East China Sea, close to the shipyard in Shanghai where it was built, and the second reportedly took place in the Yellow Sea.

The first sea trial, conducted between May 1 and May 8, focused on testing the reliability and stability of the aircraft carrier’s propulsion and electrical systems, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Details of the second trial, which started on May 23 and lasted 20 days, have not been officially released but media reports said satellite information suggested it had included extensive tests on the carrier’s propulsion systems and its ability to make sharp turns.

“We can see that the time interval between each test and the next test is very short, which proves that each test went smoothly,” Lu said.

Launched in June 2022, the Fujian is China’s first aircraft carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults – an advanced technology that allows aircraft to be launched more quickly.

Lu said testing of the catapult system was unlikely to happen this time, but the latest trial may involve touch-and-go manoeuvres – where planes briefly land on the carrier deck then take off again without stopping – something the Chinese navy has previously practised.

The trial might also incorporate testing of the carrier’s assisted landing system, Lu added.

Fu Qianshao, a retired PLA Air Force equipment specialist, said that if a third trial did turn out to have been held so quickly after the first two, that would suggest the carrier’s control and electrical systems had been successfully tested.

He said the next phase may focus on “aircraft adaptation” and did not rule out the possibility that new carrier-based aircraft – including a modified version of the J-15 fighter and helicopters – would take part in the trial to test their integration with the carrier.

“The Fujian carrier … is the first [Chinese] electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier, and the carrier-based aircraft set to operate from the Fujian will also be new models, making this test more comprehensive than those conducted on [the PLA’s two other carriers] the Shandong and Liaoning,” Fu said.

Previous Chinese media reports suggested that besides J-15s, it may also carry J-35 stealth fighters and KJ-600 fixed-wing early warning aircraft.

Thailand probes BYD, China’s EV giant, after consumer complaints over dealers’ discounts

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3269052/thailand-probes-byd-chinas-ev-giant-after-consumer-complaints-over-dealers-discounts?utm_source=rss_feed

Thai authorities are investigating BYD’s dealers after a consumer complaint over aggressive discounting in a key international market for the Chinese EV giant that has left some buyers upset with how much they paid for their cars.

The office of the Thai Prime Minister instructed the country’s consumer protection agency to launch the probe.

It was triggered after a BYD customer alleged that a sales representative had asserted the customer’s car’s price would rise after a discounting campaign ended, but instead the dealership later aggressively cut the price further, according to a government statement.

BYD officials in Thailand and its sole distributor Rever Automotive, which has a network of more than 100 dealerships, did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment.

“We have called the dealers to come in this week to clarify why they cut prices further and how they plan to find a solution for customers,” said Passakorn Thapmongkol, a senior official at the Consumer Protection Board.

On a BYD owners group on Facebook, other Thai customers shared similar complaints.

“The salesperson said that prices would increase after the motor show, but in the end, it was really reduced,” Facebook user Thanasit Chai said in a post on Wednesday, referring to the Bangkok Motor Show held in March.

Thailand is the largest overseas market for the world’s biggest EV manufacturer. BYD commanded a 46 per cent share of the Thai EV market in the first quarter and is the third-largest player in passenger cars overall with a 9 per cent share, according to research firm Counterpoint.

Other EV rivals in the market include Great Wall Motor and Tesla.

BYD is scheduled to open its first EV production facility in Southeast Asia in Thailand’s eastern Rayong province on Thursday. It plans to invest around US$490 million in the facility to produce 150,000 cars per year.

Shenzhen-headquartered BYD currently sells four models in Thailand priced between 699,999 baht and 1.59 million baht (US$19,000 to US$43,200), according to Rever’s website.

Led by BYD and Vietnam’s VinFast, EV sales in Southeast Asia have more than doubled since last year at the expense of Japanese and Korean makers of traditional petrol engine models.

China faces diluted early-season rice harvest as floods drench crops in farming hubs

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3269035/china-faces-diluted-early-season-rice-harvest-floods-drench-crops-farming-hubs?utm_source=rss_feed

China is set to see a drop in its early-season rice harvest after recent bouts of extreme rainfall in major production areas, putting pressure on annual output at a time when Beijing is fighting to strengthen its food security.

The crop – to be gathered later this month and estimated to account for 13 per cent of China’s total rice production – is sprouting prematurely in the southern and eastern areas of the country after heavy rains that have persisted since mid-June, according to local farmers and agriculture analysts.

A highly likely decrease in output underscores the growing challenge presented by climate change as China endeavours to ensure food self-sufficiency, an issue of strategic significance for the country’s 1.4 billion people as geopolitical uncertainties accumulate.

“It’s unusual to see so much rain in this season, and rice crops located in low-lying areas have been flooded, so a reduction in output this year is almost certain,” said Ding Yong, a farmer from Xiangyin county in Hunan province – one of the four hub areas where China’s “early rice” is grown.

Streets and farmland were also flooded in Pingjiang, a county near Xiangyin, as the county recorded its highest water levels since 1954 after torrential rains battered the area consistently since June 18, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

In Jiangxi – another producing hub – continuous high temperatures, humidity and strong rainfalls have led to premature germination in some of the rice, a harmful condition that can occur after the grain has ripened and before it can be harvested, according to a research note from agricultural portal Cngrain on Tuesday.

“Production of early-season rice is set to drop due to prolonged wet weather, and some areas are seeing pre-harvest sprouting, leading to a decrease in both quality and yield,” it said. Early germination renders rice unsuitable for human consumption, but the crop is still viable as animal feed.

Premier Li Qiang observed Jiangxi’s flood control efforts on Monday and Tuesday, noting “there have been frequent abnormal weather events this year” and urging local officials to prepare their responses early.

As extreme weather affects agricultural production across the world, preventing natural disasters and reducing their impact has been named a top priority for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in its annual work plan.

Extreme rainfall, caused by a warmer climate, is projected to reduce China’s rice yield by 8 per cent by the end of the century, according to a study by a group of Chinese researchers published in the academic journal Nature Food in May of last year.

According to official statistics, China has produced over 28 million tonnes of early-season rice on an annual basis since 2021, accounting for over 13 per cent of total output and 4 per cent of total grain production.

The country’s cumulative annual grain output has been on the rise since 2018, with a record high of 695.4 million tonnes registered last year.

The government has vowed to keep yearly production above 650 million tonnes, but several factors threaten to confound that goal, such as the loss of arable land after urbanisation and poor enthusiasm for growing food crops among farming populations thanks to low returns.

Germany blocks Chinese state-owned firm from buying Volkswagen gas turbine unit over security

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3269060/germany-blocks-chinese-state-owned-firm-buying-volkswagen-gas-turbine-unit-over-security?utm_source=rss_feed

The German government blocked the sale of a gas turbine business owned by MAN Energy Solutions, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen group, to a state-owned Chinese shipbuilding company over national security concerns.

Under the deal, which was announced on June 20, CSIC Longjiang GH Gas Turbine would have taken over MAN operations in Oberhausen and Zurich to work on developing new gas-turbine product lines. The company, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, develops small and medium-sized turbines, and makes engines for Chinese naval destroyers.

Economy Minister Robert Habeck confirmed the decision to stop the sale and cited Germany’s Foreign Trade and Payments Act. Under the terms of the legislation, the government can prevent companies from selling businesses to owners outside the European Union if that is deemed to pose a threat to national security and public order.

“The restriction that we have to put in place by law is that we protect technologies that can be a danger to public safety and order from information leaks or from the influence of countries that are not always on friendly terms with us,” Habeck said on Wednesday at a news conference in Berlin.

Germany has rules in place allowing the government to review or block foreign purchases of stakes as low as 10 per cent in “critical technology” as well as “critical infrastructure” companies.

The ministry added that it could not provide further details given security concerns as well as the company’s operational secrets.

CSIC Longjiang’s close ties to the Chinese military are the main reason why the German government rejected the deal, according to people familiar with the thinking behind the decision, who asked not to be identified as the deliberations were confidential.

MAN doesn’t share the government’s view that the turbine technology could be used for military purposes, according to a person familiar with the company’s position.

A spokesperson for MAN said the company plans to respect any decision the government makes once it’s officially disclosed. CSIC Longjiang was not immediately available for comment.

On a recent trip to China, Habeck spoke with Chinese government representatives about Germany and Europe’s growing caution around exporting goods to the Asian nation that could be deployed for both civilian and military purposes.

Germany’s Handelsblatt newspaper first reported the Economy Ministry’s decision to reject the deal.

Fears have been growing in Germany about an over-reliance on Beijing, and letting critical infrastructure fall into the hands of Chinese state-linked companies.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its subsequent dwindling of crucial gas supplies to Europe has further accentuated the concerns.

China kicks off largest AI conference in Shanghai as tech rivalry with the US heats up

https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3269046/china-kicks-largest-ai-conference-shanghai-tech-rivalry-us-heats?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s largest artificial intelligence (AI) conference will kick off in Shanghai this Thursday, with mainland enterprises expected to present innovations that could help the country narrow the gap with the United States in the technology’s development.

Premier Li Qiang will deliver the opening speech at the 2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), which concludes on Saturday, as the event’s main theme of “Governing AI for Good and for All” highlights the country’s efforts to lead the creation of vital AI standards amid stifling US sanctions and rising tensions between Beijing and Washington.

The seventh edition of WAIC, where more than 1,500 AI-related products and systems are expected to be exhibited, will be held just days after Beijing scored a diplomatic win in the United Nations.

On Monday, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a China-led resolution that calls on the international community to create a “free, open, inclusive and non-discriminatory” business environment among wealthy and developing nations for AI development.

More than 500 enterprises are expected to take part in this year’s conference, with the leaders of major tech companies expected to speak at the event.

A prominent invited speaker is billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk – the chief executive of Tesla and Space Exploration Technologies, as well as executive chairman of X, formerly Twitter – who last year extolled China in a live-streamed speech at WAIC as “being great at anything it puts its mind into”, including AI.

Other speakers expected at WAIC include Baidu co-founder, chairman and chief executive Robin Li Yanhong; Ant Group executive chairman and chief executive Eric Jing; and Wang Jian, founder of Alibaba Group Holding’s cloud computing unit. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.

Chinese AI champion SenseTime, headquartered at the Hong Kong Science Park, has said it will release at the event its large language model (LLM) upgrade SenseNova 5.5. LLMs underpin generative AI services like ChatGPT.

SenseTime’s Hong Kong-listed shares on Wednesday closed 17.39 per cent higher to HK$1.62.

While LLMs are expected to remain a hot topic at this year’s conference, a number of Chinese semiconductor developers could potentially steal the thunder from other WAIC exhibitors.

Shanghai-based graphics processing unit (GPU) developer Iluvatar Corex, Moore Threads, Sophgo, and Tencent Holdings-backed start-up Enflame Technology will showcase AI chips designed to fill the void left by Nvidia in the domestic market because of US tech restrictions. Another domestic GPU developer, Biren Technology, is expected to take part in industry discussions at the conference.

Huawei Technologies’ AI chip unit, Ascend, will host a closed-door forum during the conference, focusing on the computing power needed in this era of big AI models. The US government has threatened to impose more sanctions on Shenzhen-based Huawei after developing an advanced 7-nanometre smartphone processor.

Philippine official asserts South China Sea rights amid talks with Beijing to ease tensions

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3269053/philippine-official-asserts-south-china-sea-rights-amid-talks-beijing-ease-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed

A top Philippine official has dismissed a Chinese report over its actions in the Sabina Shoal in the disputed South China Sea, insisting Manila has the right to “do anything that we wish” in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts by Manila and Beijing to de-escalate growing tensions in the region, analysts warn the Sabina Shoal could be the next flashpoint for conflict between the two countries, given China’s vocal opposition to the Philippines’ increased presence at the disputed maritime feature.

The Global Times published a report on Tuesday accusing Filipino coastguard vessels of attempting to deliver “suspected” building materials including cement to the BRP Teresa Magbanua – a Philippine Coast Guard vessel stationed at the Sabina Shoal.

“This series of actions by the Philippines warrants high vigilance,” the Global Times said, citing experts who claimed the country appeared to be building a “maritime base” off Xianbin Jiao, Beijing’s name for the shoal.

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, a Philippine Navy spokesman, responded to the report on Tuesday by implying that they had the right to deliver construction materials to their vessel at the shoal, without confirming that was what the coastguard was doing.

“We can do anything that we wish to within our exclusive economic zone. These are actions that the Philippines will pursue if and when necessary,” Trinidad said.

