• ‘Pessimistic’: Ukraine war, trade expected to mar progress at China-EU summit this month
• China’s visa-free policy pays dividends as overseas entries soar in 2025
• Chinese AI scientists dominating field, Beijing’s message to Brics: SCMP daily highlights
• China is making rapid gains in space tech. Here’s how the military could use it
• China protests Narendra Modi’s birthday greeting to Dalai Lama
• Meet some of the Chinese AI scientists dominating the field’s global top 100
• Chinese man smashes train window after collision traps passengers on hot day
• China dad carries disabled son to school for 12 years, vows to continue as boy enters university
• China urged to take bolder steps to tackle price wars, deflation and weak demand
• Chinese feminist icon Song Jia praises fellow actresses, says being ‘pretty’ is not enough
• China-US jet engine deal to boost C919 production, Comac’s EU market ambitions: analysts
• Why France is toasting China’s new tariff on European brandy
• Shandong’s visit a ‘patriotic lesson’, Eric Chan says as Chinese warships depart Hong Kong
• ‘Too good to refuse’: why world’s top flying insect detective Jason Chapman chose China
• Australia’s Albanese to address Darwin Port sale on China visit
• Trump’s Chinese drone issue, Viagra’s potential against cancer: 5 weekend reads you missed
• Chinese scientists create visual sensor that adapts to extreme light changes in seconds
• Future of Science and Technology Agreement is a bellwether for US-China ties: Denis Simon

‘Pessimistic’: Ukraine war, trade expected to mar progress at China-EU summit this month

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3317269/pessimistic-ukraine-war-trade-expected-mar-progress-china-eu-summit-month?utm_source=rss_feed

European Union envoys to China say they have low expectations of any substantial achievement at the coming EU-China summit while citing complex trade challenges and the ongoing Ukraine war.

“I am sorry to be pessimistic – the next EU-China summit will be a wonderful summit with wonderful statements of principles, but I doubt that we will get some strategic incremental progress,” said Italy’s ambassador to China, Massimo Ambrosetti, at the World Peace Forum in Beijing on Friday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa will travel to Beijing for the summit, which is expected to take place over two days from July 24, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of EU-Chinese relations.

“We have to realistically consider that the preparation of the summit was, of course, influenced by the negotiations on tariffs – between the EU and the US, between China and the US – it is a terribly complicated context,” Ambrosetti said. “So it’s not surprising that probably we will not have all the results that we hoped for.

“But it’s always good to have dialogue and institutional interactions, provided that we look at the future in a really strategic, longer-term perspective.”

The summit will take place two weeks after the July 9 deadline set by US President Donald Trump after he waged a global tariff war targeting all major trading partners. US officials now say they will take effect on August 1.

The EU member states – once deemed “nastier than China” by Trump – have been racing to secure a deal, but there have been no breakthroughs.

Following the London agreement last month, China has been carefully navigating trade ties with the US following the truce, but US tariffs such as those imposed on Vietnam last week suggest China is an indirect target.

Meanwhile, uncertainty clouds China-EU ties as Beijing excluded EU-based companies on Sunday from providing certain medical devices for the Chinese government in response to EU curbs to restrict Chinese medical devices from public procurement.

China also announced levies of up to 34.9 per cent on brandy producers from the EU that would be in effect for five years from Saturday. The move is seen as a response to the EU’s tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles.

Spanish ambassador to China Marta Betanzos spoke at a separate panel at the World Peace Forum on Thursday, where she shared a similar sentiment.

“What I feel is that there are many, many issues coming up. I believe that we should need more time to reflect on that within the EU,” Betanzos said, describing it as a personal view of the imminent summit.

“That’s why I don’t know what is going to be the outcome of the summit, because it’s very close in time. I don’t know whether we have that time, but I can assure [you] that there is a real will based on necessity, and also conviction that we want to reach agreement,” she said.

On Friday, Shi Mingde, China’s former ambassador to Germany, told the Peace Forum it was not likely that all issues would be resolved during the summit.

“Such a meeting wouldn’t take place if both sides did not have the willingness to develop this relationship or did not value it,” Shi said. “Of course, it’s impossible to resolve all issues in one meeting.

“But at the very least, we can establish the general direction and principles for the future development of China-Europe relations, which is very important.”

Vebjørn Dysvik, the envoy from Norway, a non-EU country, said, “we remain hopeful that something meaningful will come out of it”.

He said progress regarding the ongoing Ukraine war remained possible because both China and Europe agreed on the fundamental principles of respecting territorial integrity and national sovereignty.

“Here we agree, and China is in a position to put meaningful pressure on Russia, so there is a possibility. We know it’s difficult, but it’s not impossible,” Dysvik said.

The conflict that has been going on for more than three years is one of the biggest sources of friction between China and the EU, which has long accused Beijing of not being critical enough of Russia’s invasion and of maintaining closer diplomatic and economic ties with Moscow.

Beijing has denied any charges of favouring Russia and positioned itself as a peacemaker to both Russia and Ukraine.

Dysvik said climate-related collaboration could also be a positive outcome from the summit.

“The climate issue is a possibility to have meaningful cooperation, the one issue that is actually existential – that is the good news maybe we should bring out from this session,” he said.

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China’s visa-free policy pays dividends as overseas entries soar in 2025

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3317241/chinas-visa-free-policy-pays-dividends-overseas-entries-soar-2025?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s expansion of visa-free entry to nationals from dozens of countries appears to have yielded substantial results, with tourists arriving in droves from overseas and providing a much-needed boost to the country’s consumption in the first half of the year.

Shanghai, the country’s financial hub, saw 2.6 million visits from abroad in the first six months of 2025, up 44.8 per cent year on year according to local authorities. About 1.4 million of them entered China under a visa-free policy, more than three times the figure observed in the same period last year.

South Korea, Japan, the United States, Thailand and Russia were among the top sources of foreign arrivals, and the city’s Pudong International Airport was top-ranked in the country for overseas traffic with 2.37 million entries.

The national capital of Beijing saw over 840,000 visa-free arrivals – double the figure from the same period last year – out of 1.49 million total entries from abroad.

In the southwestern metropolis of Chengdu, 287,000 entries were made under the visa-free policy in the first half of this year, up 120 per cent from the first six months of 2024.

The southern island province of Hainan – now designated the country’s largest free trade port – saw 663,000 foreign entries and exits, up 48 per cent from 2024. About 89 per cent came under a visa-free scheme; the province allows 30-day stays without a visa for citizens of 59 countries, unique among Chinese regions.

James Liang, chairman of China’s leading online travel service Ctrip, said the policy has been a boon for travel businesses.

“Our inbound tourism has already recovered to 70 to 80 per cent of pre-Covid levels. It could be fully recovered this year,” he was quoted by Shanghai-based media outlet The Paper as saying.

“There are still some bottlenecks to be addressed. If they are tackled, China’s inbound tourism could reach the world’s top tier in 10 or 20 years.”

Beijing began expanding its visa-free entry policy in late 2023 to lure foreign tourists and businesspeople back to the country after nearly three years of strict Covid-19 controls.

Many countries, particularly those in Europe and elsewhere in Asia, have received blanket exemptions to visa requirements. Their citizens can visit anywhere in the country during stays of up to 30 days.

Others are able to enter without a visa under certain conditions. Most commonly, nationals can enter while on a documented transit stay while travelling between countries or regions. Last month, the National Immigration Administration added Indonesia to this list.

Passport holders from those countries can stay visa-free for up to 10 days by entering through one of 60 international ports in mainland China.

The scheme, in all its forms, now covers a majority of developed markets as well as much of Southeast Asia, which has strengthened its business ties with China in recent years.

In addition to the visa-free policy, the world’s second-largest economy has taken other steps to encourage spending among overseas tourists, including by opening more duty-free shops across the country.

Chinese AI scientists dominating field, Beijing’s message to Brics: SCMP daily highlights

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Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider .

US President Donald Trump has threatened to slam an additional 10 per cent tariffs on countries supporting what he calls “anti-American policies” after the leaders of Brics nations condemned unilateral tariffs.

