• Superstition or fact? What Chinese zodiac predictions really tell us
• US court blocks Florida law barring Chinese citizens from owning property
• [World] Misinformation spreads in China on ‘civil war’ in Texas
• China builds world’s most detailed human genome with ‘enormous’ implications for disease treatment
• China on track for ultra-high speed trains with hyperloop test ‘setting record’
• Apple’s China sales fall 13% in December quarter amid weak iPhone demand, increased competition from Huawei
• China’s northeast is finally turning ice and snow into silver and gold – with some help
• China social media moved by loving relationship between couple and landlord who cooks for them, cares for newborn
• Chinese military: provincial heads in unusual flurry of visits to Eastern Theatre Command to support war planning
• Asean renewable energy sector gets boost from China’s solar projects, faces hurdle of fossil fuels reliance
• Quirky love: China husband’s morning sickness signals love for pregnant wife, father urges children to beat him, dad of bride sobs at wedding
• China to more tightly control ethnic minority discussion online and in publications to temper ideological ‘risks’
• India begins to flex its naval power as competition with China grows
• Nicole Kidman’s series on Hong Kong expats, China unveils new warship technology: SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week
• Award-winning AI scientist who left US for China creates world’s first AI child in Beijing
• China and India should be Global South anchors, not power competitors
• China’s ‘financially unhealthy’ small firms have a serious cash-flow problem that threatens to topple more dominoes, survey finds
• Japan sends feelers to Trump: don’t strike a deal with China that could rock regional peace
• Age-defying China grandmother, 52, with lust for life dubbed ‘northeast Eileen Gu’ inspires many online
• China unlikely to apply ‘economic coercion’ against Japan amid slowdown as Tokyo builds ‘safety net’
• Hong Kong gets a second draconian security law | China
• US replacement of Chinese IT equipment will cost billions of dollars more, analysts say
• Landmark US-China science deal’s renewal hinges on personal safety, reciprocity concerns: scholar

Superstition or fact? What Chinese zodiac predictions really tell us

https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3250621/superstition-or-fact-what-chinese-zodiac-predictions-really-tell-us?utm_source=rss_feed

With the Year of the Dragon beginning on February 10, we have been inundated with the “predictions” of various feng shui masters about our health, money, work and love prospects in the new lunar year. But whether you believe in Chinese zodiac predictions isn’t really the point.

Some take these predictions seriously, carrying out all the steps instructed by the feng shui masters. Others may dismiss the predictions as superstition, reading them purely for amusement, if at all. Neither way is best. The former misses the real message of the predictions while the latter misses an opportunity for a happier life.

If you are confused, please hear me out. The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, who once said no man ever steps in the same river twice, taught that all things are in flux. So do Chinese zodiac predictions.

No zodiac sign has the upper hand in everything or forever. One year may see those born in the Year of the Monkey enjoying career advancements, the next year it may those of the Year of the Snake. It may be great for Rabbits one year, for Rats another. Equally, no zodiac sign connotes constant misfortune.

The belief in universal flux underpins another belief that runs deep in Chinese history: we all have a chance at success.

China’s feudal system collapsed more than 2,000 years ago with the abolishing of hereditary regional lords and masters, allowing commoners to become generals and state ministers. The only hereditary ruler left was the emperor – but even this could change. And nobodies could start new dynasties. The first such “nobody” founded the Han dynasty. His uprising upended a long tradition of rule by hereditary nobles.

Thus, from very early on, meritocracy mattered in China. The belief that fate can be changed by effort is behind the traditional emphasis on education and hard work. This is reflected in Chinese zodiac predictions, which are, after all, full of advice on what to do.

For instance, in a Post article about Chinese zodiac predictions, those born in the Year of the Snake are advised to learn new things and further their education, which fits well with the predictions of career advancement. There is the potential of a break-up due to the influence of two unlucky stars, so Snakes are encouraged to make an extra effort in communicating with partners.

All this talk about our lives being influenced by stars may lead some to conclude that this is all superstitious nonsense. But this is taking it too literally and missing the point. What Chinese zodiac predictions are really telling us is that we are all part of nature, our existence intricately connected with its movements.

Last year was the warmest on record. The weather was miserable, even deadly, in Europe, North America, China and many other places. One factor was solar fluctuation, which is particularly relevant to our understanding of Chinese zodiac predictions.

We have no control over the sun. It enables life on Earth but its strong solar flares can also cause problems, such as with satellites and our climate. The current solar cycle is expected to peak in 2025, with the sun’s energy output increasing until then. It is said that, in half a billion years, the sun may boil away the Earth’s oceans. It is both our blessing and curse.

Like the sun, the mighty , the most important star in Chinese zodiac predictions, is outside our control. Bowing to tai sui and other stars suggests a deep respect for the universe. We are not above nature and we cannot conquer all.

Also, in talking about people in terms of animals, the Chinese zodiac is a broad recognition of lives on Earth. There are those we adore, such as dogs. There are those we fear, such as snakes. There are those we eat, such as pigs. There are those we hate, such as rats. The zodiac even incorporates the element of the unknown in our knowledge, represented by the dragon: a pure product of our imagination.

When we can understand that we’re all part of a nature in constant motion, that we are neither above nor below anyone else, that there is a balance between our efforts and factors beyond our control, we’ll be that much more able to deal with all our ups and downs.

Is there a better way to achieve a happier life?

US court blocks Florida law barring Chinese citizens from owning property

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3250804/us-court-blocks-florida-law-barring-chinese-citizens-owning-property?utm_source=rss_feed

A US appeal court has blocked Florida from enforcing a ban on Chinese citizens owning homes or land in the state against two Chinese nationals who were in the process of buying property when the law w

as adopted.

A panel of the Atlanta-based 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals said on Thursday the individuals were likely to prevail on claims that Florida’s ban violates a federal law governing real estate purchases by foreign nationals.

A Florida federal judge in August had declined to block the law, prompting an appeal by the plaintiffs.

The 11th Circuit blocked enforcement of the law against the two plaintiffs pending the outcome of the case.

Lawmakers in several Republican-led states, including Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama, are considering similar restrictions on Chinese citizens owning property. China’s foreign ministry said last year that such laws “violate the rules of market economy and international trade rules”.

The office of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, a Republican, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Florida’s ban violates the US Constitution by specifically targeting Chinese citizens, said Bethany Li, legal director of the Asian-American Legal Defence and Education Fund, one of the groups representing the plaintiffs.

“Today’s ruling should serve as a warning to other states who are considering passing similarly racist bills, steeped in a history when Asians were ineligible for citizenship and were told they didn’t belong,” Li said in a statement.

Chinese residents in Florida sue state over property ownership ban

Florida’s law prohibits individuals who are “domiciled” in China and are not US citizens or green card holders from purchasing buildings or land in the state.

It also bars most citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia and North Korea from owning property near military installations and infrastructure such as power plants and airports.

The law has a narrow exception, allowing holders of non-tourist visas from those countries to own a single property that is at least 8km (five miles) from critical infrastructure.

Republican Governor Ron DeSantis said when he signed the law last May that it would help protect Americans from the influence of the Chinese Communist Party.

[World] Misinformation spreads in China on ‘civil war’ in Texas

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68185317?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

China builds world’s most detailed human genome with ‘enormous’ implications for disease treatment

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3250784/china-builds-worlds-most-detailed-human-genome-enormous-implications-disease-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese scientists have assembled the world’s most detailed human genome yet, a “landmark” event that could guide targeted drug discovery and medicine.

The complete, high-quality genome – which scientists sequenced from the DNA of a “healthy young” male villager in the central Chinese province of Shaanxi – is also the first complete genome of Han Chinese.

Research leader Gao Zhancheng said that until now sequencing-based diagnoses had been based on an incomplete reference genome from the United States, state-owned Science and Technology Daily reported on Thursday.

Scientists find first genetic evidence of multiracial population in ancient China

Gao, a director of respiratory and critical care medicine at Peking University People’s Hospital, said the US-based genome, which was used to judge “normality or variation”, was mostly derived from individuals of African and European ancestry.

The lack of representation of Asians in the genome can cause “large deviations” when diagnosing or treating patients, and could affect the development of targeted drugs, he said.

To address the gap, in 2020 Gao and his research team set out to construct a reference of the Chinese genome, particularly of the Han ethnicity, the largest ethnic group in the world.

The resulting genome was the “highest quality diploid [two complete sets] human genome”, assembled so far, the researchers said in a paper published in the journal Genomics, Proteomics & Bioinformatics in August.

The feat is a “landmark event in our country and even the world”, Zhang Xue, an academic from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, who was not an author of the paper, told Science and Technology Daily.

Sequencing the human genome has been an international mission since the Human Genome Project was launched in 1990. In the early 2000s, the project generated the first sequence of the human genome.

In 2022, the Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) consortium, a global community effort to assemble the human genome, presented a complete sequence of the human genome, called T2T-CHM13.

This assembled genome addressed the gaps left from the human genome first sequenced two decades earlier, and reached “its highest level of continuity and accuracy after 20 years of effort”, the paper said.

Hong Kong’s DNA pioneers launch blood tests to find cancer

CHM13 is expected to replace the US-based reference genome, GRCh38, that is the standard in research and medicine.

However, while the assembly of T2T-CHM13 was “a remarkable scientific achievement”, it did not represent the genome of a “real human individual”, the paper said.

That is because it originated from a “hydatidiform mole” – a non-viable fertilised egg with no maternal chromosomes, that instead has two sets of duplicated paternal chromosomes.

This also means that T2T-CHM13 is a “haploid genome”, containing only one set of chromosomes, with no Y chromosome.

But it is still considered a complete, gapless genome since it sequenced chromosomes from telomere to telomere – or tip to tip.

The Chinese team’s reference is a diploid genome, reflecting the actual human genome, containing both sets of chromosomes as well as the Y chromosome.

The villager who gave the blood sample lives near the ruins of the ancient capital built by Tang Yao, said to be one of China’s earliest emperors. So, the team called the reference genome T2T-YAO.