The Philippine government had to ensure that its territory was intact and sovereign rights were protected, he said.

“This will mean increased presence, this will mean increased maritime and air patrols, this will mean stationing ships longer than necessary. Suffice it to say, we will continue ensuring the integrity of our territory,” he added.

In May, the Philippines deployed the BRP Teresa Magbanua to the Sabina Shoal to monitor and prevent alleged illegal activities by China.

Trinidad said the vessel would remain at the shoal depending on its operational capability and crew endurance.

“We are ensuring that we have maritime domain awareness, not only through the presence of our ships, coastguard, or navy but to the other modes of monitoring. This could be space-based or through aerial surveillance flights,” Trinidad said.

For the past few months, Manila and Beijing have been locked in an increasingly contentious territorial row in the West Philippine Sea, Manila’s name for South China Sea waters that lie within its EEZ.

The latest such incident on June 17 resulted in several Filipino sailors being injured, with one suffering a severed thumb, in their clash with Chinese coastguard at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippine side was attempting to resupply troops stationed on a military outpost at the shoal.

“These actions undermine international law … The Philippine Navy and the armed forces are doing everything to ensure the integrity of the national territory, the protection of our sovereignty,” Trinidad said.

Trinidad’s remarks came as the Philippines and China agreed to de-escalate tensions in the disputed waters during Tuesday’s bilateral consultative mechanism meeting in Manila, where the two sides exchanged views “on the situation in the South China Sea”, particularly tensions at the Second Thomas Shoal.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro met Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong behind closed doors for the meeting, where they agreed to continue to manage differences through negotiations.

Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jnr has previously voiced strong opposition to negotiations with China, arguing such talks are often used to weaken Manila’s position.

Asked whether Tuesday’s bilateral meeting contradicted the defence ministry’s stance, Rommel Banlaoi, who heads the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research, told This Week in Asia that de-escalation meant both parties would avoid direct military engagement and maritime activities would not be viewed as a threat to each other.

“That’s the purpose of de-escalation. There will be more coordination, prior notice and hopefully greater cooperation. But that will not mean each party will stop from fulfilling their mission to protect their maritime interest,” he said.

Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a research fellow in the Southeast Asia Programme at the Lowy Institute, said other areas within the Philippines’ EEZ that China claimed could trigger conflicts, given Beijing’s extensive presence in the South China Sea and with Sabina Shoal being just one piece of the puzzle.

“What is more important for the Philippines is maintaining a strong and permanent presence in Sabina Shoal. This requires surface vessels capable of operating longer out at sea. Whether the Philippine Coast Guard has sufficient vessels to maintain a 24/7 presence in many contested areas within the South China Sea is questionable,” Yaacob said.

“I think this is where other actors could assist Manila – assisting the Philippines to improve its maritime domain awareness, donating or providing vessels, or conducting joint patrol with the Philippine Navy.”

Trinidad’s comments, he said, could be seen as stating the Philippines’ position and legal rights regarding the contested area and not contradictory to Manila’s efforts to de-escalate tensions.

“From my perspective, it could be just a negotiating tactic. For a negotiation to be successful in de-escalating tensions, China and the Philippines should not impose any preconditions. I think a lot of issues need to be worked out between Manila and Beijing to de-escalate the situation in the Second Thomas Shoal and other parts of the South China Sea where both parties have overlapping claims,” he said.

Asked if there was a split among the military and administration officials, Yaacob said the military and coastguard were doing exactly as directed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr to safeguard the Philippines’ interests in the South China Sea.

“Diplomacy and military deterrence are not mutually exclusive. They reinforce each other. A strong statement and ground actions from the military can contribute to the success of Manila’s diplomatic approach to reduce tensions with Beijing,” he said.

The Philippines, China, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam have competing claims in the South China Sea. A tribunal in The Hague ruled in 2016 that Beijing’s claims through its so-called nine-dash-line had no legal basis and recognised Manila’s sovereign rights in the waterway. China has refused to accept the verdict.

Matteo Piasentini, a security analyst from the China and Indo-Pacific desk at Geopolitica, an Italian think tank, told This Week in Asia that while Sabina could be another flashpoint for stand-offs, neither party was likely to resort to outright conflict.

On whether the timing of Trinidad’s statement showed a split between the defence ministry and the administration, Piasentini said lack of coordination did not mean their actions were contradictory.

“Negotiations for de-escalation and reduction of violence can only be beneficial for Filipino personnel operating there at this point, but this shouldn’t come at the expense of the Philippines’ maritime claims. Claims that Manila is entitled to protect through actions anytime it deems opportune,” he said.

“It should be more and more clear that negotiations with China must and can be conducted without giving up the country’s claims in the South China Sea. Given the existing power asymmetry between the two, a soft stance on the West Philippine Sea by the Philippine government would be seen as capitulation,” he added.

Chester Cabalza, president of the Manila-based International Development and Security Cooperation, said in a separate interview that the smallness of Sabina Shoal would have a bigger impact on the territorial disputes in the Spratlys.

The proximity of the shoal to Palawan province and the disputed Second Thomas Shoal “will create an intensified grey zone and more maritime attacks” to deter the Philippine navy’s resupply missions, Cabalza said.

“The bilateral consultative mechanism needs honest and frank assessment from each party to arrive with conciliatory measures” to minimise conflict at the shoals, he added.

China diver finds sea burial urns, relocates them to deeper water to avoid accidents

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3266742/china-diver-finds-sea-burial-urns-relocates-them-deeper-water-avoid-accidents?utm_source=rss_feed

An experienced diver from China has earned praise on mainland social media for his thoughtful actions.

The man, surnamed You, from Shandong province in the east of the country, discovered 11 sealed urns underwater, each tied with a brightly coloured ribbon, which seemed to be part of a sea burial.

He believed the urns, which were located in shallow water close to the shore, were at risk of exposure at low tide.

The diver was also concerned that less experienced divers visiting the area at night, might be spooked by the sight, which could potentially cause an accident.

You carefully relocated the urns to a deeper trench that allowed them to be gradually buried by the seabed sediment.

He was assisting in anchoring a boat that day.

As a diving coach and public emergency rescue team volunteer, he has plenty of experience in dealing with maritime emergencies and clearing marine debris.

The video documenting You’s thoughtful act quickly went viral on mainland social media.

Online observers noted that the scene “resembled something out of a horror movie” and praised his kindness.

There was also curiosity about the contents of the urns and some people speculated they were used for sea burials.

As cemetery spaces dwindle because of increasing urbanisation and an ageing population, sea burials are becoming more common in China.

The change is ongoing despite its clash with traditional Chinese culture that worships ancestors, and in which a land burial with a tombstone is considered most appropriate.

While a traditional gravesite can cost more than 100,000 yuan (US$14,000), private sea burials are much cheaper at about 10,000 yuan.

The government is also promoting sea burials by offering financial incentives.

Others opt for it from a desire to conserve land or for their love of the ocean, Beijing News reported.

Typically, the deceased’s ashes are placed in biodegradable urns made of clay and marine mud, which dissolve within 24 hours, according to Economic View.

Some other online observers suggested that the sealed urns might be “Dragon King vases”, including herbs, spices and treasures as offerings to the mythological Chinese water and weather god.

Such vases are traditionally placed in bodies of water by Buddhists, as a blessing for favourable weather and good health.

Could this moss survive and thrive on Mars? A Chinese study points to potential

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3268976/could-moss-survive-and-thrive-mars-chinese-study-points-potential?utm_source=rss_feed

A desert moss that can stand extreme drought and cold on Earth may serve as a pioneer plant on Mars and pave the way for human colonisation, according to a new study from China.

A study by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences found Syntrichia caninervis thrives in places like the Tibetan Plateau, the Mojave Desert and Antarctica by going into a form of hibernation that can last for years.

According to a paper published by the peer-reviewed journal The Innovation on Monday, the moss quickly revived when it was rehydrated after losing nearly all its cell water or spending years in a freezer at -80 degrees Celsius (-112 Fahrenheit).

The addition of a small amount of water saw the moss bounce back to life “within seconds” and resume photosynthesis, turning carbon dioxide into the oxygen and carbohydrates essential to human survival on any planet, the researchers wrote.

“Although there is still a long way to go to create self-sufficient habitats on other planets, we demonstrated the great potential of S. caninervis as a pioneer plant for growth on Mars,” they said.

“It represents a promising candidate as a colonist to facilitate terraforming on Mars … and help drive the atmospheric, geological, and ecological processes required for other higher plants and animals.”

The findings attracted the attention of astrobiologist Lin Wei from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics in Beijing, who described them as “very interesting and valuable”.

“With a series of scientific experiments, the team demonstrated that Syntrichia caninervis could survive for one week in a simulated Martian environment,” said Lin, who was not involved in the study.

The paper’s lead author, Li Xiaoshuang, a cell biologist from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, told the South China Morning Post that she had been studying the “magic” plant for two decades.

The desert moss was known for its outstanding resistance to drought and radiation, she said. “Most plants would die if they lost 30 per cent of their cell water. This one survives after complete dehydration.”

Li and her team spent a long time looking for drought-resistance genes in the moss, which they hoped would help other plants grow better in really dry environments – until they accidentally discovered that it also thrives under ice in winter.

“I got really curious and started putting it in freezers and then liquid nitrogen tanks,” Li said. “It really stood out as the only plant to have demonstrated such extraordinary resistance to different environmental stressors.”

The research established that the moss could regenerate under normal growth conditions after spending five years at -80 degrees Celsius (-112 Fahrenheit) and 30 days at -196 Celsius (-320.8 Fahrenheit).

Eventually, the researchers took some moss samples to a simulation cabin at the National Space Science Centre in Beijing to test their ability to endure Mars-like conditions.

The simulator was preset to an air composition of 95 per cent carbon dioxide, temperature range between -60 and 20 Celsius (-76 and 68 Fahrenheit), and radiation levels similar to those found on the surface of Mars.

Li and her team found that the dried moss plants fully recovered within 30 days after exposure to Martian conditions for one, two, three, and seven days. Hydrated plants exposed to the simulator for one day also survived, but regenerated more slowly.

According to Li, the team has already planted the moss in a replica of the soil found on Mars. “It grew really well, and all it needed was water,” she said.

Next, Li and her team will be looking for opportunities to send moss samples into outer space for exposure experiments, or even to the surface of the moon or Mars.

“Mosses were the first embryophyte to leave the ocean and colonise land in Earth’s history. We are curious to see if colonisation could happen again on Mars,” she said.

Philippines eyes Japan to build 5G network amid China’s dominance, cyber fears

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3268997/philippines-may-tap-japan-build-5g-network-amid-chinas-dominance-cyber-fears?utm_source=rss_feed

Japan’s bid to counter Chinese fifth-generation (5G) infrastructure deployed in the region by offering to help the Philippines build its 5G network is seen as a “welcome development” by observers but they doubt this could curb the dominance of Chinese technologies in the country.

The offer is seen to be linked to a proposed agreement that Manila and Tokyo are exploring to permit troops on either side to enter each other’s territory for joint military exercises and enhanced defence cooperation, especially in maritime areas.

Japan’s Foreign Affairs Minister Yoko Kamikawa is reportedly set to discuss the 5G plan and the finalisation of the bilateral defence pact in the Philippines next month.

The construction of base stations for the open radio access network (RAN) in the Philippines could begin in the next few months ahead of the building of a 5G network.

“The downside that I’m seeing here is the cost. Chinese 5G technologies are renowned for their low cost and efficiency in addition to the current Chinese telecoms footprint in the country. So the entry barrier for Japan is significant,” Sherwin Ona, an associate professor of political science at De La Salle University and a visiting fellow at the Institute for National Defence and Security Research in Taiwan, told This Week in Asia.

Cyber technology was one of the areas of cooperation under a Manila-Tokyo-Washington trilateral agreement, Ona said.

Japan’s efforts to boost the Philippines’ cyber capabilities further reflected its reputation as a reliable partner after it helped the Philippine coastguard and military to modernise, he added.

Given their strong bilateral diplomatic and economic relations, Japan’s offer of sharing technical expertise in the 5G domain was not a surprise, said Allan Cabanlong, a former senior official overseeing cybersecurity at the Philippines’ Department of Information and Communications Technology.

“Japan and the Philippines have collaborated in 3G and 4G already. The collaboration on the 5G network is not something new and is a normal technical cooperation between the two countries,” Cabanlong told This Week in Asia.

The United States would likely provide funding for the project, according to a report by Nikkei.

