China June 2024: Shocking Military Moves: China's New Stealth Jet and Live-Fire Drills Unveiled

China will invest $820 million in cutting-edge battery tech, sources say.

China is planning to invest around 6 billion yuan ($820 million), the most significant amount of its kind, to encourage the research and development of all-solid-state batteries, a cutting-edge battery technology at the heart of the next generation of electric vehicles, industrial sources told China Daily. Battery makers such as Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd and Beijing Welion New Energy Technology, as well as automakers including BYD, FAW Group, SAIC Motor, and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, will be supported to focus on the R&D of seven projects related to the disruptive tech, the sources said on condition of anonymity. It is expected to further drive a trillion yuan-level market and better contribute to a global green transformation and sustainable economic growth. But the final number of projects might come down to seven, another separate source said to China Daily, adding that CATL, the world's largest E.V. battery manufacturer, which disclosed in April the mass production of all-solid-state batteries in small quantities in 2027, is believed to have obtained support from two of the final seven projects. All sources said that leading battery companies have all applied to participate in such a significant project, but the initial selection process needed to be more varied to ensure accurate results.

Check the bottom of the article for the video version of the article.

Chinese and Cambodian navies conduct 1st joint live-fire drill as part of Golden Dragon-2024. 

Participating forces of the China-Cambodia Golden Dragon-2024 joint exercise conducted live-fire drills in the sea near Sihanoukville Port in Cambodia on May 27, 2024. In a hypothetical scenario in which several terrorists hijack a cargo ship and kidnap the crew, demanding a ransom in an area of sea off the Cambodian coast, the Chinese amphibious landing ship Qilianshan, missile corvette Wenshan and Bazhong, along with Cambodian navy vessels, formed a joint maritime task force and were dispatched to the scene to resolve the situation. Considering the safety of the cargo ship and the hostages, the Wenshan and Bazhong quickly advanced and used high-pressure water guns to support firefighting efforts. Concurrently, the Cambodian side dispatched speedboats to transfer the lightly injured crew members and terrorists, putting an end to the exercise.  Certain Western officials and media continue to spread rumors and smear the regular cooperation between China and Cambodia, to promote the 'China threat narrative' and sow discord in China-Cambodia relations, but their schemes will not succeed."

Expert: Tariff hike 'stupid' move by U.S.

According to Dong, China's exports of E.V. to the U.S. are minimal now. Hence, a 100 percent tariff is more of a political gesture, but "the nature of this move is alarmingly damaging, and it is a complete deviation from the market economy, which the U.S. has always claimed to be a staunch supporter of." According to him, U.S. companies were pioneers in some automotive battery technologies but fell behind their Chinese counterparts due to missteps and strategic errors. Such attempts are undoubtedly misguided and will add to costs because Japan and South Korea have less efficient battery supply chains than China's," Dong said. Ding Yuqian, head of China Autos Research at HSBC Qianhai Securities Ltd, said the nation has the world's most competitive E.V. battery supply chain. He responded to audience questions via video link during last week's annual technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups in Paris.

Washington espionage claims blasted.

The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. officials privately delivered an unusual warning to telecommunications companies, including Google and Meta, that undersea cables that ferry internet traffic across the Pacific Ocean "could be vulnerable to tampering by Chinese repair ships." Submarine Systems, which helps repair international cables, appeared to be hiding its vessels' locations from radio and satellite tracking services, which the officials and others said defied easy explanation. China firmly opposes the U.S. practice of overstretching the concept of national security to attack and smear Chinese enterprises, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday. Mao told a daily news conference that the Chinese government always encourages its companies to operate under market principles and international rules. The U.S. government has deliberately discredited and oppressed telecommunications companies in China and around the world, aiming to create a global surveillance network dominated by the U.S. with no rival and under no oversight to leave a door open for its blatant eavesdropping and espionage, she said.

IMF lifts China's growth forecast, showing growing global confidence in the Chinese economy.

