Hasty Briefsbeta

All tags

#china

133 stories total

Bilingual

Apple helped China become America's biggest tech rival
a year ago
- President Trump initially threatened steep tariffs on trading partners but then offered a 90-day pause.
- China was an exception, facing even higher tariffs.
- Some electronic devices, like smartphones and computers, were exempted from tariffs, sparing US tech companies.
- Apple lost nearly $800 billion in market value, which may explain Trump's sudden policy shift.
Why Apple can’t just quit China
a year ago
- Patrick McGee's new book discusses Apple's deep ties with China and its challenges in diversifying manufacturing.
- Apple has trained 28 million workers in China since 2008 and invests $55 billion annually there.
- Despite expanding to India and Vietnam, Apple's supply chain remains heavily dependent on China.
- China's 'red supply chain' companies like BYD and Luxshare are gaining geopolitical importance.
- Apple's diversification to India is happening at one-tenth the speed of its initial expansion in China.
- Vietnam's manufacturing proficiency is tied to its proximity to China, making it vulnerable to disruptions there.
- Chinese tech giants like Huawei and Xiaomi are gaining market share, but Apple's ecosystem retains loyalty.
- Beijing could use Apple as a bargaining chip in U.S.-China trade negotiations due to its reliance on China.
Renewable power reversing China's emissions growth
a year ago
- China has more renewable energy capacity than the next 13 countries combined, four times that of the US.
- China's emissions dropped by 1% in the past year, led by a 2% decline in the power sector due to renewable energy growth.
- Previous emissions declines were due to economic factors like COVID or the 2008 housing crisis, but the latest drop is energy-sector-driven.
- Data sources include China's National Bureau of Statistics, National Energy Administration, and China Electricity Council.
- Emissions peaked in March 2024, with a 1% decline since—small but notable, with renewables accelerating impact.
- Clean power growth in Q1 2025 drove a 1.6% emissions drop compared to the same quarter in 2024.
Microsoft abruptly cuts services to Chinese university, genomics firm
a year ago
- Microsoft abruptly ended commercial services for Sun Yat-sen University and BGI Group in China.
- Sun Yat-sen University's Microsoft 365 services, including OneDrive and OneNote, will cease operations soon.
- BGI Group lost access to Microsoft services like Outlook and OneDrive, forcing them to use alternatives like WPS Office.
- Microsoft has not provided any public explanation for the service suspensions.
- BGI Group has been targeted by US authorities, with subsidiaries added to the US trade blacklist.
'Apple in China' book convincingly argues that iPhone could be killed overnight
a year ago
- Apple outsourced production to Taiwanese companies in China to save costs and improve profitability.
- Apple sent engineers to China to train local manufacturers, transforming China into a high-quality manufacturing hub.
- Apple's investment in China's manufacturing sector totaled $275B in the first five years, training around 28 million people.
- China's ability to produce high-quality, low-cost products made it a global manufacturing powerhouse, outcompeting US companies.
- Chinese brands like Huawei began competing globally in premium markets, previously dominated by Western brands.
- The book argues that China could cripple Apple overnight by cutting off supply chains or resources.
- Apple's reliance on China for manufacturing makes it vulnerable to geopolitical decisions by the Chinese government.
Chinese 'kill switches' found hidden in US solar farms
a year ago
- Chinese 'kill switches' found in US solar farm equipment could allow Beijing to cripple power grids and trigger blackouts in the West.
- The rogue devices, including cellular radios, were discovered in Chinese-made power inverters used globally, including in the UK.
- Hidden communications equipment could be remotely deployed to switch off inverters, causing catastrophic results.
- The discovery heightens concerns about covert Chinese malware in critical US and European energy infrastructure.
- The kill switches could be activated during a confrontation between China and the West.
'Alarming' rise in regional internet censorship in China, study finds
a year ago
- China has implemented stricter internet censorship in Henan province, blocking five times more websites than the national average.
- Researchers found that Henan's firewall blocked 4.2 million domains during the study period, mainly targeting business-related sites.
- The enhanced censorship may be linked to past financial protests in Henan, where demonstrators faced restrictions on bank withdrawals and health code abuses.
- Other regions like Xinjiang and Tibet also experience heightened internet controls, but Henan's case is unusual as it is not typically considered restive.
- China's AI advancements aid both censorship enforcement and evasion, with new surveillance tools monitoring VPN users and messaging apps like Telegram.
- The study's lead author notes AI's dual role in enhancing censorship and enabling new methods to circumvent it.
China's airlines raise alarm as travellers ditch planes for bullet trains
a year ago
- More passengers on the Beijing-Shanghai route are choosing high-speed rail over flights.
