Empowering the Future: China's Strides in AI, Computing, and Beyond

The post covers many recent developments and news stories about China, spanning technology, transportation, international trade, foreign relations, and more. Here are a few key highlights:

China is making significant advancements in aerospace, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and drone technology. Several new achievements and milestones are mentioned, showcasing China's growing capabilities.

Infrastructure and connectivity projects, such as new ultra-high-voltage power transmission lines, freight rail links to Europe, expanded computing networks, and more ports/shipping capacity to support exports, continue progressing. 

There are some tensions in China's relations with the U.S., with disputes over issues like alleged spying via Chinese-made cranes, U.S. officials spreading disinformation about China, and U.S. protectionist policies. However, people-to-people exchanges, such as student visits between countries, are still occurring.

China is taking steps to open up its economy further and make things more convenient for foreigners, such as expanding multilingual services in mobile payment apps widely used in China. 

The government is balancing a tough stance on youth crime with efforts to rehabilitate juvenile offenders. The rule of law and holding criminals accountable are emphasized.

Overall, the articles paint a picture of a China that is developing rapidly in many spheres while dealing with a complex international environment involving both cooperation and discord with other nations. Continued economic opening and global engagement seem to be priorities.

Comicomment: U.S. 'spying' China-made cranes allegation groundless

Some U.S. officials have claimed that China-made cargo cranes operating at American ports serve as "spying tools," likening the giant ship-to-shore equipment made by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co (ZPMC) to a Trojan horse. The groundless and defamatory remarks from the U.S. have also incited Germany and Australia to follow suit, seemingly echoing like parrots in support. This argument is a typical tactic employed by certain U.S. politicians to advance their own political agendas by conjuring up an imaginary threat from China. National security has become a convenient pretext for imposing restrictions on Chinese products at their discretion. The various iterations of the "China threat," lacking in common sense and evidence, serve as a reflection of the ignorance and paranoia harbored by some U.S. politicians.

Guizhou gears up in computing.

Guizhou province in Southwest China will take further steps to speed up the construction of computing infrastructure and intelligent computing center clusters, with a key focus on artificial intelligence technology, as part of a broader push to develop new quality productive forces, a political adviser said. China recently unveiled an implementation plan to accelerate the construction of a national computing power network. The plan, jointly released by the National Data Administration and four other central government departments, said the country will form a preliminary comprehensive computing power infrastructure system by the end of 2025. To seize the opportunities from fast-developing artificial intelligence technology, he stressed the need to bolster the industrial application of AI-powered large language models by providing high-performance computing power and high-quality data, accelerating the construction of LLM training platforms, and propelling the digital transformation of enterprises. China launched a mega-project involving the construction of eight national computing hubs and 10 national data center clusters in 2022, indicating that its work to channel more computing resources from the country's eastern regions to its lesser-developed yet resource-rich western areas is in full swing.

China will build data labeling bases nationwide to promote AI development: National Data Administration - Global Times.

China will establish a data labeling base to facilitate the nation's artificial intelligence (AI) development, the National Data Administration (NDA) announced at the nationwide data work conference in Beijing as it outlined critical tasks for this year. According to the meeting, efforts will be made to explore establishing national-level data labeling bases and fully leverage local support and leading companies to promote the development of AI industry ecosystems, China Media Group reported. Officials said that efforts will also be made to accelerate the building of a nationwide computing power network to address the growing demand for China's computing networks, which is estimated to have an annual growth of over 30 percent. Deploying these measures is crucial for driving the development of the digital economy, optimizing resource allocation, and promoting industrial upgrading, Wang Peng, an associate research fellow from the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday. It could also explore new data labeling techniques and methods, driving the overall advancement of the AI industry, Wang said.

Xi emphasizes opening-up commitment.

President Xi Jinping reaffirmed the nation's commitment to opening up and developing new quality productive forces as he visited a joint venture invested in by German chemical giant BASF on Monday. This trip is expected to buoy the confidence of businesses operating in the country. Peng Wenjie, chief technology officer of BASF Shanshan, said he could feel the keen interest and emphasis from the president over new quality productive forces during the tour of the company's workshop and two laboratories. Peng said the establishment of the joint venture, the largest foreign investment project in Hunan in 2021, enabled the German chemical company to become the first battery materials producer with a presence in all major global markets. According to an announcement by BASF in 2022, the joint venture has expanded its battery materials capacity to meet the fast-growing local and international demand in the electric vehicle industry. "Cooperation for multinational corporations with local partners in the battery industry chain is not only an important innovation in business models but also a significant manifestation of high-level openness to the world," Luo added.