These reflect upward revisions of 0.4 percentage points for both years compared to the April [World Economic Outlook] projections," Gita Gopinath, the IMF's first deputy managing director, said in a press release on Wednesday. China has recently announced a sweeping package of policy measures to stabilize the real estate market, including cutting down the payment ratio of home purchases and lowering mortgage rates to boost sales. Moreover, China has also issued massive 1-trillion-yuan ultra-long special treasury bonds and has made a series of moves to prevent and defuse risks related to the financial sector and local government debts. Hu told the Global Times that China has taken effective policy measures to address short-term challenges and boost high-quality development, focusing on supporting innovation. For example, when facing a blockade, China can respond with lower-performance alternatives, which might increase costs in the short term. Still, it will help ensure industrial security," Hu said, pointing to critical materials and components such as semiconductors.

Tesla's Shanghai Megapack energy storage plant breaks ground, a vivid example of China-US win-win cooperation rebutting Washington's overcapacity hype. 

Following the groundbreaking ceremony, Shanghai Lingang Economic Development Group and Tesla signed a contract for China's first batch of these energy storage systems, according to Xinhua News Agency. The new factory covers an area of approximately 200,000 square meters with a total investment of around 1.45 billion yuan ($200.21 million) and aims to export products to overseas markets, including the Asia-Pacific region, to support the global "green future," Xinhua reported. Li said China's advanced energy storage technology and a well-established, stable supply chain are critical reasons for Tesla's choice to establish its factories in Shanghai. Tesla's decision to build its second energy storage super factory in Shanghai is also driven by the faster construction speed in China and the global supply constraints related to lithium iron phosphate battery cells. Industry insiders pointed out that currently, China is the only country with large-scale production capacity for this crucial raw material in energy storage batteries worldwide.

PLA military drills are 'legal, legitimate and necessary.'

A video clip shows the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army conducting joint drills surrounding the island of Taiwan on Friday. Ministry spokesman Wu Qian made the remarks on Friday afternoon in response to some United States officials who claimed that the PLA exercises escalated tensions in the Taiwan Strait. On Friday, Li Xi, spokesman for the PLA Eastern Theater Command, said that the theater command continued its exercises around Taiwan, training in coordinated actions between ships and aircraft and exercises in sea and land strikes to test the multi-domain coordination and joint combat capabilities. According to the report, upon receiving orders, missile units from a Rocket Force brigade immediately moved from concealed standby areas to their designated positions. Li Dawei, a soldier from the brigade, said, "We maintain a high state of alert at all times, ... resolutely carrying out various tasks, and decisively thwarting any form of 'Taiwan independence' attempt."

China and Arab countries vow to deepen economic and trade ties.

Niu Xinchun, executive director of the China-Arab Research Institute of Ningxia University, told the Global Times on Tuesday that cooperation in areas such as energy is expected to be strengthened through the forum. "In line with Saudi Vision 2030 and China's Belt and Road Initiative, we expect additional investments and an enhanced presence to meet the demand for refined products, chemicals, and lubricants. As the China-Arab relationship strengthens, many areas of collaboration in emerging fields such as nuclear power, aviation, new energy, artificial intelligence, and big data are also thriving. Boosted by complementary needs, business cooperation between China and Arab countries is in full swing, with increasing collaboration and investment opportunities in various sectors. At the 10th Arab-China Business Conference held in Saudi Arabia in June 2023, China and Arab countries signed 30 economic and trade agreements worth more than 70 billion yuan.

The PLA confirms that the j-20 stealth fighter jet can easily reach supercruise. 

Two J-20 stealth fighter jets attached to an aviation brigade of the PLA Air Force take off for a flight training exercise in early February of 2024. The Chinese military has confirmed that its J-20 stealth fighter jet can easily reach supercruise, which experts said on Monday can bring significant tactical advantages and reflect the power of China's domestically developed engines. The J-20 is a sharp sword in the sky, a vanguard that leads to victory, and a go-to option in breaking down hostile defenses, the PLA Eastern Theater Command said. Zhang Xuefeng, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times that the J-20 can perform supercruise and has subsonic super maneuverability thanks to its unique aerodynamic design of a lifting body with strakes and canards, plus domestically developed engines. Analysts said that being able to perform supercruise quickly indicates that China's domestically developed engines are powerful, and the J-20s equipped with them now have even more robust combat capabilities.

China holds military drills around Taiwan as 'punishment.'