When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives in China next week for his second official visit, he will have more than the typical diplomatic niceties to discuss with President Xi Jinping.

A study of nearly 200,000 researchers and 100,000 high-impact papers has revealed that the vast majority of the world’s top 100 brains in the field of artificial intelligence are of Chinese origin.

The long-time scholar on US-China cooperation on research explains how the landmark pact continues to define bilateral relations.

China’s new anti-dumping duty targeting European brandy unexpectedly became the toast of France over the weekend, after Beijing granted exemptions to a string of French cognac makers.

China has lodged a protest with India over birthday greetings sent to the Dalai Lama by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

China is expected to sustain production of its home-grown aircraft and expand access to foreign skies, following the United States’ removal of a ban on selling American jet engine parts and technology to Chinese buyers.

China is making rapid gains in space tech. Here’s how the military could use it

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3317258/china-making-rapid-gains-space-tech-heres-how-military-could-use-it?utm_source=rss_feed

The new space race is heating up, with the United States warning that its major rival China is narrowing the gap as it makes rapid technology gains.

While China says its ambitious plans remain peaceful and that it rejects the weaponisation of space, some of the technologies it has developed in recent years also have military uses. Here are some of them.

The Chinese navigation satellite system provides positioning, navigation and timing services worldwide.

Its network of 60 satellites has been in full global operation since 2020, with the final backup satellites launched in 2024.

BeiDou – a symbol of China’s growing tech self-sufficiency – aims to challenge the dominance of GPS, the global positioning system run by the US military, especially in Belt and Road Initiative countries.

Besides its civilian applications, BeiDou provides navigation and positioning services to all branches of the Chinese military with even higher precision in the Asia-Pacific than GPS offers the US military. That enables independent guidance for Chinese missiles, bombs and other precision munitions, with high accuracy. The People’s Liberation Army can also use BeiDou’s short messaging function to communicate.

At least two low-Earth orbit communication satellite mega-constellations are currently in development in China as alternatives to SpaceX’s Starlink.

The Qianfan, or Thousand Sails, constellation – which is also known as the G60 Starlink – is a 14,000-satellite broadband network being developed by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology. About 90 satellites have been launched since last year and the target date for completion is 2030.

Meanwhile the Guowang, or National Network, being developed by China Satellite Network Group aims to have two sub-constellations with a total of 13,000 satellites. It began at the end of 2024 and as of June, 34 satellites had been launched into low-Earth orbit.

Just as Starlink has provided Ukrainian forces with a satellite internet service during the war with Russia, these Chinese networks could give China’s military resilient connectivity during a conflict. Their high-bandwidth and low-latency connections could enhance command and control, situational awareness and joint all-domain operations – especially when it comes to supporting unmanned equipment in the era of drone warfare.

China has developed a number of satellites with what is known as ISR – or intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance – capabilities.

They include the remote-sensing Yaogan satellites that have optical reconnaissance, synthetic-aperture radar and electronic intelligence sensors and are said to be primarily for military reconnaissance use.

Nasa describes the experimental communication technology network Tongxin Jishu Shiyan, or TJS – which is in geostationary orbit – as military satellites that provide early warning and signals intelligence for the PLA.

Another example is the Gaofen, or High Resolution, satellites that use optical, multispectral, radar and radio frequency for Earth observation. Officially they are for agricultural, disaster, resource and environmental monitoring, but given their capabilities they are also believed to have military uses too.

The US Space Force has claimed that, by the end of last year, more than 510 of the 1,060 Chinese satellites in orbit were capable of ISR and could be used by the PLA to monitor US and allied forces in the Pacific region.

China is also developing an unmanned reusable spacecraft – similar to the American X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle – that can orbit the Earth for hundreds of days then return. The name of this secretive space plane is still classified but many believe it could be the Shenlong, or Divine Dragon – a project listed under the country’s hi-tech development plan since the 1980s.

The reusable experimental spacecraft has already had three known missions. It made its maiden flight in 2020, when it was delivered into orbit by a launch vehicle, flew for two days and landed in western Xinjiang province. It spent nine months in orbit during a second mission in 2022, then more than eight months in orbit on a third mission from 2023. Each time, unidentified objects were released before its re-entry.

The spacecraft could be used as an experimental platform for space technologies, including power systems and the durable materials needed for hypersonics, and it could also be suitable for surveillance.

It could also have other military uses. Since it would be able to deploy payloads, it could be used to launch small satellites or release destructive weapons targeted at other satellites or even the ground. And if it can retrieve payloads like the X-37B, it could also be used to capture adversarial space assets.

China is developing another reusable space plane called the Tengyun, or Cloud Rider, designed to separate in two at an altitude of 30-40km (18-24 miles), with the first stage returning to the ground while the second stage continues its ascent to low-Earth orbit. Its first flight is planned for 2030.

China’s Shijian and TJS satellites have been observed performing “unusual, large and rapid” orbital manoeuvres that US officials have described as “stalking” – closely approaching, tracking and monitoring American satellites apparently to collect intelligence or potentially disrupt operations.

Among those targeted were US Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Programme satellites and Silent Barker observation satellites, according to the US Space Force.

It said earlier this year that three Shiyan-24C and two Shijian-6 05A/B satellites had carried out synchronised controlled moves in low-Earth orbit in what one Space Force official called “dogfighting in space”.

These manoeuvres – rendezvous and proximity operations, docking and capture – are needed for peaceful missions such as removing orbital debris, but they could also be used in attacks against high-value military satellites.

Dealing with space debris – from monitoring to early warning and emergency response – has been listed as a key task by Beijing. The China National Space Administration has sent several satellites, mainly Shijian, to experiment with orbital maintenance and cleaning up space debris.

Several methods have been tested to clear space junk, including scooping it up with robotic arms and nets, and obliterating it with lasers.

But these technologies could also be used for anti-satellite warfare, to take down probes that are critical for positioning, navigation and timing, for command, control and communications, as well as missile early warning and other vital military functions.

The US Space Force raised concern over the Shijian-17 satellite launched in 2016, which it said had made some “unusual manoeuvres” in geostationary orbit and varied its position in relation to other satellites. The Space Force also noted that its robotic arm could be used “for grappling other satellites”.

These concerns escalated when the Shijian-21, launched in 2021, towed a defunct BeiDou navigation satellite from geostationary orbit to a higher “graveyard” orbit in 2022.

The Shijian-21 used up much of its propellant during that operation, and China now appears to be about to attempt the first satellite-to-satellite refuelling and servicing mission in high orbit – closely watched by the US.

This year, the Shijian-25 satellite was launched for the mission, which would mark major technological progress and the potential to significantly extend the operational lifespan of space assets.

China conducted its first successful direct ascent anti-satellite missile test in 2007. A land-based ballistic missile directly intercepted and destroyed a defunct Fengyun-1C weather satellite in low-Earth orbit, generating a large amount of debris and drawing international criticism.

In a 2013 test, a ballistic object was launched to an altitude of 30,000km, suggesting it could be capable of shooting down satellites in geostationary orbit (35,786km).

Ground-based laser weapons and powerful orbital- and ground-based jamming are among other anti-satellite capabilities the PLA is pursuing.

China protests Narendra Modi’s birthday greeting to Dalai Lama

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3317261/china-protests-narendra-modis-birthday-greeting-dalai-lama?utm_source=rss_feed

China has lodged a protest with India over birthday greetings sent to the Dalai Lama by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“India should fully appreciate the great sensitivity of Tibet-related issues, recognise the separatist nature, honour the commitments it has made to China related to Tibet-related issues, and act prudently, and stop using these issues to meddle in China’s internal affairs,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday afternoon.

She added that Beijing had lodged a protest with New Delhi.

On Sunday – the birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama, who is the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet – Modi posted on social media: “I join 1.4 billion Indians in extending our warmest wishes to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday”.

“He has been an enduring symbol of love, compassion, patience and moral discipline,” Modi added.

However, Mao said: “the 14th Dalai Lama is a political exile who has long engaged in anti-China separatist activities and has attempted to separate Tibet from China under the cover of religion”.

