Tag: Science and Technology

China-Russia trade up 38.7% year-on-year in first quarter, with energy sector accounting for 40% of transactions

Bilateral trade amounted to US$ 53.85 billion in the first quarter, with China’s shipments to Russia up 47.1% year-on-year to US$ 24.07 billion and Russia’s shipments to Russia up 32.6% to US$ 29.77 billion; the share of the yuan and rouble in the Russian foreign exchange market reached a new record high of 39% in March

Global Times, 13.04.2023

US buys 400 Harpoon missiles from Boeing on behalf of Taiwan in a US$ 1.7 billion contract, following government approval in 2020

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin criticized the deal, saying it would “undermine China’s sovereignty and security interests” and that the US should “stop trying to change the status quo” in the strait; at the same time, some 200 US advisors are in Taiwan in training camps and reserve brigades

Bloomberg, 18.04.2023

South China Morning Post, 19.04.2023

China has one-fifth of top Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers compared to the US, according to study

The country has nearly one million AI talent, but most have undergraduate degrees and only 0.1% have PhDs, while the demand in the sector in China is nearly 300,000 highly skilled workers; from 2019 to 2022, more than a third of universities in China have received approval to create AI courses

Caixin Global, 15.04.2023

China’s first-quarter GDP beat expectations and grew 4.5% year-on-year to 28.5 trillion yuan (US$ 4.14 trillion)

Consumer goods sales rose 5.8% year-on-year, after falling 2.7% in the previous quarter, and international trade grew 4.8%; infrastructure and manufacturing investment rose 8.8% and 7% respectively

National Bureau of Statistics of China, 18.04.2023

Reuters, 18.04.2023

China’s auto production and sales grew by 15.3 % and 9.7 % in March

Despite the first quarter showing a 4.3% drop in production and a 6.7% drop in sales in year-on-year comparison, the sector rebounded in March with exports up 110%; the new energy vehicle (NEV) industry continues to grow, with an increase of 44.8% in production and 34.8% in sales

Global Times, 17.04.2023

New rapeseed variety developed in China can increase vegetable oil production by 12%

The plant that is being tested overcomes limitations of winter planting with shorter cycles and more tolerance to cold and will allow to take advantage of 4.27 million hectares of unused fields after rice harvests; government aims at reducing dependency on imported vegetable oil, and rapeseed is responsible for half of this production

South China Morning Post, 17.04.2023

China grants 10 billion yuan (US$ 1.46 billion) in subsidies to support the purchase of agricultural equipment

These will be given directly to a range of grain growers – from individual farmers to agricultural corporations – and those connected to the industrial chain; rounds of agricultural subsidies are usually launched to ensure the normal operation of production, especially at specific times such as the spring plowing and autumn harvest period

Global Times, 17.04.2023

Chinese researchers plan to make bricks out of lunar soil to build their base using a robot, 3D printers, and lasers

The Clover and Red Star lunar base designs could support three to four astronauts each, although experts say it could take 20 to 30 years and there are multiple challenges such as lack of water, low gravity, moonquakes, and strong cosmic radiation; in 2025, the Chang’e 6 mission will be the first in history to collect samples from the dark side of the Moon

South China Morning Post, 12.04.2023

China’s Space Station achieved 100% regeneration of its oxygen resources and 95% regeneration of its water resources

The system has six types of regeneration, including carbon dioxide removal, urine treatment, and carbon dioxide and hydrogen water production; the station is inhabited by the Shenzhou-15 crew, which completed its fourth spacewalk, a national record for a single mission

CGTN, 14.04.2023

China Daily, 16.04.2023

Buddhist temples are gaining popularity among young people and on social media in China

Once a rare tourist destination, temples now have to control the flow of visitor – photos and videos of visiting young people in traditional Chinese dress have gone viral on the internet; for many it is also a spiritual outlet from stress and daily life, using guides and apps to worship the Buddha

The Beijinger, 05.04.2023

The World of Chinese, 11.04.2023

Brazil and China will deepen comprehensive strategic partnership after historic Lula-Xi meeting

During the inauguration of Dilma Rousseff as president of the New Development Bank, Lula gave harsh criticism of the international financial institutions of the Global North and the hegemony of the dollar in trade; the Brazilian president also met with executives from Huawei, BYD, CCCC and state energy company State Grid

Brasil de Fato, 13.04.2023

Brasil de Fato, 13.04.2023

Macron declared that “the great risk” facing Europe is that of “getting caught up in crises that are not ours” in reference to Taiwan