Washington began restricting the use of telecom equipment from Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE in 2017, citing security concerns. Its Federal Communications Commission later designated Huawei and ZTE as national security threats.

US allies have also followed suit following pressure from Washington, with countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and Japan banning the use of Chinese equipment for their 5G networks.

These countries claim their infrastructure could be prone to cyberattacks and unauthorised surveillance if Chinese 5G technology were deployed.

Chinese-made network base stations, however, are widely installed in developing countries. Huawei and ZTE account for about 40 per cent of the global market share of 5G telecom equipment.

Japan might encounter difficulties in rolling out its open RAN in the Philippines as it was known to be unwieldy and complicated compared with traditional 5G RAN technologies used by Huawei, ZTE, and Swedish company Ericsson, Cabanlong said.

Cabanlong noted the majority of the Philippines’ telecommunications infrastructure was built using 5G technology from Chinese networks.

“Dropping such infrastructure would be a big challenge for the telecommunications operators in terms of cost and redeployment,” he said.

Nonetheless, countries that used Chinese 5G equipment could be vulnerable to cyber threats, Ona said.

“Several countries have banned the use of Chinese products for their 5G networks. There are legitimate fears that these products can open back doors such as unauthorised access to networks and enable surveillance and espionage.”

Ona cited Chinese laws that compel organisations to work with the state in national security matters as a risk for countries relying on Chinese 5G technology.

“Given [Beijing’s] belligerent behaviour in the West Philippine Sea and its grey-zone operations using cyber and disinformation, I think opting for Japanese providers is a wise choice for the Philippines,” he said.

Cabanlong said any tech infrastructure could face threats from everywhere, regardless of whether Chinese technology was deployed.

Most telecom companies around the world used traditional 5G RAN technology while Huawei and ZTE followed standards set by the International Telecommunication Union, Cabanlong said.

“If a certain telecommunications equipment passes through an inspection or validation using internationally accepted standards in cybersecurity then it can be safely used by telecom operators, whatever manufacturer it is.”

Nonetheless, the Philippines should strengthen its capabilities to detect possible cyberattacks on its critical infrastructure and employ technical experts to thoroughly inspect its equipment and validate processes that meet international standards, Cabanlong said.

On the ban by Washington and some of its allies against the use of Chinese technology for their 5G infrastructure, Cabanlong said the moves were driven primarily by political factors.

There were advantages in joining such cyber alliances to protect against cyberattacks but whether the Philippines should do so was for President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and the country’s technical agencies to decide, he added.

Philippine authorities should not discount the possibility of banning any equipment manufacturer if there were credible threats from the deployment of 5G technology in the country’s infrastructure, according to Cabanlong.

Cabanlong said: “If technically proven, that certain manufacturer supports malicious activities using their infrastructure, that is the technical evidence to share to the world that the manufacturer can be banned.”

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‘Can you fix it?’ China girl, 7, asks Elon Musk about Tesla glitch, billionaire responds

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3268981/can-you-fix-it-china-girl-7-asks-elon-musk-about-tesla-glitch-billionaire-responds?utm_source=rss_feed

A seven-year-old girl in China who reached out to Elon Musk on X to report a bug in Tesla’s cars and unexpectedly received a response from the world’s richest man has delighted mainland social media.

The story began to unfold on July 1 when someone using the handle “DriveGreenLiveGreen” posted a video on X which was titled “Molly decided to report an important bug to Mr Musk” and tagged the tech billionaire.

In the video, a girl called Molly from Beijing draws attention to a discrepancy she discovered in the drawing function on Tesla’s touch-screen facility and expressed her hope that Musk would address it.

She said: “Hello Mr Musk, I have a question for your car. When I draw a picture, sometimes it will disappear like this.”

Demonstrating the problem, she draws on the screen and shows how new strokes on the touch-screen automatically cause previous ones to disappear.

Molly then directly asks Musk: “Do you see it? Can you fix it? Thank you.”

To the surprise of many, Musk responded to her enquiry the same day, saying: “Sure.”

In an interview with Tide News, Molly’s mother, surnamed Yao, explained how her daughter discovered the glitch.

“She was drawing by the roadside and said ‘I want to show Mr Musk how it disappears’. When I told her yesterday that Musk had replied she was happy,” said Yao.

The girl’s mother said that her daughter attended a bilingual kindergarten in Beijing from the age of three, so her English was quite fluent.

“I simply wanted to improve her communication skills. I didn’t expect it to be reposted by other viewers and go viral on X, or for Musk to actually reply,” Yao said.

“She taught me a lesson too. Some things seem very far away, but if you dare to try and express yourself, unexpected results can happen. It was a big inspiration for me,” Molly’s mother added.

The video quickly went viral, amassing more than 1.1 million views on X, and much praise for the seven-year-old on mainland social media.

One online observer said: “Molly is so confident, brave and impressive for speaking her mind.”

“Who can resist this little cute Molly?” said another.

While a third person chimed in: “Ha ha, Musk must wish he had such a cute daughter.”

“If Musk had replied in Chinese, it would have been epic,” wrote someone else.

It is not the first time Musk has engaged with Chinese people online.

In December 2021, a video featuring a Chinese man who looked strikingly similar to Musk and was standing beside a Tesla car speaking fluent Chinese went viral on mainland social media and X.

The man was dubbed Ma Yilong, or “Elon Musk’s Chinese doppelganger”.

In response, Musk humorously responded on X: “Maybe I’m partly Chinese.”

China to boost basic research in natural resources on its path to tech self-reliance

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3269001/china-boost-basic-research-natural-resources-its-path-tech-self-reliance?utm_source=rss_feed

The Chinese government has pledged to support a wide range of basic research related to natural resources to support its goal of turning the country into a science superpower.

The objectives are among the Ministry of Natural Resources’ new policy guidelines to strengthen fundamental research released by the ministry on its official social media accounts on Wednesday.

Beijing’s top leaders last month committed to building China into a major world science power by 2035, acknowledging that science and technology will be key drivers for the world’s second-largest economy as it faces external and internal challenges.

The pledge came as China and the US compete in several arenas, including geopolitics, trade and technology. Beijing has repeatedly pledged to be self-reliant in key technologies in the face of growing efforts by Washington to limit China’s access to advanced technology in the US.

The ministry vows to actively work with the global basic research innovation community by taking part in major international projects, such as Digital Earth, research on negative ocean emissions technology, deep-sea habitats and seamless forecasts for the ocean and climate.

It said China would actively take part in important international science programmes – such as the International Continental Scientific Drilling Programme, the International Ocean Discovery Programme as well as joint laboratories and research centres – and would support international organisations and well-known scientific research institutions to set up branches in China.

The ministry would also encourage regular exchanges and joint work on research projects with scientists from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

On the mainland, the ministry committed to focusing on important research directions in natural resources, such as the mineralisation pattern of strategic resources, exploring and exploiting deep-earth resources, investigating deep-sea abyss systems and ensuring the security of resource and environmental in seas in the polar regions.

It has pledged to direct a strategic basic research system that will be the source of disruptive technologies, although it did not elaborate on this goal.

The ministry’s focus on human resources includes China’s commitment to nurture a group of “strategic” scientists in the field of natural resources, boost incentives for scientific talent and optimise their appraisal system so they could focus on research.

The ministry called for more intelligent surveying and mapping tools to be developed to help take stock of China’s resources and improve geographic information security.

It sought better understanding of ecological systems, including various landscapes, the identification of land degradation and prevention methods and development of modelling and early warning systems to detect disasters on land and at sea.

Top China food firm under fire over harsh ‘devil’ military training for new staff

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3267171/top-china-food-firm-under-fire-over-harsh-devil-military-training-new-staff?utm_source=rss_feed

A food and drink tycoon in China has become mired in controversy for forcing new employees undergo “devil” military training.

The company, Jinmailang, which is based in northern China’s Hebei province, put 76 newly recruited management trainees through a tough seven-day training regime at a military base.

One participant told the media outlet China Philanthropist that they were required to do 80 push-ups the moment they arrived at the base.

The descriptor “devil” is widely used in China for military training of a harsh nature.

People were also instructed to do hundreds of deep squats, weight trekking for 60 kilometres and to climb mountains without supplies.

They were also asked to go to the homes of strangers to ask for small change and a meal, which was packaged as “urban survival” training.

A participant posted on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu that some people suffered heatstroke during the training.

The military base said the exercises were intended to foster “team working spirit”, and they were challenging because the company was training them to be “future leaders”.

It claimed medical staff were on standby and that no participant was forced to finish the training.

However, the base removed the training video it had posted on its social media account.

Observers on mainland social media refused to accept the explanation. They called it “gaslighting” and “obedience training”.

“It is so difficult for young people to get a proper job,” said one person on Weibo.

China’s jobless rate for the 16-24 age group, excluding college students, was 14.7 per cent in May, a drop from 15.3 per cent in April.

On mainland social media, new graduates were anxious about their future, saying they would compromise with 996 work culture – working 9am to 9pm, six days a week, and less pay to secure a place in the competitive job market.

Management trainees, who are usually new university graduates, are attracted to what seem like promising jobs with future management positions.

Chinese law requires university students to receive basic military training, generally lasting a few days. Company employees are not required to receive such training.

It is illegal for employees to be physically punished by the company.

Jinmailang had not reacted to the controversy at the time of writing.

Founded in 1994, it is one of China’s largest food and drink companies.

It has 25 factories and about 30,000 staff members across the nation.

The firm was listed as China’s top 500 private enterprises in the manufacturing industry in 2023 after it generated 19 billion yuan (US$2.6 billion) revenue the previous year.

China Coast Guard detains Taiwanese fishing boat and 5 crew members near Quemoy

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3269028/china-coast-guard-detains-taiwanese-fishing-boat-and-5-crew-members-near-quemoy?utm_source=rss_feed

The China Coast Guard has detained a Taiwanese fishing boat and its crew near Quemoy, in a fresh flare-up in the area around the Taiwan-controlled defence outpost, also known as Kinmen.

The incident occurred just one week after a tense stand-off in which Taiwanese coastguard vessels intercepted four mainland Chinese coastguard ships patrolling waters 5 nautical miles from Quemoy.

Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration said on Wednesday that the fishing boat Da Jin Man 88 was stopped by two mainland coastguard vessels late on Tuesday while operating in waters 23.7 nautical miles off Quemoy.

Mainland officers boarded the boat for inspection and told the captain and crew to navigate towards the mainland coastal city of Jinjiang in Fujian province.

The Taiwanese coastguard tried to intervene but the mainland sent seven vessels in two groups to block them. After a tense stand-off lasting about 50 minutes, the Taiwanese side ceased pursuit to prevent further escalation, according to the administration.

In addition to the Taiwanese captain, one Taiwanese and three Indonesian crew members were on board the fishing boat.

A spokesman for the mainland coastguard said on Wednesday that the Taiwanese boat had violated the summer fishing moratorium by using trawl nets to catch fish.

“The act was deemed detrimental to fishery resources and marine ecology,” spokesman Liu Dejun said. “The Fujian coastguard boarded the boat, and vessels from Taiwan attempting to interrupt their law enforcement were warned off in accordance with the law.”

Hsieh Ching-chin, deputy director-general of the administration, acknowledged that the Da Jin Man was operating within mainland waters.

“[The Da Jin Man] was located 2.8 nautical miles off the Chinese territorial sea baseline but within Chinese territorial waters,” he said in Taipei on Wednesday, declining to comment on whether the detention was politically motivated.

“Given the summer fishing moratorium in China, we will establish follow-up contact with the [mainland] Chinese authorities through [Taiwan’s] Mainland Affairs Council and the Fisheries Agency.”

The island’s coastguard also urged the mainland to not let “political considerations” affect its handling of the matter and requested “a prompt explanation for the detention”, emphasising the need to “adhere to proper procedures for releasing the boat and crew”.

Since 1999, the mainland has imposed a fishing ban between May and August in its waters, including those in the South China Sea, to protect the fisheries and marine environment.

Tuesday was the first time the mainland coastguard had detained a Taiwanese fishing boat and its crew since tightening law enforcement patrols in waters near Quemoy on June 16.

A week earlier, the mainland coastguard sent four vessels to patrol Quemoy’s waters, leading to a tense, two-hour stand-off with its Taiwanese counterpart. In February, two mainland fishermen drowned after their speedboat capsized while being pursued by Taiwan’s coastguard in waters near Quemoy.