It was the second time in a week that Beijing has criticised India over official comments on the Dalai Lama.

On Thursday, Kiren Rijiju, India’s minister of parliamentary and minority affairs, said before travelling to the Dalai Lama’s base in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala for his 90th birthday that only the Dalai Lama himself and the trust he established had the authority to determine his successor as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism.

On Friday, Mao said that India should “avoid undermining the improvement and development of China-India relations”.

The Dalai Lama fled to India after the armed uprising in 1959 failed.

On Wednesday, he said that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust could confirm his successor. He had previously said that his successor would be born outside China.

Beijing has rejected the Dalai Lama’s claims, insisting that the succession of the Dalai Lama must adhere to tradition and Chinese law and must be approved by Beijing.

Meanwhile, Beijing has been promoting the authority of the Panchen Lama, the second-highest-ranking religious leader in Tibet, among the Tibetan Buddhists.

The official newspaper of the Tibet autonomous region, the Xizang Daily, reported on Saturday that the Panchen Lama had been “carrying out his daily duties” in the capital city of Lhasa and hosting “Buddhist activities” in recent days.

In a Thursday meeting in Lhasa, the Panchen Lama told other Buddhist leaders to make it “the prime political task” to maintain stability in the area of religion and to instruct monks and nuns to manage religious affairs according to the law.

Lhasa was the residence of the Dalai Lama before he went into exile.

The Panchen Lama’s official residence is in another major city in the Tibet autonomous region, Shigatse. But as vice-president of the official Buddhist Association of China and a standing committee member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, China’s top political advisory body, the Panchen Lama has been living in Beijing for many years.

Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with the Panchen Lama in Beijing and called for continued efforts to promote the “sinicisation of religion”.

Meet some of the Chinese AI scientists dominating the field’s global top 100

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3317213/meet-some-chinese-ai-scientists-dominating-fields-global-top-100?utm_source=rss_feed

A study of nearly 200,000 researchers and 100,000 high-impact papers has revealed that the vast majority of the world’s top 100 brains in the field of artificial intelligence are of Chinese origin.

The list was compiled by ITPO China – part of the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) – and the Shenzhen-based technology firm Dongbi Data. It was presented last week at a conference in Beijing.

According to the report, which does not give individual rankings, 50 of the top 100 AI experts in the world work at research institutes or companies in China and are of Chinese origin.

Another 20 of the world’s AI experts work at institutes in the US. Notably, half of those are of Chinese descent, including Jun-Yan Zhu, an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s school of computer science – making a total of 65 out of 100.

The analysis covered more than 96,000 high-level papers from leading publications such as the Journal of Machine Learning Research and IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, as well as top conferences in the sector, from 2015 to 2024.

The research team assessed the impact of each AI scientist by counting and analysing the number of papers and citations produced over the term of the study.

Many of those who made the top 100 work in tech companies and have made substantial contributions in specific areas. One of those is Zhang Xiangyu.

Zhang, a former leading scientist at Megvii – a Beijing-based technology company that designs image recognition and deep learning software – has now joined another tech company based in Shanghai.

He has won many top prizes in leading computer vision competitions, including ImageNet and COCO. His team’s models have been used in countless mobile phones, cameras and autonomous driving systems.

Chinese researchers are also making their mark at the most prestigious US institutions, showing the growing global recognition of talent from mainland China and their contributions to the field.

Among them is Kaiming He, a pioneer in the fields of computer vision and deep learning. Originally from Guangdong province in southern China, he graduated from Tsinghua University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

He is an associate professor with tenure in the electrical engineering and computer science department and has joined Google DeepMind as a distinguished scientist.

He is best known for his work on deep residual networks (ResNets), which resulted in the most-cited paper of the 21st century, according to the journal Nature in April. As of May 2025, his publications had received more than 700,000 citations.

Many top Chinese scientists have been among the most highly sought after in Silicon Valley’s AI talent war.

June ended with the announcement that Zhu Banghua and Jiao Jiantao – both Tsinghua University alumni who were teaching at the University of Washington and UC Berkeley, respectively – were joining US chip giant Nvidia to strengthen its AI research.

Meta Platforms has also recruited at least five Chinese AI researchers from OpenAI, according to The Wall Street Journal and The Information, a Silicon Valley-based media outlet.

The scientists joining Meta are reported to include Zhai Xiaohua from OpenAI’s Zurich office, as well as Yu Jiahui, Ren Hongyun, Bi Shucao and Zhao Shengjia – key contributors to a slew of OpenAI models.

At the same conference, Beijing-based ITPO China – part of UNIDO’s network of investment and technology promotion offices – and Dongbi Data released another report on the global AI research landscape, this time on a national level.

This study found that the United States remained the biggest source of AI talent, with China second. The two countries are also in the top two spots in terms of overall academic impact.

The number of AI researchers in China grew from fewer than 10,000 in 2015 to 52,000 last year, representing a compound annual growth rate of 28.7 per cent. However, the talent pool remained smaller, and the US led the world with more than 63,000 experts, it said.

The US is also far ahead in terms of overall academic impact. Over the past decade, it has published more than 35,000 papers, generating over 2.28 million citations, while China published 31,694 papers and received around 949,000 citations.

However, China is in hot pursuit, according to data from the AIRankings website, which showed Peking University topping the global AI research output rankings since 2022.

The same research – which placed Tsinghua University and Zhejiang University in second and third place, respectively – found that Chinese institutions accounted for half of the top 10 positions, with two other spots taken by universities in Asia.

Chinese man smashes train window after collision traps passengers on hot day

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3317224/chinese-man-smashes-train-window-after-collision-traps-passengers-hot-day?utm_source=rss_feed

Passengers on a train in eastern China’s Jinhua were trapped after the vehicle collided with a freight train on July 2. One man, finding the heat unbearable, broke a window for fresh air as the air conditioning had been off for more than two hours. He was later taken away by police and reprimanded.

China dad carries disabled son to school for 12 years, vows to continue as boy enters university

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3316492/china-dad-carries-disabled-son-school-12-years-vows-continue-boy-enters-university?utm_source=rss_feed

A father in China who has been carrying his disabled son on his back to school every day for the past 12 years has touched millions of hearts in the country.

Chuan Zhuyu, a recent graduate from a secondary school in Tengchong, Yunnan province, southwestern China, scored 624 out of 750 in this year’s university entrance exam, known as “gaokao” in China.

The relatively high score came as a relief to his father, who has shown dedicated care for his son, the news outlet The Cover reported.

“My kid’s performance at ‘gaokao’ is consistent with that in previous tests. My kid is happy with this result. I am satisfied too,” the father, whose name is not revealed in the report, was quoted as saying.

Chuan suffers from the neuromuscular disorder congenital myasthenia.

His father, a vegetable farmer, has carried him to school every day since he was young.

According to Chuan’s teacher Li Qiuyan, the father wakes up at day and works at the wet market for several hours before returning home and taking his son to school before 8am.

At noon, the father picks up the boy to take him home for lunch, then back to school and home again when lessons finish.

“So the father comes back and forth to school four times in total every day. He also refuses the help of other students and insists on carrying the son upstairs into the classroom,” said Li.

Chuan senior said he hates to bother other people.

When his son’s school offered to give him a job and a single dormitory, he also refused, saying he had to look after his vegetables.

“All the teachers and students at our school admire Chuan’s father very much. He devotes his life to supporting his son. In our eyes, he is truly great,” said Li.

Chuan’s gaokao score ranked first among all the science pupils at his secondary school.

His father said they have not decided which university to apply for. The boy wants to major in computer science.

“Wherever he goes to study, I will go with him. As long as he is studying, I will accompany him,” said the father.

“I salute this great father and diligent son!” said one online observer.

China urged to take bolder steps to tackle price wars, deflation and weak demand

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3317239/china-urged-take-bolder-steps-tackle-price-wars-deflation-and-weak-demand?utm_source=rss_feed

Beijing’s latest push to curb price wars may help ease deflationary pressures, but analysts warn the current measures fall short of addressing deeper structural problems facing the world’s second-largest economy.

