Chinese GPUs outdo Nvidia chips nearly tenfold in supercomputer simulation: study
By Zhang Tong
Computer researchers in China using domestically made graphics processors have achieved a near-tenfold boost in performance over powerful US supercomputers that rely on Nvidia’s cutting-edge hardware, according to a peer-reviewed study.
The accomplishment points to possible unintended consequences of Washington’s escalating tech sanctions while challenging the dominance of American-made chips, long considered vital for advanced scientific research.
The researchers said that innovative software optimisation techniques enabled them to improve efficiency gains in computers powered by Chinese-designed graphics processing units (GPUs) to outperform US supercomputers in certain scientific computations.
While sceptics caution that software tweaks alone cannot bridge hardware gaps indefinitely, the development underscores Beijing’s broader strategy to mitigate “chokepoint” risks in critical technologies.
Scientists often rely on simulations to model real-world circumstances, such as designs to defend against flooding or urban waterlogging. But such reproductions, especially large-scale, high-resolution simulations, demand substantial time and computational resources, limiting the broader application of such an approach.
The challenge for Chinese scientists is even more daunting. For hardware, production of advanced GPUs like the A100 and H100 are dominated by foreign manufacturers. On the software side, US-based Nvidia has restricted its CUDA software ecosystem from running on third-party hardware, thus hindering the development of independent algorithms.
In search of a breakthrough, Professor Nan Tongchao with the State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering at Hohai University in Nanjing, began exploring a “multi-node, multi-GPU” parallel computing approach based on domestic CPUs and GPUs. The results of their research were published in the Chinese Journal of Hydraulic Engineering on January 3.
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By Zhang Tong
Computer researchers in China using domestically made graphics processors have achieved a near-tenfold boost in performance over powerful US supercomputers that rely on Nvidia’s cutting-edge hardware, according to a peer-reviewed study.
The accomplishment points to possible unintended consequences of Washington’s escalating tech sanctions while challenging the dominance of American-made chips, long considered vital for advanced scientific research.
The researchers said that innovative software optimisation techniques enabled them to improve efficiency gains in computers powered by Chinese-designed graphics processing units (GPUs) to outperform US supercomputers in certain scientific computations.
While sceptics caution that software tweaks alone cannot bridge hardware gaps indefinitely, the development underscores Beijing’s broader strategy to mitigate “chokepoint” risks in critical technologies.
Scientists often rely on simulations to model real-world circumstances, such as designs to defend against flooding or urban waterlogging. But such reproductions, especially large-scale, high-resolution simulations, demand substantial time and computational resources, limiting the broader application of such an approach.
The challenge for Chinese scientists is even more daunting. For hardware, production of advanced GPUs like the A100 and H100 are dominated by foreign manufacturers. On the software side, US-based Nvidia has restricted its CUDA software ecosystem from running on third-party hardware, thus hindering the development of independent algorithms.
In search of a breakthrough, Professor Nan Tongchao with the State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering at Hohai University in Nanjing, began exploring a “multi-node, multi-GPU” parallel computing approach based on domestic CPUs and GPUs. The results of their research were published in the Chinese Journal of Hydraulic Engineering on January 3.
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Trump has fired his first tariff salvo at China. Are Japan and South Korea next?
By Ralph Jennings
Tariffs on imports from Japan and South Korea may be next on the agenda for US President Donald Trump as he looks to punish other nations with trade surpluses following a hike in Chinese duties, analysts said – though higher US tariffs on those countries could strengthen intra-Asian trade and help Chinese exporters.
Trump would raise tariffs on the two East Asian countries to promote production in the United States and pressure both to increase their US investments, the observers said.
Speculation over such a move has gathered steam after Trump announced a universal 25 per cent tariff on steel and aluminium imports.
“The trade war is only just beginning, and Northeast Asia’s developed economies may soon find themselves caught in the crossfire,” Moody’s Analytics said in a report on February 5.
British multinational bank Barclays said in a Monday research note that South Korea in particular imposes “much higher tariffs on US exports in their direction than the US does on imports from them,” which would make Seoul a high-value target for Trump.
