China’s ‘Industry 3.0 Era’ seed industry being left behind by Western giants
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China’s seed industry is at least a generation behind the Western giants in terms of technology, with a government-backed agency calling for enhanced financial, infrastructural and talent support for domestic suppliers. The China Seed Association, backed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, encourages firms to expand international collaboration efforts. Chinese seed companies are still in the transition stage to the ‘Industry 3.0 Era’ primarily focusing on molecular breeding, while overseas seed giants have entered the ‘Industry 4.0 Era’ utilizing big data, artificial intelligence, and gene editing. China's Seed Law came into effect in March 2022 to address the over-reliance on seed imports. China lags behind major seed giants such as the United States and Germany, which have formed complete industry chains spanning from seed cultivation to sales. China needs to expedite the resolution of issues in scientific innovation and overseas collaboration to achieve its goals of technological independence and control over seed sources within 10 years. China's seed companies are facing the dual dilemma of a lack of seeds and talent. The association suggests increasing support for seed enterprises in terms of financing, equipment, and talent, as well as enhancing foreign cooperation to introduce high-quality overseas germplasm resources and set up R&D bases overseas. China should also consider loosening restrictions on foreign investment in maize seed and adopting foreign patented technology and new varieties. The US holds 80% of the world's core breeding patents, while China holds just 3.5%. China's bio-seed companies achieved sales revenues of 77.7 billion yuan (US$11 billion) up to the end of 2022, roughly the same amount as Germany's Bayer alone during the same period. Chinese gene-editing products account for less than 16% of the products launched in the US.
#China #SeedIndustry #Technology #Collaboration #Self-reliance #SeedImports #IndustryChains #TalentShortage #GermplasmResources #Financing #ForeignInvestment #GeneEditing
New US-China economic exchanges show how status quo trumps substantive changes in ties, analysts say
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Analysts point to a just-concluded meeting of the US-China Economic Working Group as evidence that Washington and Beijing are keen on maintaining the status quo in their interactions. The meeting took place in China and discussed bilateral economic concerns, including tariffs, sanctions, investment restrictions, and cooperation within the Group of 20. However, analysts do not expect any remarkable results from these meetings, given past experiences. The US has been criticizing China's model of industrial policy for over a decade, which China perceives as justification for isolating China. The two countries remain embroiled in economic concerns, including investment restrictions, de-risking, reshoring, and protectionist tariffs. The Biden administration is cautious about making concessions that could be seen as weak on China during an election year. Chinese investors are concerned about the possibility of the US increasing trade barriers targeting Chinese exports, especially if Donald Trump were to be re-elected. High import tariffs on Chinese goods have been a key source of inflation, with retailers passing on additional costs to American consumers. Prolonged inflation in the US has led many Americans to be disappointed with the Biden administration. It may be difficult for the US to decouple from the Chinese market and its supply capacity.
#Us-chinaRelations #EconomicExchanges #StatusQuo #Tariffs #InvestmentRestrictions #GroupOf20 #IndustrialPolicy #ProtectionistTariffs #Inflation
China-South Korea relations: at last, foreign ministers talk amid tension
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China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul had their first phone call, with Wang calling on Seoul to pursue a "friendly" policy towards Beijing. Wang stated that China would uphold "stability and continuity" in its South Korea policy and hopes that South Korea will have a "positive, objective and friendly" policy towards China. Cho expressed concerns over North Korea's latest provocations and its military ties with Russia, asking China to strengthen its "constructive role" in helping to curb Pyongyang's nuclear program. The two ministers also agreed to accelerate preparations for a summit between China, South Korea, and Japan, likely to take place in the first half of this year.