Chen Yu-jen, a legislator for the Quemoy constituency and a member of the main opposition Kuomintang party, said the mainland used to be more accommodating towards Taiwanese boats operating in its waters.

“In the past, they would return our boats after investigation and impose fines quite quickly. However, cross-strait relations have become even more strained now, which may affect the handling of this case,” she said.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise the self-ruled island as independent but oppose any unilateral change to the status quo by force.

Cross-strait ties have soured since William Lai Ching-te, from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party was elected the island’s leader in January. It deteriorated further after Lai – seen by Beijing as an “obstinate separatist” – took office on May 20 and declared that Taiwan and the mainland “are not subordinate to each other”. Beijing responded by conducting large-scale military drills around Taiwan, simulating a blockade of the island.

Laos is drowning in debt. China, its biggest creditor by far, says it’s ‘doing its best’ to help

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3268988/laos-drowning-debt-china-its-biggest-creditor-far-says-its-doing-its-best-help?utm_source=rss_feed

China said it is helping neighbouring Laos to ease its massive debt burden after the Southeast Asian nation revealed that external repayments have nearly doubled and it wants further deferrals to prevent a default.

Beijing has carried out “mutually beneficial cooperation” with developing countries including Laos that involves strong support for economic and social development, a spokesman at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday in a written reply to questions.

“At the same time, it has been doing its best to help relevant countries alleviate their debt burden,” he added.

China is by far Laos’ biggest creditor, accounting for about half of the US$10.5 billion in external government debt. The tiny nation had US$13.8 billion in total public and publicly-guaranteed debt at the end of last year, amounting to 108 per cent of its gross domestic product.

Communist-run Laos has come to the fore after it opened a high-speed rail line with China that cost the landlocked country about US$6 billion. While the development is seen by many as the start of a ramp up in infrastructure that directly connects the world’s second largest economy with Southeast Asia, it has raised concerns of a build-up in debt for smaller nations.

Laos’ external debt payments last year reached US$950 million, making the country defer US$670 million in principal and interest payments. The World Bank has said in the past that such moves have provided temporary relief in recent years.

The country’s debt issues have emerged as US President Joe Biden’s administration seeks to offer developing nations an alternative to China’s efforts to expand its economic influence. Washington has often cast Beijing’s efforts as “debt-trap diplomacy” as countries like Sri Lanka and Pakistan grapple with repayments.

Sri Lanka fell into default for the first time in its history back in 2022 after its foreign reserves dwindled. Last month, the South Asian nation said it reached final restructuring agreements worth US$10 billion, including with an Official Creditor Committee of bilateral lenders and China’s Exim Bank.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman dismissed the “debt-trap diplomacy” allegation, describing it as rhetoric from the US that aims to disrupt Beijing’s cooperation with developing countries.

“It cannot deceive the majority of developing countries,” he said in the written reply.

Curious history and myths of Chinese beggar’s chicken that captivates culinary interest worldwide

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3265125/curious-history-and-myths-chinese-beggars-chicken-captivates-culinary-interest-worldwide?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese food is a cuisine famous worldwide, and one dish that has received international acclaim is jiao hua ji, or “beggar’s chicken”.

The traditional dish from southeastern China involves marinating the chicken in sauce, wrapping it in lotus leaves and clay, and slow-cooking it over a fire.

Preparing a single portion of beggar’s chicken can take up to six hours, as the extended cooking time allows the chicken to fully absorb the flavours of the seasonings and the delicate fragrance of the lotus leaves.

The dish is not only renowned in China but has also captivated culinary interest across the world.

On the South Korean variety show, New Journey to the West, participants visited a restaurant in Chengdu in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, where the cooks served them beggar’s chicken.

Initially, the visitors were shocked and thought they were supposed to eat mud when presented with the clay-covered dish, exclaiming: “This is just dirt!”

However, after discovering it was roasted chicken, they humorously named it “mud roasted whole chicken”, “general chicken”, and “businessman chicken”.

The mainstream legend for beggar’s chicken is that a beggar once stole a chicken, and lacking cooking supplies, wrapped it in lotus leaves and clay, then cooked it in a hole where he had lit a fire.

When he later removed the chicken and cracked open the clay, he found the chicken to be extremely tender and aromatic.

In another version of the legend, an unknown emperor encountered a beggar who had stolen a chicken and prepared it using the mud-hole method to avoid creating smoke that might attract attention.

The emperor dined with the beggar, enjoyed the dish immensely, and subsequently added it to the imperial menu.

Due to its association with emperors, the dish was later renamed fu gui jiao hua ji or “fortune beggar’s chicken” by Zhu Yuanzhang, the Hongwu Emperor, who founded the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).

In that legend, the Hongwu Emperor suffered relentless defeats and was pursued by his enemies as he tried to establish his empire. Exhausted and famished, he came upon a beggar cooking chicken using fire and clay.

The future emperor asked: “What are you doing here?”

Recognising Zhu, the beggar said: “I am roasting chicken to offer to the great king.”

Upon tasting it, the emperor was exceedingly impressed.

From then on, Zhu’s military campaigns went smoothly, and he eventually became emperor. He later bestowed the name “fortune beggar’s chicken” on this dish.

While traditionally prepared with clay, the recipe for beggar’s chicken has evolved with modern technology and hygiene practices.

Now, for convenience and safety, it is often baked in dough or tin foil and cooked in a modern convection oven rather than being covered in clay and directly cooked in a fire.

New recipe variations have also emerged, such as “lotus leaf sticky rice beggar’s chicken”, which combines the traditional beggar’s chicken recipe with lo mai gai, a classic dim sum dish.

The recipe requires cooks to wrap marinated chicken and sticky rice in lotus leaves together before sealing it for baking, allowing the flavours of the sticky rice and lotus leaves to permeate the chicken meat.

Moreover, chefs have begun experimenting by stuffing the chicken with various ingredients, such as lobster, enhancing the flavours and providing a diverse taste experience.

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China’s internet watchdog begins crackdown to ensure ‘favourable’ environment ahead of major policy meeting

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3268939/chinas-internet-watchdog-begins-crackdown-ensure-favourable-environment-ahead-major-policy-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s top internet watchdog has called on regulators and internet companies to create a “favourable” environment ahead of a crucial Communist Party meeting this month.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) made the call at a national cyberspace meeting held last week, according to a statement released on social media on Tuesday

The meeting came weeks ahead of the third plenum, a gathering of more than 370 members of the Communist Party elite setting out the policy direction to tackle China’s economic and social challenges over the next five to 10 years.

CAC deputy director Niu Yibing urged all departments and China’s web platforms to “go all out” to create a “favourable” public opinion environment in the build-up to the four-day meeting, which starts in just under two weeks.

“[We must] adhere to the correct political position of directing public opinion and orienting social values,” the statement said, also vowing to continue a crackdown on bad behaviour online.

The statement also warned regulators and internet companies to properly handle “the relationship between security and development”.

They must make use of the internet to help drive economic growth, especially for new industries, and at the same time strengthen content management and control to “prevent various risks and hidden dangers”, it said.

Officials from the CAC’s Beijing headquarters and provincial branches, as well as representatives of leading internet companies attended the meeting.

A few days after the meeting finished, internet platforms started to crack down on ultranationalist comments in the wake of the death of Hu Youping, who tried to stop a knife attack on a Japanese school bus.

Hu’s bravery was applauded by most of the public, but some sporadic anti-Japanese postings described her as a “Japanese spy”.

On Sunday some of the country’s top tech firms, including Tencent, NetEase, Sina Weibo, Douyin – the Chinese version of TikTok – and Phoenix New Media’s news portal Ifeng.com, said they had deleted comments of this nature and banned accounts that promote hatred and extremism.

Although it is routine for the internet watchdog to keep online opinion in check ahead of major political meetings, it is also aware that it needs to tread carefully and its actions must not be seen as too aggressive in undermining economic growth, said Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

“Security is clearly still the top concern ahead of the party plenum. Any incident can create unnecessary attention from the top leadership and result in potential setbacks in the careers of the officials in charge,” Wu said.

“But for the Chinese regulators, now they are also mindful of not going overboard in the security aspect. They probably don’t want to create another saga like the online gaming rule proposal, which caused a major market meltdown.”

In January regulators were forced into a rare reversal after a proposal to limit the amount of time and money people could spend on video games caused the share price of some major companies such as Tencent Holdings and NetEase to plummet.

China’s trade landscape a battleground, as data shows tariff duels to escalate with WTO hamstrung

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3268983/chinas-trade-landscape-battleground-data-shows-tariff-duels-escalate-wto-hamstrung?utm_source=rss_feed

The recent escalation in global trade frictions centred around China – including a rise in anti-dumping investigations and retaliatory measures from Beijing – has been quantified by official data, with analysts anticipating even more tariffs thanks to a diminished role for World Trade Organization arbitration.

In the first half of the year, China faced 64 anti-dumping investigations from trading partners, an increase of 166 per cent, year on year, according to China Trade Remedies Information, a platform under the Ministry of Commerce.

India launched 16 of the anti-dumping investigations on China – one-fourth of the total – with the United States and Brazil each initiating seven.

Around 40 per cent of the investigated products were chemical raw materials, and other common targets included non-metallic items such as glass wine bottles and goods related to iron and steel industry.

China has also faced 13 anti-subsidy investigations in the first half of the year, nearly triple the number during the same period in 2023. Over half were initiated by the US, primarily against raw materials and products in the chemical industry.

From the other side, Beijing has launched seven anti-dumping investigations in the first six months of 2024, up from zero in the same period last year.

Current probes from mainland China have hit the European Union hardest and focused on red wine, pork and polyformaldehyde copolymer – a chemical that is the subject of parallel investigations being conducted on the US, Japan and Taiwan.

In addition, China has initiated an anti-dumping investigation against cypermethrin from India, a synthetic pesticide used on crops and in homes.

Recent years have seen large swings in the number of trade cases concerning China. After an all-time high of 131 in 2020, the figure dropped to 46 in 2022, when global supply chains were disrupted by the pandemic – the lowest number since 1998.

“In the long term, China is likely to face increasing trade friction cases,” said Mei Yuan, assistant professor of economics at Singapore Management University. “This trend has already begun, as the EU has decided to investigate China’s electric vehicles (EVs).”

In eras past, the WTO and its courts might have served as venue for these disputes. But with no quorum of judges for its appellate body – the result of a sustained campaign from the US to block appointees which has left all seven seats empty – any complaint a state could take to the international trade grouping would go without reply.

“Beijing believes it is trading under WTO rules, yet the US has blocked the WTO’s regulatory role,” Mei said. “Without the WTO as arbiter, we are likely to witness more frequent use of tariffs by more countries.”

Since last summer, taxes on Chinese imports have been accumulating rapidly. The EU plans tariffs of up to 48 per cent on EVs, and the US is set to impose new duties on Chinese medical products, EVs and batteries starting next month.

On Monday, Turkey initiated anti-dumping investigations against China’s tin-plated steel coil and stainless steel cold rolled coil. The same day, the US opened anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations against vanillin, a flavouring agent.

Last Friday, Indonesia’s Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan said at a press conference that the country plans to impose tariffs of 100 to 200 per cent on imported shoes, garments, and ceramic products – including those from China – to protect local enterprises.

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https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2024/07/02/will-chinas-communist-party-save-the-economy

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. As China’s third plenum approaches, we ask whether Xi Jinping will rekindle confidence in the economy—or keep ignoring good advice.

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Hong Kong set to match 2016 record for hottest ‘minor heat’ day in Chinese solar calendar

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3268974/hong-kong-set-match-2016-record-hottest-minor-heat-day-chinese-solar-calendar?utm_source=rss_feed

Hong Kong is expected to match a record set in 2016 for the hottest “minor heat” day in the traditional Chinese solar calendar since 1884, as the mercury is set to reach 36 degrees Celsius.

A veteran meteorologist and the weather forecaster said on Wednesday temperatures could rise to 34 degrees Celsius in urban areas and 36 degrees in the New Territories on Saturday, which marks the arrival of “minor heat”, the 11th solar term in the calendar.

Another solar period, “great heat”, is expected to arrive on July 22.

The lowest “minor heat” temperatures were recorded on July 7, 2008, at 26.6 degrees, while the highest were logged in 2016 at 34 degrees.

The Hong Kong Observatory predicted that the weather would be very hot on Saturday, accompanied by isolated showers. The temperatures are expected to be between 29 to 34 degrees.

Leung Wing-mo, a former assistant director of the Observatory, said rural areas might record a higher temperature.