Beijing upgrades its website to ease foreigners' lives.

An updated version of a website that provides services for foreigners in Beijing has been unveiled amid efforts by the capital to help them work, study, live, and travel in the city. Since Thursday, the website has been available in nine languages: English, Korean, Japanese, German, French, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, and Portuguese. Beijing is committed to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for foreigners. Xia Linmao, the capital's executive vice mayor, spoke at a news conference late last month. Based on thematic areas such as investing, working, living, studying, traveling, and consuming, the website features two series of instructive videos entitled "How Beijing" and "Service Guide for Foreigners in Beijing", providing more than 300 guidelines and online reservation channels for over 50 services, including accommodation registration and visa application. Another section, "My Story in Beijing", shares foreigners' tales of entrepreneurship and personal experiences working, living, studying and traveling in the city.

Juveniles should be punished in line with the law, the procurator-general says.

Juveniles should be held criminally liable in line with the law if they commit severe crimes, such as intentional homicide or intentional injury, that lead to deaths, said Ying Yong, the procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate. He made the remarks when visiting Guyuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, during an inspection of procuratorial work in the area from Wednesday to Thursday. While ordering prosecutors to fight against people harming children with "zero-tolerance," he also demanded them to attach high importance to preventing juvenile crimes, clarifying that minors with serious offenses, causing others' deaths, need to be held criminally liable in line with the law. Ying also called for more tremendous efforts to promote the construction of schools specializing in rehabilitating juvenile offenders, with endeavors from all walks of life to help the minors correct mistakes and curb juvenile delinquency. In addition, he said that procuratorial work at a grassroots level is the frontline to serve high-quality economic and social development, calling on prosecutors to provide more judicial convenience for residents and improve work efficiency.

China may pare its U.S. debt holdings.

In the short term, factors like changes in monetary policies by the United States and Japan may create more opportunities for profit from transactions in U.S. Treasury bonds, leaving a reasonable range of fluctuations in China's holdings of U.S. assets. On Tuesday, the Bank of Japan announced its decision to end negative interest rates, marking a significant shift from years of unprecedented monetary easing. "These changes are symbolic of the normalization of the BOJ's monetary policy away from an unconventional ultra-easing stance," said Kyohei Morita, chief Japan economist at Nomura Securities, in a research report. Nomura analysts believe that Japan's inflation based on the core consumer price index will remain above 2 percent year-on-year toward the middle of 2025. "We hope to obtain professional guidance and financial instruments from banks in areas such as settlements involving the Japanese yen, the U.S. dollar, and the Chinese yuan to help us maximize our corporate profits."

The world's highest UHV transmission tower has completed construction.

Construction of a new ultra-high voltage (UHV) power transmission tower for the Jinshang-Hubei 800-kilovolt UHV direct current power transmission project is completed in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Sichuan Province, April 1, 2024. Construction of a new ultra-high voltage (UHV) power transmission tower for the Jinshang-Hubei 800-kilovolt UHV direct current power transmission project was completed in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to Sichuan branch of State Grid Corporation on Monday. Located at 4,797.9 meters, the tower is currently the world's highest-altitude UHV direct current power transmission project. Its location features sparse vegetation, thin air, a cold and complex climate, and sudden heavy snow, posing significant challenges to construction. Capable of transmitting nearly 40 billion kilowatt hours of electricity to central China every year, it will play an essential role in meeting electricity demands.

Chinese private rocket company readies 'Falcon 9 equivalent' for maiden flight.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 Full Thrust can carry 22.8 tons to LEO when in expendable mode, according to space industry news portal SpaceNews.com. The rocket incorporates more than 50 new technologies, including stainless steel 3D printed engines, liquid nitrogen vaporization pressurization, gas injection accumulators, triple redundant computers, nine-engine parallel configuration, full carbon fiber fairings, single-layer standard bottom storage tanks, and non-pyrotechnic separation, significantly enhancing cost-effectiveness. The power system of TL-3 - the Tianhuo-12 rocket engine, with a sea-level thrust of 110 tons - has been independently developed and has comprehensively broken through multiple vital technologies. Currently, 41 liquid rocket engines have been produced, 9 complete units have undergone assembly testing, and a high-condition thermal running verification has been achieved, Space Pioneer revealed on Thursday. "The TL-3 commercial heavy-lift liquid rocket will strongly support the rise of China's satellite internet industry, becoming a cornerstone force in the construction of low-orbit satellite constellations and assisting in the smooth implementation of the country's aerospace powerhouse strategy," a space industry observer who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Thursday.

Apple opens its eighth store in Shanghai.