“Trump had made similar comments on the campaign trail during his run for a second term as US president,” Barclays said, adding the US may announce “reciprocal tariffs” as early as this week.
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By Ralph Jennings
Tariffs on imports from Japan and South Korea may be next on the agenda for US President Donald Trump as he looks to punish other nations with trade surpluses following a hike in Chinese duties, analysts said – though higher US tariffs on those countries could strengthen intra-Asian trade and help Chinese exporters.
Trump would raise tariffs on the two East Asian countries to promote production in the United States and pressure both to increase their US investments, the observers said.
Speculation over such a move has gathered steam after Trump announced a universal 25 per cent tariff on steel and aluminium imports.
“The trade war is only just beginning, and Northeast Asia’s developed economies may soon find themselves caught in the crossfire,” Moody’s Analytics said in a report on February 5.
British multinational bank Barclays said in a Monday research note that South Korea in particular imposes “much higher tariffs on US exports in their direction than the US does on imports from them,” which would make Seoul a high-value target for Trump.
“Trump had made similar comments on the campaign trail during his run for a second term as US president,” Barclays said, adding the US may announce “reciprocal tariffs” as early as this week.
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Hong Kong uses DNA to probe death of doctor in suspected E coli cluster
By Wynna Wong
Hong Kong authorities are using advanced genome sequencing to see whether separate infections or underlying factors contributed to the death of a young oncologist after a suspected outbreak of a highly toxic E coli strain at a hospital where two other doctors have also presented symptoms.
One of the experts involved in the investigation said on Wednesday that authorities had not ruled out any possibilities about the cases in the oncology department at Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung.
An oncologist in his thirties died on Friday last week, less than 24 hours after being admitted to hospital.
The doctor showed signs of severe infection, low blood oxygen levels and high fever, which required him to be intubated and transferred to the intensive care unit.
Authorities have indicated the cluster may be an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E coli, although testing has been inconclusive.
“We are not ruling out any possibilities,” Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, chair of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong’s department of microbiology, said on a radio show.
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By Wynna Wong
Hong Kong authorities are using advanced genome sequencing to see whether separate infections or underlying factors contributed to the death of a young oncologist after a suspected outbreak of a highly toxic E coli strain at a hospital where two other doctors have also presented symptoms.
One of the experts involved in the investigation said on Wednesday that authorities had not ruled out any possibilities about the cases in the oncology department at Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung.
An oncologist in his thirties died on Friday last week, less than 24 hours after being admitted to hospital.
The doctor showed signs of severe infection, low blood oxygen levels and high fever, which required him to be intubated and transferred to the intensive care unit.
Authorities have indicated the cluster may be an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E coli, although testing has been inconclusive.
“We are not ruling out any possibilities,” Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, chair of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong’s department of microbiology, said on a radio show.
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PLA tracks US Navy ships in first Taiwan Strait transit since Trump’s return
By Hayley Wong
Two American naval vessels were spotted sailing through the Taiwan Strait on Monday, according to the People’s Liberation Army, which also said that it was tracking the crossing.
The PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command “organised sea and air forces to follow and monitor the entire movement of the US vessels, and handled them effectively”, according to spokesman Li Xi.
Speaking on Wednesday morning, Li accused the US deployment of sending “wrong signals and increasing security risks”.
The transit was the first by the US Navy since Donald Trump was sworn in as president in January. In a departure from its usual practice, the passage was not flagged by the Indo-Pacific Command on its website.
According to Reuters, the navy confirmed on Tuesday that two ships – an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer the USS Ralph Johnson and the USNS Bowditch, a survey ship – had crossed the strait between Monday and Wednesday.
The Indo-Pacific Command told Reuters that the operation was routine and has not yet responded to an inquiry from the South China Morning Post.
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By Hayley Wong
Two American naval vessels were spotted sailing through the Taiwan Strait on Monday, according to the People’s Liberation Army, which also said that it was tracking the crossing.
The PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command “organised sea and air forces to follow and monitor the entire movement of the US vessels, and handled them effectively”, according to spokesman Li Xi.