“The New Territories may even record 36 degrees on that day,” Leung said.

He added the weather on that day would still be affected by various factors, including rainfall and wind.

“We need to put emphasis on the tendency of the temperature and keep track of the record breakthrough,” Leung warned.

Last month, a “very hot weather” warning, indicating the temperature has reached 33 degrees or more, was issued for more than a week. The heatwave matched a record set in 2016, when nine straight days of such warnings were issued in June, according to the forecaster.

The maximum temperature of 34 degrees recorded on June 21 also matched the record for the hottest summer solstice in 1980.

The Observatory recorded 54 very hot days last year, as well as four extremely hot days when the maximum temperature reached 35 degrees or above.

The forecaster’s earlier climate projections said the city could see as many as 80 very hot days by mid-century under the highest greenhouse gas emission scenario.

China woman, 33, marries severely disabled man, 30, after meeting online, baby on the way

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3268689/china-woman-33-marries-severely-disabled-man-30-after-meeting-online-baby-way?utm_source=rss_feed

A woman from China married a man with a rare disease, just a few months after the couple met online, because she was captivated by his optimism and intelligence.

The woman, nicknamed Lulu, 33, moved 1,600km from her hometown in southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, to 30-year-old Qichen’s home in eastern China’s Anhui province, to be with him.

Qichen was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) when he was seven years old. The genetic disorder is characterised by progressive muscle loss, gradually leading to difficulties with movement and breathing.

Doctor’s said he was unlikely to live beyond the age of 18, but he has defied their predictions, and also found love.

Qichen and Lulu made contact in January in the comments section of a Douyin video with the title, “Can disabled people find love?” Lulu commented with a firm “yes”, and Qichen reached out to her.

Lulu said she had recently divorced and was feeling depressed because she had to return to her home to her parents who preferred boys over girls and did not love her.

She said Qichen comforted and encouraged her “like the warm sun”.

Lulu soon travelled to Anhui to meet Qichen, and admits she was shocked when she first saw him because he can only move his head and thumbs.

But she said she chose to continue with their relationship because she was attracted to his positive attitude and his intelligence.

The couple registered their marriage in March, and Lulu is now four months pregnant.

On their big day on June 25 they had 80 tables of guests. It was a grand wedding even by Chinese standards, which usually have up to 50 tables for the wedding feast.

Lulu said Qichen’s family treat her like she is their daughter and Qichen’s mother said at the wedding: “I will make it up to you with my love for whatever my son is not capable of doing.”

Qichen said: “I didn’t believe I could find love with somebody like this. I am the luckiest person in the world.”

Qichen’s family runs a business selling medicinal herbs via his Douyin account, which has 100,000 followers. He said he will continue promoting products online to give Lulu and the baby a good life.

He said his condition is a result of genetic mutation and could not be passed onto the baby.

Mainland online observers have sent their blessings.

“Best wishes to the new couple. There is true love in this world,” one person said on Douyin.

“Life is too short to care about what others think. We should all do what we want to do freely,” another said.

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Indonesia plans tariffs of up to 200% on China-made products to protect domestic industries

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3268919/indonesia-plans-tariffs-200-china-made-products-protect-domestic-industries?utm_source=rss_feed

Indonesia is planning to impose up to 200 per cent tariffs on certain China-made products as it seeks to protect its domestic manufacturing industry against dumping practices triggered by Western nations’ trade wars with Beijing.

President Joko Widodo convened his economic ministers at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday to discuss the tariffs, which are likely to be announced “in two weeks”, according to Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita.

The tariff plan was first revealed by Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan last week.

“The United States can impose a 200 per cent tariff on imported ceramics or clothes, we can do it as well to ensure our MSMEs [micro, small, and medium enterprises] and industries will survive and thrive,” Zulkifli told reporters on Friday.

According to him, the trade war between China and the West has resulted in an influx of Chinese-made products in markets such as Indonesia as producers redirect exports elsewhere.

The Ministry of Finance last week also said it was preparing a regulation to impose taxes known as safeguard duties and anti-dumping duties on China-made textiles, garments, footwear, electronics, ceramics and cosmetics.

Among the industries affected by the influx of Chinese-made products is the labour-heavy textile sector, which employs around 3.9 million people in Indonesia, or nearly 20 per cent of the total manufacturing labour force.

Since 2019, 36 textile factories in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy have shut down operations, while 31 others underwent massive lay-offs, according to the Nusantara Trade Union Confederation, or KSPN. Nearly 50,000 workers in the sector had been laid off since the start of this year, KSPN said.

Financial struggles have also plagued Sritex, one of Indonesia’s biggest textile and garment producers. The company recorded a revenue of US$325 million last year, a 38 per cent decline from its US$524.6 million in revenue in 2022.

Between January and May this year, Sritex also laid off 3,000 workers, or 23 per cent of its total workforce, the company said.

“There is an oversupply of textiles in China, which causes price dumping, where these products are targeted mainly to countries outside Europe and China that have loose import regulations, such as no anti-dumping import duties, no barrier tariffs or non-barrier tariffs, and one of them is Indonesia,” Welly Salam, financial director at Sritex, said in a document filed to the Indonesian bourse on June 22.

The geopolitical dynamics, such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, have caused “supply chain disruptions and also a decline in exports due to a shift in priorities by people in Europe and the US”, he added.

While the company denied a recent media report that it was bankrupt, it admitted it was now running its business using “internal cash and sponsor support”.

Even before the US and EU enacted tariffs on China’s exports, Indonesia and other countries involved in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure programme had become an increasingly important market for China, according to Bert Hofman, an adjunct professor at National University of Singapore’s East Asian Institute.

“Indonesia, like many countries, fears trade diversion of China’s manufacturing exports from the US and EU, which have imposed tariffs on China’s exports. Other countries such as Brazil are also contemplating higher tariffs,” Hofman told This Week in Asia.

“Even without the US and EU tariffs, though, Chinese companies have increasingly shifted exports to developing countries. The G7 plus EU now makes up less than 40 per cent of China’s exports, whereas belt and road countries make up more than half. China would need to reorient its domestic policies so that more balance can be achieved.”

China also ran trade surpluses last year with some 173 economies and a deficit with only 53 – mostly commodity exporters – according to Hofman’s estimates.

Indonesia posted a US$2.057 billion trade surplus with China in 2023, after deficits of US$1.8 billion and US$2.4 billion in 2022 and 2021, respectively, according to data from the statistics agency.

The planned new measures on China-made products are meant to complement existing import barriers, such as a 2023 regulation on import controls through post-border checks.

The regulation proved to be controversial, as the carry-on, tax-free personal possessions of returning Indonesian migrant workers and travellers were limited to 56 products worth no more than US$500.

Under the regulation, importers are also required to obtain an additional import permit from the Ministry of Industry, called technical considerations.

More than 26,000 containers were held up at major ports in Jakarta and Surabaya after the regulation took effect in March, which stakeholders said disrupted the domestic manufacturing industry.

In May, the trade ministry overturned the regulation and relaxed import controls on certain categories of goods to ease the port congestion.

Jemmy Kartiwa Sastraatmaja, chairman of the Indonesian Textile Association, said the relaxed import rules proved to be “negative” for the textile industry.

The association had “communicated intensively” with the government in the past two days, but acknowledged the new tariffs “will not be issued instantly” and still required input from stakeholders, he added.

For now, labour group Indonesian Trade Union Confederation, or KSPI, is planning to take to the streets in Jakarta on Wednesday to urge the government to protect workers in the textile and garment industry, as well as courier and logistics, including by rolling back the import relaxation measures.

Jemmy urged Jakarta to take preventive measures against China’s product dumping, otherwise “the blow of deindustrialisation continues, and we will only become a market, which is very unfortunate”.

Leaders of Russia and China to meet in Central Asian summit in a show of deepening cooperation

https://apnews.com/article/russia-china-iran-shanghai-cooperation-organization-sco-7d0dcd21ad34b09cc149e30567198b06FILE - Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin look toward each other as they shake hands prior to their talks in Beijing, China, Thursday, May 16, 2024. Putin and Xi will meet Thursday for the second time in as many months as they attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

2024-07-03T04:03:37Z

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet Thursday for the second time in as many months as they travel to Kazakhstan for a session of an international group founded to counter Western alliances.

Putin and Xi last got together in May when the Kremlin leader visited Beijing to underscore their close partnership that opposes the U.S.-led democratic order and seeks to promote a more “multipolar” world.

Now they’ll be attending a session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Kazakh capital of Astana. A look at the summit:

What is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established in 2001 by China and Russia to discuss security concerns in Central Asia and the wider region, Other members are Iran, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Observer states and dialogue partners include Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Who’s attending this year?

Besides Putin and Xi, and summit host President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, other leaders there will be Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Emomali Rakhmon of Tajikistan, and President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan. President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus will attend because his nation is becoming a full member.

Iran is still choosing a successor to President Ebrahim Raisi, killed in a helicopter crash in May, with a runoff election Friday, so acting President Mohammad Mokhbar will attend.

Other guests of the SCO include President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan.

Also present will be U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, who is visiting Central Asia. Guterres wants “to position the U.N. as an inclusive organization that’s talking to all the big clubs,” said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

What SCO leaders won’t be there?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India is sending his foreign minister. Indian media reports speculated the recently reelected Modi was busy with the parliament session that began last week. He attended the recent Group of Seven summit in Italy, and some reports also speculated he wants to balance India’s relationship with Russia and the West.

What are their goals?

Putin wants to show that Russia is not isolated over Western sanctions from the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

An arrest warrant has been issued for him by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for abductions of children from Ukraine. Kazakhstan is not party to the Rome Statute and thus is not obliged to arrest him.

For Putin, the meeting is about “prestige and the symbolic optics that he’s not alone,” Gabuev said.

The meeting is another chance for Putin and Xi to demonstrate the strong personal ties in their “strategic partnership” as they both face soaring tensions with the West. They have met more than 40 times.

Putin’s meeting with Xi in May showed how China has offered diplomatic support to Moscow and is a top market for its oil and gas. Russia has relied on Beijing as a main source of high-tech imports to keep its military machine running.

The SCO helps China project its influence, especially across Central Asia and the Global South. Xi called for “bridges of communication” between countries last week and wants to further promote China as an alternative to the U.S. and its allies.

Erdogan could use the meeting to hold talks with Putin, who has postponed several visits to Turkey. The leader of the NATO member has balanced relations with both Russia and Ukraine since the war began, frequently offering to serve as a mediator.

For host Kazakhstan and the other Central Asian nations, the meeting is a way to further their cooperation with bigger, more powerful neighbors. Kazakhstan, for instance, frequently engages with both neighboring Russia and China, while also pursuing links with the West, with visits this year from U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron.

What will be discussed?

Countering terrorism is a key focus. Russia had what it has called two terrorist attacks this year, with more 145 people killed by gunmen at a Moscow concert hall in March, and at least 21 people were killed in attacks on police and houses of worship in the southern republic of Dagestan in June. In the March violence, the U.S. warned Russian officials about the possibility of an attack — information that was dismissed by Moscow.

The SCO is not a collective security or economic alliance, and there are “significant security differences between its members,” said Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London and a former British ambassador to Belarus. The “principal value” of the organization lies in the optics of non-Western countries gathering together, he added.

Gabuev agreed, saying the SCO is a place for conversation rather than a platform where “collective decisions are made, implemented and have an impact.”

This year, close Moscow ally Belarus will become a full member of the organization, and its admission indicates how Russia wants to bolster blocs of non-Western countries. Gould-Davies said the SCO is raising its profile “by growing its membership rather than by deepening its cooperation.”

Are there tensions within the SCO?

Political differences among some of SCO members — such as India and Pakistan over disputed Kashmir — also make it difficult to reach collective agreement on some issues.

China has backed Moscow amid the fighting in Ukraine, but at a meeting of the SCO in 2022, Putin referred to Beijing’s unspecified “concerns” over the conflict. India’s Modi then called for an end to the fighting without voicing explicit disapproval of Moscow’s action.

The Central Asian countries balance relations with Russia and China while also remaining on good terms with Western nations. None of the five former Soviet republics in Central Asia have publicly backed the war, although all abstained on a U.N. vote condemning it.

Guterres may use the meeting to talk to Putin about how Russia is “disrupting the coherence of the U.N.,” Gabuev said. Russia has vetoed U.N. Security Council sanctions on monitoring North Korea and a vote on stopping an arms race in outer space.