After his six-hour meeting with President Xi, the French president stressed the concept of “strategic autonomy” that Europe must have in order not to become “followers of the United States”; Macron’s visit to China was marked by a congenial atmosphere, warmly welcomed by a crowd of university students in Guangzhou

Politico, 07.04.2023

Politico, 09.04.2023

China conducted precision strike drills on the island of Taiwan a day after Tsai Ing-wen returned from her visit to the US

Shi Yi, spokesman for the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command, said the drills were a warning to secessionist forces of “Taiwan independence” and their collusion with outside forces; the Command also released an animation showing a possible missile attack on the island from multiple directions

Global Times, 09.04.2023

China increases vocational training and limits general university expansion as part of the country’s higher education reform

Facing shrinking workforce and changing socio-economic demands, provincial governments focus on improving educational quality and increasing vocational university enrollment to 10% of total by 2025; reforms aim to align with government goals to spur tech innovation and high-end manufacturing

Caixin Global, 06.04.2023

China Daily, 07.04.2023

Tesla announced that it will build a mega-factory in Shanghai – its first outside the US – aiming to produce 40 GWh/year of energy storage

The plant will produce Megapacks, a powerful battery, and is expected to produce 10,000 units/year and create an industrial hub worth more than 100 billion yuan (US$14.529 billion); US Congressman Mike Gallagher expressed concern about the announcement and questioned how Musk balances his ties with the both governments

Xinhua, 09.04.2023

Reuters, 11.04.2023

China’s first-quarter rail investment reaches highest level since 2013, up 6.6% year-on-year

With an investment of 113.55 billion yuan (US$16.5 billion), the government is looking to boost the economy and expand infrastructure in the western border regions; that area of the country is key both for trade with Central Asia and the Middle East, as well as defense demands

South China Morning Post, 10.04.2023

ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, announces record earnings in 2022

Despite TikTok’s losses, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization rose 79% to US$25 billion and surpassed that of Chinese tech giants Tencent and Alibaba for the first time; explosive growth comes amid US attempts to force the sale or outright ban of TikTok

Financial Times, 09.04.2023

Sinopec to build the first 400 km long-distance hydrogen pipeline connecting Inner Mongolia to Beijing

In the first phase, it will have a capacity of 100,000 tons of hydrogen each year with the potential to reach 500,000 tons in the long term; after being put into operation, the Inner Mongolia supply will replace current hydrogen production from fossil fuels in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region

Xinhua, 10.04.2023

Government shows caution around the application of genetically modified corn, halting mass plantation until at least 2024

Despite the push towards food security, only 200,000 hectares were designated for such a crop this year amid public fears about health risks; seed companies say the technology is ready and expect GM seeds to account for 90% of corn production in the next five years

South China Morning Post, 04.04.2023

Afrobeat, which originated in Nigeria in the 1970s, gains popularity in China’s music market

The genre fuses original African rhythms with electronic and other musical styles and several famous Chinese hip hop artists have adopted it in their compositions; African DJs are becoming more and more frequent in nightclubs, but it is still difficult for African artists to perform on big stages in China – partly due to the language barrier

The World of Chinese, 10.04.2023

At meeting with Macron and von der Leyen, Xi says he expects EU to oppose hegemonism and attempts to cut supply chains

Both the French president and the European Commission chairwoman said that neither France nor the EU has an interest in “disassociating” from China; in response to von der Leyen’s speech on Taiwan, Xi said that expecting China to compromise on this issue is mere illusion and shooting oneself in the foot

Global Times, 06.04.2023

Xinhua, 07.04.2023

South China Morning Post, 07.04.2023

In reference to tech sanctions imposed by the US, Foreign Minister Qin Gang says Japan should not “help a villain do evil”

Speaking to his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi, in a meeting held two days after Tokyo announced restriction on semiconductor equipment exports starting in July, Qin recalled that the “tricks” used against China now, have already been used to “brutally repress the Japanese semiconductor industry”

Nikkei, 31.03.2023

South China Morning Post, 02.04.2023

Government takes over leadership of Chinese Football Association (CFA) amid anti-corruption drive

A task force of seven senior officials from the General Administration of Sport will lead the association, while eight former and current officials of the institution currently under investigation – including Du Zhaocai, deputy director of sports administration and vice president of the ACF, and Li Tie, former coach of the men’s national team and former English Premier League player