Speaking on Wednesday morning, Li accused the US deployment of sending “wrong signals and increasing security risks”.
The transit was the first by the US Navy since Donald Trump was sworn in as president in January. In a departure from its usual practice, the passage was not flagged by the Indo-Pacific Command on its website.
According to Reuters, the navy confirmed on Tuesday that two ships – an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer the USS Ralph Johnson and the USNS Bowditch, a survey ship – had crossed the strait between Monday and Wednesday.
The Indo-Pacific Command told Reuters that the operation was routine and has not yet responded to an inquiry from the South China Morning Post.
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Trump’s Gaza plan has ‘world boiling like a porridge pot’, North Korea says
By Reuters
North Korean state media on Wednesday denounced US President Donald Trump’s proposal to take over Gaza and relocate Palestinians as ludicrous and accused Washington of extortion.
The slim hopes of Palestinians for safety and peace are being crushed by the proposal, a commentary carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, without directly naming Trump.
“The world is now boiling like a porridge pot over the US’ bombshell declaration,” KCNA said.
The commentary is aimed at Trump’s shock announcement that the US intends to remove Gaza residents and transform the war-ravaged territory into what the president billed as a “Riviera of the Middle East”.
The KCNA commentary also criticised the Trump administration over its calls to take over the Panama Canal and Greenland and its decision to change the name of the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America”.
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By Reuters
North Korean state media on Wednesday denounced US President Donald Trump’s proposal to take over Gaza and relocate Palestinians as ludicrous and accused Washington of extortion.
The slim hopes of Palestinians for safety and peace are being crushed by the proposal, a commentary carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, without directly naming Trump.
“The world is now boiling like a porridge pot over the US’ bombshell declaration,” KCNA said.
The commentary is aimed at Trump’s shock announcement that the US intends to remove Gaza residents and transform the war-ravaged territory into what the president billed as a “Riviera of the Middle East”.
The KCNA commentary also criticised the Trump administration over its calls to take over the Panama Canal and Greenland and its decision to change the name of the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America”.
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Cooperation for AI safety must transcend geopolitical interference
By Fu Ying
As the global community grapples with artificial intelligence (AI) governance, a crucial dialogue is emerging on how different nations approach AI safety and development. At a recent Paris AI Action Summit side event, these discussions highlighted the urgent need for international cooperation despite geopolitical headwinds.
Drawing on my participation in international AI forums and multilateral discussions, I believe China’s experience offers valuable insights into balancing technological advancement with safety considerations while highlighting the challenges and opportunities in global AI governance.
China’s approach to AI safety reflects its national reality and interests. The AI Safety and Development Network, established with government support, is equivalent to other countries’ AI safety institutes. China has a diverse and pluralistic ecosystem of AI application and safety governance, with government departments, institutions and enterprises focusing on and investing in AI safety issues.
The network’s establishment enables every stakeholder to participate, share knowledge and information, and enhance capacity building; there is active participation in international dialogue and cooperation in spite of external challenges. China joined Britain’s Bletchley summit and has followed the development of other countries’ AI safety institutes. China’s technological community also maintains close communication with international counterparts.
The concern about AI safety in China is mostly on two levels. One is in application. China’s State Council released the New Generation AI Development Plan in 2017, emphasising safe, controlled and sustainable AI progress. China’s AI applications are spreading fast, including in finance, urban management, healthcare and scientific research. Risks and challenges have emerged, with urgent demands for government regulation and technical solutions to address these risks.
Based on its experience in cyber regulation, the Chinese government issued AI laws and normative documents, guided by the principle of maintaining a balance between encouraging innovation and mitigating risks. Meanwhile, tech companies specialising in addressing AI safety issues have emerged to develop and deploy risk mitigation.
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By Fu Ying
As the global community grapples with artificial intelligence (AI) governance, a crucial dialogue is emerging on how different nations approach AI safety and development. At a recent Paris AI Action Summit side event, these discussions highlighted the urgent need for international cooperation despite geopolitical headwinds.
Drawing on my participation in international AI forums and multilateral discussions, I believe China’s experience offers valuable insights into balancing technological advancement with safety considerations while highlighting the challenges and opportunities in global AI governance.