“The quality of T2T-YAO is much better than all currently available diploid assemblies,” the paper said, adding that even the haploid version of the genome was higher quality than T2T-CHM13.

“All the assessments of T2T-YAO ensure that it is highly qualified as a reference genome”, that is an accurate representation of a real human being, the team wrote.

The Y chromosome of this particular reference represented much of the Chinese population, excluding people in areas like Xinjiang and Tibet, Kang Yu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Science Beijing Institute of Genomics and co-lead of the research, told Science and Technology Daily

After comparing T2T-YAO with T2T-CHM13, the researchers found that it had around 330 megabases of exclusive genetic sequences, 3,100 unique genes and tens of thousands of nucleotide variations.

The clear genetic variation between the reference genomes highlighted “the necessity of a population-stratified reference genome”, the team wrote.

By comparing the sequenced genetic data of patients with a reference genome “healthcare providers can tailor personalised treatments according to an individual’s genetic make-up and specific disease risks”, Zhang wrote.

This approach to medicine, also called precision medicine, was still a developing field, Zhang said, but “the potential benefits of precision medicine are enormous”.

T2T-YAO could also help us better understand inherited and observable characteristics of disease, “especially within the context of the unique variations of the Chinese population”, the paper said.

Cheng Jing, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Engineering who was not an author of the paper, told Science and Technology Daily that the assembly of T2T-YAO could even help answer the question of who Chinese people were at the genetic level.

“Due to the limitations of sequencing technology, constructing high-quality T2T diploid genomes of a real individual remains challenging even after the completion of T2T-CHM13,” Zhang wrote.

While T2T-YAO took only two years to assemble, the previous most detailed genome was the result of three decades of work led by US-based scientists.

Kang said the reason they were able to assemble this reference genome so quickly was because of “the rapid progress of DNA sequencing and splicing technology”.

Science journal will weigh in on whether Chinese team made genetic engineering breakthrough

He stressed that the previous efforts of scientists around the world made this human genome sequence possible.

Yu Jun, the former deputy director of the Beijing Institute of Genomics, who was not an author of the paper, said the next step was to promote the sequencing of other genomes, including those of different ethnic groups in China.

“Eventually we hope to launch a nationwide genome sequencing project,” Yu said.

China on track for ultra-high speed trains with hyperloop test ‘setting record’

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3250723/china-track-ultra-high-speed-trains-hyperloop-test-setting-record?utm_source=rss_feed

A major Chinese aerospace defence contractor claims to have set a speed record with its superconducting maglev “high-speed flier”, paving the way for its revolutionary ultra-fast hyperloop train.

While the exact speed reached remains classified, the Third Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) said it had made “a significant breakthrough” with its latest test.

According to CASIC, it was the first time the maglev achieved stable levitation while travelling in a low-vacuum tube, using the full-scale 2km (1.2-mile) test line that was completed in November.

CASIC said the results surpassed the previous known record set by a superconducting maglev vehicle – 623km/hr (387mph) under non-vacuum conditions, as reported in October 2023.

A month earlier, a similar test of high-temperature superconducting maglev technology achieved 234km/hr (145mph) on a 380 metre (1,250ft) track.

China has a new test system for maglev trains that ‘fly on the ground’

The high-speed flier project integrates aerospace and terrestrial rail transport technologies, with a designed speed of up to 1,000km/hr – surpassing commercial aviation speeds.

The superconducting maglev technology “levitates” the train to eliminate friction as it travels through the specially designed low-vacuum tube. The near-vacuum conditions reduce air resistance, achieving “near-ground flight” at ultra-high speeds.

According to CASIC, the test not only set a speed record for the system, it also validated several key technologies and proved that they work well together.

The test line, in Datong, Shanxi province, northern China, is the longest and biggest of its kind and represents China’s first full-scale testing facility for an ultra-high-speed low-vacuum tube maglev transport system.

Construction officially began in April 2022, led by CASIC’s magnetic levitation and electromagnetic propulsion technology department, which was established in January 2018.

Accuracy was critical – with millimetre-level precision required for the concrete surfaces supporting the equipment. Variation in the flatness of the track could not exceed 0.3mm, according to CASIC’s website.

Several integrations and safety checks are also necessary when the train transitions from levitation to motion, highlighting the significance of the test line’s first phase completion.

The main body of the first phase features a platform with an upper and lower structure in an “n” and “u” shape, respectively. This supports “nu” shaped tubular beams, each nearly 6 metres (20ft) in diameter and 21 metres (69ft) long.

The tubes have a geometric size error of less than 2 millimetres (0.1 inch) and must be capable of maintaining a vacuum state for extended periods, presenting significant challenges in fabrication and installation.

With no domestic precedents for the high-speed flier, many construction details could not be fully represented in drawings, CASIC said. Instead, they had to be summarised and confirmed through practice before being validated in the engineering project.

Breakthrough in China hyperloop project aiming to transport people at 1,000km/h

“Science and technology progress step by step, and some aspects of this project are still in uncharted territory in China. Every step is challenging, and it’s a complex system,” said the project’s chief designer Mao Kai, in an interview with Zhejiang Daily.

According to official reports, the test proved that the vehicle tube and track interact well, keeping the heavy maglev vehicles floating steadily. The powerful movement systems and overall safety controls also functioned as expected.

These advances had improved the overall technical maturity of the system, laying a solid technical foundation for future higher-speed tests and the construction of a national level transport network, CASIC said.

According to the China National Space Administration, the same CASIC department is also working on the country’s next generation commercial aerospace electromagnetic launch systems.

Apple’s China sales fall 13% in December quarter amid weak iPhone demand, increased competition from Huawei

https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3250778/apples-china-sales-fall-13-december-quarter-amid-weak-iphone-demand-increased-competition-huawei?utm_source=rss_feed

Apple reported a nearly 13 per cent drop in revenue from its Greater China region in the December quarter, a setback that chief executive Tim Cook shrugged off amid the US tech giant’s overall global growth and its steadfast confidence in the world’s biggest smartphone market over the long term.

The Cupertino, California-based company on Thursday said global revenue in the three months ended December 30 totalled US$119.6 billion, up 2 per cent from US$117.1 billion a year earlier, as sales rose in its other operating regions. This marked Apple’s first quarterly revenue growth in a year.

Revenue in Greater China – covering the mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan – reached US$20.8 billion in the quarter, down from US$23.9 billion a year ago.

Cook indicated that iPhone sales in mainland China saw a “mid-single-digit” decline on a constant-currency basis, but expressed optimism about Apple’s long-term prospects in the world’s second-largest economy.

“I remain very optimistic about China over the long term,” Cook said in a conference call with analysts after its earnings results announcement. “And I feel good about hitting a new install base number, a high water mark, and very good about the growth in upgraders year over year during the quarter.”

Apple’s disappointing December quarter in China shows the increased competition from domestic smartphone vendors, especially Huawei Technologies. The US-sanctioned company staged a surprise comeback in the premium 5G handset segment in late August.

In a rare move, Apple last month offered Chinese consumers discounts of up to 800 yuan (US$113) on a range of products, from iPhones to MacBooks, ahead of the Lunar New Year to fend off the competition.

Mainland iPhone sales were estimated to be down 30 per cent year on year in the first week of January, according to a Jefferies research note published on January 7.

Apple gets deeper into China’s smartphone price wars with broad iPhone discounts

“The main reason for the decline is the return of Huawei and the fact that foldable phones have gradually become the first choice for high-end users in the Chinese market,” said Kuo Ming-chi, a TF International Securities analyst known for his accurate assessment of Apple’s business, in a research note published on Tuesday.

China’s shaky post-pandemic economic recovery has resulted in a weakness in iPhone demand that Kuo predicted would extend into this year.

Such a “structural challenge” on the mainland will lead to a significant decline of up to 15 per cent in global iPhone shipments in 2024, according to Kuo.

Worries about weak smartphone demand last month pushed Apple’s shares down, enabling Microsoft Corp to become the world’s most valuable company after ending the January 12 trading session in the US higher than the iPhone maker.

Apple leads US$383 billion tech rout in reversal from group’s 2023 rally

Despite slow iPhone sales, Apple still topped mainland China’s smartphone market in the fourth quarter and the whole of last year, according to a report by tech research firm IDC.

The company seized the No 1 spot on the mainland for the first time last year with a record 17.3 per cent market share, even though its domestic shipments saw a modest decline of 2.2 per cent – a smaller decrease in shipments compared to its competitors.

“Apple achieved this thanks to timely price promotions in its third-party channels, which stimulated demand,” Arthur Guo, senior research analyst at IDC China’s client system research, wrote in the report.

Overall smartphone shipments in mainland China declined 5 per cent last year, compared to 2022, according to IDC data.

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China’s northeast is finally turning ice and snow into silver and gold – with some help

https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3250574/chinas-northeast-finally-turning-ice-and-snow-silver-and-gold-some-help?utm_source=rss_feed

This winter, people in China can be categorised into three groups: those who are in Harbin; those who are on their way to Harbin; and those who are outside Harbin, surfing the internet to follow the latest news about this city and the rest of the northeastern region.

Harbin, the ice city of China’s northeast Heilongjiang province, is no doubt the hottest spot this winter, attracting visitors not just from other parts of China but also overseas.

The Harbin phenomenon has even sparked a ripple effect. The city’s popularity has brought attention to the other two northeastern provinces, Jilin and Liaoning; both are also experiencing a tourism boom.

As a Chinese person, especially someone who was born and lived for 18 years in northeastern China (my hometown is not far from Harbin), I can’t help but express my complicated feelings – and pride – about what is happening in this marvellous region.

The northeast of China, or Dongbei in Chinese, has always been unique. It is not only a region in a geographical sense, but also in a cultural sense. It consists of three provinces and the northeastern part of Inner Mongolia, and the people who live there have a strong self-identity and think of the region as a collective whole.

If you ask a northeasterner where he or she comes from, the answer may not be the specific province of their hometown. He or she would most likely tell you, “I am from Dongbei”.