With Guterres unlikely to visit Moscow, the Astana meeting is likely his best chance to speak to Putin, Gabuev added.

Will Ukraine be discussed?

Neither Ukraine nor any of its Western backers are attending, and major talks — or breakthroughs — on the war are not expected.

But because it’s rare these days for any meeting to include the heads of Russia, China, Turkey and the U.N., the possibility of talks about the war might be raised, at least on the peripheries of the summit, probably behind closed doors.

There could be “a lot of sideline discussions on Ukraine, as it is a big issue which concerns all of us,” a senior Kazakh official told The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to talk publicly, and thus spoke on condition of anonymity.

Gabuev said Putin will try to show there’s a “big club of countries” that are “ambivalent” toward the war in Ukraine.

—-

Burrows reported from London. Associated Press writers Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan, Krutika Pathi in New Delhi, and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.

EMMA BURROWS Burrows is an Associated Press reporter covering Russia, Belarus, Central Asia and the Caucasus. She is based in London. twitter

Taiwan says China told Taiwan’s coast guard to not interfere in the detention of Taiwanese boat crew

https://apnews.com/article/china-taiwan-fishing-boat-b12d19c8ebd37924ad6807d92600f3fcFILE - A fisherman leaps to his boat docked in harbor in Toucheng, north eastern Taiwan, Aug. 21, 2013. Taiwan said the Chinese coast guard boarded a Taiwanese fishing boat Tuesday, July 2, 2024, before steering it to a port in mainland China, and demanded that Beijing release the vessel. (AP Photo/Wally Santana, File)

2024-07-03T02:52:02Z

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan said Wednesday that China ordered Taiwan’s coast guard against interfering in the detention of a Taiwanese fishing boat in what is seen as an increasing Chinese attempt to encroach on Taiwanese territory.

Taiwan’s coast guard also repeated its call for the release of the boat and its crew members who were taken from waters off the Taiwanese-controlled island of Kinmen just off the Chinese coast on Tuesday night. That call is complicated by China’s refusal to communicate with Taiwan’s government.

Spokesman for Taiwan’s coast guard Hsieh Ching-chin said the boat was not in Chinese waters when it was boarded by Chinese agents and steered to a port in the Chinese province of Fujian.

The Dajinman 88 was intercepted by two Chinese vessels, and Taiwan dispatched three vessels to help but the one that got close to the fishing boat was blocked by three Chinese boats and told not to interfere, the coast guard’s initial statement said. The pursuit was called off to avoid escalating the conflict after Taiwan’s maritime authorities detected that four more Chinese vessels were moving closer, the statement added.

The boat had a captain and five other crew members, according to Taiwan’s official Central News Agency. The crew are Taiwanese and Indonesian.

The vessel was just over 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Jinjiang in mainland China when it was boarded, Taiwanese authorities said.

China claims self-governing Taiwan as its territory and says the island must come under its control.

Fishermen from both Taiwan and China regularly sail the stretch of water near Kinmen, and tensions have risen as the number of Chinese vessels has increased.

In February, two Chinese fishermen drowned while being chased by Taiwan’s coast guard off the coast of Kinmen, prompting Beijing to step up patrols.

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Canada to consider blocking Chinese investment in new factories to keep EVs at bay

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3268948/canada-consider-blocking-chinese-investment-new-factories-keep-evs-bay?utm_source=rss_feed

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has published options it will consider for deterring Chinese-made electric vehicles from accessing the Canadian market, including putting tariffs on imported and blocking Chinese investment in new Canadian factories.

Trudeau’s government appears to only be considering tariffs on finished vehicles, based on the document released on Tuesday. The list of items that could see tariffs does not include batteries or battery components, for example.

The paper was released as part of the formal consultations Canada must conduct before imposing tariffs. Those consultations, announced by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland last week, will seek feedback from stakeholders including trade unions and automotive industry groups, and will run until August 1.

Canada’s EV industry is “at risk of being undermined by the significant recent increase in exports of Chinese EVs to the Canadian and global markets, enabled by unfair support through China’s use of a broad range of non-market policies and practices,” the consultation paper says.

The Chinese policies include “pervasive subsidisation, including of the supply chains of necessary components, problematic or non-existent labour and environmental standards, and other measures to artificially lower production costs, which is leading to significant overcapacity in Chinese EV production,” the document says.

The paper does not provide potential tariff rates and instead asks for feedback on what those may be for various vehicle classes. It also seeks comment on how tariffs might affect EV affordability in general.

In another section, the paper considers the possibility that “Chinese companies could seek to establish facilities to manufacture EVs within Canada” in an attempt to “access the North American market in light of potential tariff measures.”

The document asks for feedback on whether “additional actions like further policy guidance, monitoring, or restrictions related to transactions and investment from Chinese sources in the Canadian EV supply chain are required.”

Two other areas are outlined for feedback. One is whether Canada should make Chinese-made EVs ineligible for federal consumer incentives. The other is on data privacy and security considerations for connected vehicles and related infrastructure.

In considering tariffs and other measures, Canada is following in step with its allies. The US unveiled plans this spring to nearly quadruple US tariffs on Chinese-manufactured electric vehicles, up to a final rate of 102.5 per cent. The European Union also plans to increase tariffs, taking those levies as high as 48 per cent on some vehicles.

Although the value of Chinese EVs imported by Canada has surged recently, there has so far been little activity involving Chinese domestic vehicle makers.

The vast majority of Canada’s EV imports from China are Tesla Inc. vehicles produced from its Shanghai factory. Freeland wouldn’t comment on whether tariffs might apply to those vehicles.

‘Thought he was sleeping’: man, 29, dies at China internet café but demise goes unnoticed for 30 hours

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3268636/thought-he-was-sleeping-man-29-dies-china-internet-cafe-demise-goes-unnoticed-30-hours?utm_source=rss_feed

Workers at an internet cafe in eastern China did not realise for 30 hours that a 29-year-old man had died inside their facility, instead assuming he had fallen asleep.

The man visited the cafe in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, on June 1 for a long gaming session. A cafe worker called the police at 10pm on June 3 after the man, who was lying on a computer desk, did not respond when he was tapped on the arm, according to the mainland news portal Jimu News.

The worker also said in the report that the body had gone cold, which prompted him to call the police.

The man, whose identity was not released publicly, had previously left the cafe at 6am on June 2 to get breakfast.

“Based on the breakfast residuals left on the desk, he did not have lunch on June 2. He possibly died suddenly on the morning of June 2,” a police officer was quoted as saying.

The man’s brother-in-law, surnamed Chen, said the exact death time was not confirmed because his family did not permit pathologists to perform an autopsy.

Chen questioned why his brother-in-law’s death was not spotted earlier.

“He sat in an open area instead of a closed partition. There should have been employees checking on him and noticing his strange behaviour,” said Chen.

The internet cafe’s boss said the deceased man was a regular customer who visited the establishment almost every day and spent about six hours per visit. He looked healthy, added the boss.

He said that two employees who were working at the time did not notice the young man had “slept” for too long.

“The employees thought he was having a rest, so they did not wake him up,” the boss said. “Often, when we wake a sleeping customer, they become irritable and scold us.”

The case is still under investigation, according to the local police.

Stories of sudden deaths often make headlines in mainland China.

Last year, a 23-year-old migrant worker in eastern Jiangsu province died in his dormitory after working for at least 10 hours every day for a month.

The sudden death of a 19-year-old man shocked the nation in 2022 because he died immediately after drinking a cold drink following a basketball game.

US expels more than 100 Chinese migrants in rare mass deportation

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/03/us-expels-chinese-migrants-mass-deportation-flight

The US has sent back 116 Chinese migrants in the first such “large charter flight” in five years, the Department of Homeland Security has said.

“We will continue to enforce our immigration laws and remove individuals without a legal basis to remain in the United States,” homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.

The flight, which happened over the weekend, comes amid intense political debate ahead of the US presidential election over the issue of Chinese immigration.

The department said it was working with China to “reduce and deter irregular migration and to disrupt illicit human smuggling through expanded law enforcement efforts”. It did not respond to questions about how long the migrants had been in the US.

The department said it was working with China on more removal flights in the future but did not give a timeline for when the next one would happen.

In recent years, the US has had a difficult time returning Chinese nationals who do not have the right to stay in America because China has resisted taking them back. Last year, the US saw a surge in the number of Chinese immigrants entering the country illegally from Mexico.

US border officials arrested more than 37,000 Chinese nationals on the southern border in 2023, 10 times the number during the previous year.

Chinese migration has increasingly become a rallying cry for Republicans and former president Donald Trump who have raised suspicions about why Chinese migrants are coming to the US.

Asian advocacy organisations are concerned the rhetoric could encourage harassment of Asians, while migrants themselves have said they’re coming to escape poverty and repression.

Earlier this year, the US and China resumed cooperation on migration issues. The Chinese government has said it is firmly opposed to “all forms of illegal immigration”. In a statement in May, China’s US embassy said the country’s law enforcement was cracking down “hard on crimes that harm the tranquility of national border, and maintained a high pressure against all kinds of smuggling organisations and offenders”.

Earlier this year, a charter flight carried a small but unknown number of deportees to the north-eastern Chinese city of Shenyang, according to Thomas Cartwright of Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks deportation flights.

Homeland security officials did not say how many people were on that 30 March flight, but the Gulfstream V aircraft typically has a seating capacity of 14. It also made a stop in South Korea before heading back to the US, Cartwright said.

The announcement of the weekend’s large charter flight comes amid efforts elsewhere to shut down key routes used by Chinese migrants to get to the western hemisphere.

On Monday, the US announced that it would cover the costs of repatriating migrants who enter Panama illegally, under a deal agreed with the Central American country’s new president who has vowed to shut down the treacherous Darién Gap used by people travelling north to the US.

Also, as of 1 July Ecuador in effect reinstated visas for Chinese nationals after the South American country said it had seen a worrying increase in irregular migration.

Ecuador was one of only two mainland countries in the Americas to offer visa-free entry to Chinese nationals and had become a popular starting point for Chinese migrants to then trek north to the US.

Tech war: US revoked 8 licences for exporting goods to China’s Huawei in 2024

https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3268946/tech-war-us-revoked-8-licences-exporting-goods-chinas-huawei-2024?utm_source=rss_feed

The Biden administration has revoked eight licences this year that had allowed some companies to ship goods to Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei Technologies, according to a document first reported by Reuters, as it seeks to pressure the resurgent company.

The Commerce Department, which oversees US export policy, said in May it had revoked “certain” licences, as first reported by Reuters, but did not specify the name or number of suppliers that were affected. Licences for Qualcomm and Intel were among those revoked, Reuters reported at the time.

“Since the beginning of 2024, (the Commerce Department) has revoked eight additional licences involving Huawei,” the agency said in the document, prepared in response to an inquiry by Republican congressman Michael McCaul.

According to the document, licence approvals for Huawei include “exercise equipment and office furniture and low-technology components for consumer mass-market items, such as touchpad and touch-screen sensors for tablets,” which are widely available in China from Chinese and foreign sources, the Commerce Department said.

Huawei and Qualcomm did not respond to requests for comment. Intel declined to comment. A spokesperson for the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which is chaired by McCaul, said it had received the data on Tuesday and is reviewing it.

The details shed new light on measures the Biden administration is taking to thwart Huawei, as the company has started to rebound despite Washington’s efforts to cripple it on national security grounds. Huawei has denied it is a security risk.

It also comes amid pressure from Republican China hardliners in Congress to hammer the company, which shocked industry last August with a new phone powered by a sophisticated chip manufactured by Chinese chip maker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation despite US export restrictions on both companies.

The phone helped Huawei smartphone sales spike 64 per cent year on year in the first six weeks of 2024, according to research firm Counterpoint. Its smart car component business has also contributed to Huawei’s resurgence, with the company notching its fastest revenue growth in four years in 2023.

Huawei was placed on a US trade restriction list in 2019 amid fears it could spy on Americans. Being added to the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain licence before shipping.

But Huawei suppliers have received licences worth billions of dollars to sell Huawei goods and technology, thanks to a policy introduced by the Trump administration that allowed a much broader swathe of items to flow to the firm than is typical for an entity-listed company.

The summary also states that from 2018 to 2023, the agency approved US$335 billion worth of licences out of a total US$880 billion applications seeking permission to sell to Chinese parties on the entity list.

Of those approvals, US$222 billion worth came in 2021, Biden’s first year in office, out of US$560 billion in applications received that year, the agency added.