Apple opens its eighth store in Shanghai on Thursday. Apple officially opened its eighth store in Shanghai on Thursday in its latest push to ramp up sales in the world's second-largest economy. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, showed up at the store on Thursday night, with long lines of Chinese consumers waiting outside for hours to be among the first to enter the store. The latest Shanghai move augmented Apple's local retail network to 47 stores in the Chinese mainland, second only to the United States. Apple said the new store is encircled by an exterior plaza that gives the community a gathering place for special events and provides a one-of-a-kind shopping destination where customers can discover and buy Apple's lineup of products and services.

Beijing slams Washington for spreading false info.

Beijing hit back at Washington's slandering of China by spreading disinformation on Wednesday, saying the United States is the most significant source and spreader of false information worldwide. Blinken said at the third "Summit for Democracy" in Seoul on Monday that China bought cable TV platforms in Africa and used local subsidiaries to surreptitiously purchase media companies in Southeast Asia to run pro-China news. Lin said China strongly deplores and firmly opposes Blinken's remarks and has made solemn representations to the U.S. side. Lin cited several examples, including chanting the "collapse of the Chinese economy," hyping up the "debt trap" under the Belt and Road Initiative, and labeling "forced labor" and "genocide" in Xinjiang, to prove that well-organized and well-planned moves for a long time to spread China-related disinformation is an essential approach for Washington in the battle of perception against Beijing. U.S. politicians, including the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, on multiple occasions, have acknowledged their covert tactics, such as bribing the media to spread remarks that smear China, Lin said.

The world's first unmanned aerial vehicle was launched on an e-platform for the first time.

On Monday, The world's first China-made passenger-carrying unmanned aerial vehicle, EH216-S, was launched on an e-platform with a unit price of 2.39 million yuan (over $332,00). EH216-S has obtained the airworthiness certificate and completed commercial trial operations worldwide. The company will provide customers with professional services and ensure the approval of urban airspace, flight route setting, aircraft maintenance, and engineer training, said He Tianxing, vice president of EHang Holdings Limited. It has completed the verification and test flight and will apply for a type certificate within this year.

Multilingual Alipay will enhance foreigners' e-payment experiences.

According to Alipay, foreigners can use the app to complete payments at restaurants, hotels, scenic spots, convenience stores, supermarkets, ride-hailing, shared bikes, buses, and other public transportation services in China. The newly launched multilingual app includes English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Japanese. Wang said the move demonstrates the country's resolve to expand high-standard opening-up, adding the online payment scenarios of Alipay are wide enough, with high usage frequency. Dong Ximiao, chief researcher at Merchants Union Consumer Finance, said the inconvenience experienced by some foreign visitors can be mainly attributed to the differences in payment habits between China and other countries. Dong said more efforts are needed to expand the scenarios of various types of payment methods at tourist attractions, sporting events, transportation hubs, healthcare and beauty centers, and other daily consumption sites.

Exchange with Iowa students builds friendships.

About 60 U.S. students from Muscatine, Iowa state, will visit several cities in China in April to experience Chinese culture and continue the friendship between the people of the two countries. Muscatine, a town in Iowa on the banks of the Mississippi River in the United States, has been home to the nearly four-decade friendship between Xi and local residents. In Shijiazhuang, they are expected to experience China's school life and participate in activities such as learning calligraphy and paper-cutting skills, watching intangible cultural heritage performances, and touring scenic spots showing traditional Chinese architecture. In November 2023, Xi announced a program to invite 50,000 U.S. youths to China over the next five years for exchanges and study. They also visited the school in Shijiazhuang, where teachers and students from both sides painted a 45-meter scroll featuring Chinese and U.S. landmarks and scenery to commemorate the 45th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between China and the U.S.

Harbin to Moscow freight train delivers vehicles to Russia.

A freight train loaded with 152 China-made vehicles valued at 31.4 million yuan ($4.36 million) in 55 containers departed from Harbin International Container Center station in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province for Moscow in Russia via the Suifenhe port on Tuesday. China-Europe freight train services have played a key role in China's car exports. According to the Harbin Bureau Group of China Railway Corp., in the first two months of this year, both the number of China-Europe freight trains and the cargo volume they transported from Harbin increased by more than 250 percent year-on-year, of which vehicles accounted for 52.4 percent. The value of goods exceeded 250 million yuan ($35 million dollars ), hitting a record high in the same period. The first vehicle transport service from Harbin provides a new pathway and sufficient capacity for automobile export to the north. It will continue to promote the steady increase of automobile exports through China-Europe freight trains and achieve regular operation.