Dongbei people are famous for their generosity, hospitality, sense of humour and dialect with a strong accent, which is so contagious that – it is said – no one could remain immune from it.

All these characteristics are evident in the reception given to visitors. On social media, people have been sharing the touching moments of visitors’ experiences in Harbin and other northeastern cities. Locals are thanked for their kindness and warmth.

I like this analogy best: Dongbei, as the “eldest son” of the People’s Republic of China, is embracing its younger sisters and brothers and giving them everything it can offer – just as it did decades ago.

In a family, the eldest son shoulders more responsibility in securing the family’s future. And that was exactly the role of Dongbei in the development of the People’s Republic during the first three decades of its establishment.

It was Mao Zedong, the founding father of modern China, who called the region the eldest son of the People’s Republic, during a visit to Harbin in 1950.

Dongbei was the birthplace of China’s industrialisation and once the pride of the country’s industrial development. The northeast region has long served as China’s production base for food, important raw materials, equipment manufacturing and heavy chemical industries. Its oil, coal, timber, food, machinery and equipment were distributed nationwide or sold at low prices under the planned economic system.

The region had its heyday but, as time went by, it fell into decline. Since the 1990s, Dongbei has experienced a drastic economic change. Its resource-guzzling development strategy focusing on heavy industries became obsolete, while its development of new industries lagged. The region has had a hard time adapting to structural reforms and the country’s economic transition.

Meanwhile, the southern parts of China, especially the coastal areas, embarked on fast track development following the reform and opening up.

The Dongbei region is also grappling with population loss and labour shortages, as many young people have left their hometowns in search of better opportunities. In 2020, the total population of northeast China’s three provinces was 98.51 million, a drop of 11 million from 10 years ago.

Yet, China’s eldest son has not given up. Due to its geographical and historical position, the northeast continues to play an irreplaceable part in maintaining China’s defence and food, energy and industrial security. Despite its unbalanced development, the region still has a strong industrial and agricultural foundation.

In 2003, China issued a revitalisation plan for the region, hoping to diversify its economy, improve its environmental protection and reform its state-owned enterprises, among other goals.

Chinese leaders have visited the region numerous times. On a visit to Heilongjiang in 2016, President Xi Jinping noted that, just like clear waters and green mountains, ice and snow are also as valuable as gold and silver.

And now the ice and snow have indeed turned into silver and gold. It is reported that since the 2023 Ice and Snow Festival, the number of tourists and tourism revenue in Heilongjiang have increased by 332.5 per cent and 898.3 per cent respectively, with many data points breaking records.

Over the New Year’s Day holiday this year, Jilin province received more than 6 million domestic tourists and collected tourism revenues of 5.3 billion yuan (US$737 million), a year-on-year increase of 406.69 per cent and 659.06 per cent respectively. Over the same holiday in Liaoning, the province received over 7 million tourists and nearly 5.2 billion yuan in revenues, a rise of 157.6 per cent and 203.8 per cent respectively.

One touching comment on the internet said that, in the past, the elder brother was the one to support the family, and now it is his turn to feel supported by his younger siblings.

From the bottom of my heart, I hope that Harbin’s winter this year can become the spring of hope for Dongbei’s future.

China social media moved by loving relationship between couple and landlord who cooks for them, cares for newborn

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3249690/china-social-media-moved-loving-relationship-between-couple-and-landlord-who-cooks-them-cares?utm_source=rss_feed

Social media in China has been touched by the family-like relationship between a young Chinese couple and their 71-year-old landlord.

On Douyin, the mainland version of TikTok, millions have watched video clips of the elderly man interacting with the couple’s baby, as if he were the biological grandfather.

The baby’s father, surnamed Kang, said his wife rented a room in the old man’s flat in 2017, after she graduated from university and moved to Shanghai for work.

Her landlord was there for her when she began dating her future husband, when she married him in 2020, and when the couple had their baby, nicknamed Ximi, in 2022.

The kind old man even carried their daughter from the hospital to their home when she was just a day old.

Kang said he suggested they move out after they married, but his wife was concerned that might leave the elderly widower lonely.

Instead, Kang moved in, and they have been living together like blood relatives ever since.

Kang said their landlord treats them like his family.

He cooks them meals and looks after Ximi when the couple are busy with work. He also gives the baby red packets during festivals and on her birthday.

“We are family,” Kang said.

He said they appreciate the landlord because his support gives the two young migrant workers the opportunity to work for a better future.

“Families are not bonded by blood, but by love,” one person said on Weibo.

“The couple receive the landlord’s kindness, and in return they relieve his loneliness,” said another.

“Shanghai has many elderly people who live alone away from their children, while the parents of young migrant workers mostly live back in their hometown. It’s nice that these three can look out for each other,” a third said.

The arrangement surprised some, because it is traditionally believed to be unlucky to rent to pregnant tenants.

The old saying: “Better lend house to a dead person than a newborn baby” originated in rural China.

The belief is that a person who dies in a house will leave their fortune in it, but a person born in a house will take away the household’s luck.

Nevertheless, close relationships between tenants and landlords regularly warms hearts on social media.

Last December, a man in eastern China’s Zhejiang province was hailed as “the most beautiful landlord” for giving a 20 per cent rebate on his tenant’s rent every month, so that she could buy better food for her children.

Chinese military: provincial heads in unusual flurry of visits to Eastern Theatre Command to support war planning

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3250764/chinese-military-provincial-heads-unusual-flurry-visits-eastern-theatre-command-support-war-planning?utm_source=rss_feed

An unusual prevalence of mainland Chinese provincial heads have visited the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theatre Command, which oversees Taiwan, as they pledge full support for its war readiness.

In the past month, three provincial-level party secretaries have made special tours to the theatre command that exercises authority over the military forces within their provinces, according to local newspapers. While there, the provincial officials met General Lin Xiangyang who heads the Eastern Theatre Command.

Although the visits are not unprecedented, it is rare to have so many in such a short time. And they come at a sensitive time, amid Beijing’s intensive attention and response to the Taiwan issue as the self-ruled island held its presidential and legislative elections on January 13.

During a visit to organs of the Eastern Theatre Command by Han Jun, party secretary of China’s central Anhui province, on Tuesday, Han met General Lin and said the province would “fully support the troop training and combat readiness” of the command, according to the local Anhui Daily newspaper.

Lin’s command is responsible for the East China Sea and Taiwan.

Xi Jinping praises military branch keeping up the pressure on Taiwan

It came a day after Zhou Zuyi, party secretary of China’s coastal Fujian province, met with Lin. In the meeting Zhou said he hoped the command could “make greater contributions to the great cause of reunification”, referring to Beijing’s goal of reunifying with Taiwan.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to arm Taiwan.

On January 9, Jiangxi party secretary Yin Hong made a similar visit to the Eastern Theatre Command and vowed that his province would “focus on what the troops need to prepare for and win combat”.

Yin made the trip from his province to Nanjing, Jiangsu, where the command is headquartered, according to the Jiangxi Daily.

The command’s jurisdiction includes the three provinces whose heads made visits – Anhui, Fujian and Jiangxi – as well as Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces and Shanghai.

Chinese local governments are responsible for implementing policies that support veterans and afford benefits to soldiers’ families, as well as safeguarding the status, rights and interests of military personnel.

The meetings carried the theme of forging close bonds and unity between the military, local civilians and local governments, a relationship that could be traced back to the 1940s.

In the latest rounds of meetings, for example, Yin said his Jiangxi province government would steadily work on “national defence mobilisation” for “military struggles” and would implement policies that benefit the soldiers.

Chinese President Xi Jinping last visited the Eastern Theatre Command in July, when he said he affirmed the significant contributions the command had made and called on it to raise its capabilities to fight and win.

Since August 2022 – when then US House speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, triggering the PLA’s unprecedented military exercises around the island – the Eastern Theatre Command has played a big role in continuing regular exercises near the island to “enhance deterrence”.

Beijing’s changes to cross-strait flight path will ‘squeeze’ Taiwan air defence

The recent visits by provincial party heads to forge “military-locality relations” was believed to be part of recent Beijing’s messaging from the central to local level towards the Taiwan elections.

They also came after Xi’s call to enhance “coordination between the military and locality” to promote high quality development of the PLA.

Taiwanese elected William Lai Ching-te of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party as president in the island’s election last month. Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office responded that the result “would not impede the inevitable trend of China’s reunification”.

Asean renewable energy sector gets boost from China’s solar projects, faces hurdle of fossil fuels reliance

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3250686/asean-renewable-energy-sector-gets-boost-chinas-solar-projects-faces-hurdle-fossil-fuels-reliance?utm_source=rss_feed

Southeast Asia’s push to triple renewable energy production in line with last year’s United Nations pledge is likely to get a boost from China’s record solar installations, but the region will need to overcome multiple hurdles for its clean energy transition, according to analysts.

China added 216.9 gigawatts of solar energy in 2023, surpassing 175.2 gigawatts generated in the United States, the world’s second-largest solar market, according to a report by Bloomberg News last week. The steep increase has facilitated a price plunge in renewable equipment, helping the rest of Asia.

“The result is that China has a dramatically larger capacity to export solar modules as 2024 and 2025 unfold, and the resulting global oversupply is pushing [solar] module prices down dramatically,” said Tim Buckley, Sydney-based director of Climate Energy Finance.

China’s export prices of modules have halved, and their efficiencies have improved dramatically because of investments in research and development, he said.

Can Red Sea attacks speed up Southeast Asia’s clean energy transition?

“All of this is increasing the commercial viability of solar relative to alternative sources of electricity, both within China and in the wider Asian markets and globally,” Buckley said. Though its early days, China should be able to leverage its leadership with trade partners in Asia, Africa and South America, he added.

Southeast Asian nations like Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore are speeding up renewable capacity in line with their net-zero emission goals by 2050 or 2060, but have found it tough to reduce their dependence on coal and gas.