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China’s services activity growth hits 8-month low as new orders slow, Caixin PMI shows

https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3268944/chinas-services-activity-growth-hits-8-month-low-new-orders-slow-caixin-pmi-shows?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s services activity expanded at the slowest pace in eight months and confidence hit a four-month low in June, dragged down by slower growth in new orders, a private-sector survey showed on Wednesday, suggesting more economic stimulus is needed.

The Caixin/S&P Global services purchasing managers’ index (PMI) eased to 51.2 from 54 in May, marking the lowest reading since October 2023 but remaining in expansionary territory for the 18th straight month. The 50-mark separates expansion from contraction.

The survey, which covers mostly private and export-oriented companies, aligned with a broader official PMI released on Sunday that showed activity in the services sector dropped to a five-month low.

The world’s second-largest economy has reported patchy growth in recent months, reinforcing calls for more policy support to achieve an ambitious growth target of around 5 per cent.

The new orders subindex fell to 52.1 in June from 55.4 the previous month. Overseas demand also eased slightly even on top of strong exports in May.

Business confidence levels eased to the lowest level since March 2020 with concerns about the global economy and rising competition.

Service providers were scaling back hiring again last month after adding employment in May.

But slower rates of inflation for both input and output prices offered a respite to business owners who were grappling with higher input material, labour and transport costs.

The Caixin/S&P’s composite PMI, which tracks both the services and manufacturing sectors, fell to 52.8 from 54.1.

Markets are now focused on a leadership gathering in the middle of July, known as the third plenum, which may announce some reforms.

Measures that redistribute income from central authorities to local governments, thus reducing their reliance on land sales, would top the agenda of the gathering, according to policy advisers.

“Fiscal and tax reforms should focus on creating more optimistic expectations among market participants,” said Wang Zhe, senior economist at Caixin Insight Group.

Robert Towne, Oscar-winning screenwriter of Chinatown, dies aged 89

https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/jul/02/robert-towne-dead-chinatown-writer

Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Chinatown, considered one of the greatest screenplays of all time, has died at age 89.

Towne, the screenwriter also nominated for his films Shampoo and The Last Detail, died on Monday among family members at his Los Angeles home, said his publicist, who did not disclose a cause of death.

Recognizable around Hollywood for his high forehead and full beard, Towne won an Academy Award for Chinatown and was nominated three other times, for The Last Detail, Shampoo and Greystroke. In 1997, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Writers Guild of America.

His success came after a long stretch of working on television shows, including The Man from UNCLE and The Lloyd Bridges Show, and on low-budget movies for B-movie producer Roger Corman. In a classic show business story, he owed his breakthrough in part to his psychiatrist, through whom he met Warren Beatty, a fellow patient. As Beatty worked on Bonnie and Clyde, he brought in Towne for revisions of the Robert Benton-David Newman script and had him on the set while the movie was filmed in Texas.

Towne’s contributions were uncredited for Bonnie and Clyde, the landmark crime film released in 1967, and for years he was a favorite ghostwriter. He helped out on The Godfather and Heaven Can Wait among others and referred to himself as a “relief pitcher who could come in for an inning, not pitch the whole game”. But Towne was credited by name for Nicholson’s macho The Last Detail and Beatty’s sex comedy Shampoo and was immortalized by Chinatown, the 1974 thriller set during the Great Depression.

Towne’s script has been a staple of film-writing classes ever since, although it also serves as a lesson in how movies often get made and in the risks of crediting any film to a single viewpoint. He would acknowledge working closely with Roman Polanski as they revised and tightened the story and arguing fiercely with the director over the film’s despairing ending – an ending Polanski pushed for and Towne later agreed was the right choice (no one has officially been credited for writing the film’s iconic line: “Forget it, Jake, it’s Chinatown”).

But the concept began with Towne, who had turned down the chance to adapt The Great Gatsby for the screen so he could work on Chinatown, partly inspired by a book published in 1946, Carey McWilliams’ Southern California: An Island on the Land.

“In it was a chapter called ‘Water, water, water’, which was a revelation to me. And I thought: ‘Why not do a picture about a crime that’s right out in front of everybody,’” he told the Hollywood Reporter in 2009.

The backstory of Chinatown has itself become a kind of detective story, explored in producer Robert Evans’ memoir The Kid Stays in the Picture; in Peter Biskind’s East Riders, Raging Bulls, a history of 1960s-1970s Hollywood; and in Sam Wasson’s The Big Goodbye, dedicated entirely to Chinatown. In The Big Goodbye, published in 2020, Wasson alleged that Towne was helped extensively by a ghostwriter – former college roommate Edward Taylor. According to The Big Goodbye, for which Towne declined to be interviewed, Taylor did not ask for credit on the film because his “friendship with Robert” mattered more.

The studios assumed more power after the mid-1970s and Towne’s standing declined. His own efforts at directing, including Personal Best and Tequila Sunrise, had mixed results. The Two Jakes, the long-awaited sequel to Chinatown, was a commercial and critical disappointment when released in 1990 and led to a temporary estrangement between Towne and Nicholson.

Around the same time, he agreed to work on a movie far removed from the art-house aspirations of the 70s, the Don Simpson-Jerry Bruckheimer production Days of Thunder, starring Tom Cruise as a racecar driver and Robert Duvall as his crew chief. The 1990 movie was famously over-budget and mostly panned, although its admirers include Quentin Tarantino and countless racing fans.

Towne later worked with Cruise on The Firm and the first two Mission: Impossible movies. His most recent film was Ask the Dust, a Los Angeles story he wrote and directed that came out in 2006. Towne was married twice, the second time to Luisa Gaule, and had two children. His brother, Roger Towne, also wrote screenplays, his credits including The Natural.

Towne was born Robert Bertram Schwartz in Los Angeles and moved to San Pedro after his father’s business, a dress shop, closed down because of the Great Depression. (His father changed the family name to Towne.) He had always loved to write and was inspired to work in movies by the proximity of the Warner Bros Theater and from reading the critic James Agee. For a time, Towne worked on a tuna boat and would speak often of its impact.

“I’ve identified fishing with writing in my mind to the extent that each script is like a trip that you’re taking – and you are fishing,” he told the Writers Guild of America in 2013. “Sometimes they both involve an act of faith ... Sometimes it’s sheer faith alone that sustains you, because you think: ‘God damn it, nothing – not a bite today. Nothing is happening.’”

Associated Press contributed to this report

Xi’s central Asia trip aims to cement ties as China vies for influence with Russia

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/03/xi-jinping-central-asia-trip-china-vies-regional-influence-russia

Leaders from China, Russia and countries in the global south are gathering in Kazakhstan for the annual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a group that has been described as the “anti-Nato”.

The summit is part of China’s efforts to establish what it calls a “multilateral” world order that is not dominated by the US. But it is also a forum in which China and Russia’s “strategic partnership” will be tested by their competing desires to wield influence in central Asia.

Xi Jinping, China’s president, arrived in Astana on Tuesday for a five-day trip that will include state visits to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. More than a decade ago, Xi used an official visit to Kazakhstan to launch the belt and road initiative, China’s sprawling development project that has seen $9.55bn (£8bn) invested in Kazakhstan alone since 2013, according to the China Global Investment Tracker.

That investment is part of China’s pitch to central Asia that it can help countries to develop outside Russia’s shadow. “The war in Ukraine has proven to the central Asian countries that the diversification of their ties with the world is key to their successful existence in the region,” said Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. Although the former Soviet republics have been trying to de-Russify their countries since the fall of the Soviet Union, the war in Ukraine “has made the process of replacing Russia [with China] happen more quickly,” he said.

Xi and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, preach the importance of establishing a multipolar world order to countries in the global south that have felt let down by US-dominated geopolitics. Zhou Rong, a senior researcher at Renmin University in Beijing, was quoted in a Chinese state media report published on Sunday as saying the SCO “sends a message to the western world that there are many different voices from the emerging economies that need to be heard and represented.”

Still, relations between Xi and Putin – which the two pledged to deepen as recently as May – may be strained this week by the shadow of Putin’s recent visit to North Korea. Putin signed a mutual security pact with Kim Jong-un, an agreement which China fears could create the perception of a cold war-style bloc and damage Beijing’s influence in east Asia.

In recent months, there has been some scrutiny of the role that central Asia plays in facilitating the flow of goods from China to Russia to support Moscow’s war machine. Chinese exports to Kyrgyzstan increased from $7.5bn in 2021 to nearly $20bn in 2023, with much of those goods bound for Russia, according to the China-Russia Report newsletter. Analysts say that countries such as Kyrgyzstan will be impervious to western pressure to intercept this trade. “Not having good relations with China is something that’s completely out of the question,” says Niva Yau, a fellow at the Atlantic Council.

There are plenty of other pieces on the SCO chessboard this week. Established as the “Shanghai Five” in 1996, the group was originally a forum for the founding members – China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – to thrash out border disputes. Since then, its membership and scope has expanded to include countries as diverse and mutually disagreeable as India, Pakistan and Iran. This year, Belarus is expected to be welcomed into the fold.

However, the group’s growing size – it already accounts for about 40% of the world’s population – does not necessarily make it more relevant. India’s newly re-elected prime minister, Narendra Modi, is expected to skip the summit, despite the fact that he is planning to visit Moscow next week to meet Putin.

“Inside the SCO, there are countries that have fundamentally different views on nearly everything,” says Umarov. “It’s almost impossible to imagine what would be a scenario that could make India and Pakistan put aside their problems and their mutual conflict for the sake of something else”. India and China have a similarly fraught relationship; Modi’s trip to Russia is in part an attempt to ensure that India’s relationship with Russia is not imperilled by Moscow’s deepening ties with Beijing.

China woman denied compensation after fired for obstructing office surveillance cameras with umbrellas

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3268633/china-woman-denied-compensation-after-fired-obstructing-office-surveillance-cameras-umbrellas?utm_source=rss_feed

A woman in southern China sued her employers after she was fired because she repeatedly opened two umbrellas over her desk to block the corporate surveillance system, which she said put her at risk of accidentally exposing herself to her all-male bosses.

The woman, surnamed Wang, from Shenzhen, Guangdong province in southern China, took the company to three different courts following her dismissal in 2019. All of them refused her claim of 300,000 yuan (US$41,000), according to the mainland outlet Labour News.

The Guangdong Provincial High Court was the final court to reject the woman’s claim.

The courts said Wang’s worry that the surveillance cameras would accidentally capture her private parts was based on an “extreme thought” and that she would not have “wardrobe malfunctions” if she was dressed to typical corporate standards.

The judges added that it is acceptable for a company to install surveillance cameras in their business.

Wang was fired after she had opened her umbrellas for 18 consecutive days following the installation of the monitoring system in 2019. A human resources manager told Wang twice not to block the cameras, and the HR department also sent her written warning letters twice.

However, these were all ignored by Wang, who continued her surveillance-blocking behaviour.

The company, whose name was not released in the report, fired Wang in July 2019 for “a serious breach of discipline”.

Corporate management said Wang unfolded the umbrellas to cover her desk and avoid being supervised by her superiors. As a result, the company said it was unsure whether she was working, playing on her mobile phone, or performing other tasks unrelated to her job.

Online mainland commenters largely supported the company in this case.

“Why not wear more clothes? She was apparently trying to annoy the company,” said one person on Douyin, China’s TikTok.

But another user said: “With so many surveillance cameras in the office, the job must be quite boring.”

US recalls potent midrange missiles from Philippines used in South China Sea drills

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3268941/us-recalls-potent-midrange-missiles-philippines-used-south-china-sea-drills?utm_source=rss_feed

A powerful midrange US missile system that Washington has deployed to the Philippines will be returned to the United States in September, according to a Philippine military spokesman.

The missile system was deployed to a northern Philippine province in April for a joint military exercise that ended in June. It was also used for a simulated firing drill during a bilateral exercise in the South China Sea in May.

Colonel Louie Dema-ala of the Philippine Army said on Tuesday the missile system will be returned to the US once other defence equipment used in the two exercises is shipped back. No reason was given as to why Washington has stopped the deployment.

A US Typhon Weapon System, which is capable of firing SM-6 anti-aircraft missiles and Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles – with operational ranges of more than 240km (150 miles) and 2,500km, respectively – was deployed to the Philippines for use in the annual Balikatan joint military exercises with the US.

China, which is intensifying its sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea and provocative activities in the waters especially against Philippine vessels, has repeatedly criticised the missile deployment.

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun said in a meeting with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin in Singapore on May 31 that the missile system severely threatens security in the Asia region and undermines regional peace and stability.