#China #SouthKorea #ForeignMinisters #Diplomacy #NorthKorea #Russia #Us #Japan
US and China officials to meet in Beijing this week, furthering economy talks
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US and Chinese officials will hold talks on economic issues in Beijing this week. A five-person delegation from the US Treasury will meet Chinese counterparts. The discussions mark another round of the 'economic working group' established last year. The talks will cover topics including the macroeconomic outlook, investment-screening regimes, and coordination on debt and climate change. The talks are part of a broader effort by the Biden administration to maintain channels of communication with China. The Treasury delegation will be led by Undersecretary for International Affairs Jay Schambaugh. The talks follow the gathering of a separate working group on financial issues in China last month.
Senators race to release package of US border policies and aid for Ukraine, Israel
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Senators are working to release a bill that combines border enforcement policy with wartime aid for Ukraine, Israel, and other US allies. The bill aims to resupply Ukraine with wartime aid and overhaul the asylum system at the US border. However, it has faced opposition from Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson. The Senate was expected to hold a test vote on the legislation this week. The bill includes measures for faster and tougher enforcement at the border and gives presidents new powers to expel migrants. The proposal is part of an election-year shift on immigration, with President Joe Biden and many Democrats embracing strict border enforcement. House Republicans have shown resistance to the Senate package and plan to vote on a separate package of $17.6 billion in military aid for Israel. The border proposal aims to gain control of an overwhelmed asylum system and includes measures for tougher and quicker enforcement. It would automatically expel migrants back to Mexico if the number of illegal border crossings reaches a certain threshold. The bill would allocate $18.5 billion to immigration enforcement, including the hiring of new officers and funding for shelters and services. The tougher asylum standards in the bill have raised concerns among progressive and Hispanic lawmakers. The bill is still being negotiated, and Republican senators may push to slow its advancement.
#UsBorderPolicies #AidForUkraine #AidForIsrael #Senate #Republicans #BorderEnforcement #AsylumSystem #UkraineAid #Immigration #Election-year #JoeBiden #HouseRepublicans #IsraelFunding #BorderCrisis
Opinion | America must learn that people in glass houses should not throw stones
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China most likely runs global cyberespionage, but it’s nothing compared to the US and its allies, as shown in the latest domestic CIA spy case. The 40-year jailing of whistleblower and former CIA software engineer Joshua Schulte reveals the hypocrisy of the US accusing China of cyberespionage. The Five Eyes alliance of English-speaking nations, including the US, Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, have been warning the world about China's global espionage campaign, but they themselves have a long history of electronic warfare and surveillance. The US, in particular, has the ability to monitor almost all international communication through data chokepoints controlled by the US along fiber-optic cables. The article questions the credibility of spy chiefs and mainstream news outlets, highlighting the revolving door between top US intelligence bosses and media pundits. It also mentions the leaked details about CIA cyber weapons developed by the Centre for Cyber Intelligence (CCI) to hack into devices and spy on people worldwide. The article concludes by suggesting that the US should not throw stones at China when it is also guilty of similar actions.
Global rice shortage looms as top exporter India’s supply woes worsen amid Red Sea attacks
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Exports of premium Indian basmati rice last month were half of what they were a year ago, with traders blaming freight rates that have doubled following a series of attacks on commercial ships by Iran-backed Houthi militants. India, the world’s top rice exporter, accounts for around 40 per cent of global rice shipments and exports to more than 150 countries. About 30 per cent of its shipments – or 12 per cent of total global trade – were affected after New Delhi in July banned exports of white rice and broken varieties, barring exceptions to address other nations’ food-security concerns. India’s exports of non-basmati varieties are also being affected by the limited quantities available to private traders, as well as the long shipping times and more expensive freight costs to parts of Africa and other places. Looming rice shortages could also be exacerbated by lower production in China and Indonesia due to dry weather from El Nino. In Southeast Asia, India’s lower rice shipments are likely to affect the Philippines and Malaysia the most, according to Ravi Khetarpal, executive secretary of Asia-Pacific Agricultural Research Institutions, who added that Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Senegal in West Africa would also be hit hard. Thailand and Vietnam may look to fill the supply vacuum left by India as they are the next largest exporters. India’s rice exports declined 47 per cent between August and November from the same period in 2022. Concerns about food shortages will grow the longer India continues to restrict exports.