“There is sort of a buyer’s market which is being created, characterised by an oversupply of modules [because of China]. So this now makes it easier for the other Asian countries to look at solar as a viable option to expand their respective power systems,” said Aditya Lolla, the Asia Programme Director of energy think tank Ember.

But the challenges for other Asian countries are “very different” to China’s because of a lack of access to finance and mature markets for renewables, as well as inadequate grid infrastructure and battery storage systems, he added.

Blessed with natural renewable resources, Southeast Asia has “a lot of room for growth in renewable energy production”, said Gerry Arances, Executive Director of Center for Energy, Ecology and Development.

Geothermal power: Indonesia eyes ‘phenomenal’ renewable energy potential

China has been developing and financing solar power projects in other Asian countries, especially in Southeast Asia.

According to the Global Development Policy Center, China said in 2020 that it had invested or was committed to investing US$36.6 billion in solar power projects in countries under its Belt and Road Initiative, of which US$10.4 billion was in Southeast Asia.

Some of these include the 2.2-gigawatt Mekong River Floating Solar Project in Thailand, the 168-megawatt Don Sahong Dam Solar Project in Laos, and the 140-megawatt Cirata Floating Solar Project in Indonesia.

As China invests more in overseas renewable projects, its supply of parts has helped companies in the region to build their capacities.

Oliver Tan, President and CEO of Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation in the Philippines, said his firm had been getting photovoltaic panels from China’s Trina Solar – with which it signed an agreement last October – for its domestic solar plant.

However, there is still a lot of work ahead to fully realise the region’s renewable energy potential, say industry executives.

China’s financing in this area in the Asia-Pacific has mostly been on a short-term basis as opposed to a more longer-term financing, said Mike Lim, partner at TRIREC, a Singapore-based venture capital firm involved in decarbonisation.

The regulatory environment in many Asian markets – where local investors have certain advantages or entitlements – also poses hurdles, he said. There is a lack of clear and consistent policy and incentives for renewable energy in the region, he added.

Many of these nations’ renewable roll-out plans could benefit if China were to share its insights on policymaking, government incentives and project monitoring, Lim said.

“China’s installation of record solar power generation is translating into more renewable access to equipment and generation across Southeast Asia and other parts of Asia, but it is not enough to accelerate the region’s shift from coal-based generation,” he said.

On the other hand, China’s installed wind and solar capacity will overtake coal for the first time this year, the China Electricity Council said in a report this week.

Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines are the top coal-consuming countries in Southeast Asia.

Global Energy Monitor said in a report earlier this month that it had catalogued 28GW of solar and wind capacity across Asean countries, with a 20 per cent increase in operational capacity since January 2023. There is also additional capacity either in the pipeline or being constructed across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

“However, construction rates across the region remain low, with only 3 per cent of this prospective capacity in construction phases. Asean countries face several challenges that have slowed the progression of projects,” said Janna E Smith, a researcher at Global Energy Monitor.

Investors pump billions into India’s green economy amid ‘favourable climate’

The region’s reliance on fossil fuels remains “substantial” with coal demand having accelerated during the pandemic even though natural gas has been promoted as a transitional fuel towards developing renewable energy, said Smith.

“Ultimately, these conditions send mixed signals to solar and wind developers about their place in Asean countries’ energy transition,” she added.

The Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam are accelerating solar development, but their overall generation is too small to cover the electricity needs of the region, said Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

“The current situation means that Asean is missing out on affordable solar power that could boost economic development,” he added.

Quirky love: China husband’s morning sickness signals love for pregnant wife, father urges children to beat him, dad of bride sobs at wedding

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3249581/quirky-love-china-husbands-morning-sickness-signals-love-pregnant-wife-father-urges-children-beat?utm_source=rss_feed

Doctors in China say a man who began regularly vomiting as soon as his wife became pregnant was displaying signs of affection and empathy.

The husband, surnamed Zhu, from the eastern province of Shandong, said his expectant wife was seldom sick, unlike many other women during the first three months of her pregnancy.

Instead, he was the one who became nauseous – and worse – from the start, according to Pear Video.

When he told doctors, they said they had seen similar cases in which wives felt fine but their husbands suffered what is traditionally referred to as morning sickness regardless of the time of day it happens.

The reaction is called a conditioned reflex and may be caused by stress, empathy, or hormonal changes. It is almost always temporary and not serious, doctors say.

Zhu had a medical check-up, just to make sure there were no underlying health reasons for his reaction, and the results came back negative.

“Doctors said my sickness was probably due to the fact that my wife and I have a deep bond,” Zhu said.

Beat me, says father

A father in southwestern China does not want to hit his four young children who constantly fight with each other, so he allows them to beat him instead, reported sohu.com.

“We have many kids. Sometimes we feel we cannot treat each of them fairly. So they have a lot of complaints,” his wife said.

Although the children frequently quarrel, their father cannot bring himself to dish out physical punishment, which is a common form of child discipline in China.

Instead, he tells them to use clothes hangers to hit his bare back to take out their frustrations.

The mother said the children know it is wrong to hit their father’s back, so they do it lightly.

Some internet users praised the father, with one person saying: “He’s doing a great job, his parenting is awesome.”

Others took a different view: “I find the father’s idea confusing,” one person said.

Video of a father sobbing on his daughter’s wedding day has touched many people on mainland social media.

The clip was filmed at a house in Yunnan province, southwestern China, on January 20, according to Chongqing TV

When the newlywed couple kneel down in front of the bride’s parents to express their gratitude, the father cannot stop weeping.

He stands up and tries to leave and, despite his wife grabbing his arm, runs into another room.

“The bride’s father was very emotional. He was crying like a child and he felt so sad he just had to escape for a while,” a relative said.

The father and the bride were later seen wiping away each other’s tears.

As the married couple prepared to head to the groom’s home, the father, still with tears in his eyes, told the groom to treat his daughter well.

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China to more tightly control ethnic minority discussion online and in publications to temper ideological ‘risks’

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3250702/china-more-tightly-control-ethnic-minority-discussion-online-and-publications-temper-ideological?utm_source=rss_feed

A top Beijing policy office has pledged to tighten control of ethnic minority-related discussion on the internet and in publications, in a move to stamp out what it calls ideological risks related to these minorities in China.

In an article published on Thursday in the Communist Party’s theoretical journal Qiushi, the National Ethnic Affairs Commission called for greater oversight of public opinion and discussion around ethnic minority groups and related issues in the online space.

The article referred to “risks” arising from ethnic minority communities and called for “the responsibility mechanism of ideology work” to be implemented.

China’s ethnic affairs officials urged to promote integration of minority groups

“[We must] resolutely fend off the infiltration of the ‘three forces’,” referring to terrorism, separatism and religious extremism. “[We must] further regulate publication related to ethnic minority groups.”

The commission called for greater supervision, for officials to “promptly and appropriately” address grievances involving issues related to ethnic minority groups and to “absolutely uphold the bottom line of preventing regional and systemic risks in the ethnic regions”.

However, in addition to a call for greater control, the article endorsed more resources being put into art – such as in publications, on stage and visual arts – that the commission said could help ethnic minority groups identify more deeply with Chinese culture.

“[We] should aim to make the internet the biggest contributor to strengthening the awareness of the community of the Chinese nation,” it said.

The article is under the byline of the Communist Party leadership group at the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, the office responsible for drafting and implementing laws regarding China’s policies towards its ethnic minority groups.

The remarks in the article came as Beijing stresses the need to realise Chinese President Xi Jinping’s vision of “forging a sense of community of the Chinese nation”, which advocates for greater integration of ethnic minority groups and putting the interests of the Chinese nation first.

Grievances relating to ethnic minority groups have long been a major source of tension in Chinese society, particularly in the country’s far-west regions of Xinjiang and Tibet.

Beijing has largely tamped down the intensity of those tensions in recent years by tightening its grip on the region’s security and culture policies. Its measures have attracted criticism from Washington and its allies who accuse Beijing of using the measures to inflict human rights abuses.

China’s United Nations human rights review puts global divide on display

For example, Beijing’s treatment of ethnic minority groups in Xinjiang has drawn mounting criticism from Western media and organisations, and allegations that it detained a million Uygurs and members of other Muslim minority groups in re-education camps and forced them into labour.

Beijing strongly denies this, saying the security measures are intended to counter terrorism and extremism.

The article in Qiushi on Thursday said China’s external communication around its ethnic minority groups was not effective – of Beijing “having a valid point but not being able to effectively communicate it ” – because of some countries’ “hegemonic dominance”, although it did not name those countries.

It said Beijing had stepped up efforts in the hope its global communication would better align with its narrative.

One example is Beijing’s dramatically increased use since last year of “Xizang” rather than “Tibet” in its English articles in Chinese state media. It sees the term Tibet, when referring to the autonomous region in western China, as being linked in international discussion to the region’s spiritual leader-in-exile, the Dalai Lama.

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India begins to flex its naval power as competition with China grows

https://apnews.com/article/india-china-maritime-security-d53925a976e667f275024fa964818c8fFILE- Confetti and smoke in the colors of the Indian national flag mark the entry of INS Vindhyagiri, a new warship for the Indian navy, into the Hooghly river in Kolkata, India, Aug. 17, 2023. India has long focused its defense policy on its land borders with rivals Pakistan and China but is now beginning to flex its naval power in international waters, including anti-piracy patrols and a deployment close to the Red Sea to protect ships from attacks.(AP Photo/Bikas Das, file)

2024-02-02T03:26:27Z

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — For decades, India has focused its defense policy on its land borders with rivals Pakistan and China. Now, as its global ambitions expand, it is beginning to flex its naval power in international waters, including anti-piracy patrols and a widely publicized deployment close to the Red Sea to help protect ships from attacks during Israel’s war with Hamas.

India sent three guided missile destroyers and reconnaissance aircraft in November when Yemen-based Houthi rebels began targeting ships in solidarity with Hamas, causing disruptions in a key trading route that handles about 12% of global trade.

The deployment highlights the country as a “proactive contributor” to international maritime stability, said Vice Adm. Anil Kumar Chawla, who retired in 2021 as head of India’s southern naval command.