South China Morning Post, 03.04.2023

With the market shaken by slowing sales, China’s auto sector is waging a fierce price war

The movement began with price cuts by the US-based Tesla at the end of 2022, and was followed by other foreign and Chinese companies such as BYD, XPeng, and Nio; Chang’an is offering discounts of up to 40,000 yuan (US$5,800) on several models, and Dongfeng, with help from the Hubei government, has cut prices of the Citroen C6 by up to 90,000 yuan, almost 40% off

Caixin Global, 31.03.2023

Continued fall in interest rates and weak demand for credit has China’s banking sector preparing for a challenging 2023

China’s central bank has been keeping the key interest rate low since mid-2022 (3.65%), and the crisis in the real estate sector also impacts banks, which faced rising defaults in 2022; net interest margins, an important measure of profitability of state-owned banks fell by an average of 24 basis points year-over-year

South China Morning Post, 04.04.2023

China increasingly imports non-resource products from Africa to reduce trade deficits

While “green corridors” for African exports have shown some progress, including faster inspections and broader tariff exemptions, non-tariff barriers such as quantity and quality requirements continue to mean restrictions; in the case of Kenya, 15 avocado traders complied with the requirements, earning US$55 million in three months due to the high price of the product

South China Morning Post, 04.04.2023

Development Reimagined study, March 2023

China optimizes its coal power structure and builds new, safer, and more efficient plants replacing obsolete production capacity

During 2022, hydropower and solar power capacity increased 5.8% and 28.1% respectively, outpacing the 2.7% increase in coal-linked power; China seeks to make coal a backup source for renewables

China Daily, 04.04.2023

Chinese scientists succeed in eliminating cancer in rats with an implantable battery, according to a study published in Science Advances

The device generates a discharge and self-charging cycle that consumes oxygen in tumors and creates a precedent for the biomedical application of batteries; together with the use of a drug, it reduced tumor volume by 90% within two weeks and eliminated tumors in four out of five mice

Science Advances, 31.03.2023

China Daily, 02.04.2023

China’s truckers are organizing to create fleets, safeguard their rights and have greater bargaining power

When digital freight platforms appeared 10 years ago, with vast amounts of information about loads and trucks, they caused freight rates to fall and individualized drivers; now, drivers use those apps to band together, and since 2018, more than 600 fleets have been created that facilitate the relationship with large factories

Sixth Tone, 30.03.2023

Wang Shu, a leading Chinese architect, combines nature and modernity with traditional culture

Wang, a member of China’s top political advisory body, believes that architecture should contribute to people’s way of life, not uproot or replace it; in 2012, he became the first Chinese to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize, and Ningbo museum, designed by him, is one of the locations of the famous series The Three-Body Problem

Global Times, 02.04.2023

After initiating diplomatic relations with China, Honduran government announces that President Xiomara Castro will travel to China soon

China also invited a business delegation to discuss cooperation in trade and investment; in a joint statement, the Honduran government acknowledges that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory – the island has lost nine allies since Tsai Ing-wen took over in 2016, and now has diplomatic relations with only 13 countries

Caixin Global, 27.03.2023

Reuters, 30.03.2023

China says US congressional hearing with TikTok CEO presented no evidence of national security threat

Chinese government spokesman said the country has never and will never ask companies or individuals to violate local laws to collect or provide data and information; after an indictment hearing that lasted more than five hours, US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said lawmakers will move forward with legislation on TikTok

Global Times, 24.03.2023

Reuters, 27.03.2023

Industrial firms’ profits in January and February fell 22.9% year on year to 887.21 billion yuan (US$128.95 billion)

Market demand has not yet fully recovered, while costs have not declined and prices of products manufactured by companies fell 1.1% year on year; the electricity and electrical machinery sectors increased profits in the period, by 53.1% and 41.5% respectively, driven by higher demand for electricity, electric batteries, photovoltaic equipment, and other products

Global Times, 27.03.2023

China’s non-financial investments abroad increase 35.7% in the first two months of 2023 in year-on-year comparison, reaching 136 billion yuan (US$19.76 billion)

The wholesale and retail sector saw a 17.2% increase in investments in the period, while leasing and business services grew 22.3% to US$4.72 billions; in 2023, China should continue to prioritize foreign investment in these sectors rather than high-value infrastructure and energy projects

Global Times, 27.03.2023

China Daily, 27.03.2023

Chinese scientists identify gene that allows crops to be grown in salty soil, and produce modified sorghum and rice seeds that improve yields by 20 percent