China’s GDP deflator – a broad measure of prices across goods and services – has been negative since the second quarter of 2023, while consumer prices have fallen for four straight months year-on-year. To stop the deflationary spiral, Chinese authorities should address the cause: weak domestic demand, analysts said.

“So far, attempts to revive inflation by trimming supply and reducing overcapacity have shown limited results,” Miao Yanliang, chief strategist at Beijing-based investment bank China International Capital Corporation (CICC), wrote in a research note.

“Weak demand remains the underlying problem.”

Despite policymakers flagging cutthroat competition as a concern at the tone-setting Central Economic Work Conference last December, there are few signs of a rebound in prices, said Miao, who previously worked as a senior economist at the State Administration of Foreign Exchange for a decade.

Miao attributed the current deflationary spiral to downturns in the financial and property sectors as well as diminishing income expectations among Chinese households.

The warning came as the Chinese economy grapples with persistent structural challenges. Excess capacity across multiple sectors has suppressed both producer and consumer prices, while job insecurity and a prolonged property slump have made households reluctant to spend.

China’s consumer price index (CPI), a key gauge of inflation, declined for a fourth straight month in May – falling 0.1 per cent year on year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The producer price index (PPI) has continued to contract since October 2022.

June price data is scheduled for release on Wednesday.

Last week, China’s top leadership addressed “disorderly low-price competition” during a meeting of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission, the Communist Party’s highest economic policymaking body.

It pledged to cut production capacity in an “orderly” fashion, though without naming specific industries or targets.

Compared to supply-side adjustments, analysts said demand-side stimulus remains the most effective lever for tackling deflation.

To break the cycle, the CICC note recommended repairing “corporate balance sheets” through capital injections, interest subsidies and corporate restructuring. This would help revive investment sentiment and employment, paving the way for a recovery in household income and assets, it added.

Miao also called for raising household incomes by stabilising employment, increasing cash flow and strengthening the social safety net to ease consumer concerns and unlock spending potential.

Chinese authorities have doubled down on subsidies, including a 300 billion yuan central government trade-in programme this year, to stimulate domestic consumption amid external headwinds.

But there are fears the impact could be limited.

“When it comes to boosting consumption, there are few policy tools available to generate substantial traction on the demand side,” Mao Zhenhua, co-director of Renmin University’s Institute of Economic Research, told a forum in Hong Kong on Friday.

Deflationary risks have been exacerbated by falling investment returns and mounting pressure on income and employment, with external headwinds also weighing on prices, he warned.

The trade war with the United States would have “a lasting impact on China’s medium- to long-term economic fundamentals” and could further intensify the country’s “involutionary” dynamics, Mao added – a term used by officials to describe intense and self-defeating domestic competition.

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Chinese feminist icon Song Jia praises fellow actresses, says being ‘pretty’ is not enough

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3316489/chinese-feminist-icon-song-jia-praises-fellow-actresses-says-being-pretty-not-enough?utm_source=rss_feed

She is one of China’s up-and-coming feminist icons, and for many people, actress Song Jia’s acceptance speech at a recent film awards ceremony cemented that position.

Song Jia won the prestigious Shanghai TV Festival’s Magnolia Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and moved many with her empowering acceptance speech.

She was recognised for her portrayal of legendary feminist figure Zhang Guimei, a Chinese educator and principal of Huaping High School for Girls in the 2024 television series She and Her Girls.”

The school is China’s first and only free public secondary school for girls.

It was the second time the 44-year-old actress won the Magnolia Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, after doing so for her work in 2012’s The Brink.

Many people were also touched by her acceptance speech at the June 28 awards.

She first thanked Zhang for being her inspiration: “Through performing Ms. Zhang, I learned the importance of belief and confidence. I will pass on her spirit.”

She then paid tribute to her fellow nominees: “We stand here not because we are young and pretty, or because we balance work and family, but because we can play a role well and do good work.”

Her speech was praised for empowering women and reflecting the spirit of girls helping girls.

Taiwanese actress Shu Qi openly expressed her love for Song’s speech on social media.

The same spirit was also said to be shown by two photos taken at the moment her win was announced, which went viral on social media.

The photos show other actresses being happy about her achievement.

Chinese actress Yan Ni, who was also nominated for the same category, gave her a cotton flower, which means “cherishing those around you”.

Some said the photo was one of the greatest moments they had ever seen at an awards ceremony.

Song grew up in Harbin, northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province. She studied a traditional Chinese musical instrument, the liuqin, as a child, but chose to go to the Shanghai Theatre Academy instead of a music academy.

She made her debut in 2001 and became well known in 2007 for her role in the classic Chinese television series Rush to Northeast.

Her acting skills were widely recognised with her performance in many hit films and television series over the past two decades, such as The Shadow Play, Falling Flowers and A Lifelong Journey.

Song is known for her bright and cheerful personality. She describes herself as a “wilful” actress: “I can make four pieces of work a year if I like the scripts; if not, I can also rest for a whole year.”

Song was also increasingly seen as a feminist icon because of the many great female roles she played, including Zhang Guimei, and the fictional character Wang Tiemei in the hit 2024 film Her Story.

She has 13 million followers on a social media account where she congratulated herself after the ceremony by saying: “Congrats to the 173cm-tall beauty! I am great!”

Many people online said they like Song’s unpretentious confidence.

“She is a great actress and a sophisticated person. A good example for other actors,” one person said.

“I am so moved by the love and care between Chinese actresses. Girl power rules,” said another.

China-US jet engine deal to boost C919 production, Comac’s EU market ambitions: analysts

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3317198/china-us-jet-engine-deal-boost-c919-production-comacs-eu-market-ambitions-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed

China is expected to sustain production of its home-grown aircraft and expand access to foreign skies, following the United States’ removal of a ban on selling American jet engine parts and technology to Chinese buyers.

But analysts cautioned that earlier export restrictions imposed by the Trump administration had a chilling effect – one that could harden Beijing’s resolve to accelerate the development of indigenous engines and other critical components.

Sales resumed last week after a bilateral agreement on export controls was confirmed, Reuters reported. The deal allows Shanghai-based Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) to import parts from a GE-invested joint venture.

Access to engines, which China does not yet mass-produce domestically, enables Comac to fulfil hundreds of orders for its narrowbody C919 aircraft at its current pace. Without them, the company would need to seek new foreign suppliers or speed up the development of a home-grown alternative, said Hugh Ritchie, CEO of Aviation Analysts International in Australia.

“Without access to that technology, essentially the US would control parts for Chinese aircraft,” Ritchie said. “It’s pretty important for Comac.”

In May, US officials suspended certain jet engine sales and related technologies, according to American media reports. But no major disruption was reported at Comac’s Shanghai factory, as it remains in the early stages of C919 production.

A joint venture between GE and France’s Safran Aircraft Engines supplies the LEAP-1C engine to Comac for its C919 aircraft.

Neither Comac nor GE responded to the Post’s requests for comment.

But the reported easing of US export rules could be tested as early as next month, said Lynn Song, chief Greater China economist at Dutch financial services firm ING. He noted it remains unclear whether a looming US deadline to reduce tariffs will impact bilateral negotiations.

“I would imagine the lifting of restrictions will last as long as US-China talks are moving in a productive direction, and as long as China’s end of loosening controls on rare earth exports continues.”

The two governments began trade talks after US President Donald Trump jacked up tariffs on China in early April, followed by tit-for-tat export controls on American jet engine technology and Chinese shipments of rare earths.

Independent aviation analyst Li Hanming stressed that access to American-made engines is “definitely very important” for Comac, which relies on GE for both the C919 and its older regional jet, the C909.

However, he added that developing a domestic backup – the CJ-1000 engine – is a long-term strategic goal not directly tied to changes in US trade policy.

Comac aims to challenge industry giants Airbus and Boeing for a share of the global narrowbody jet market.

The resumption of engine exports could also help prevent delays in securing permits for the C919 to operate internationally, Ritchie said, noting that foreign regulators would likely be reassured by the inclusion of US-approved parts.

