Month: July 2025

Advertisement “We agreed – and this is new – to have an upgraded export supply mechanism. In other words, if there are bottlenecks, this upgraded support supply chain support mechanism can immediately check and solve the problem or the issue that is out there,” von der Leyen said. China’s chokehold on rare earth exports has become one of the biggest issues in the EU-China relationship and was high on Brussels’ agenda as its leaders sat down with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in separate sessions. The tension…

In an unprecedented show of China’s advanced civilian drone technology, a swarm of heavy-lift unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has carried 180 tonnes of construction materials up a remote mountain in the country’s southwest, according to state media. Advertisement State broadcaster CCTV reported last Thursday that the aerial operation had taken place in May at a solar power project in Xichou county in Yunnan province, where rugged karst terrain and cliffs made traditional transport difficult. The feat drew widespread attention online after news reports noted the labour-saving benefits of unmanned aerial…

In response to a persistent oversupply of pigs that has contributed to a steep drop in pork prices, China’s agricultural authorities have announced concrete plans to cut back on the country’s breeding stock. Advertisement Measures should be taken to reasonably cull the sow population, reduce secondary fattening – feeding hogs past standard slaughter weights to increase margins – and strictly control new capacity to address the issue, said Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Jun at a meeting on Wednesday. The announcement comes as pig, chicken and duck farmers…

China has released ethical guidelines for autonomous driving technologies, highlighting user safety and technology transparency. Advertisement In publishing the guidelines on Wednesday, the Ministry of Science and Technology said automated driving systems “must demonstrate a high degree of respect for human life and actively seek effective strategies to minimise harm” in case of unavoidable traffic accidents. Algorithms, models and other content related to the technologies must be clearly documented and readily accessible for inspection, it said. The guidelines aim to “guide the regulated development and application of automated driving technologies,…

China is making inroads in the race for innovative pharmaceuticals, with a record number of drug approvals this year amid growing appeals for multinational giants to run onshore research entities. Advertisement Authorities approved 43 innovative drugs in the first half of 2025, marking a 59 per cent year-on-year increase and nearly matching the total of 48 approvals for all of last year, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday, citing data from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Many of the 43 innovative drugs approved for market launch are for serious…