It lies on the far side of a very high mountain range that rises nearly 4,000 meters above sea level; because of this, Taiwan has built much of its hardened military infrastructure along this coast, including a sizeable underground airbase inside a mountain near the city of Hualien. For many decades, China did not possess the ability to attack Taiwan from the east or to close the air and sea space on that side of the island. In August 2022, for the very first time, it fired a ballistic missile over the top of Taiwan into the Pacific Ocean. The aim is to show Taiwan that its eastern redoubt is now exposed to Chinese attack and to show the Americans that any effort to resupply or re-enforce Taiwan from the east is vulnerable to Chinese missile strikes and naval attacks.

NEV sales are up 27% from May 1-26 as the sector's development accelerates. 

Cumulative retail sales this year have risen 32 percent year-on-year to 3.025 million units, according to data released by the China Passenger Car Association on Wednesday. Domestic demand for NEVs is also solid and will continue to grow," Wu Shuocheng, a veteran automobile industry analyst, told the Global Times on Wednesday. The new system boasts the world's highest engine thermal efficiency at 46.06 percent, the lowest fuel consumption at 2.9 liters per 100 km in depleted battery mode, and the most extended combined range of 2,100 kilometers. "The core competitive advantage of Chinese NEVs lies in their advanced technology, which helps minimize production costs while keeping customers' trust for their good quality and service. "If foreign brands adopt an open and cooperative attitude for a win-win outcome, China's automakers could work together with international manufacturers for joint development, driving global industry upgrades and accelerating the transition to an era of electrification and intelligence," Liu said.

Chinese tech giant launches first cloud region.

Selina Yuan, president of international business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, announced that Alibaba Cloud will launch new availability zones and global investment to fuel A.I. innovation. Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing unit of Chinese tech heavyweight Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, has announced plans to launch its first cloud region in Mexico and to establish additional data centers in Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and South Korea in the next three years. The company said the new investment to build new cloud and A.I. infrastructure across vital international markets aims to enhance the cloud and A.I. product suite for its worldwide customers while enhancing global partnerships and fostering A.I. talent development to nurture future digital expertise. "With the rapidly rising demand for A.I. across industries, we are reinforcing our commitment to expanding our A.I. infrastructure and enhancing our cloud capacities worldwide," said Selina Yuan, president of international business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. Alibaba Cloud also announced it has deepened its collaboration with German tech company SAP to launch a one-stop enterprise solution for small and medium-sized enterprises in Asia to reap the benefits of digital transformation with rapid deployment and on-demand expansion capabilities.

PLA's robot dogs demonstrate capabilities at China-Cambodia joint drills.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) deployed robot dogs during the ongoing China-Cambodia joint exercise, a move analysts said on Sunday indicated the technical sophistication of the intelligent equipment that can significantly enhance combat efficiency and reduce casualty. During the adaptive training phase of the Golden Dragon-2024 joint exercise, the Chinese participating forces deployed a new type of robot dog that weighs 15 kilograms and is equipped with a 4D super-wide-angle sensing system, the China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Saturday. With a battery and power system that allows an endurance of two to four hours, the robot dog can perform maneuvers such as moving forward and backward, jumping and crouching, CCTV reported, noting that it can also independently arrange movement routes to avoid obstacles and quickly close in on its target. The drills show that the PLA has been intensively testing multiple types of robot dogs regarding technologies and tactics, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday. Besides robot dogs, various kinds of intelligent equipment, including drones designed for armed reconnaissance and transport tasks, were integrated into critical sections in the drills, effectively enhancing the PLA's comprehensive combat capabilities, CCTV said.

Factory automation looks more like us.

This is not the first time the company's humanoid robots have created an internet sensation, as it works hard to commercialize the cutting-edge technology into more sectors for broader adoption. Humanoids are particularly appealing for "dangerous, dirty, and dull tasks," Goldman Sachs Research said, adding that there would be potential demand for robots in mining, disaster rescue, nuclear reactor maintenance, and chemicals manufacturing. The company is exploring the application of humanoid robots in industrial scenarios, such as new energy vehicles and smart logistics, with leading domestic enterprises. UBTech Robotics has also unveiled an intelligent healthcare strategy with a string of products and strategic cooperation agreements with companies such as Medical Care Service Co. Inc., better known as MCS, from Japan. UBTech Robotics said it now serves 900 corporate clients from more than 50 countries, focusing on artificial intelligence education, intelligent logistics, eldercare, and commercial services.