China’s approach to AI safety reflects its national reality and interests. The AI Safety and Development Network, established with government support, is equivalent to other countries’ AI safety institutes. China has a diverse and pluralistic ecosystem of AI application and safety governance, with government departments, institutions and enterprises focusing on and investing in AI safety issues.
The network’s establishment enables every stakeholder to participate, share knowledge and information, and enhance capacity building; there is active participation in international dialogue and cooperation in spite of external challenges. China joined Britain’s Bletchley summit and has followed the development of other countries’ AI safety institutes. China’s technological community also maintains close communication with international counterparts.
The concern about AI safety in China is mostly on two levels. One is in application. China’s State Council released the New Generation AI Development Plan in 2017, emphasising safe, controlled and sustainable AI progress. China’s AI applications are spreading fast, including in finance, urban management, healthcare and scientific research. Risks and challenges have emerged, with urgent demands for government regulation and technical solutions to address these risks.
Based on its experience in cyber regulation, the Chinese government issued AI laws and normative documents, guided by the principle of maintaining a balance between encouraging innovation and mitigating risks. Meanwhile, tech companies specialising in addressing AI safety issues have emerged to develop and deploy risk mitigation.
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Top chip designer Sun Nan leaves US and finds ‘room to play’ in China
By Dannie Peng
Tsinghua University chip expert Sun Nan’s return to China went largely unnoticed in the wave of Chinese scientists returning from abroad – that is, until last week, when the prestigious university in Beijing put a social media spotlight on the professor who has helped create more than 50 cutting-edge chips in a little over four years.
According to an article published on Tsinghua’s social media account on Thursday, Sun came back after many years in the United States with the hope of “training chip professionals for China and solving the manufacturing problems of mid- and high-end chip technology”.
Sun, a tenured professor at the university’s department of electronic engineering, returned to his homeland in 2020 after more than a decade in the US. His homecoming came at the height of the China Initiative, a US policy that targeted scientists for suspected ties to Beijing and left researchers feeling “targeted and alienated”.
High-end semiconductors – the components that drive key innovation sectors from artificial intelligence to quantum computing – are a critical area of US tech containment that China is striving to break.
Since joining Tsinghua more than four years ago, Sun and his team have worked on both scientific research and industrial applications, with the aim of producing more reliable and efficient chips at a lower cost. They have taken on a number of major national research projects.
The high-performance circuit design technologies they have developed have been integrated into more than 50 chips, according to the Tsinghua article. These chips have been used for the power grid, high-speed rail, industrial measurement and control, instrumentation, electric vehicles and other fields.
“[These chips] achieved import substitution for similar foreign products and even surpassed foreign counterparts in some core technical indexes to reach the international leading level,” the article said.
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By Dannie Peng
Tsinghua University chip expert Sun Nan’s return to China went largely unnoticed in the wave of Chinese scientists returning from abroad – that is, until last week, when the prestigious university in Beijing put a social media spotlight on the professor who has helped create more than 50 cutting-edge chips in a little over four years.
According to an article published on Tsinghua’s social media account on Thursday, Sun came back after many years in the United States with the hope of “training chip professionals for China and solving the manufacturing problems of mid- and high-end chip technology”.
Sun, a tenured professor at the university’s department of electronic engineering, returned to his homeland in 2020 after more than a decade in the US. His homecoming came at the height of the China Initiative, a US policy that targeted scientists for suspected ties to Beijing and left researchers feeling “targeted and alienated”.
High-end semiconductors – the components that drive key innovation sectors from artificial intelligence to quantum computing – are a critical area of US tech containment that China is striving to break.
Since joining Tsinghua more than four years ago, Sun and his team have worked on both scientific research and industrial applications, with the aim of producing more reliable and efficient chips at a lower cost. They have taken on a number of major national research projects.
The high-performance circuit design technologies they have developed have been integrated into more than 50 chips, according to the Tsinghua article. These chips have been used for the power grid, high-speed rail, industrial measurement and control, instrumentation, electric vehicles and other fields.