#RiceShortage #India #Export #RedSeaAttacks #FreightRates #HouthiMilitants #China #Indonesia #ElNino #Philippines #Malaysia #Nigeria #IvoryCoast #Senegal #Thailand #Vietnam
China on track for ultra-high speed trains with hyperloop test ‘setting record’
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The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) claims to have set a speed record with its superconducting maglev "high-speed flier". The maglev achieved stable levitation while traveling in a low-vacuum tube on a full-scale 2km test line. The exact speed reached remains classified, but CASIC stated that it was a "significant breakthrough". The previous known record for a superconducting maglev vehicle was 623km/hr under non-vacuum conditions. The high-speed flier project aims for speeds of up to 1,000km/hr and integrates aerospace and terrestrial rail transport technologies. The test line in Shanxi province is China's first full-scale testing facility for an ultra-high-speed low-vacuum tube maglev transport system. The construction of the test line began in April 2022 and was led by CASIC's magnetic levitation and electromagnetic propulsion technology department. The test validated several key technologies and proved that they work well together. CASIC is also working on China's next-generation commercial aerospace electromagnetic launch systems.
#China #Ultra-highSpeedTrains #Hyperloop #Maglev #Casic
AI child unveiled by award-winning Chinese scientist in Beijing
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The world's first virtual AI entity, named Little Girl or Tong Tong, has been unveiled at the Frontiers of General Artificial Intelligence Technology Exhibition in Beijing. Developed by the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence (BIGAI), Tong Tong can assign herself tasks, show human emotion, and explore her environment. She possesses her own emotions and intellect and is capable of autonomous learning. The AI entity displays behavior and capabilities similar to those of a three or four-year-old child. BIGAI director Zhu Songchun, an award-winning AI scientist, left his professorship at UCLA in 2020 to establish BIGAI in China. The exhibition also showcased the Tong Test, a comprehensive capability assessment framework for general artificial intelligence developed by Zhu's team.
#Ai #ArtificialIntelligence #VirtualAi #Beijing #Bigai
Philippines overtakes Malaysia, Vietnam to become fastest growing Asean economy
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The Philippines surpassed Malaysia and Vietnam to become the fastest-growing economy in Southeast Asia last year, with a GDP growth rate of 5.6%. While this is slower than the Philippine government's target of 6-7%, it is the fastest pace in the region. Malaysia's economy, which had the highest growth rate in 2022 at 8.7%, likely slowed to 3.8% in 2023. The Philippines is confident that the economy will expand at a pace of 6.5-7.5% in 2024. However, sustaining this growth requires government intervention due to geopolitical risks and political instability. The government expects services expansion to continue driving the economy's growth trajectory.
#Philippines #SoutheastAsia #Economy #GdpGrowth #Malaysia #Vietnam
Hong Kong museum has to rename Chinese film in order to screen it
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The M+ museum of visual culture in Hong Kong was only allowed to screen the 1993 film 'Beijing Bastards' by Zhang Yuan after it agreed to drop the film's title. The film, which has never been publicly screened in mainland China, was part of a series called 'Once Upon a Time in Beijing' and was shown at the museum on January 19. The M+ website initially referred to the film by its original title but later changed it to 'A Film by Zhang Yuan'. The film was not banned in China but was never submitted for approval by the China Film Bureau. The film's director, Zhang Yuan, was blacklisted in China after the film's release. This is not the first time the film has caused controversy in Hong Kong, as it was previously pulled from screening at the Hong Kong International Film Festival in 1994 due to protests from mainland authorities. The M+ museum stated that the film's title was updated by Zhang Yuan and the curatorial team to highlight the filmmaker's presence in the 'Once Upon a Time in Beijing' series. The decision to rename the film has been criticized by movie-goers as 'bizarre'.
#HongKong #M+Museum #BeijingBastards #ZhangYuan #FilmScreening #Censorship #ChineseCinema