Varieties grown in saline-alkaline soil have a longer growth cycle and accumulate more nutrients, so they taste better, according to the researchers; by using the technology in low-salt-alkaline soils (about 20% of the total affected), 250 million tons of grain could be produced per year

South China Morning Post, 26.03.2023

China unveils plan to restore 78 rivers and 10 lakes over the next two years, seeking to combat pollution and water shortages

The plan will focus on cleaning up three types of rivers and lakes: rivers and lakes located in key national development regions; rivers that will have a major impact on flood control, water supply, and ecological security; and the most polluted rivers and lakes

South China Morning Post, 25.03.2023

Huawei develops key tool for 14nm chip design that is among technologies the US bans from exporting to China

While lagging far behind 3nm, the development of electronic design automation (EDA) software for 14nm chips is a breakthrough for China; Huawei would complete testing by the end of 2023 and go live in 2024, and announced that it would share the technology with partners and customers

Tom’s Hardware, 24.02.2023

Chinese scientists discover a reservoir of water on the Moon inside glass spheres and know how they originated

These molten and cooled rocks were generated by the solar wind and containing water molecules. Researchers estimate that the Moon has about 270 trillion kg of water stored in these spheres, and that this process could produce water on other airless planetary bodies in the solar system such as Mercury.; lunar soil samples were collected by the Chinese Chang’e-5 mission in 2020, the first to do so since a Soviet Union mission in 1976

Reuters, 27.03.2023

Nature Geoscience, 27.03.2023

China ranked 1st in the Ipsos global happiness survey, which showed strong growth in Latin America and a decline in many Western countries

91% of the Chinese surveyed said they were generally happy, 78% were satisfied with their economic situation and they also considered having friends to be their top priority; 22,508 participants from 32 countries took part in the survey and, for the first time, happiness in middle-income countries surpassed that of high-income countries

South China Morning Post, 21.03.2023

Ipsos report, 14.03.2023

Chinese social media users showed their support for Chew Shou Zi, CEO of TikTok, and criticized the US congressmen

Memes and excerpts of the interrogation went viral, with some noting that Chew fits the idea of the “perfect Asian” by remaining calm despite unreasonable accusations; the TikTok CEO also received support on Western networks, where they also criticized the inquisitorial tone of the interrogation

What’s on Weibo, 26.03.2023

On Xi Jinping’s visit, Putin says Russia-China relations are at their highest level in history

Presidents signed agreement to boost economic cooperation by 2030 that will deepen ties in eight strategic areas, mainly finance, industry, and technology; Xi and Putin agreed on almost all parameters for the construction of the new “Power of Siberia 2” pipeline capable of delivering 50 billion m³ of natural gas per year

Statements to the press by the presidents of Russia and China, 21.03.2023

Russia Today, 22.03.2023

Xi and Putin advocate negotiations as the solution to Ukraine crisis and defend central role of the UN

The Russian president says Russia and China are working to create a more just and democratic multipolar world order and that the China peace plan can be taken as a basis for a peaceful settlement; both have spoken out against imposing unilateral sanctions without UN Security Council authorization

Statements to the press by the presidents of Russia and China, 21.03.2023

Xinhua, 22.03.2023

For the first time, Hong Kong is developing an industrial policy with an initial fund of US$7.65 billion

By 2032, it will seek to increase R&D spending to 2% of GDP, tech startups to 7,000, the number of innovation and technology professionals to 100,000, and manufacturing’s contribution to GDP to 5%; in the 2023–24 budget, US$382.27 billion will go to the development of AI and quantum computing

South China Morning Post, 19.03.2023

The government published two texts on sexual harassment in the workplace, giving greater emphasis to the perception of the victim

Penalties for harassers range from transfers to positions where the victim cannot be contacted, termination of the employment contract to prosecution of the case; according to a 2021 survey, more than 70% of the 2,500 respondents had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace at least once, with 75% of those cases occurring in public areas of the company

Caixin Global, 14.03.2023

Consumption grows 3.5% and industry, 2.4% in the first two months of 2023 year-on-year, but urban unemployment rose to 5.6%

While exports fell 6.8%, investments in infrastructure and manufacturing grew 9% and 8.1%; the housing sector fell 5.7% year-on-year in the period, showing a recovery compared to December where the drop was 12.2%