Shenzhou XVIII crew conducts 1st spacewalk.

Shenzhou XVIII mission commander Senior Colonel Ye Guangfu carried out tasks outside the Tiangong space station, as shown in this photo on a screen at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center. As a member of the country's second generation of astronauts, Ye was part of the Shenzhou XIII mission, which took place from October 2021 to April 2022, and made his first spacewalk during the six-month flight. The three astronauts are scheduled to work onboard Tiangong until late October and then hand over the orbital outpost to the Shenzhou XIX crew. As of Tuesday, Ye and his team have stayed in space for 33 days and fulfilled various tasks such as equipment maintenance, examinations and tests on spacewalk suits, emergency response exercises, and medical aid drills. Over the remaining period of their stay, the astronauts will carry out many scientific experiments and technological tests and conduct multiple spacewalks and payload deployment operations.

    

APA Citations

China will invest $820 million in cutting-edge battery tech, sources say (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/business/2024-05-29/detail-iheawhsx5136973.shtml
Chinese and Cambodian navies conduct 1st joint live-fire drill as part of Golden Dragon-2024 - Global Times (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202405/1313224.shtml
Expert: Tariff hike 'stupid' move by U.S. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/news/economy/2024-05-28/detail-iheawhsx5134046.shtml
Washington espionage claims blasted (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/news/politics/2024-05-28/detail-iheawhsx5134056.shtml
IMF lifts China's growth forecast, showing growing global confidence in Chinese economy - Global Times (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202405/1313253.shtml
Tesla s Shanghai Megapack energy storage plant breaks ground, a vivid example of China-US win-win cooperation rebutting Washington s  overcapacity hype - Global Times (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202405/1312893.shtml
PLA military drills 'legal, legitimate and necessary' (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/news/military/2024-05-25/detail-iheasacm9358693.shtml
China (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/asia/china/#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
China, Arab countries vow to deepen economic and trade ties - Global Times (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202405/1313168.shtml
J-20 stealth fighter jet can easily reach supercruise, PLA confirms - Global Times (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202405/1313109.shtml
China holds military drills around Taiwan as 'punishment' (2024-05-23T00:00:00+00:00). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-asia-69051793.
NEV sales have risen 27% from May 1-26 as the sector's development accelerates - Global Times (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202405/1313261.shtml
Chinese tech giant launches first cloud region (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/news/sci-tech/2024-05-28/detail-iheawhsx5134098.shtml
PLA's robot dogs demonstrate capabilities at China-Cambodia joint drills (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/news/military/2024-05-27/detail-iheawhsx5131669.shtml
Factory automation looks more like us (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/business/2024-05-29/detail-iheawhsx5136212.shtml
Shenzhou XVIII crew conducts 1st spacewalk (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ecns.cn/news/sci-tech/2024-05-29/detail-iheawhsx5135963.shtml

Titles

00:00 China to invest $820 mln in cutting-edge battery tech, sources say
00:00 Chinese, Cambodian navies conduct 1st joint live-fire drill as part of Golden Dragon-2024 - Global Times
00:00 Expert: Tariff hike 'stupid' move by U.S.
00:00 Washington espionage claims blasted
00:00 IMF lifts China's growth forecast, showing growing global confidence in Chinese economy - Global Times
00:00 Tesla's Shanghai Megapack energy storage plant breaks ground, a vivid example of China-US win-win cooperation rebutting Washington's overcapacity  hype - Global Times
00:00 PLA military drills 'legal, legitimate and necessary'
00:00 China, Arab countries vow to deepen economic and trade ties - Global Times
00:00 J-20 stealth fighter jet can easily reach supercruise, PLA confirms - Global Times
00:00 China holds military drills around Taiwan as 'punishment'
00:00 NEV sales up 27% from May 1-26 as sector's development accelerates - Global Times
00:00 Chinese tech giant launches first cloud region
00:00 PLA's robot dogs demonstrate capabilities at China-Cambodia joint drills
00:00 Factory automation looking more like us
00:00 Shenzhou XVIII crew conducts 1st spacewalk