- Airlines are struggling to compete with the convenience, comfort, and stable internet access offered by bullet trains.
- In 2023, there were 52 million train trips compared to 8.6 million flights between Beijing and Shanghai.
- Business travelers prefer high-speed rail due to its speed (4 hours for 1,300 km) and amenities like internet and charging points.
- The Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway has become highly profitable despite initial operational challenges.
China extends its reach into the Solar System with launch of asteroid mission
a year ago
- Chinese spacecraft Tianwen-2 successfully launched to collect samples from an unexplored asteroid.
- Mission aims to retrieve samples from asteroid 469219 Kamo��oalewa and return them to Earth by late 2027.
- After sample return, Tianwen-2 will redirect to a comet-like object between Mars and Jupiter.
- This is China's first mission to bring celestial material from beyond the Moon.
- Asteroid Kamo��oalewa is a 'quasi-satellite' of Earth, making it an ideal target for sample return.
- China's space program aims to catch up with NASA and other agencies in Solar System exploration.
Going to an office and pretending to work: A business that's booming in China
a year ago
- Chinese citizens rent fake office spaces to pretend they are employed, avoiding questions about their job status.
- Services cost between 30-50 yuan ($4-$7) per day, offering desks, Wi-Fi, and simulated work environments, including fake tasks and supervision.
- Zonghua, a former finance worker, pays 400 yuan ($55) monthly to maintain the illusion of employment for her family.
- Urban youth unemployment in China is high (16.5% for ages 16-24, 7.2% for 25-29), driving demand for such services.
- The trend is popular on Xiaohongshu (Chinese Instagram), sparking debates on whether it relieves stress or delays job market entry.
- Some businesses operate informally via WeChat, while others repurpose underused office spaces as coworking hubs.
- Participants include freelancers, content creators, and even entrepreneurs exploring new job opportunities.
OpenAI takes down covert operations tied to China, Russia, Iran
a year ago
- Chinese propagandists used ChatGPT to create social media posts, comments, and internal performance reviews.
- OpenAI disrupted 10 malicious AI operations in three months, with four likely originating in China.
- One Chinese operation, 'Sneer Review,' used ChatGPT to generate posts and comments on platforms like TikTok, X, and Facebook.
- Another Chinese operation posed as journalists and analysts, using ChatGPT for intelligence gathering and marketing materials.
- OpenAI also disrupted operations linked to Russia, Iran, the Philippines, Cambodia, and North Korea.
- The operations were largely disrupted early and did not gain significant real engagement.
OpenAI takes down covert operations tied to China and other countries
a year ago
- OpenAI researchers found Chinese propagandists using ChatGPT to create social media posts, comments, and internal performance reviews.
- China is increasing efforts to influence opinion and conduct online surveillance using AI tools.
- OpenAI disrupted 10 malicious AI operations in three months, with four likely originating in China.
- A Chinese operation called 'Sneer Review' used ChatGPT to generate posts and comments across multiple platforms in various languages.
- Another Chinese operation posed as journalists and analysts to collect intelligence, using ChatGPT for translations and data analysis.
- OpenAI also disrupted operations linked to Russia, Iran, the Philippines, Cambodia, and North Korea.
- The operations were largely disrupted early and did not reach large real audiences, showing AI use did not significantly increase engagement.
Tesla sales are crashing in China, and things are about to get worse
a year ago
- Tesla's sales in China are crashing despite new Model Y and discounts.
- Competition and a new EV price war are pressuring Tesla in China.
- Tesla's Q2 performance in China is worse than Q1 and last year.
- Only 8,600 vehicles sold in China in the first week of June.
- Tesla's 2025 deliveries lag 2024 by about 20,000 units.
- May data shows 38,588 vehicles delivered in China and 23,074 exported.
- EV sales in China are up 35% in Q1, but Tesla is struggling.
- BYD triggered a new EV price war with significant price drops.
- Tesla's gross margins in China are practically nonexistent.
- Tesla may face a very difficult second half of the year in China.
Stealth Flying Wing Emerges at Secretive Chinese Base
a year ago
- First glimpse of a large, low-observable, flying-wing, long-endurance unmanned aircraft from China.
- Image captured on May 14, 2025, at a secretive test base near Malan in Xinjiang province.
- Facility features high-security hangars of various sizes, resembling U.S. B-2 bomber shelters.
- Aircraft has a wingspan of roughly 52 meters, similar in size to the U.S. B-2 Spirit.
- Likely a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) stealth drone, resembling the U.S. RQ-180.
- Design includes a center barrel or domed section, possibly for engines or communications systems.
- Possible small vertical tails indicated by shadows, aiding stability.
- China may have intentionally revealed the aircraft for information warfare purposes.
- This is the third major revelation about China's next-gen air combat capabilities in seven months.
Why China is giving away its tech for free
a year ago
- China is adopting open-source software, which is unusual for an authoritarian state.