Financial Times, 15.03.2023

China’s central bank will reduce banks’ compulsory deposit to 7.6%, which will inject 500 billion yuan (US$72.6 billion) in liquidity into the market

Measure will mean financial relief for large and medium-sized banks and may help reduce lending rates; officials and regulators warn that consumer demand is still weak, business expectations are subdued and the risk of external shocks has been increasing

South China Morning Post, 17.03.2023

Scientists in China develop a new type of biodegradable and bio-recyclable glass

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have manufactured a family of eco-friendly glasses using amino acids or peptides of biological origin; according to the study, published in the journal Science Advances, the protein molecules can degrade and be reused in nature by small organisms, unlike standard glass made from a combination of sand, limestone and other chemicals

Forbes, 17.03.2023

CGTN, 19.03.2023

Chinese tech giant Baidu introduced Ernie BOT, a language model similar to ChatGPT

Among its core capabilities are creative writing and Chinese language comprehension; as one of China’s largest search engines, Baidu has access to a wealth of user data that allows it to train language models effectively, and it is also one of the few AI companies in the world with control over all stages of manufacturing

The China Academy, 17.03.2023

Following a new gala on March 15, ministries and regulators began investigating companies that have violated consumer rights

Every year, CCTV sends investigation teams to gather information from suspect companies and then reveals the results in the annual TV program, known as Gala 3.15; some of this year’s complaints were about counterfeit imported rice, abuse of personal data on the internet, and scamming the elderly

Global Times, 16.03.2023

The World of Chinese, 17.03.2023

One-third of China’s 150 million people aged 60 to 69 are still working, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics

Sixty percent work in agriculture, forestry, and fishing, while the rest are mainly engaged in manufacturing, construction, and retail sales; most of them live in rural areas, although a survey last year found that 70% of retirees in urban areas would be willing to return to work

Yicai Global, 17.03.2023

Despite increased tension between China and the US, bilateral trade hits a record in 2022, totaling US$690.6 billion

Exports to China increased by US$2.4 billion and imports from the country increased by US$31.8 billion, despite the steady imposition of export controls and the continuation of the Trump-era tariffs; China increased imports of soybeans and other foodstuffs, and the US imported more toys and other consumer products

Nikkei, 07.02.2023

The central banks of China and Brazil set up yuan clearing agreements in the South American country

The measure will allow companies and financial institutions in both countries to use the yuan for bilateral transactions; China has been Brazil’s largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years, and Brazil is China’s largest trading partner in Latin America, with bilateral trade exceeding US$100 billion for four consecutive years

CGTN, 07.02.2022

Russia’s National Wealth Fund (NWF) will scrap the euro, leaving it only with the Chinese yuan, rubles, and gold

In 2021, the country removed the dollar from the NWF currencies and the euro now occupies most of the reserves (39.7%), while in 2022, about half of Russia’s international reserves were blocked due to sanctions; the maximum proportion of the yuan in the US$148 billion fund will increase from 30% to 60%

Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, 09.02.2022

Representatives of the Kuomintang (KMT), the opposition party to Taiwan’s separatist government, visited Mainland China

Andrew Hsia, vice-chairman of the KMT, met with the CPC and both sides rejected “Taiwan independence”, defended the “one China” principle, and expressed their willingness to promote exchange and cooperation; tension in the strait worsened and communications were interrupted under the Democratic Progressive Party government

Global Times, 10.02.2023

Household savings reach record 17.8 trillion yuan (US$2.6 trillions) in 2022, nearly double 2021 levels

Chinese bank deposits increased 33%, about 26.3 trillion yuan (US$3.9 trillion) last year, a year-on-year increase of 6.59 trillion yuan (US$96 billion); excess savings from the domestic sector came mainly from lower consumer spending and reduced investment spending in areas such as housing and wealth management

China Daily, 14.02.2022

Caixin Global, 14.02.2022

Researchers created a map of soybean nutrients distribution in China and propose a scheme of regionalization of the seeds quality

1,792 soybean samples from 29 provincial-level regions of China were collected between 2010 and 2017; through the quantification and analysis of crude oil, scientists identified areas with advantages for edible soybeans, other suitable for high-oil, high-yield soybeans, and regions where the grain has a high protein content

Xinhua, 02.02.2023 

An unprecedented stealth drone design features functions that could be applied to the next generation of Chinese fighter aircraft

The new drone eliminates mechanical components such as ailerons, rudders, and elevators, and uses bursts of compressed air to maneuver; according to the research team that developed it, it could help drones evade radars more effectively