The Chinese state-owned manufacturer is currently seeking certification for its C919 aircraft from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

Comac’s first C919 entered commercial service in 2023. With 18 of the jets currently in service, the company may face pressure to speed up home-grown innovation in case the US reinstates export controls, Ritchie said.

The Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) has also confirmed that a home-grown engine, the CJ-1000, is undergoing trials.

Comac began designing the C919 in 2009 using parts from multiple overseas suppliers. The aircraft, which can seat up to 192 passengers, is designed to rival the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft families.

Why France is toasting China’s new tariff on European brandy

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3317176/why-france-toasting-chinas-new-tariff-european-brandy?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s new anti-dumping duty targeting European brandy unexpectedly became the toast of France over the weekend, after Beijing granted exemptions to a string of French cognac makers.

The cordial reaction in Paris came as a surprise to many analysts, who had initially predicted that China’s decision to impose the tariff might further raise tensions with the European Union and sour preparations for an upcoming leaders’ summit in Beijing.

But French leaders ended up hailing the ruling as a “positive step”, after a deal was brokered that saw major producers including Hennessy, Martell and Rémy Martin sign on to a minimum export price that exempted them from the levy.

That allowed Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi to wrap up his European tour on a positive note on Sunday, with Beijing having published an official list of 34 companies exempted from the tariff and French industry insiders sharing that the move could have a huge impact.

The exemptions will cover roughly 90 per cent of French cognac exports to China in volume terms, according to France’s Union Générale des Viticulteurs pour l’AOC Cognac (UGVC), a producers’ union with 2,000 members.

French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot framed China’s announcement as an “agreement” reached between China and the cognac industry at a joint press conference with Wang on Friday evening, Paris time.

“The agreement announced today is an important step that allows the investigation to be closed. Regarding cognac and Armagnac, the industry is saved,” Barrot said.

He added that discussions between Paris and Beijing since the beginning of the year had created a “favourable atmosphere” for both sides to find “constructive solutions” to their disagreements.

Beijing initially launched an anti-dumping investigation into European brandy last year, shortly after the EU announced plans to impose tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles.

The two sides have been locked in discussions over a series of trade disputes for months, with several European leaders expected to travel to Beijing for a crunch summit in July.

Beijing said on Friday that its decision to accept price undertakings from French cognac firms showed China’s willingness to resolve disagreements through dialogue.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that the agreement would apply to most of the country’s cognac and Armagnac producers.

“This is a positive step towards resolving this dispute that was threatening our exports,” Macron said in a post on X.

Wang Yi also pointed to the brandy announcement as a positive development while meeting with Macron on Friday.

“China and the EU have resolved the brandy issue through friendly consultations. We hope that France, as a key country of the EU, will push the European side to properly handle China-EU economic and trade differences and actively respond to China’s concerns,” Wang said in the Chinese readout published on Sunday.

Macron said the EU and China should make a strategic choice to be “predictable and trustworthy friends and partners to each other”, while stressing that France welcomed more Chinese investment and sought “a more balanced economic and trade relationship”, according to the Chinese readout.

“I look forward to visiting China again at an appropriate time,” he added, per the readout.

But some problems have yet to be resolved between Beijing and Paris on the cognac front.

Not all French producers are covered by China’s tariff exemption, and Beijing still places restrictions on French cognac being sold in duty-free shops, according to foreign minister Barrot.

Wang gave Macron assurances that there would be an “appropriate solution” to this issue, Barrot said.

The Bureau National Interprofessionel de Cognac (BNIC), an industry body that represents France’s cognac producers, said that it would continue to push the French government and European Commission to reach a political agreement with China to remove the anti-dumping duty.

Shandong’s visit a ‘patriotic lesson’, Eric Chan says as Chinese warships depart Hong Kong

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3317183/shandongs-visit-patriotic-lesson-eric-chan-says-chinese-warships-depart-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed

Hundreds of people have flocked to the Hong Kong waterfront to catch a final glimpse of the Shandong aircraft carrier and its fleet as they conclude their five-day port call to the city, with the No 2 official saying the visit has boosted residents’ national pride.

During his speech on Monday, Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said the port call, which was part of the celebration marking the 28th anniversary of the city’s handover to China, had demonstrated the country’s care and staunch support for the city.

“[It] gives Hong Kong residents a precious opportunity to see with their own eyes the country’s first independently designed, built and equipped aircraft carrier, and to feel the strength of the country’s military power and progress of its scientific development up close, enhancing our national confidence and pride,” Chan said.

The senior official also said the visits, exchanges and seminars held during the fleet’s five-day visit to the city, provided a lesson in patriotic education for Hongkongers - particularly the youth - deepening their understanding of the country’s national defence infrastructure.

Shortly before 11am, the Shandong was seen passing through the East Lamma Channel, with crowds gathering hours before at the the South Horizons private residential estate in Hong Kong Island’s Southern district to take a final glimpse.

The Shandong sounded its siren as it sailed, prompting cheers from spectators.

A retiree surnamed Pan, who travelled from Huizhou to the city on Sunday for the Shandong, said he had been waiting there with his family since 7am.

“It is a source of pride for our nation,” Pan, in his fifties, said.

Pan added that he visited Tsing Yi on Sunday to view the Shandong from a distance.

“We have never seen an aircraft carrier before,” he said.

The destroyers and frigate also sailed past Victoria Harbour around the same time, with many taking photos of the vessels at the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade.

“This is my first time watching the fleet. I asked our son to get tickets but he told us they sold out very quickly,” a 60-year-old retiree, surnamed Tang, said, arguing that there should have been more tickets allocated for members of the public.

“I hope larger fleets come to Hong Kong, and I hope they come to Hong Kong more often,” she added.

Another retiree, surnamed Cao, also arrived at the promenade for the fleet after sending off her grandson to school.

“Even if I cannot see it up close, it feels good to know I made the effort to view it,” the 63-year-old said.

“I hope more advanced technology from mainland China, such as robots, AI and other aviation innovations, can be displayed in Hong Kong.”

The strike group is set to leave Hong Kong at around 11am on Monday, coinciding with the 88th anniversary of the July 7 Incident. The event which occurred at Beijing’s Marco Polo Bridge in 1937 is widely recognised as the spark that ignited Japan’s full-scale invasion of China and the onset of the Second Sino-Japanese War.

The 70,000-tonne aircraft carrier arrived in the city on Thursday, accompanied by the missile destroyers Yanan and Zhanjiang, the frigate Yuncheng, as well as a dozen advanced J-15 carrier fighters and helicopters.

The Shandong, commissioned in 2019, is China’s first independently designed, built and equipped aircraft carrier, marking the navy’s official entry into a new era at the forefront of global naval power.

Since opening for tours on Saturday morning, the carrier and its strike group have impressed the public by showcasing their contingent of fighter jets and overall military prowess, with all 10,000 tour group tickets snapped up within minutes of release.

During the tours, the public was offered the chance to explore designated areas of the ships, view fighter jets and helicopters, and observe training displays.

Some attendees earlier told the Post that the visit showed the nation’s combined strength and the power of its defence.

The Shandong is the first Chinese carrier to call at Hong Kong since the Liaoning visited in July 2017 for the 20th anniversary of the handover.

With the fleet setting sail, nine ferry routes across Victoria Harbour and to outlying islands will be suspended between 10am and 12pm.

‘Too good to refuse’: why world’s top flying insect detective Jason Chapman chose China

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3316936/too-good-refuse-why-worlds-top-flying-insect-detective-jason-chapman-chose-china?utm_source=rss_feed

As a world expert on insect migration, Jason Chapman knows a thing or two about the impact of travel. The top British ecologist has now made his own move, a career decision that has underscored the growing prominence of China in the fields of natural science.

Chapman’s decision to leave the UK for a full-time position at a Chinese university reflects the country’s expanding global influence in research.

This includes a cutting-edge radar that can track flying insects, technology that the acclaimed behavioural ecologist could not resist.

Substantial financial support and a commitment to agricultural research have helped China to develop world-class entomological radar technology, Chapman said.

