Month: May 2025

Humanoid robots could “continue to transform humanity’s perception of the future of warfare”, according to an article in the official newspaper of China’s military, which examined the advantages of cutting-edge technology on the battlefield. Advertisement The commentary, titled “What are the combat advantages of humanoid robots?”, published on Thursday in People’s Liberation Army Daily, said that humanoid robots could “combine tactical flexibility and strategic deterrence in the era of intelligent warfare”. Referring to previous breakthroughs in robotics in the country’s civilian sector, the commentary added that their bionic structure could…

Beijing must prepare for the worst-case scenario in its trade talks with Washington, while embracing a narrative of China’s economic certainty, the Communist Party’s leading theoretical journal said in an article published hours before Washington escalated tech and education curbs on China. Advertisement “The US turned away from the negotiating table and immediately intensified its pressure on China’s semiconductor industry,” said a commentary posted on the official WeChat account of the Qiushi Journal on Wednesday night. “This shows that resolving trade issues won’t happen overnight.” In the article, titled “Conveying…

Beijing should be ready for Washington to adopt alternative pressure tactics in future tariff negotiations, according to a renowned Chinese scholar who noted that the Trump administration had recognised the limitations of imposing heavy tariffs. Advertisement Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said that while US President Donald Trump might continue using tariffs as a negotiating tool, he was likely to show more restraint after seeing their mixed results. “Trump came to understand that while tariffs had limited impact on China, they…

Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up DeepSeek quietly released a new version of its R1 reasoning model on Wednesday, marking its first revision since its high-profile debut in January. Advertisement The Hangzhou-based company said it had “completed a minor update to the R1 model”, which is now available on the website for its namesake chatbot, as well as its mobile apps, according to a notice posted in a company-run WeChat group chat. DeepSeek did not disclose details of the changes in the update, dubbed R1-0528, which is now live on the…

Beijing has pledged to expand its support for Pacific Island countries in building climate resilience, and to continue law enforcement cooperation in the region, during high-level talks in the coastal city of Xiamen in southeastern China’s Fujian province on Wednesday. Advertisement Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the commitment, which included US$2 million for the climate change fund, at the third foreign ministers’ meeting between China and Pacific Island states. It was also the first in-person gathering since the 2021 inaugural event. The meeting – part of Beijing’s continuing efforts to…