“We are not doing it only out of altruism. Unless you are a maritime power you can never aspire to be a global power,” Chawla said. India, already a regional power, is positioning itself “as a global player today, an upcoming global power,” he said.

India is widely publicizing the deployments, signaling its desire to assume a wider responsibility in maritime security to the world and its growing maritime ambitions to regional rival China.

“It is a message to China that, look, we can deploy such a large force here. This is our backyard. Though we don’t own it, but we are probably the most capable and responsible resident naval power,” Chawla said.

The Indian navy has helped at least four ships, three of which were attacked by Houthi rebels and another that Washington blamed on Iran, a charge denied by Tehran. It has also conducted several anti-piracy missions.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels have targeted dozens of ships in the Red Sea, saying they are seeking a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. The U.S. and its allies have responded with multiple rounds of bombings of rebel positions. India has not joined the U.S.-led force battling the Houthis.

On Jan. 26, the Indian guided missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam assisted the crew of a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker in fighting a fire after it was hit by a missile in the Gulf of Aden. About 10 days earlier, the Visakhapatnam responded to a distress call by the U.S.-owned Genco Picardy merchant vessel following a drone attack in the same waters.

“Maritime security has not been a strong pillar of India’s foreign policy engagements in a way we are beginning to see now,” said Darshana M. Baruah, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “China is a factor in this.”

The rivals are already locked in a military standoff along their disputed border high in the mountains.

China has built up its presence over the years in the Indian Ocean, a key route for its energy supplies. It has the world’s largest navy by number of ships, more than three times the size of the Indian navy. China also operates a powerful fleet of large coast guard ships and what is referred to as its maritime militia consisting of fishing vessels that cooperate with the coast guard in asserting territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Beijing has deepened its engagement in the Indian Ocean mainly through infrastructure deals with India’s neighbors, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and most recently the Maldives.

“The Chinese are looking for more and more naval bases in the extended Indian Ocean,” said Lt. Gen. D. S. Hooda, a former Indian military officer and now a strategic expert. “Seeing that, India doesn’t have any other option but to keep building up its own.”

The Maldives government last week gave clearance to a Chinese research ship to dock in its port. Similar Chinese ships have made port calls in Sri Lanka in 2022 and 2023 amid fears in India that they could be used to surveil the region. India’s concerns led Sri Lanka earlier this year to declare a one-year moratorium on foreign research ships entering its waters.

Experts say the growing competition with China is energizing India to acquire more advanced ships, submarines and aircraft and invest more in technology and infrastructure. The navy’s share of India’s burgeoning defense budget, which reached $72.6 billion last year, has increased to 19% from about 14%. The Indian army has traditionally received the lion’s share of the military budget.

The navy has also built strategic partnerships through participation in joint exercises with other nations in the region and beyond.

Baruah, who directs the Indian Ocean Initiative at the Carnegie Endowment, said there is a “need for Delhi’s strategic thinking to be maritime-oriented, not just as an option for crisis response but as a theater to advance India’s most pressing geopolitical and strategic priorities in the Indo-Pacific.”

India, the U.S., Australia and Japan are members of the Indo-Pacific strategic alliance known as the Quad, which has repeatedly accused China of flexing its military muscles in the South China Sea and aggressively pushing its maritime territorial claims. The navies of the four countries regularly hold drills seen as part of an initiative to counter China’s growing assertiveness in the Pacific.

Beijing maintains that its military is purely defensive to protect what it says are its sovereign rights, and calls the Quad an attempt to contain its economic growth and influence.

For Indian naval planners, the South China Sea remains a top concern, with about 60% of India’s cargo passing through shipping lanes in the Beijing-dominated region.

Chawla said India doesn’t have “strength to project power into the South China Sea right now” because of the vast Chinese maritime assets there.

“Frankly, if it comes to a shooting war, India does not really have the capability and Quad does not have the mandate,” he said. “You know, it’s not a NATO-like alliance yet.”

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Follow AP’s Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific

AIJAZ HUSSAIN Hussain is a correspondent based in Kashmir, India twitter mailto

Nicole Kidman’s series on Hong Kong expats, China unveils new warship technology: SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3250675/nicole-kidmans-series-hong-kong-expats-china-unveils-new-warship-technology-scmps-7-highlights-week?utm_source=rss_feed

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider .

China’s third and newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has yet to undergo sea trials but its design details – including an advanced “all in one” mast – are gradually being revealed.

The Fujian’s much talked about electromagnetic plane catapults were seen on state television for the first time early this month, showing that it has one less launch track than the USS Gerald R. Ford – the only other aircraft carrier in the world equipped with the technology.

A new television series starring Nicole Kidman about expats in Hong Kong has put the government in an awkward position and does not portray the city in a positive way, according to lawmakers, while some members of the community it portrays say the way the show depicts their lives is unrealistic.

Across China, a large cross-section of foreign businesses is struggling to cope amid what has been a gulf between their tepid business performances and Beijing’s rose-tinted account of the economy.

Hong Kong’s leader has unveiled plans to enact sweeping domestic national security legislation targeting ­treason, insurrection, sabotage, foreign interference, theft of state secrets and espionage, promoting it as a “defensive law” to ward off attacks against the city amid escalating geopolitical tensions between China and the West.

Pyongyang’s persistence in funding its weapons programme could become a “political time bomb” for the regime, observers have warned, after North Korean workers in China were said to have rioted over the discovery their back wages had been transferred to prop up their country’s arms production.

For the first time, Beijing’s top intelligence agency has laid out 10 conditions subject to scrutiny by its agencies – mainly concerning national security, state secrets and violating the country’s updated anti-espionage law – that could lead to questioning, known in slang as “an invitation to tea”.

The plight of an elderly Chinese couple driven out of their own home by their son after signing the property over to their grandson, has outraged mainland social media.

“The flat would go to my son and grandson in the end, so I did not think they would do anything terrible to me before I died,” the father Jin said.

Award-winning AI scientist who left US for China creates world’s first AI child in Beijing

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3250529/award-winning-ai-scientist-who-left-us-china-creates-worlds-first-ai-child-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed

Science fiction has now become reality with the creation of Tong Tong, a girl who is the world’s first virtual artificial intelligence (AI) entity, developed by Chinese scientists.

Affectionately named Little Girl, or Tong Tong in Chinese, the groundbreaking AI was unveiled at the Frontiers of General Artificial Intelligence Technology Exhibition held in Beijing on January 28-29, under the auspices of the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence (BIGAI).

There, exhibition visitors could interact with Little Girl. When programmed to like things tidy, she would fix a crooked picture frame on her own. If the frame was too high for her to reach, she would find a stool so she could straighten it without any help from a human. Also, if someone spilled milk, she would find a towel and clean it up by herself, showing her ability to interpret human intentions.

Unlike popular large language models in AI, Little Girl can independently assign tasks to herself, ranging from exploring her environment to tidying rooms and cleaning stains.

She has her own emotions and intellect, and is capable of autonomous learning.

“Little Girl possesses a mind and strives to understand the common sense taught by humans. She discerns right from wrong, expresses her attitudes in various situations, and has the power to shape the future,” a video posted by BIGAI said.

World at a crossroads: extinction or a new AI-enabled civilisation?

In terms of general artificial intelligence standards and testing tasks, Little Girl displays behaviour and capabilities akin to those of a three or four-year-old child. Through exploration and human interaction, she can continually enhance her skills, knowledge and values.

A key aspect of general intelligence, as one researcher explained, is having physical and social common sense akin to humans. Driven by its own values, an AI entity should not only be capable of completing an infinite array of tasks, but should also define new ones autonomously.

“To advance towards general artificial intelligence, we must create entities that can comprehend the real world and possess a wide range of skills,” BIGAI director Zhu Songchun said.

Zhu, who spent 28 years studying, living and working in the United States, left his professorship at UCLA in 2020 to establish BIGAI back in China.

As a world-renowned scholar in the field of AI, his research areas include general artificial intelligence, computer vision and autonomous robots, among others.

He has received the ONR Young Investigator Award from the US Naval Research Laboratory and the Marr Prize from the International Conference on Computer Vision, one of the highest awards given for papers in the field.

He has also served as chairman of the Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) and vice-director of the IEEE Computer Society Fellow Evaluation Committee.

Also showcased at the exhibition was the Tong Test, a platform for AI testing published by Zhu’s team in the journal Engineering hosted by the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) in August last year.

Traditional AI tests, which focus on human identification, task orientation and virtual environment testing, each have their limitations.

The Turing Test, for example, can only assess an AI’s communication level with humans, not its intelligence. Task-oriented tests may lead to AI systems learning tasks too specifically, thus losing their ability to generalise. Virtual environment tests, while creating realistic experiences, tend to oversimplify physical environments.

The Tong Test introduces a comprehensive capability assessment framework across five dimensions – vision, language, cognition, motion and learning. It also encompasses a value system ranging from physiological and survival needs to emotional and social values, and even group values.

“With nearly 100 specialised tasks and over 50 general tasks, the Tong Test offers a complete testing regime for the development of general artificial intelligence,” a release on the institute’s website said.

“For general AI to integrate seamlessly into human environments, it must learn and execute tasks in complex settings, driven by values and an understanding of causality. This is why we proposed the Tong Test, a new direction for testing general AI, focusing on practical abilities and values,” Zhu said in the release.

“Our research will guide general AI in learning and improving its capabilities more effectively and safely, ensuring it serves human society better,” he said.

China and India should be Global South anchors, not power competitors

https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3250458/china-and-india-should-be-global-south-anchors-not-power-competitors?utm_source=rss_feed

Much has been said about how China and India are jostling for leadership of the Global South. This is bunkum. China harbours no intention of becoming the Global South leader, and India is unlikely to become one even if it wants to.

China describes itself only as “a natural member of the Global South”, in line with what it calls itself: a developing country. But while India has not yet declared itself the leader of the Global South, its ambition is hardly veiled.