“China is now certainly the world leader in radar entomology, with many people working in this field,” said Chapman, who worked at the University of Exeter before moving to Nanjing Agricultural University (NJAU) in June.

Chapman’s research focuses on the evolution of insect migration strategies and the impact of long-range movements. When he joined Rothamsted Research in the United Kingdom as a postdoctoral fellow in 1999, his lab was one of the few teams worldwide pioneering the application and research of entomological radar.

He was involved in setting up the European Network for the Radar Surveillance of Animal Movement (ENRAM), and has published more than 140 academic papers. Chapman has also played a pivotal role in fostering and maintaining scientific collaboration between UK and Chinese institutes.

According to a 2024 NJAU article, Chapman had visited the university 20 times since 2016 and was appointed visiting professor in 2017. He also organised an international training seminar to promote the use of entomological radar in China.

In June, Chapman joined NJAU full time. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, he said he took this career turn because of the “much better” funding available in China compared to the UK, as well as the supportive team.

The opportunity, he said, was “too good to refuse”.

He was recruited under the Changjiang Scholars Programme set up by the Chinese Ministry of Education, which provides recipients with generous grants. He will also be funded by his new institute, which has a large, well-supported research group focused on insect migration.

Understanding insect movement is crucial for agricultural needs such as managing pest populations, predicting crop damage and optimising pest control strategies, which is particularly significant for China.

“Migratory insect pests pose a much more significant threat to food security and economic stability in China than in the UK, so research on these species is vitally important,” he said.

At a welcome ceremony last month, Zhu Yan, NJAU’s vice-president, promised that the university would provide Chapman’s team with “first-class research conditions and a first-class platform”. She said she hoped that research by Chapman’s group would help address urgent issues relating to food security, climate change and smart agriculture.

Chapman said that designing and building efficient insect-detecting radar was challenging because it required highly sensitive capabilities to detect and track such small creatures. He added that the analysis software was also very complicated.

First designed in the 1990s, only two groups of researchers have managed to build or obtain such equipment: one in the UK and the other in Australia.

The UK has played a central role in the development of radar technology, which was initially driven by defence research needs. The first practical radar system was produced in 1935 by British physicist Sir Robert Watson-Watt, an invention that was crucial for Britain’s defence during World War II.

By the 2000s, a research group at the Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences had developed China’s own insect-detecting radar. In collaboration with a radar company in Jiangsu, the researchers launched a commercial design, according to Chapman.

Today, many more researchers in China are working in the field, some of whom are making their mark globally as their academic papers appear more frequently in influential journals.

Australia’s Albanese to address Darwin Port sale on China visit

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3317184/australias-albanese-address-darwin-port-sale-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed

When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives in China next week for his second official visit, he will have more than the typical diplomatic niceties to discuss with President Xi Jinping.

A major task on Albanese’s agenda, besides routine topics like trade, will be to explain his country’s stance on Chinese investment – in particular, addressing the controversy over the ownership and potential government-influenced sale of the Darwin Port – the Post has learned from sources with knowledge of the matter.

This will make for a difficult conversation, analysts said, as Beijing has been on high alert to future divestments following US action over Chinese-owned ports at the Panama Canal.

Albanese will arrive in Beijing around July 15, one source said, as a “friendly gesture” to keep relations on a positive track.

Another source said the prime minister will attend the China International Supply Chain Expo, an event held in the country’s capital annually since 2023. This year’s edition will run from July 16 to July 20.

Australia’s Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet said Albanese’s international engagements will be announced in “the usual way” in reply to a request for comment.

During his successful re-election campaign, Albanese said his government would work to buy back Darwin Port from its Chinese owners on national security grounds.

Shortly after, China’s ambassador to Canberra Xiao Qian responded in a statement calling the move “questionable”, saying Landbridge Group – the state-owned firm awarded a 99-year lease on the port in 2015 – should not be punished for unpredictable geopolitical shifts.

The prime minister will “want to ensure” that China’s divestment from the Port of Darwin will “proceed with minimal disruption to broader bilateral and economic relations”, said Michael Feller, co-founder and chief strategist at consulting firm Geopolitical Strategy in Melbourne.

Zhou Weihuan, a law professor at the University of New South Wales, said national security remains a sticking point in the bilateral relationship.

“An evidence-based approach [is needed] to ensure that security concerns are well-founded, rather than based on mere suspicion or political assertion.”

A database from the US-based Council on Foreign Relations think tank showed that Chinese entities have invested in 129 global port projects – 17 with a majority share – with a presence “in at least one port in every continent except Antarctica.”

Despite persistent disagreements between both countries, Albanese’s coming trip “signals intent and momentum”, said David Olsson, national president at the Australia China Business Council.

“The visit comes at a time when both nations are grappling with shared challenges – climate change, trade stability and regional cohesiveness – and ongoing dialogue at the top level is essential to shaping credible paths forward.”

Australian companies will want to partner with Chinese firms that can “bring strengths in areas such as clean energy infrastructure, large scale project delivery and advanced manufacturing,” Olsson said.

“There’s also growing interest in working together to shape regional supply chains under RCEP [the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade agreement], particularly in areas like green iron.”

Australia’s largest energy companies have yet to publicly confirm their attendance at the Beijing expo. A source said Rio Tinto – the British-Australian mining giant – plans to be there, but the company did not respond to an email inquiry, nor did Melbourne-based mining multinational BNP.

Fortescue, the energy and mining conglomerate owned by billionaire Andrew Forrest, said the company would be absent when reached for comment.

China was Australia’s largest two-way trading partner in 2024 with a total trade value for goods and services of A$312 billion (US$204.24 billion), according to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. China-bound exports accounted for almost a third of Australia’s total shipments.

Figures from Statista show Australia was China’s largest supplier of iron ore in 2024, accounting for around 743 million metric tons of the country’s total imports of around 1.24 billion metric tons.

“Albanese will want to encourage further Chinese investment in and purchases of Australian minerals, particularly iron ore,” said Feller of Geopolitical Strategy.

During his last visit in November 2023 – a trip that marked a thawing of relations after years of tension – Albanese met Xi in Beijing and made an appearance at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai.

Trump’s Chinese drone issue, Viagra’s potential against cancer: 5 weekend reads you missed

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3317174/trumps-chinese-drone-issue-viagras-potential-against-cancer-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider .

Chinese scientists create visual sensor that adapts to extreme light changes in seconds

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3316731/chinese-scientists-create-visual-sensor-adapts-extreme-light-changes-seconds?utm_source=rss_feed

A team of Chinese scientists has used semiconductor “quantum dots” to develop a vision sensor that adapts to extreme light changes faster than the human eye.

The bionic visual sensor can adapt to extreme changes between dark and light in about 40 seconds, compared to two to 30 minutes for human eyes.

Its ability to adjust sensitivity for better object recognition and imaging means the sensor could be used to make next-generation technology, such as more brain-like computing systems.

“The sensor with visual adaptive function proposed in this work has great potential for future applications in artificial intelligence sensing fields such as autonomous driving and bionic robotics,” the team said in a paper published in the American Institute of Physics’ peer-reviewed journal Applied Physics Letters on July 1.

The novel vision system is also able to overcome issues with current systems to provide faster computation with less energy use, the research team from Fuzhou University said.

The human visual system – the retina, optic nerve, and the brain’s visual cortex – can adapt to extreme changes in light and memorise these settings to adapt faster the next time it encounters similar conditions.

One element of human vision is the bleaching of the light-sensitive protein rhodopsin during bright light exposure, which reduces the sensitivity of rod cells, the photoreceptors mostly responsible for lowlight vision.

This allows the bright light-sensitive cone cells to take over instead. Rhodopsin is then regenerated during dark conditions, which allows the rod cells to regain their sensitivity.

Traditional machine vision systems, which allow digital systems to “see”, face several issues, including the generation of redundant data that slows down processing and high power consumption.

These traditional systems also have difficulty obtaining clear, high-contrast images in very dark or bright conditions, the team said.