South China Morning Post, 08.02.2023

65 years ago, pinyin was introduced as a Chinese translation method on February 11, 1958

After coming to power in 1949, the Mao government sought to increase literacy and promote education, and after a long process of discussion, the pinyin system was created using the Latin alphabet; it was adopted by the UN in 1986 and today has become the global standard for translating Chinese

The China Project, 08.02.2023

Retirees in some provinces challenge health insurance cuts amid a nationwide restructuring that began in 2020

A crowd of retirees gathered outside Wuhan municipality to demonstrate against the reform under which they will receive almost 2,000 yuan (US$294) less per year; China is also discussing the gradual increase of the retirement age to 65 in 2055 for both men (today it is 60) and women (currently 50)

Caixin Global, 10.02.2023

Caixin Global, 10.02.2023

Viewed over 300 million times in a single day and broadcasted to 65% of Chinese cities, The Knockout becomes the most popular series in January

The show reflects the hard life of Chinese self-employed workers at the turn of the century; self-employment, including street vending, shot up in the reform period and the sector had to deal with organized crime and, at times, excessive regulations

Caixin Global, 11.02.2023

US-Japan alliance for military expansion in the Indo-Pacific poses threat to peace in the region, experts warn

At a meeting between top diplomatic and defense officials from both countries, China was cited as the “biggest strategic challenge,” while the Japanese government will approve a record military budget of more than US$50 billion; the summit between Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was reportedly “very productive” over semiconductor export restrictions to China

Global Times, 12.01.2023

Global Times, 14.01.2023

Reuters, 18.01.2023

China records nearly 60,000 covid-related deaths between December 8 and January 12

The average age of the victims in this period was 80.3 years old, with 90.1% of them over the age of 65. The country reached a peak in the number of severe cases of covid (128,000) on January 5, and is now prioritizing strengthening technical exchanges and cooperation on pandemic prevention and control with the World Health Organization

Global Times, 14.01.2023

Global Times, 15.01.2023

China managed to avoid the inflationary shock that affected most Western economies in 2022, with the consumer price index rising 2%

State food stocks, reduction of tariffs on coal imports, control of speculation, and subsidies to vulnerable populations are among the measures that have prevented strong increases in inflation such as in the US (6.5%) or the UK (10.5%); economists believe that inflation will be high in China this year, but still below that of the largest economies

South China Morning Post, 12.01.2023

Xinhua, 17.01.2023

China’s Gross Domestic Product increases by 3% in 2022 and reaches  US$17.9 trillion

Industrial production grew 3.6% and the value of imports and exports increased 7.7%; the number of new jobs in urban areas exceeded 12 million, exceeding the target of 11 million, and the disposable income of urban families had a real growth of 1.9% and of rural families, 4.2%

National Bureau of Statistics of China, 17.01.2023

China Briefing, 17.01.2023

China surpasses US in Artificial Intelligence (AI) research output and quality, with Tencent, Alibaba, and Huawei among the top 10 companies

Chinese articles on AI exploded from about 25,000 in 2012 to about 135,000 in 2021, with 7,401 articles from China among the most cited – surpassing the US by 70%; in another milestone, China became the first country to register more than 3 million patents in 2022

Nikkei, 16.01.2023

South China Morning Post, 17.01.2023

China’s soybean imports peaked in 2020 and will continue to decline gradually through 2030

Imports saw an 8.1% year-on-year drop through November 2022, amid Beijing’s efforts to ensure food security; China, which is the world’s largest importer of soybeans accounting for more than 60% of global trade, seeks to increase its domestic production by 40% by 2025

South China Morning Post, 10.01.2023

Corn-based ethanol fuel production may affect agricultural demands and, consequently, food security

China faces a shortfall in corn supply, and experts posit that more ethanol could be sourced from sugarcane, cassava, and corn stalks as it seeks to eliminate reliance on grain imports; more than 60% of the corn China uses is for animal feed and 20-30% is allocated for industrial use

South China Morning Post, 16.01.2023

For the first time in 60 years, China’s population decreases and stands at 1.411 billion in 2022

With a drop of 9.98% in births and a growth rate of -0.6 per thousand people, the country has 850,000 fewer inhabitants due to cultural changes, high costs of raising children, and economic slowdown; with a shrinking labor force, economic growth will depend more on increasing productivity