China's homegrown manned airship completes first transfer flight.

China's independently developed civil manned airship Xiangyun AS700 flies in Hubei Province, March 30, 2024. (ECNS) -- Xiangyun AS700, China's independently developed civil manned airship, landed at Shashi Airport in Jingzhou, Hubei Province, after 1 hour and 46 minutes of flight on Saturday. "The transfer flight went smoothly, showcasing excellent maneuverability," said Lin Hong, pilot for the mission. Notable features include a conventional single-envelope layout, streamlined airbag shape, and single-point single-pillar non-retractable landing gear. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 4,150 kilograms, a range of 700 kilometers, an endurance of 10 hours, a top speed of 100 kph, and a 10-passenger capacity.

China-Europe Railway Express to play more critical role in the future: Austrian professor

Since March, Fellner commented on China extending its visa-free policy to six more European countries, including Austria. Since March, it's been an excellent thing, especially for people-to-people relations. He further pointed out that some European countries, following the U.S. steps, impose protectionist measures against China, which are unfair and against globalization and free trade. By the end of February, the train services had expanded to cover 219 cities across 25 European countries, according to data from China Railway. He said he agrees that China-Europe Railway Express is a "stabilizer," ensuring the security of international supply chains amid the Red Sea crisis. He hopes that China and Europe shake hands to bring peace and rationality to the world while the train connections are one crucial part of this handshake.

APA Citations:

Comicomment: U.S. 'spying' China-made cranes allegation groundless (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/cns-wire/2024-03-17/detail-ihcytyps2798045.shtml

Guizhou gears up in computing (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/business/2024-03-13/detail-ihcyptyk0574232.shtml

China will build data labeling bases nationwide to promote AI development: National Data Administration - Global Times (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202404/1309974.shtml

Xi emphasizes opening-up commitment (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/news/2024-03-20/detail-ihcytyps2801845.shtml

Beijing upgrades website to ease foreigners' lives (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/news/society/2024-04-01/detail-ihczemzi6542410.shtml

Juveniles should be punished in line with law, procurator-general says (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/news/2024-03-22/detail-ihcytyps2806374.shtml

China may pare its U.S. debt holdings (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/news/2024-03-21/detail-ihcytyps2803923.shtml

The world's highest UHV transmission tower has completed construction (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/news/cns-wire/2024-04-02/detail-ihczemzi6546039.shtml

Chinese private rocket company readies 'Falcon 9 equivalent' for maiden flight - Global Times (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202403/1309285.shtml

Apple opens its eighth store in Shanghai (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/business/2024-03-22/detail-ihcytyps2805822.shtml

Beijing slams Washington for spreading false info (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/news/2024-03-21/detail-ihcytyps2804054.shtml

World's first unmanned aerial vehicle launched on e-platform for first time (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/news/cns-wire/2024-03-18/detail-ihcytyps2799265.shtml

Multilingual Alipay to enhance foreigners' e-payment experiences (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/business/2024-03-19/detail-ihcytyps2800242.shtml

Exchange with Iowa students builds friendship (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/news/2024-03-22/detail-ihcytyps2805999.shtml

Harbin to Moscow freight train delivers vehicles to Russia (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/cns-wire/2024-03-20/detail-ihcytyps2803054.shtml3

China's homegrown manned airship completes first transfer flight (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/news/cns-wire/2024-04-01/detail-ihczemzi6542858.shtml

Global Times (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/

Insights | China-Europe Railway Express to play more important role in future: Austrian professor (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/news/cns-wire/2024-03-22/detail-ihcytyps2808027.shtml

List of Titles:

Comicomment: U.S. 'spying' China-made cranes allegation groundless

Guizhou gears up in computing

China to build data labeling bases nationwide to promote AI devt: National Data Administration - Global Times

Xi emphasizes opening-up commitment

Beijing upgrades website to ease foreigners' lives

Juveniles should be punished in line with law, procurator-general says

China may pare its U.S. debt holdings

World's highest UHV transmission tower completes construction

Chinese private rocket company readies 'Falcon 9 equivalent' for maiden flight - Global Times

Apple opens its eighth store in Shanghai

Beijing slams Washington for spreading false info

World's first unmanned aerial vehicle launched on e-platform for first time

Multilingual Alipay to enhance foreigners' e-payment experiences

China News Service Website - Headlines, stories, photos and videos | Ecns.cn

Exchange with Iowa students builds friendship

Harbin to Moscow freight train delivers vehicles to Russia

China's homegrown manned airship completes first transfer flight

Insights | China-Europe Railway Express to play more important role in future: Austrian professor