Inspired by the way the human retina senses and adapts to light stimuli, the researchers developed a sensor with similar adaptive behaviour.

The key to their sensor was the use of quantum dots, or tiny semiconductor nanocrystals that can efficiently convert light to electrical signals and adjust to extreme light changes.

“Our innovation lies in engineering quantum dots to intentionally trap charges like water in a sponge then release them when needed – similar to how eyes store light-sensitive pigments for dark conditions,” study author Ye Yun, a researcher at Fuzhou University, said in an American Institute of Physics news release.

The sensor was constructed by embedding lead sulphide quantum dots in layers of polymer and zinc oxide.

To evaluate their sensor, the team created a vision system consisting of an array of sensors along with a three-layer artificial neural network.

They found that after light adaptation, the image recognition accuracy of the resulting device was improved by 60 per cent following dark adaptation and by 42 per cent following light adaptation.

“The device exhibits an obvious visual adaptive behaviour under a wide range of light intensity changes, achieving a unique desensitisation similar to the self-protective behaviour of the human visual system,” the researchers said.

“Thus, the adaptive visual sensor provides a method to enhance the reliability of machine vision under extreme lighting conditions.”

According to Ye, the device preprocesses light information to reduce the computational burden, similar to how the human retina functions.

The team said the vision device could be used to develop next-generation bionic vision devices, which have “great potential” for use in fields like smart driving and more humanlike computing systems.

Future of Science and Technology Agreement is a bellwether for US-China ties: Denis Simon

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3316703/future-science-and-technology-agreement-bellwether-us-china-ties-denis-simon?utm_source=rss_feed

Denis Simon is one of the leading experts on US-China science and technology cooperation as well as China’s innovation system. He has held senior roles including executive vice-chancellor at Duke Kunshan University and director of the US-China programme at Pennsylvania State University.

He is teaching a graduate course on China science and technology policy at the Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University in Beijing. This interview first appeared in . For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click .

The US-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement (STA), first signed in 1979 during the [Jimmy] Carter administration, is the foundational legal and diplomatic framework governing official S&T cooperation between the two nations. Its core elements include government-to-government cooperation via ministries, agencies, and labs; institutional and academic exchanges, supporting researcher mobility and joint projects; joint working groups on specific fields like health, agriculture, energy and environmental science; and mechanisms for sharing data, coordinating funding and protecting intellectual property.

It is considered a cornerstone of bilateral relations because of its highly symbolic value as the first formal and peaceful engagement between the US and China after normalisation. At a time when diplomatic ties were still fragile, scientific cooperation provided politically “safe” ground to build trust. Its overall impact has been immense – it made science diplomacy real.

In the current geopolitical climate, the STA sits at the intersection of national security concerns (e.g., espionage, IP theft, cybersecurity), economic competitiveness (particularly in AI, life sciences, semiconductors) and techno-nationalism (growing on both sides). The very openness that once made the STA a success is now seen by some as a vulnerability. Current discussions of the STA evoke debates not just about science but about how much the US should engage with a so-called strategic competitor.

During a delegation visit to Beijing in the mid-2000s, I was part of a round table where a US scientist shared breakthrough research in clean coal technology. The Chinese side responded with enthusiastic interest, proposing a joint pilot project. The US delegation, however, hesitated – concerned that the technology might be commercialised without reciprocal IP protection. The moment highlighted both the promise and peril of STA-enabled openness. Fortunately, an agreement called CERC (Clean Energy Research Centre) was signed and it contained a detailed addendum regarding the disposition of any new intellectual capital developed under the programme.

The STA catalysed transformative impacts across multiple areas. Scientific output saw a remarkable increase, with co-authored publications between US and Chinese researchers growing from a trickle in the 1980s to over 20,000 annually by the 2010s. In global health, during the Sars outbreak and the early stages of Covid-19, prior STA-enabled ties between CDCs (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) and research institutes proved vital for data sharing. Joint work on climate modelling and emissions data helped lay the groundwork for both nations’ participation in the Paris Agreement. Another important outcome was the establishment of folic acid protocols for expecting mothers, which significantly helped to reduce birth defects.

On a personal note, at one point, I co-coordinated a bilateral forum on nanotechnology. Chinese researchers brought fresh perspectives and data sets; US counterparts offered high-precision modelling. The synergy was real – and some resulting patents were jointly filed. This sort of collaboration would not have happened without STA channels ensuring intellectual property protection as well as bureaucratic and diplomatic support.

The STA has gone through several renewals roughly every five years, reflecting evolving priorities over time. In the 1980s and 1990s, the focus was on agriculture, hydrology and energy. During the 2000s, there was growth in biomedical and environmental collaboration, and by the 2010s, the emphasis shifted toward big science areas like space, quantum technology and artificial intelligence. However, the last two renewals, in 2018 and most recently in 2023, have been increasingly difficult.

As of late 2023 and into 2024, renewal discussions became notably subdued. This silence appears to have stemmed from a combination of strategic ambiguity, domestic political constraints and quiet diplomacy. Neither side wanted to fully end or fully renew the agreement, which allowed the STA to remain under the radar. Both Washington and Beijing were facing rising techno-nationalist pressures, and officials were negotiating informally behind closed doors amid a tense political climate.

From my conversations with Chinese government officials and scholars in Beijing in 2024, there was a clear sense of frustration about the US silence, but also an understanding that the [Joe] Biden administration was navigating a challenging domestic environment. One official told me, “They want to keep the back door open, but without drawing too much fire from Congress.” It’s important to note that the new Select Committee under Representative [John] Moolenaar in Congress has become the largest and most vocal critic of the STA, which further complicates the renewal process.

Senior officials from both nations met in London after Trump–Xi’s first call since January, seeking to build on a so-called Geneva truce. Discussions centred on rare earth export flows and easing some US export controls in exchange. To the great chagrin of the US, China had previously halted all rare earth mineral exports as an explicit demonstration that it too had areas of real leverage.

US officials signalled a willingness to ease semiconductor export restrictions, contingent on rare earths resumption. Rare earths (used in electric-vehicle motors, defence systems) have emerged as a potent tool in China’s strategic negotiating toolkit.

Broader US policy moves, however, such as further curbing hi-tech exports and restricting student visas, signal a worrisome strategic decoupling mindset. Nonetheless, with Trump apparently calling most of the shots on the US side at this point, the London talks suggest at least a modicum of pragmatic re-engagement, recognising mutual economic dependencies and risks. For example, Trump appears to have stepped back from the idea of aggressively revoking the visas of Chinese students.

The bilateral STAs typically cover five years; while a revised agreement was renewed in December 2024, it remains dormant and languishing. Perhaps fortuitously, however, the current timing of the ongoing trade negotiations may help to revitalise the STA.

Positive incentives (eased export controls, stable research visas) could pave the way for a re-energised STA emphasising medicine and health and agricultural cooperation. Given the Trump position on climate change and clean energy (“drill, baby, drill”), it is unlikely these two once-priority areas will be given the attention they deserve.

The biggest impediment to rekindling STA momentum remains lingering political distrust, which remains quite high in multiple areas. This explains why many observers see little chance for deep, constructive resolution, especially given the fact that Trump still is surrounded by numerous China hawks. Even if concessions are made by Washington and Beijing, they are likely to be sector-specific, limited in duration and more designed to reduce but not eliminate major strategic impediments.

In summary, on the ground, Chinese students and scholars are experiencing real stress – they are facing potential study and career disruptions, which may lead them to turn away from US programmes. This will threaten the talent flows underpinning not only meaningful STA cooperation, but also quite probably American domestic science and tech advancement.

Politically, the limited recalibration in trade (i.e., rare earths versus chip export controls) offers a slender pathway for incremental rejuvenation of STA-related collaboration. In the final analysis, the real potential for deeper cooperation hinges on resolving underlying trust and security concerns. The new crash barriers contained in the revised STA do provide some appreciable degree of risk mitigation, but whether they are enough to satisfy the anti-China naysayers remains to be seen.