“[These chips] achieved import substitution for similar foreign products and even surpassed foreign counterparts in some core technical indexes to reach the international leading level,” the article said.
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Top international school, education foundation allocated 2 Hong Kong campuses
By William Yiu
Two vacant Hong Kong campus sites for as many as 1,000 international school pupils have been allocated to a prominent educational institution and a foundation set up by the family of a late shipping tycoon, as the city strives to attract mainland Chinese and overseas talent.
The Chinese International School (CIS) said the government’s decision to allocate it a campus at Braemar Hill in North Point would allow the institution to significantly increase its enrolment.
Meanwhile, the YK Pao Education Foundation, set up by Anna Pao Pui-hing, the daughter of Pao Yue-kong, and her son Philip Pao Sohmen, will launch its first school in the city after receiving a campus in Kowloon Tong.
On Monday, the Education Bureau shared the results of its 2023 allocation exercise for two vacant sites to help support international schools after announcing it had received a “very positive” response from the sector last year.
Authorities earlier estimated the two sites had a combined student capacity of about 1,000, adding that the campus in North Point could accommodate a minimum of 340 pupils and the one in Kowloon Tong could cater to at least 480 students.
The bureau said the schools could start operating at the sites from around the 2027-28 academic year or the year after – depending on their tenancy arrangements and whether the institutions opted to make any approved renovations or construction work.
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By William Yiu
Two vacant Hong Kong campus sites for as many as 1,000 international school pupils have been allocated to a prominent educational institution and a foundation set up by the family of a late shipping tycoon, as the city strives to attract mainland Chinese and overseas talent.
The Chinese International School (CIS) said the government’s decision to allocate it a campus at Braemar Hill in North Point would allow the institution to significantly increase its enrolment.
Meanwhile, the YK Pao Education Foundation, set up by Anna Pao Pui-hing, the daughter of Pao Yue-kong, and her son Philip Pao Sohmen, will launch its first school in the city after receiving a campus in Kowloon Tong.
On Monday, the Education Bureau shared the results of its 2023 allocation exercise for two vacant sites to help support international schools after announcing it had received a “very positive” response from the sector last year.
Authorities earlier estimated the two sites had a combined student capacity of about 1,000, adding that the campus in North Point could accommodate a minimum of 340 pupils and the one in Kowloon Tong could cater to at least 480 students.
The bureau said the schools could start operating at the sites from around the 2027-28 academic year or the year after – depending on their tenancy arrangements and whether the institutions opted to make any approved renovations or construction work.
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Did China meddle in South Korea’s election? Concern over claims by Yoon supporters
By Park Chan-kyong
Claims by South Korea’s conservative bloc that China meddled in the country’s election could escalate tensions with Beijing and jeopardise trade ties, analysts have warned.
Beijing has voiced strong discontent over the allegations by supporters of suspended President Yoon Suk-yeol, who on December 3 plunged the country into political chaos with a martial law decree that he insisted was necessary to investigate election fraud involving China and North Korea.
Seoul’s election watchdog has dismissed the allegations as baseless.
Adding to the controversy, a viral fake news story on YouTube claims that martial law troops arrested 99 Chinese “hackers” who helped opposition parties at the National Election Commission.
In response, Dai Bing, the Chinese ambassador in Seoul, issued a statement late on Monday condemning the spread of unfounded allegations.
“China has all along upheld the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs. And we have always honoured our word and are completely above board on it,” he wrote on social media.
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By Park Chan-kyong
Claims by South Korea’s conservative bloc that China meddled in the country’s election could escalate tensions with Beijing and jeopardise trade ties, analysts have warned.
Beijing has voiced strong discontent over the allegations by supporters of suspended President Yoon Suk-yeol, who on December 3 plunged the country into political chaos with a martial law decree that he insisted was necessary to investigate election fraud involving China and North Korea.
Seoul’s election watchdog has dismissed the allegations as baseless.
Adding to the controversy, a viral fake news story on YouTube claims that martial law troops arrested 99 Chinese “hackers” who helped opposition parties at the National Election Commission.
In response, Dai Bing, the Chinese ambassador in Seoul, issued a statement late on Monday condemning the spread of unfounded allegations.