Last year, with New Delhi hosting the G20 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened two Voice of Global South Summits for 125 developing countries without inviting China, Brazil or South Africa. This is almost understandable: India could hardly puff up with self-importance as the voice of the Global South in the presence of these leading G20 developing nations.

China and India have the same problem in trying to convince others to see them as they see themselves. As China gets stronger, despite the late Deng Xiaoping’s mantra of , meaning to hide your strength, bide your time, it can hardly hide its strength any more.

For example, China has said it will remain a developing country forever. There is indeed no strictly agreed definition for a developing or developed country. But if China overtakes the United States in 10 years to become the world’s largest economy, could it then still be a developing country? Some are already calling China a superpower.

For India, the challenge is to encourage a belief that it is bigger than it actually is. With liberal democracy in steady decline, India’s self-description as the world’s largest democracy adds little dazzle. Besides, there are doubts that India is a full democracy and many consider Modi’s government repressive.

India’s latest self-branding is “Vishwaguru”, or world teacher. The question is what India can teach the world. While India has outpaced China in economic growth over the past few years, China’s economy remains five times as large. Even if India could sustain an average annual growth of about 5 per cent, its gross domestic product will still only be where China’s is today in around 2050.

China, which spent four decades lifting 800 million of its people out of poverty, is more qualified to share its lessons learned with other developing countries. In diplomacy, India has yet to set a better example than Beijing’s successful mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The war in Gaza is showing up India’s difficulties in trying to assume leadership of the Global South. On October 7, Modi wrote on X: “We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour” before US President Joe Biden tweeted his support for Israel. India’s backing of Israel, one of its biggest weapon suppliers, is probably a reflection of its realpolitik.

But most Global South countries, including China, are more sympathetic to the Palestinians. South Africa, in particular, has launched a case in the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of “genocidal acts” in Gaza.

Perhaps the best narrative India has found for itself is in being a bridge between the Global North and South; this at least carries a grain of modesty. According to Modi, India can serve as a bridge “so that linkages between the North and South can become stronger and the Global South can itself become stronger”.

But, in a globalised world, why would any Global South country need to reach the Global North through an Indian bridge? The only thing that looks somewhat like a bridge is the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor in which India has a key role. But this is a US-led project. And it will probably never come to fruition due to the Gaza conflict, which threatens to spread across the region.

Modi’s government is at best pragmatic and at worst opportunistic. India is drawing closer to the US. With China-US competition intensifying, Washington naturally needs New Delhi, in groupings such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, just as it needed Beijing during the Cold War to counterbalance Moscow.

The question is what price India is ready to pay. New Delhi has maintained good relations with Moscow since the Cold War and, for a long time, will continue to depend on Russian oil, gas and spare parts for the Russian weapons that make up the bulk of what’s used in its military. But this relationship will cool as India warms up to the US. The challenge is in how India can step back gradually from Russia.

The more difficult relationship is with China, India’s largest direct neighbour. Their disputed border areas have led to many military stand-offs, including a deadly clash in 2020. In the Indian Ocean, where India considers itself a “net security provider”, it frets about China’s increased economic and military presence.

India repeatedly objected to Sri Lanka allowing Chinese military vessels to dock to replenish supplies, forcing the government to introduce a ban on Chinese ships. China, in contrast, has welcomed India’s membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Brics (which also includes Brazil, Russia and South Africa), two organisations in which China has a crucial role.

The future bodes well for both China and India. The Asian century that Deng Xiaoping described to Rajiv Gandhi in the late 1980s is dawning. China has grown into a pole in our multipolar world and India could one day become another. If this is to be a blessing for the Global South, both Asian giants must serve as anchors rather than competitors in our volatile world.

China’s ‘financially unhealthy’ small firms have a serious cash-flow problem that threatens to topple more dominoes, survey finds

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3250618/chinas-financially-unhealthy-small-firms-have-serious-cash-flow-problem-threatens-topple-more?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s small businesses, which are critical components of its private sector and big drivers of urban jobs, are still contending with severe payment delays and other operational difficulties, according to a recent financial health survey.

The findings, compiled by the Chinese Academy of Financial Inclusion at Renmin University in Beijing, were based on data collected from more than 2,300 small and micro-sized firms across the country.

In a subsequent report, the academy flagged the most pressing problems while offering suggestions for financial institutions and governments to more effectively empower small firms, boost market confidence and enhance operational resilience.

The report, released on Tuesday, called attention to “the most critical cash-flow issues” for China’s small businesses, and warned that the outsized problem of mounting arrears could be “a domino that knocks over the others”.

China’s job pressure seen ‘worsening’ in 2024 as solutions elude workforce

The survey gauged the financial situations of such firms in terms of their daily financial management, risk prevention and capital management.

Hou Liming, a researcher with the academy, said that more than one-third of surveyed companies were “still financially unhealthy, which affects the lives of 180 million people”.

About 80 per cent of those “financially unhealthy” firms reported delays in receiving payments, and the report said that this impediment could lead to higher risks in their operations and financial conditions than it would for other companies.

“The key concern among small and low-profit businesses is their cash flow for operating activities,” Hou said.

Based on the State Taxation Administration’s definition, small and low-profit companies in China are defined as entities that pay less than 3 million yuan (US$422,000) in annual taxes, have fewer than 300 employees, and whose total assets are worth less than 50 million yuan.

Small and micro-sized firms are considered vital to the health of China’s overall economy, but authorities and economists have noted that the group is the most vulnerable to the bumpy recovery that the country is facing.

Late payments have become a chronic problem plaguing China’s private sector – considered the backbone of economic growth and job creation – especially among small suppliers or contractors of big companies and state-owned enterprises.

The issue has grown in severity to the point that the central government has launched several rounds of campaigns over the last couple of years to spur and incentivise debt repayments.

China’s three-legged race to fend off the 4 D’s of an economic apocalypse

“The survey aimed to determine whether companies could respond to hidden risks in their daily operations, and at how much they could cope with their financial needs, now and the future,” Hou said.

The report called for particular emphasis to be placed on cash-flow concerns, which it deemed the “most pressing issue” for small firms.

“Support from governments and financial institutions is needed to ease the cash-flow pressure resulting from arrears or severe delays in recoverable accounts,” it said.

Survey respondents also indicated that a lack of assets, as well as the complicated and arduous process they must undergo to obtain bank loans, were the main hindrances to financing activities.

Ren Xinglei, president of the China Association for Small & Medium Commercial Enterprises, said the challenges facing these companies reflect the demand for more diversified financial services that are specifically catered to fit their needs.

“It’s important to enhance the financial competency of these enterprises so that they can steadily get through trying times,” he added.

The report suggested that financial institutions should provide insurance products that offer strong protection, as well as credit guarantees and integrated services, to small businesses.

Also in the report, Tamas Hajba, senior adviser to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in China, noted how “almost all small enterprises in the world” have been dealing with developmental difficulties in the post-pandemic era.

“Helping small-sized companies get out of debt, by seeking financing from channels other than banks, and empowering small and micro-sized enterprises to bridge the digital divide and achieve a green transformation, are all directions that require the joint efforts of all parties,” he said.

Japan sends feelers to Trump: don’t strike a deal with China that could rock regional peace

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3250651/japan-sends-feelers-trump-dont-strike-deal-china-could-rock-regional-peace?utm_source=rss_feed

Japan, America’s closest ally in Asia, has been trying to send a message to US presidential hopeful Donald Trump: don’t try to strike any deal with China that could upend years of collective efforts to rein in Beijing and risk the region’s fragile peace.

Tokyo has stepped up attempts to engage with people close to Trump in recent weeks, as the 77-year-old’s victories in Republican primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire have seen him emerge in some polls as the front runner in November’s presidential election.

The outreach – detailed in interviews with six Japanese officials, much of it previously unreported – comes as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida prepares for an April state visit to the US at President Joe Biden’s invitation.

Japan’s endeavours have included dispatching a senior ruling-party figure to try to meet Trump, and engagement by Japanese diplomats with think tanks and former US officials aligned with Trump, three of the officials said.

Top of Tokyo’s worry list is that if Trump returns to power he may seek some kind of trade or security deal between the world’s top two economies that could undermine recent efforts by the Group of Seven (G7) wealthy nations to counter China, according to the six officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the issue’s sensitivity.

Trump, who reached a trade agreement with Beijing in 2019 that later expired, has not mentioned any potential deal with China during his campaign for the 2024 nomination.

Why Japan is reportedly reaching out to Donald Trump ahead of US election

The Japanese officials said they had no specific knowledge of Trump’s plans, but they based their concerns on his public comments and actions during his 2017-2021 term, in which he eschewed some multilateral cooperation, defended his relationships with authoritarian leaders such as China’s Xi Jinping, and unsuccessfully sought a nuclear deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Two Japanese foreign ministry officials said they fear that Trump may be prepared to weaken US support for nearby Taiwan in pursuit of a deal with mainland China. They said such a move could embolden Beijing that sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary.

While many nations, including the US, do not officially acknowledge Taiwan as an independent state, they oppose any use of force to alter the existing status quo.

A Trump aide said that no recent meetings have taken place between Trump and Japanese officials. They would not comment further.

Asked in an interview with Fox News in July 2023 whether the US should help defend Taiwan if it means going to war with China, Trump said: “If I answer that question, it will put me in a very bad negotiating position. With that being said, Taiwan did take all of our chip business. We used to make our own chips. Now they’re made in Taiwan.”

Tokyo also worries that Trump may again hit Japan with protectionist trade measures such as tariffs on steel, and revive demands for it to pay more toward the cost of stationing US forces in the country, according to the six Japanese officials.

Japan’s outreach is part of a pre-emptive approach to understand whether these issues would likely resurface, and to convey Tokyo’s positions, two of the officials said. Trump said this week that, if elected, he would block the planned US$14.9 billion acquisition of US Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel.

In a statement, Japan’s foreign ministry said it was “watching the US presidential election with great interest”, while noting bipartisan US commitment to the US-Japan alliance.

Ado Machida, a Tokyo-based businessman who served in Trump’s transition team after his 2016 election victory, said Japanese officials were eager to connect with his former boss.