- Open-source software like Apache, Nginx, Linux, and Kubernetes underpins much of the digital economy.
- These programs are maintained and improved by a global community of developers.
- The article also touches on other topics like corporate culture, JBS's expansion plans, Tesla's robotaxis, and decision-making in companies.
China tightens internet controls with new centralized form of virtual ID
10 months ago
- China is implementing a state-issued national internet ID to centralize identity verification across online platforms.
- The new system, currently voluntary, aims to protect citizens' identity information and support the digital economy.
- Experts warn the policy will erode freedom of expression and increase government surveillance capabilities.
- The system allows real-time monitoring and blocking of users, raising concerns about digital totalitarianism.
- Over six million people have registered for the ID, though the online population exceeds one billion.
- Critics highlight risks of data breaches due to centralized information collection.
- Opposition to the system has been silenced, with critical posts removed and accounts suspended.
- The government has strategically spaced out the proposal and implementation to manage public backlash.
Canadian telecom hacked by suspected China state group
10 months ago
- Hackers linked to the Chinese government exploited a patched vulnerability to target a Canadian telecom provider.
- The vulnerability, CVE-2023-20198, had a maximum severity rating of 10 and affected Cisco devices.
- Salt Typhoon, a PRC state-sponsored group, is suspected to be behind the attack.
- The group previously compromised US telecom companies like Verizon and AT&T, monitoring wiretap systems.
- Cisco released a patch a week after the vulnerability was disclosed by security firm VulnCheck.
China breaks more records with surge in solar and wind power
10 months ago
- China installed 93 GW of solar capacity in May, equivalent to nearly 100 solar panels per second.
- Wind power installations in May reached 26 GW, about 5,300 turbines.
- May's installations alone could generate as much electricity as Poland, Sweden, or the UAE.
- From January to May, China added 198 GW of solar and 46 GW of wind capacity, matching Indonesia or Turkey's electricity generation.
- China's total installed solar photovoltaic capacity has exceeded 1,000 GW, half of the global total.
- US researchers and former officials are in Beijing for unofficial climate talks amid strained US-China climate negotiations.
- China is the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter but also the top clean energy technology supplier and installer.
- President Xi Jinping links China's climate goals with clean energy sector growth, vital for economic revival.
- China's solar industry faces financial pressure, with top companies reporting significant losses and describing a 'death cycle'.
China Builds New Large Jet-Powered Ekranoplan
10 months ago
- Ekranoplans are ultra-low flying aircraft combining features from ships, airplanes, and hovercraft.
- The 'Bohai Sea Monster' in China resembles Soviet Cold War-era designs.
- Ekranoplans fly just above water, offering efficiency and stealth advantages.
- The Soviet Union built large ekranoplans like the 'Caspian Sea Monster' and 'Lun'.
- China's new ekranoplan features a flying boat hull, T-tail, and four jet engines.
- The design suggests a military role, possibly for transport or amphibious operations.
- China has other ambitious aircraft projects, including the AVIC AG600 flying boat.
- The new ekranoplan might be used for rapid resupply or amphibious landings.
China's automakers aim for cars with 100% domestic chips from 2026
a year ago
- Chinese automakers like SAIC Motor, Changan, Great Wall Motor, BYD, Li Auto, and Geely are developing models with 100% homemade chips.
- At least two brands aim to start mass production of these models by 2026.
- The first mass-produced models will be updated versions of existing lines, with more brands to follow.
- This initiative supports China's goal of increasing self-reliance in chips amid rising U.S.-China tensions.

first prev1next

About|Login

#china

Apple helped China become America's biggest tech rival

Why Apple can’t just quit China

Renewable power reversing China's emissions growth

Microsoft abruptly cuts services to Chinese university, genomics firm

'Apple in China' book convincingly argues that iPhone could be killed overnight

Chinese 'kill switches' found hidden in US solar farms

'Alarming' rise in regional internet censorship in China, study finds

China's airlines raise alarm as travellers ditch planes for bullet trains

China extends its reach into the Solar System with launch of asteroid mission

Going to an office and pretending to work: A business that's booming in China

OpenAI takes down covert operations tied to China, Russia, Iran

OpenAI takes down covert operations tied to China and other countries

Tesla sales are crashing in China, and things are about to get worse

Stealth Flying Wing Emerges at Secretive Chinese Base

Why China is giving away its tech for free

China tightens internet controls with new centralized form of virtual ID

Canadian telecom hacked by suspected China state group

China breaks more records with surge in solar and wind power

China Builds New Large Jet-Powered Ekranoplan

China's automakers aim for cars with 100% domestic chips from 2026