“China has all along upheld the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs. And we have always honoured our word and are completely above board on it,” he wrote on social media.
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Salman Rushdie faces his accused stabber in New York courtroom
By Reuters
Salman Rushdie spoke calmly and with occasional dry humour as he testified on Tuesday against the man accused of trying to murder him, the first time the two have been in the same place since the 2022 knife attack on the novelist onstage at a New York arts institute.
Hadi Matar, 26, has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault.
Rushdie, 77, walked into the courtroom dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and grey tie.
Two sheriff’s deputies stood at alert by Matar, seated at a table with his team of public defenders.
The right lens of Rushdie’s spectacles was blacked out, masking the eye, which his attacker’s knife had pierced through to the optic nerve.
“I was aware of this person rushing at me from my right hand side,” Rushdie testified in a courtroom in Mayville, a few kilometres north of the Chautauqua Institution, the lakeside rural arts haven where he was attacked on August 12, 2022.
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By Reuters
Salman Rushdie spoke calmly and with occasional dry humour as he testified on Tuesday against the man accused of trying to murder him, the first time the two have been in the same place since the 2022 knife attack on the novelist onstage at a New York arts institute.
Hadi Matar, 26, has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault.
Rushdie, 77, walked into the courtroom dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and grey tie.
Two sheriff’s deputies stood at alert by Matar, seated at a table with his team of public defenders.
The right lens of Rushdie’s spectacles was blacked out, masking the eye, which his attacker’s knife had pierced through to the optic nerve.
“I was aware of this person rushing at me from my right hand side,” Rushdie testified in a courtroom in Mayville, a few kilometres north of the Chautauqua Institution, the lakeside rural arts haven where he was attacked on August 12, 2022.
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China in ‘axis of evil’: US lawmaker reveals stark vision of countries under Trump and Xi
By Robert Delaney
Starkly divergent views of the US under Donald Trump and Xi Jinping’s China came into focus in Washington on Tuesday, when a lawmaker said Beijing was part of an “axis of evil” and a Chinese academic suggested Trump was trying to carve up the world to the detriment of America’s allies.
Delivering a keynote address at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, US congressman Rob Wittman, vice-chair of the influential House Armed Services Committee, said the American belief in the rule of law was among principles that the US has “in common with other nations around the world”.
“There’s a big contrast between the United States and our allies and China, Russia, North Korea and Iran,” the Virginia Republican said. “That is a building axis of evil. The same thing is emerging today, as we saw in 1938 and we ought to be very, very mindful of that.”
Wittman, who also serves as chairman of the House subcommittee on tactical air and land forces, called for cooperation with allies in a range of military fronts, including shipbuilding and critical minerals supply, to match the defence industrial base that China has built up under Xi.
In particular, he lauded the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue – a strategic group made up of the US, India, Japan and Australia, better known as the Quad – and the Aukus alliance comprising the US, Britain and Australia, which was established by Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, amid growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Wittman’s usage of the term “axis of evil” echoed testimony before the House Armed Services Committee last year by retired Admiral John Aquilino, then the commander of US forces in the Indo-Pacific, underscoring the degree to which Washington’s military establishment sees Beijing as a grave threat to US interests.
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By Robert Delaney
Starkly divergent views of the US under Donald Trump and Xi Jinping’s China came into focus in Washington on Tuesday, when a lawmaker said Beijing was part of an “axis of evil” and a Chinese academic suggested Trump was trying to carve up the world to the detriment of America’s allies.
Delivering a keynote address at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, US congressman Rob Wittman, vice-chair of the influential House Armed Services Committee, said the American belief in the rule of law was among principles that the US has “in common with other nations around the world”.
“There’s a big contrast between the United States and our allies and China, Russia, North Korea and Iran,” the Virginia Republican said. “That is a building axis of evil. The same thing is emerging today, as we saw in 1938 and we ought to be very, very mindful of that.”
Wittman, who also serves as chairman of the House subcommittee on tactical air and land forces, called for cooperation with allies in a range of military fronts, including shipbuilding and critical minerals supply, to match the defence industrial base that China has built up under Xi.