“If he is going to cut a deal with China, Japan needs to try and get ahead of the curve and understand its potential role to support its interests in both the US and in China,” said Machida.

The Chinese and Taiwanese foreign ministries both said they would work closely with the US regardless of the election outcome.

China unlikely to apply ‘economic coercion’ against Japan amid slowdown

Late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was the first foreign leader to meet Trump after his 2016 victory. The pair went on to form a close relationship, forged over hours on the golf course, that helped defuse several contentious issues.

Taro Aso, a leading figure in Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who was deputy prime minister during Trump’s term, travelled to the US last month to try to meet Trump, though he was not able to see him, according to three of the six officials. Aso’s office declined to comment.

Japan’s new US ambassador, Shigeo Yamada, was appointed late last year with specific instructions to connect with the Trump campaign, according to two of the officials. Japan’s embassy in Washington, on behalf of the ambassador, declined to comment on matters related to the US election.

Complicating matters for Tokyo is that many of Trump’s former cabinet members that were focused on Japan – such as Mike Pence, James Mattis and Mike Pompeo – are no longer seen as close to him, said Michael Green, a former US official who heads the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.

Senator Bill Hagerty, Trump’s former envoy to Japan who some analysts say could play a prominent role in a second Trump administration, met with several Japanese officials during a visit to Tokyo at the turn of the year.

He also sat alongside Aso and Yamada at an event hosted by Japan’s US embassy during Aso’s trip to the US, according to photos the embassy posted on social media.

Hagerty said that Japanese interlocutors “know Trump and know he is someone who means business” in the region, adding that Japan’s main concerns – Chinese and North Korean aggression – looked like they did in 2016.

Robert O’Brien, Trump’s former national security adviser, also has connections with Japanese officials, two of the sources said. O’Brien, whose American Global Strategies consultancy counts Japan’s former national security adviser Shigeru Kitamura among its ranks, did not respond to requests for comment.

Tokyo is particularly concerned that Trump’s return could create volatility with China. When engaging with people Japan views as close to Trump, it has been emphasising the benefits of a multilateral approach on China policy, two of the Japanese officials said, such as the G7’s agreement last year to counter economic coercion and de-risk critical supply chains.

While Biden has repeatedly said the US would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion – though the White House later walked back his comments – Trump has been less clear about his position.

“We don’t want risky seas for misunderstanding,” said Tsuneo Watanabe, a senior fellow with Tokyo-based policy research organisation Sasakawa Peace Foundation, who said he was aware of Japan’s attempts to reach out to Trump.

In a foreword to a new edition of his memoir released this week, former US national security adviser John Bolton wrote that if re-elected, Trump could embolden China to blockade Taiwan.

One challenge for Japan is determining who will try to placate Trump if he returns to office.

Officials and analysts say Kishida, whose ratings have plunged over several party scandals, may not be in charge when the November 5 US presidential election comes around. The LDP must hold a leadership vote by the end of September.

“Clearly Trump is one factor” in the LDP’s choice of leader, said Watanabe, adding that the party will ideally look for a candidate who can speak English, build rapport with Trump and play golf.

“A good golfer is bad. Just needs to be a nice golfer so as not to beat Trump,” he said.

Age-defying China grandmother, 52, with lust for life dubbed ‘northeast Eileen Gu’ inspires many online

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3249575/age-defying-china-grandmother-52-lust-life-dubbed-northeast-eileen-gu-inspires-many-online?utm_source=rss_feed

A 52-year-old grandmother in China has attracted social media attention with her age-defying, fun-filled antics on the ski slopes, earning her the affectionate title “Northeast Eileen Gu” after the Olympic skiing champion.

The energetic woman recently captivated onlookers with her dynamic performance in a lighthearted contest at the Zhangjiakou ski resort in northern China, a venue for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

In fancy dress as Sailor Moon, the Japanese anime character, she wore a short skirt, sported blonde pigtails and brandished a sceptre, while navigating the icy slopes.

Her vibrant presence and youthful energy evoked memories of the young skiing prodigy Eileen Gu, who won two gold medals and a silver at the same place during the Olympics, prompting the online community to dub her “Northeast Eileen Gu”.

The 52-year-old began skiing nine years ago and now brings along her three-year-old grandson, who she refers to as her “best skiing buddy”.

Her Douyin account, “Captain Mengmeng”, has 180,000 followers and is filled with videos of her skiing adventures across China, as well as touching moments of her enjoying the sport with her grandson.

In one delightful clip, the little boy can be seen clearly sharing his loving grandmother’s passion, saying excitedly: “Skiing is so cool and fun, I’ll definitely come back!”

Revealing her outlook on life, Mengmeng said: “Some say I should be more reserved. But I think we’re fortunate to experience this life, and since we cannot live forever, I’ll cherish every day I can still jump around and be joyful.

“Age is merely a number. We should all live the way we want,” she added.

The vivacious grandmother’s philosophy has inspired many on mainland social media.

“She is too cool. You would never know she is a 52-year-old grandma. She must be the queen of grandmothers,” said one person.

“At 52, this northeast grandma is as fit as a 25-year-old,” another said.

“You’ve become a role model for women of all ages. Age is not a limit. Always live life radiantly and to the fullest,”added a third.

China unlikely to apply ‘economic coercion’ against Japan amid slowdown as Tokyo builds ‘safety net’

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3250591/china-unlikely-apply-economic-coercion-against-japan-amid-slowdown-tokyo-builds-safety-net?utm_source=rss_feed

Beijing is not expected to resort to economic tools to exert pressure on Tokyo over bilateral issues despite a high-powered Japanese delegation returning from China last week virtually empty-handed.

Analysts say China can ill-afford to turn to “economic coercion” while national security concerns appear to have emerged as a bigger concern compared with the economy.

Last Thursday, a delegation of senior Japanese business leaders led by the head of the Japan-China Economic Association (JCEA) Shindo Kosei visited China, the first such trip in four years.

In a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, the Japanese delegation pressed for a return to visa-free travel as this would induce more Japanese companies to invest in China, according to JECA officials who briefed journalists after the discussion.

While Li pledged to improve China’s business environment, he called for reciprocity on visas and delivered little else in areas that the delegation sought, such as concerns about the safety of Japanese citizens in China and bans on the import of seafood and other food products.

Most Japanese do not have ‘friendly feelings’ towards China, poll shows

In a separate meeting with the Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, the delegation also raised concerns about China’s anti-espionage law, difficulties in bidding for government contracts and rules relating to cross-border data transfers.

Stephen Nagy, a professor of politics and international studies at Tokyo’s International Christian University, said China would not engage in economic coercion due to the worsening structural challenges within its economy.

These include slower foreign direct investments into China, deteriorating sentiment on the Chinese market, and an increasingly uncertain business outlook since the anti-espionage law was enacted last year.

“[These] suggest that China will not engage in a full-fledged economic coercion against Japan or other states,” Nagy said, adding that Beijing needs investment, expertise and technology from Japan.

If Beijing engaged in economic coercion, Nagy said this would likely lead foreign companies to “diversify away from China”.

Why Asia largely backs Japan’s defence boost despite its ‘history of aggression’

In recent years, China has increasingly used its economic leverage – including restrictions on imports, exports and tourism – to pressure countries into avoiding or reversing political or military policies opposed by Beijing.

In a bid to counter Chinese influence, Japan has over the past few years increased defence and security cooperation with Western countries particularly the United States, including strengthening mutual supply chains, moves which had drawn China’s displeasure.

In October, China arrested a Japanese businessman who was earlier detained in March on suspicion of espionage, with Tokyo calling on Beijing to release its national who is in his 50s. Since 2015, China has detained at least 17 Japanese nationals for alleged espionage, according to Kyodo News.

The arrests have resulted in a growing sense among many Japanese companies that the business environment in China has become more “ambiguous” in terms of “what is legal and what is illegal”, Nagy said.

“As a result, we’re seeing more Japanese businesses finding ways to have their footprint in Southeast Asia and South Asia while maintaining a footprint in China,” he added, referring to Japanese manufacturers that have moved their operations from China to mainly Vietnam and India.

Shin Kawashima, an international relations professor at the University of Tokyo said while the economy is important to President Xi Jinping’s administration, national security has gained greater prominence.

“Under [China’s] comprehensive national security, not only the economy but also the environment and culture are associated with security,” Kawashima said, adding that even though the delegation accomplished little, it was important that Li met with the delegation.

“In recent years, politicians at the prime ministerial level have not met with delegations from Japanese business organisations,” Kawashima noted.

He added that the lack of concrete results could be seen as attempts by Beijing to pressure Tokyo into making concessions before the trilateral summit between China, Japan and South Korea, which is likely to be held this year and would be their first meeting in five years if confirmed.

Leaders from the three countries had previously met for annual summits between 2008 and 2019 to bolster diplomatic and economic exchanges, with the Covid-19 pandemic and bilateral rows leading to the hiatus.

Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp, a visiting fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, said there could be a “slight possibility” that Beijing might address some of the Japanese business concerns, “but only on a selective and conditional basis”.

“[It will] depend on the sector, the company, and the timing and if it is helpful for its economic situation and business with Japan,” said Pohlkamp, who specialises in Japanese foreign relations, security and defence policy.

China appears to have a mixed attitude towards Japan, willing to cooperate in some areas and applying pressure [on Tokyo] in others, she added.

“The ongoing disputes and disagreements on the Senkaku Islands, Taiwan and the US role in the region will influence China’s behaviour in this regard”, said Pohlkamp. Beijing claims the Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea as its sovereign territory and refers to them as the Diaoyu Islands.

In recent weeks, China and Japan had accused each other of maritime incursions after a confrontation between their coastguards in waters around the islands.

US looks to Japan shipyards deal to stay battle-ready amid tensions in region

Both countries also do not see eye to eye on Taiwan, with Japan actively cooperating with the US on Taiwan especially militarily, while mainland China – which sees Taiwan as its inalienable part – considers the island a domestic issue that foreign countries should not interfere with.