South China Morning Post, 17.01.2023

TV adaptation of acclaimed author Liu Cixin’s The Three Body Problem premieres in China

A 30-episode series has received praise online for being faithful to the original science-fiction novel that, because of its popularity, has generated offers for adaptation in various formats, including a Netflix version; critics claim that Chinese heroism differs from Western heroism by its focus on collective interests

Global Times, 15.01.2023

Sixth Tone, 16.01.2023

Chunwan, the television gala broadcast for the Chinese New Year, is the most watched program in the world and is a tradition for the Chinese people

Both at home and abroad, millions of families watch the program that began in 1983 and became a Guinness World Record; it is currently broadcast in more than 170 countries and regions and seeks to expand in digital media to reach new generations

Global Times, 16.01.2023

US blocklists YMTC, a major Chinese semiconductor company that offers prices 20% below market

Having the attention of experts for the speed at which it is outperforming the competition in the semiconductor market, the banning occurred after Republican Senator Marco Rubio’s campaign with National Intelligence to denounce the company as a risk to US security, which interrupted an agreement by Apple to acquire the 3D NAND chip from YMTC

Asia Times, 31.12.2022

US boycott of China causes 23% drop in new US solar panel installations

The trade barrier imposed in June 2022 results from claims of alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang, a province responsible for almost half of the world’s production of polysilicon used in solar panels; the restrictions threaten to slow the transition to renewable energy that the Biden administration is trying to promote

Nikkei, 31.12.2022

EU initiative that pledged up to US$318 billion for infrastructure projects in Africa and Asia completes a year with scant results

Created with the explicit aim of replacing the Belt and Road Initiative, Global Gateway faces criticism and confusion regarding its funding and organization within the European Union itself; the African Union and ASEAN have expressed disagreement and disappointment over the initiative

South China Morning Post, 31.12.2022

Peak cases of Covid-19 are expected to come to an end in big cities by Chinese New Year, while new outbreaks may emerge in rural areas

Experts say attention should be turned to rural areas with scarce medical resources, where cases could increase due to the movement of people traveling to visit their families over the Chinese New Year holiday; 97% of symptomatic patients hospitalized between September and December had mild symptoms

Global Times, 01.01.2023

Average years of schooling in China increased from 6.1 in 1985 to 10.7 in 2020

A more educated working class on average could offset the risks of a dwindling workforce, research finds; China’s working-age population (aged 16 to 59) has shrunk by more than 40 million from 2010 to 2020, and currently stands at 879 million

South China Morning Post, 29.12.2022

China aims to build the world’s largest national park system, spanning 49 candidate areas across the country

The new plan involves more than 700 nature reserves, 10 Natural World Heritage Sites, and two Mixed Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites, containing more than 80% of China’s major protected wildlife species; the Tibetan Plateau has 13 such areas, representing 70% of the national park coverage

Global Times, 31.12.2022

In a major breakthrough, Huawei develops innovation for microchip manufacturing machines smaller than 10 nanometers

The company has patented a component of the EUV lithography tech, until now dominated only by Dutch company ASML and for which the US has pressured Dutch authorities not to allow its export to China; the new achievement could make Huawei circumvent the sanctions imposed by the West, initiated in 2019 by the Trump administration

Techspot, 25.12.2022

The Telegraph, 31.12.2022

China launches official platform for trading “digital collectibles”, digital copyright, and virtual property

Unlike NFTs (non-fungible tokens), China’s digital collectibles are traded in legal tender currencies such as the yuan and cannot be resold for profit or speculation; Beijing seeks to expand its digital economy by applying commercial rules to data, since it regards it as a new factor of production, on the same level as land, human labor, and capital

South China Morning Post, 30.12.2022

Cinema in China bounces back to surpass 30 billion yuan (US$4.4 billion) in 2022, with 85% coming from domestic films

To support the recovery of the film industry, the government implemented tax relief measures and issued 100 million yuan in movie-watching vouchers; in a survey conducted in 10 countries across different regions, more than 80% of respondents said they had watched Chinese movies or television series

Global Times, 29.12.2022

CGTN, 01.01.2023

The Chinese New Year (Yuandan), based on the lunar calendar, has persisted as a popular tradition, and today China celebrates two New Years

At the beginning of the 20th century, the first governments of the republic adopted the Gregorian calendar and even banned the celebration of the Lunar New Year; but with the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Yuandan was re-established and renamed “Spring Festival”

The World of Chinese, 01.01.2023