In particular, he lauded the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue – a strategic group made up of the US, India, Japan and Australia, better known as the Quad – and the Aukus alliance comprising the US, Britain and Australia, which was established by Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, amid growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Wittman’s usage of the term “axis of evil” echoed testimony before the House Armed Services Committee last year by retired Admiral John Aquilino, then the commander of US forces in the Indo-Pacific, underscoring the degree to which Washington’s military establishment sees Beijing as a grave threat to US interests.
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China’s rust-belt regions at risk of being left behind as coastal economies surge
By Carol Yang
Traditional economic pillars of China’s rust-belt provinces – including property and the fossil fuel industry – have come under considerable pressure, leading to a widened gap with coastal provinces that are riding more lucrative waves of surging exports and technological advancements such as DeepSeek’s new artificial intelligence (AI) model.
Northern China’s Shanxi province, the country’s main coal producer, is a striking case illustrating the regional economic slowdown. It stood alone among China’s 31 provincial-level jurisdictions last year by reporting a decline in nominal gross domestic product (GDP), as its economy contracted by 2.14 per cent.
Nominal GDP measures economic output without adjusting for inflation, reflecting both price changes and real production shifts.
The coal-dependent region also registered the nation’s lowest real GDP growth – or nominal GDP growth adjusted for inflation – at 2.3 per cent, lagging behind the 2.7 per cent growth in the northwest’s Qinghai province and 3.2 per cent in the northeast’s Heilongjiang province, according to government data.
China’s three northeastern provinces – Liaoning, Heilongjiang and Jilin – are among the old industrial bases that have been struggling amid rising debt levels, the loss of market share to eastern regions, and population outflows since the 1990s.
More northern regions have become weighed down by debt and stagnation over the past decade, including the port city of Tianjin, which lies 100km (62 miles) east of Beijing.
Shanxi continues to heavily depend on coal-related industries, but its coal production fell 6.9 per cent in 2024, year on year. Meanwhile, the industrial output of its manufacturing sector dropped 1.1 per cent, while property investment declined 5.1 per cent, according to the province’s statistics bureau.
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By Carol Yang
Traditional economic pillars of China’s rust-belt provinces – including property and the fossil fuel industry – have come under considerable pressure, leading to a widened gap with coastal provinces that are riding more lucrative waves of surging exports and technological advancements such as DeepSeek’s new artificial intelligence (AI) model.
Northern China’s Shanxi province, the country’s main coal producer, is a striking case illustrating the regional economic slowdown. It stood alone among China’s 31 provincial-level jurisdictions last year by reporting a decline in nominal gross domestic product (GDP), as its economy contracted by 2.14 per cent.
Nominal GDP measures economic output without adjusting for inflation, reflecting both price changes and real production shifts.
The coal-dependent region also registered the nation’s lowest real GDP growth – or nominal GDP growth adjusted for inflation – at 2.3 per cent, lagging behind the 2.7 per cent growth in the northwest’s Qinghai province and 3.2 per cent in the northeast’s Heilongjiang province, according to government data.
China’s three northeastern provinces – Liaoning, Heilongjiang and Jilin – are among the old industrial bases that have been struggling amid rising debt levels, the loss of market share to eastern regions, and population outflows since the 1990s.
More northern regions have become weighed down by debt and stagnation over the past decade, including the port city of Tianjin, which lies 100km (62 miles) east of Beijing.
Shanxi continues to heavily depend on coal-related industries, but its coal production fell 6.9 per cent in 2024, year on year. Meanwhile, the industrial output of its manufacturing sector dropped 1.1 per cent, while property investment declined 5.1 per cent, according to the province’s statistics bureau.
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Indian PM Modi’s Washington trip hopes to exploit the strained US-China relationship
By Khushboo Razdan
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Washington this week will focus on a potential trade deal that includes increased US energy purchases by New Delhi, reductions in Indian tariffs on certain American imports, and discussions about India acquiring US-made fighter jets and drones.
Sources familiar with the agenda say that the meetings, which start on Wednesday, are also anticipated to address AI security – particularly in the wake of China’s DeepSeek introduction – the repatriation of hundreds of Indian migrants, and visas for skilled Indian workers.