Pohlkamp, who is also director of the Agora Strategy Institute, a geopolitical consulting firm specialising in political risk analysis, said that Japan will continue to diversify its economic ties with other countries and strengthen its security capabilities even as it seeks to maintain stable ties with China.

Japan announced in 2021 a strategy to bolster its economic resilience and security, including a stable supply of critical materials, patent protection, development of advanced technologies, and infrastructure security.

“If China resorts to full-fledged economic coercion, such as imposing sanctions, tariffs, or boycotts on Japan, it will have a significant impact on Japan’s economy and society.

“But with its economic security strategy, Japan is already preparing to have safety nets in critical sectors,” Pohlkamp added.

Hong Kong gets a second draconian security law | China

https://www.economist.com/china/2024/01/31/hong-kong-gets-a-second-draconian-national-security-law

HONG KONG has a constitutional duty to implement its own national-security law, as well as a practical need to do so. So said John Lee, the city’s chief executive, on January 30th, as he unveiled new legislation aimed at thwarting subversive types.

Mr Lee was half right. Hong Kong is indeed required to pass national-security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law, the mini-constitution enacted after Britain handed back the city to China in 1997. Its practical need is debatable. Hong Kongers, at least, seem to prefer living without it. When the government last tried to push through such a measure, in 2003, it sparked enormous protests and the city’s leaders backed down.

Since then, Article 23 has loomed over Hong Kong. Everyone knew it had to be dealt with; the question was when and how. The central government in Beijing moved first. In 2019 it was spooked by big pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. A year later, after the pandemic cleared the streets, it foisted its own suffocating national-security law on the territory. The success of that legislation in suppressing even mild criticism of the authorities allowed Hong Kong’s government to at last put forward its own version of the law. No big protests are likely.

After a four-week public consultation, the new measure is expected to be swiftly passed by the city’s legislature, which is packed with Communist Party supporters. The statute will cover acts such as treason, insurrection and sabotage. The government says it will complement the one imposed by the central government. Some of the acts the new law will proscribe are distinct, such as espionage. Nevertheless, given that the existing law is so broad and ill-defined, it is difficult to conceive of an activity that would fall foul of the new law and not already be covered by the old one, says a barrister in the city.

The idea of Western powers meddling in Hong Kong seems to be part of what is motivating Mr Lee, a tough former policeman and security chief. The new legislation would outlaw “external interference” in Hong Kong’s affairs. Mr Lee has come round to the view, popular in Beijing, that forces from abroad were behind the protests in 2019. “Foreign agents and advocates of Hong Kong independence are still lurking in our society,” he warned on January 30th. His words have sent a chill through foreign NGOs working in the city. Mr Lee “has a track record of throwing wild and completely false allegations at people who simply advocate for democracy and human rights”, says Ben Rogers of Hong Kong Watch, a monitoring group. He expects a crackdown on foreign organisations.

Few believe Mr Lee when he says that freedoms and rights will be “respected and safeguarded” under the new measure. The existing national-security law has been used to lock up scores of opposition politicians, shut down independent newspapers and effectively outlaw vigils for the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Mr Lee was keen to explain how his proposed legislation is not so different from laws which have been enacted in Western countries. That may be true, says the barrister, but “it is one thing to legislate as part of a democracy, another when you are effectively a one-party state.” ■

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US replacement of Chinese IT equipment will cost billions of dollars more, analysts say

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3250642/us-replacement-chinese-it-equipment-will-cost-billions-dollars-more-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed

The US will need to pay tens of billions of dollars more to expand its ban on the use of Chinese IT equipment to reduce national security risks, analysts said on Thursday.

“There are often few alternatives to designated Chinese [information and communications technology and services] available at comparable prices,” Jack Corrigan, senior research analyst at Centre for Security and Emerging Technology of Georgetown University, told the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) in Washington.

The commission is a US advisory panel on China policy, focused on national security implications of trade and economic ties between the two countries.

“Eliminating all designated Chinese [technology and services] from every US network would be prohibitively expensive, if not impossible,” Corrigan testified.

Washington has already rid the country of telecoms infrastructure made by China’s Huawei Technologies and ZTE, alleging that those systems might contain spyware to transfer personal US data to Beijing.

To compensate local telecoms providers, the Federal Communications Commission launched a “rip and replace” initiative that Congress financed with a US$1.9 billion fund in 2020. But it has turned out the replacement costs have been far more: the programme faces a roughly US$3.1 billion shortfall, the agency has said.

Should the programme expand to cover Chinese hardware providers beyond Huawei and ZTE, that funding gap will only grow, Corrigan said.

“As such, it is crucial that policymakers target procurement bans and ‘rip and replace’ funding at the sectors, networks and use cases where breaches present the greatest risks to national security,” he said.

US instructs carriers on programme to remove Huawei and ZTE equipment

Nazak Nikakhtar, a former Commerce Department official during the Donald Trump administration, contended that the US was “stalling rather than dotting the i’s crossing the t’s” when it came to an outright ban on Chinese hardware and software.

She cited the case of TikTok, the Chinese short-video platform, and its owner ByteDance. “Everybody’s really keen on yelling about TikTok. But we don’t even use the litigation-proof legal authority that we have to put ByteDance on the entity list, which will then atrophy the app over time,” Nikakhtar argued.

She said that the only way to mitigate the economic costs would be to designate entire sectors that could not use Chinese components, and “phase it in over time so the economy adjusts”.

“The legal authorities exist, that capability exists, but across the board from industry to government, the will does not exist,” she said.

Another witness, Ivan Tsarynny, chief executive of Feroot Security, a data protection intelligence software company, said that TikTok collects a huge amount of US-based user data with tracking pixel – code websites use to track digital ad campaigns.

Tsarynny noted that TikTok is governed by China’s cybersecurity law, which requires all Chinese companies to share data with China’s authorities, which are under Communist Party control. Thus he said, “data collected by TikTok, and other companies from China, can be shared with the actors in China”.

During his congressional testimony last March, TikTok’s chief executive Shou Zi Chew said that the US data gathered on the platform “has always been stored in Virginia and Singapore”.

But weeks later, an investigation by Forbes magazine found that the company had stored the financial information of its US creators on servers in China.

“[It] seems to me like perjury – sounds like perjury, it smells like perjury,” USCC commissioner Jacob Helberg said during the hearing on Thursday.

Neither TikTok nor the Chinese embassy in Washington immediately responded to requests for comment.

Landmark US-China science deal’s renewal hinges on personal safety, reciprocity concerns: scholar

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3250640/landmark-us-china-science-deals-renewal-hinges-personal-safety-reciprocity-concerns-scholar?utm_source=rss_feed

New issues that were not anticipated by either Washington or Beijing when they signed a landmark agreement four decades ago are now central to ongoing negotiations over the pact’s future, according to a China scholar who has discussed the subject with mainland officials.

Renewed every five years since then-US president Jimmy Carter and Chinese paramount leader Deng Xiaoping signed it in 1979, the US-China Science and Technology agreement was the first bilateral pact finalised between the countries after they established diplomatic ties.

“The whole dynamic of the things … changed, and therefore, the negotiation is all very different than it had been ever before,” Denis Simon, the former executive vice- chancellor of Duke Kunshan University in China, told the Post.

As the two countries’ heated geopolitical rivalry threatens years-long scientific collaboration, “there is no renewal if there’s no compromise”, Simon said, and this was “just the fundamental situation where we are”.

The STA laid out the terms for government-to-government cooperation in science, opening the way for academic and corporate interactions. Over the years, joint efforts under the deal have yielded positive outcomes in the study of birth defects, influenza, air pollution and HIV/Aids.

Last year, the US State Department confirmed it was extending the agreement for six months, just days before it was to expire on August 27.

Since then, at least two rounds of discussions have taken place between the two sides. Last week, a senior State Department official confirmed that a Chinese delegation was in Washington for more talks.

The US would only renew the agreement if the negotiations were able to produce a “stronger” pact to address concerns over national interests, he said.

US deems more Chinese tech companies ‘military’ and a national security risk

Simon, now affiliated with the Institute for China-America Studies, a Washington-based think tank, highlighted personal safety as a recurring issue in the negotiations.

The US was “very concerned” about American scientific personnel being detained or not being able to return home from China, he said, adding: “I think there’s no compromise on that issue.”

Washington “wants these certain guarantees that there will not be so-called whimsical application” of the new security regulations, and in the event of a diplomatic rift on issues like Taiwan, that “the personal safety of people in China is not put in jeopardy”.

Another sticking point was reciprocity, Simon said. If China is able to have “almost unencumbered access” to the US side, that would not square with Beijing’s recently revised anti-espionage law restricting access to certain archives and data.

As a result, “it’s very hard to see how a reciprocal relationship might ensue”.

In a related vein, data security has proved vexing. Simon described the US as not wanting a situation in which American scientists visit China for a year on a joint project and are later prohibited from taking their data back home.

And given prevailing fears over Beijing’s use of technology in modernising its military, Washington has focused on a “good intentions clause” in the agreement that calls for both sides to promise to “play by the rules”.

These “overarching principles” were never a concern before Donald Trump’s presidency began in 2017, ushering in a new view of China that took account of the country’s economic and scientific rise, said Simon.

China science deal must address US national security concerns: State Department

In November, a group of Republican lawmakers, including the chair of the House select committee on competition with China, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, demanded that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken suspend the STA negotiations.

“Amid rumours that the Biden administration will try to quietly extend the Science and Technology agreement between the US and China, my colleagues and I request they pause any negotiations as Congress fine-tunes legislation in the best interest of the American people,” Gallagher said in a letter at the time.

In recent weeks, American officials have sounded less-than-optimistic about the STA’s future. Nicholas Burns, the US ambassador to China, last month said a renewal was “not a given”, citing national security concerns.

The US would need to decide on how far national security would extend, Simon said, asking itself, “‘are we being purposely difficult about this, at the risk of losing the benefits from the synergies that can be captured from the collaboration?’”.