Chinese students and researchers have reported feelings of shock and exclusion. This move has had significant repercussions, not to mention personal costs for those PRC (People’s Republic of China) students already studying in the US and who could possibly have their studies terminated. Moreover, students currently seeking visas to matriculate in Fall 2025 are facing a huge burst of uncertainty as visa appointments have been largely cancelled. Currently, Chinese students comprise 24.6 per cent of the over 1 million international students in the US. Their academic and commercial contribution is substantial: international students generate over US$50 billion annually; Chinese students alone contributed about US$15+ billion.

Within academia, hundreds of Chinese scientists and postdocs have already left the US in response to enforcement efforts under the original “China Initiative”, which saw over 250-300 job losses among Chinese or Chinese-origin academics. Preliminary estimates are that the number has grown to over 1,400. A recent survey of Chinese-American faculty found that 61 per cent had considered leaving the US because of surveillance and harassment fears. Just being accused of an alleged crime such as industrial espionage can ruin one’s career even if found not guilty of all charges.

Research tracking found a 22 per cent increase in China-affiliated scientists shifting their affiliation away from US institutions as early as 2021.

The personal and institutional turbulence already has eroded collaborative momentum. We already are witnessing a steady decline in the talent pipeline. Chinese and US scholars may remain interested in collaboration, but their willingness to engage in joint research initiatives has diminished steadily.

The negative consequences for the US in terms of scientific advance and technological innovation are so huge, it is extremely hard to understand the rhyme or reason behind the actions of the Trump administration 2.0.

The often-ignored reality by the naysayers of the STA is that the US remains competitive in many S&T fields due to Chinese participation in the US R&D system. Disrupting the talent flows between the US and China puts at risk long-term American innovation performance.

If the STA disappears in terms of creating attractive joint research opportunities, top-tier PRC researchers may shift away from the US, leading China to create new initiatives such as the Thousand Talents Plan to redirect talent domestically, weakening cross-border STA possibilities.

The uncertainty surrounding the STA has bred mistrust on multiple levels. Academic institutions hesitate to launch new projects such as joint labs, scientists fear travel restrictions and surveillance, and funding providers grow anxious, leading to a drying up of grants and exchanges. Despite these challenges, scientific collaboration still persists at a very low level, especially in areas like climate change, public health and biodiversity, because these issues are global and require cooperation. However, in hi-tech domains like AI and quantum computing, cooperation is now heavily filtered through national security concerns.

The big question remains: how to jump-start a new era of science and technology cooperation. There is a Chinese saying: “A journey of 10,000 li begins with the first step.” Identifying that first step is crucial.

Any new initiatives to rekindle US-China science and technology cooperation should focus on areas where mutual interests align with global challenges, where strengths are complementary, and where geopolitical sensitivities are low. The most likely targets are transnational problems that can operate within the new “crash barriers” regarding data and personal security. New collaborations must also accept a reasonable level of competition. Of course, some areas like AI, semiconductors and quantum computing will remain difficult due to high barriers. The key to success will be solid intellectual property protections, the use of neutral platforms, and gradual trust-building.

I recall a personal encounter with a Chinese postdoc I met in the early 2000s who is now a lab head in Shenzhen. He told me in 2023, “I’d love to collaborate again – but now, if I even email a colleague at MIT, I have to explain myself”. The chill in cooperation is real, but so is the will to reconnect, and this sentiment exists on both sides of the Pacific.

The US-China STA is unique in scope, duration, and symbolism. Compared to US-European Union S&T Agreements, which are more institutionalised but less politically charged, and US-India or US-Japan S&T agreements that are strong but rarely central to bilateral relations, the STA stands apart.

China’s broader global S&T strategy reflects flexibility and pragmatism – it often avoids comprehensive frameworks, preferring MoUs (memorandums of understanding), funding alliances or project-level agreements. China also uses science as a form of soft power through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative science programmes, which offer scholarships and lab infrastructure to partners in Africa and Central Asia.

This shift marks China’s transition from being only an importer of technology and know-how to becoming both a technology supplier and buyer. I’ve met Chinese S&T attachés from PRC embassies worldwide who act almost like venture capital scouts, offering funding and partnership possibilities. In contrast, the STA is more bureaucratic but has unparalleled legacy and depth.

Nonetheless, we must recognise that with China’s S&T rise, it wants to expand its overall footprint in governing international and regional S&T affairs, which explains its steady increase in active participation in international and regional S&T organisations.

China’s agreements reflect strategic priorities. With Germany and the EU, the focus is on manufacturing innovation and green energy. With Israel, the emphasis is on applied tech and agritech. With Russia, there is increasing emphasis on space and nuclear technology. Unlike the US-China STA, many of these deals are more transactional and less open-ended.

At a recent conference in Shanghai, I heard Chinese scientists describe the US STA as the “mother agreement” – and all others as “children”. It was a reminder of just how symbolic and how much practical weight the STA still carries, especially among senior Chinese officials.

At Schwarzman College, I taught a graduate course on China science and technology policy, and the STA was a central focus. The message I emphasised was that in the current era of international relations, science has become both a bridge and a battleground. Chinese students often expressed enthusiasm about the level of past collaborations, while American students were a bit more cautious, worried about security and reciprocity.

We discussed the recent 2023-2024 STA negotiations at some length and why it took so long to develop a new agreement. One student from China asked: “Why renew if there’s no trust?” Another from the US answered: “Because trust has to start somewhere.” The discussion was much richer than many think tank forums, especially because several of the Schwarzman scholars had STEM backgrounds and relevant research-related work experience.

Trade de-escalation may create space for STA renewal – but only if both sides see mutual advantage. Historically, the 2001 WTO accession sparked a wave of S&T cooperation, while the 2018–2019 trade war triggered a slowdown in academic visits and scrutiny of joint programmes.

The Biden administration’s trade sanctions regarding semiconductors made S&T engagement with China a source of anxiety and worry about national security issues. During the first Trump administration, it seemed unlikely that the STA would be renewed in 2018 because it appeared to get caught up in the trade war, and yet it was renewed, though without much fanfare or comment.

The situation in 2023 under Biden was even more disheartening because the existing agreement was becoming obsolete in light of the various new pressing issues that were not covered in the original agreement, such as data security and personal security. Trust had broken down in multiple ways at the top of our two governments. To my great pleasure, however, after about 18 months of continuous negotiation, a new revised agreement was signed in December 2024. I was quite proactive in terms of supporting renewal.

The scrutiny of Duke Kunshan reflects a broader suspicion of US-China educational ventures. Critics allege compromises on academic freedom, influence operations, asymmetric student flows, unapproved knowledge transfers and trading American values for an alleged big payday. During my five-year tenure as executive vice-chancellor, I saw intense student engagement, rigorous curricula and institutional integrity.

DKU falls under China’s Ministry of Education. Duke has been quite vigilant in maintaining constant, but not heavy-handed, oversight over all academic and research activities. Nonetheless, if there is any meaningful research collaboration between DKU and its Chinese partner, Wuhan University, the STA symbolically helps protect such projects by normalising cooperation and setting a policy umbrella.

We often had to reassure the stakeholders in Durham and Washington that the collaboration was based on shared academic goals and values, not capitulation. The STA, along with our Cooperative Education Agreement, provided us a framework to explore cooperative possibilities as they emerged. You must remember that DKU is largely an undergraduate liberal arts institution; it is not like Duke itself, which is an R1 Comprehensive Research University.

Under the first Trump administration, policies like the China Initiative led many Chinese scientists to return home – not just fearing surveillance or career damage, but actually having encountered it. This talent flow, or recirculation, weakens US research output, accelerates China’s self-reliance, and undermines collaborative networks built over decades. A second Trump administration has further restricted visas and funding, refused to fund STA-linked programmes and made formal renewal politically untenable.

The final thought is that the STA is a bellwether for how the US and China view science diplomacy in their bilateral relationship. If it sits dormant or even collapses, it signals a shift from engagement to decoupling and containment – not just in trade or military affairs, but in the very fabric of global knowledge creation. There is no global challenge issue among climate change, clean energy, global pandemics and health, et cetera, whose meaningful solution does not depend on sustained cooperation between the US and China.