Modi, who will be joined by Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, is also expected to meet with top American business leaders, and address an India diaspora event.
On Tuesday, Modi met with US Vice-President J.D. Vance on the sidelines of the AI summit in Paris. According to the White House, they discussed assisting “India in diversifying its energy sourcing through investments in clean, reliable US nuclear technology”.
Despite potential concessions, analysts said, New Delhi is unlikely to escape US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which are expected to be announced sometime this week.
Even so, they added, trade issues are not expected to be a major hurdle in strengthening India’s position as a key US partner in the Indo-Pacific region. And while bilateral matters will take centre stage during Modi’s Thursday meeting with Trump, Washington’s strained relationship with China will be an underlying theme.
At the same time, India’s reluctance to fully embrace a security alliance with the US in the Indo-Pacific – particularly within the Quad framework – remains a significant challenge for the second Trump administration.
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By Khushboo Razdan
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Washington this week will focus on a potential trade deal that includes increased US energy purchases by New Delhi, reductions in Indian tariffs on certain American imports, and discussions about India acquiring US-made fighter jets and drones.
Sources familiar with the agenda say that the meetings, which start on Wednesday, are also anticipated to address AI security – particularly in the wake of China’s DeepSeek introduction – the repatriation of hundreds of Indian migrants, and visas for skilled Indian workers.
Modi, who will be joined by Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, is also expected to meet with top American business leaders, and address an India diaspora event.
On Tuesday, Modi met with US Vice-President J.D. Vance on the sidelines of the AI summit in Paris. According to the White House, they discussed assisting “India in diversifying its energy sourcing through investments in clean, reliable US nuclear technology”.
Despite potential concessions, analysts said, New Delhi is unlikely to escape US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which are expected to be announced sometime this week.
Even so, they added, trade issues are not expected to be a major hurdle in strengthening India’s position as a key US partner in the Indo-Pacific region. And while bilateral matters will take centre stage during Modi’s Thursday meeting with Trump, Washington’s strained relationship with China will be an underlying theme.
At the same time, India’s reluctance to fully embrace a security alliance with the US in the Indo-Pacific – particularly within the Quad framework – remains a significant challenge for the second Trump administration.
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Zelensky offers land swaps with Russia to help end Ukraine war
By Agence France-Presse
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready to swap land in negotiations with Russia, which freed an American prisoner in a gesture US President Donald Trump’s administration described Tuesday as a goodwill gesture on ending the war.
Zelensky, who will meet on Friday at the Munich Security Conference with US Vice-President J.D. Vance, a vocal critic of US military support to Ukraine, described himself as ready for serious talks.
“We will swap one territory for another,” he said in an interview with The Guardian.
Zelensky, who in the past has refused to cede any territory invaded by Russia, said he was ready to trade land in Russia’s Kursk region which Ukraine seized in a surprise offensive last year.
He acknowledged that Ukraine would not be able to enjoy security guarantees just with European partners. “Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees,” he said.
Trump took office vowing to end the war in Ukraine, possibly by leveraging billions of dollars in US aid sent by his predecessor Joe Biden, to force Kyiv into territorial concessions.
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By Agence France-Presse
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready to swap land in negotiations with Russia, which freed an American prisoner in a gesture US President Donald Trump’s administration described Tuesday as a goodwill gesture on ending the war.
Zelensky, who will meet on Friday at the Munich Security Conference with US Vice-President J.D. Vance, a vocal critic of US military support to Ukraine, described himself as ready for serious talks.
“We will swap one territory for another,” he said in an interview with The Guardian.
Zelensky, who in the past has refused to cede any territory invaded by Russia, said he was ready to trade land in Russia’s Kursk region which Ukraine seized in a surprise offensive last year.
He acknowledged that Ukraine would not be able to enjoy security guarantees just with European partners. “Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees,” he said.
Trump took office vowing to end the war in Ukraine, possibly by leveraging billions of dollars in US aid sent by his predecessor Joe Biden, to force Kyiv into territorial concessions.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