A treaty between the US and Russia that banned land-based ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500km to 5,500km as well as short- to intermediate-range missile launchers, expired in 2019. Since then both nations have expanded their production and use of arms.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on June 28 he was aware that the United States had deployed a missile system to both Denmark and the Philippines, indicating his country would resume production of midrange missile.

On May 23, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said that his country was willing to host more weaponry from the US for the purpose of training exercises.

Additional reporting by Jeoffrey Maitem

On China and the US, Malaysia can walk and chew gum at the same time

https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3268720/china-and-us-malaysia-can-walk-and-chew-gum-same-time?utm_source=rss_feed

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has found himself having to articulate his government’s relationship with China a great deal lately.

Like his predecessors, he has had to do this frequently since taking power as geopolitical watchers scrutinise Putrajaya’s ties to Beijing with every high-level meeting, public announcement and policy decision. Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s official visit to Malaysia last month to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations animated the latest round of scrutiny.

Those inclined to place Malaysia in China’s camp might point to the language on Taiwan in the joint statement released by both governments at the end of Li’s visit. Malaysia’s declaration of its recognition of Taiwan as an “inalienable territory of the People’s Republic of China, in order for China to achieve national reunification” and pledge to “not support any call for the independence of Taiwan” stood out as uncharacteristically explicit, particularly when compared to previous joint statements.

In 2016, Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak met Chinese President Xi Jinping as bilateral relations were professed to be at their “highest level” since the establishment of formal ties in 1974. The joint statement released by both governments simply reiterated Malaysia’s “firm adherence to the one China policy” and support for the “peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and China’s peaceful reunification”.

Mahathir Mohamad – whom China has called an “old and good friend” but appeared more critical of the nature and direction of bilateral ties in his return to power – visited China when he was prime minister in 2018. The joint statement afterwards pithily noted that, “Malaysia reiterated its commitment to the One China Policy.”

Putrajaya’s more verbose position in 2024 brought a concerned response from Taipei, which not only condemned and refuted what it said were the “false claims” about Taiwan in the joint statement but also called on the “Malaysian government not to follow China in undermining Taiwan’s sovereignty”. This reaction was perhaps inevitable, given souring ties between Taipei and Beijing as well as what now seems to be a deliberate effort by Beijing to create international support for what it refers to as its one-China principle.

Other background developments have also contributed to perceptions of Malaysia’s growing closeness to China. The Philippines’ defiance in the face of Chinese belligerence in the South China Sea sharply contrasts with Malaysia’s more muted approach. Additionally, expectations that Anwar would lean towards the United States given his strong personal ties to Washington solidified during his years of political persecution appear to be wide of the mark.

It should be clear that viewing Malaysia’s conduct of its foreign relations through a geopolitical filter results in analytical astigmatism. Foreign policy is ultimately an extension of domestic policy, and in a charged climate of strategic competition it is worth disaggregating facts from their optics.

As jarring as Malaysia’s recent affirmation of the status of Taiwan might seem, it was a restatement of language in the 1974 joint communique on the normalisation of relations between China and Malaysia. Paragraph 3 “acknowledges the position of the Chinese Government that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China”. Putrajaya’s 2024 joint statement, therefore, reflects a continuation of Malaysia’s one-China policy from half a century ago.

The wisdom of making such a public display of this position at an internationally delicate time might be arguable given the resulting fallout. Viewed more narrowly through a bilateral lens, however, the move signalled the Anwar government’s extension of goodwill on a matter important to China at a symbolically significant juncture in the relationship without any substantive change or concession in Malaysian policy.

This could also set the tone for both sides to launch a bilateral dialogue on managing maritime issues, which was mentioned in the 2024 joint communique. This plan might come across as wildly naive given the recent turn of events at the Second Thomas Shoal despite the availability of a bilateral consultation mechanism between Beijing and Manila.

Even so, the clashes at sea underscore the urgency of an institutionalised bilateral channel for maritime discussions between Malaysia and China. Having a platform is better than not having one at all, particularly if it can complement ongoing multilateral efforts such as the negotiations over a code of conduct in the South China Sea.

Anwar’s announcement of Malaysia’s intention to join the expanded Brics grouping ahead of Li’s visit provided more fodder for speculation about China’s gravitational pull. To view Malaysia’s interest in this reductive manner, however, is to fundamentally misunderstand the country’s long-standing investment in multilateralism as well as its interest in engaging multiple instruments for different reasons.

Remember that Malaysia negotiated its participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) alongside the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). It ratified both RCEP and the TPP’s successor, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, in the same year.

Similarly, Malaysia’s application for Brics membership will take place as it continues engaging in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. It will also assume chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations next year while pursuing diplomatic, security and military cooperation in various configurations with a wide range of partners.

At a time when the status quo no longer adequately reflects the desires of the global majority, it only makes sense for Malaysia to seek a more active role in different forums to secure its interests. Contrary to what some might believe, it is possible to walk and chew gum at the same time.

Beijing, Manila agree to keep talking to ease South China Sea tensions

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3268942/beijing-manila-agree-keep-talking-ease-south-china-sea-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed

China and the Philippines have agreed to de-escalate tensions in the disputed South China Sea, following some of the worst clashes in recent history that raised the risks of a wider conflict.

At Tuesday’s bilateral consultative mechanism meeting in Manila, the two sides exchanged views “on the situation in the South China Sea”, particularly tensions at Second Thomas Shoal, and agreed to continue to manage differences through negotiations.

According to a Chinese foreign ministry statement released late on Tuesday night, “the two sides believe that maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea is in the interests of both China and the Philippines, and is also the common goal of regional countries”.

The two sides also “agreed to continue to maintain dialogue and consultation … to control disputes and differences”, according to the foreign ministry statement, which described the meeting as “frank and constructive”.

Issues covered in the talks included ways to improve the sea-related communication mechanism between the two countries and how to promote dialogue between their coastguards.

The Chinese side urged the Philippines to “immediately stop its infringing and provocative acts in the sea …, to get back on the right track of settling disputes through dialogue” so as to stabilise bilateral ties, the readout said.

In a separate statement released on Tuesday night, the Philippine foreign affairs department said the two sides made “substantial progress on developing measures to manage the situation at sea, but significant differences remain”.

Tuesday’s meeting was co-chaired by China’s deputy foreign minister Chen Xiaodong and the Philippine foreign ministry undersecretary Theresa Lazaro.

It took place after several rounds of maritime confrontations between the two countries, which raised concerns of a potential wider conflict in the South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. The encounters also drew criticism from the US and its allies.

These included an incident at Second Thomas Shoal on June 17 in which Chinese coastguards intercepted a Philippine naval mission to resupply troops stationed on the disputed reef. Eight Philippine sailors were injured in the subsequent clashes, including one who lost a thumb.

A day later, the US state department condemned China’s “escalatory and irresponsible actions” and reaffirmed Washington’s obligation to defend the Philippines under a 1951 treaty.

Officials from the departments of foreign affairs, defence, natural resources, environment, transport, agriculture and coastguards also attended Tuesday’s talks, according to the Chinese readout.

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Chinese Researchers Develop Robot Dogs to Assist the Blind

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/chinese-researchers-develop-robot-dogs-to-assist-the-blind/7681973.html

Researchers in Shanghai are developing a robot “guide dog” that could help blind people.

The robot is currently being tested in Shanghai. The machine uses cameras and sensors to navigate its environment. It is able to recognize traffic light signals which traditional guide dogs are unable to recognize.

The robot can communicate. It is able to listen and speak with a blind operator. The robot also uses artificial intelligence (AI) to recognize voices, plan ways to go from place to place and identify traffic lights.

The robot dog is described as being about the size of an English bulldog but a little wider than a real dog. It has six legs instead of four because the researchers say the extra legs make it more stable, making its movements smoother.

Professor Gao Feng is the head of the research team that is developing the dog at Jiao Tong University’s School of Mechanical Engineering. “When three legs are lifted, there are still three legs…It is the most stable shape,” he said.

Forty-one-year-old Li Fei and 42-year-old Zhu Sibin are among the people with vision problems who are helping the Jiao Tong University team. They are testing the dog using Chinese-language commands.

Li is completely blind while Zhu has limited eyesight. He normally uses a cane to walk.

Li said, “If this robot guide dog comes onto the market and I could use it, at least it could solve some of my problems in travelling alone.”

Robot guide dogs are also under development in Australia and Britain. But China has a big shortage of traditional guide dogs. Gao said there are just over 400 guide dogs in China for nearly 20 million blind people.

Pet ownership and service animals are a fairly new idea in the country. Many workplaces, restaurants and public areas do not welcome a usual service dog like a Labrador.

The supply of real dogs is limited by breeding and training needs. Gao said the production of robot guide dogs could be increased to an industrial level, especially in a manufacturing center like China.

“It’s a bit like cars. I can mass-produce them in the same way as cars, so [they] will become more affordable,” Gao said.

The researcher thinks there could be a large market for his robot dogs. “…There might be tens of millions of people in the world who need guide dogs,” he added.

I’m Mario Ritter, Jr.

 

Casey Hall and Xihao Jiang reported this story for Reuters. Mario Ritter, Jr. adapted this report for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

stable –adj. not easily knocked over; firmly set

cane –n. a stick used to help a person walk

breeding –n. the practice of raising animals so they produce more animals like them

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Rural Student Bests University Competitors in China’s Math Contest

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/rural-student-bests-university-competitors-in-china-s-math-contest/7669378.html

A 17-year-old vocational school student from rural China is being celebrated on social media after reaching the final round of a math competition. She defeated many other students from top universities around the country.

Jiang Ping, who is studying fashion design, finished 12th in the Alibaba Global Math Competition. She is one of 802 competitors who made it to the final round — an eight-hour test that took place recently.

Damo Academy, the organizer of the competition, posted a video that included an interview with Jiang on social media. It received more than 800,000 likes and 90,000 comments shortly after it was posted.

Jiang says in the video that she did not think she deserved to join the competition. She also says she enjoys working on high-level math as it “brings out my desire to explore.”

Congratulations poured in. People visited her parents’ home in a village of the Jiangsu area on China’s east coast. They brought alcohol and money to show support. Her pictures were shown on the walls of shopping centers in her hometown, Lianshui. Zhejiang University and Jiangsu University praised her on their Weibo social media accounts.

It is unclear how Jiang ended up in vocational school. However, her story reminded some people in China of the inequality between rural and urban areas. Some believe the divide can make it harder for even the best students to climb the economic ladder.

“While Jiang Ping is openly celebrated, many Chinese feel deep down inside that her story highlights the hopelessness of Chinese education,” said Jiang Xueqin, a China-based education researcher. He said that citizens without power, wealth or “guanxi” - the Chinese term for connections – have little chance of success.

In recent years, inequality in education appears to have worsened.

China spent 17 percent less on education in rural areas than in cities in 2019 for the required nine years of education. That does not include high school. In 2013, spending was only two percent lower in rural areas. The findings are based on data from a Peking University report on the urban-rural divide in spending per capita.

Ministry of Education data show that 70 percent of students in China’s vocational schools are from rural areas. The high percentage suggests that the education system works like a caste system, Jiang, the researcher said. A caste system divides and groups people into a leveled social order. 

Jiang, the rural student, is the only vocational school student among all the finalists. The others, who are mostly Chinese, mainly come from top universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and California Institute of Technology (Caltech), as well as China’s top two schools, Tsinghua University and Peking University. Winners will be awarded $2,000 to $30,000 in prize money.

The large Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba established the competition six years ago. The company’s leader at the time, Jack Ma, said the goal was to find students who enjoy math and then encourage and support them.

Jiang did well enough on the entrance exam to go to high school, an official with the vocational school told state broadcaster CCTV.

The official said Jiang applied to the vocational school instead of a high school because her older sister and good friends were students there. Other Chinese media said it was because she came from a poor family, and the vocational school gave her a scholarship.

Jiang says in the video that she plans to get into a good university.

The Associated Press was not able to reach the student for comment.

I’m Caty Weaver.

 

Fu Ting reported this story for The Associated Press. Hai Do adapted the story for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

vocational - adj. relating to skills and training for specific jobs

interview - n. a meeting between a reporter and another person to get information

deserve - v. used to say someone should not have or be given something

highlight - v. to make people notice

per capita - adv. by or for each person

encourage - v. to make someone more likely to do something

apply - v. to ask formally for something

scholarship - n. an amount of money to help pay for student's education