Month: August 2025

Advertisement On Sunday, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung told reporters on his flight to Washington for an inaugural summit with Trump that it was difficult to agree to an American demand for strategic flexibility of US Forces Korea (USFK). Lee, who became president in June, said “it is true” the US had demanded “flexibility” of the USFK, but “this is not an issue we can easily agree with”. “Instead, discussions on a future-oriented strategic transformation of USFK are necessary from our perspective as well,” Lee said. Kang Jun-young, a professor…

In its latest road map for artificial intelligence, China has set targets for the adoption of AI-powered devices across various industries – aiming for over 70 per cent by 2027 and over 90 per cent by 2030. Advertisement The targets, unveiled in guidelines by the State Council, China’s cabinet, on Tuesday, are part of Beijing’s “AI Plus” strategy, which seeks to integrate the cutting-edge technology across manufacturing, agriculture and services. “[The strategy aims to] boost productivity, reshape how industries operate, and accelerate the growth of a smart economy and society…

We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China’s first high-speed jet drone makes every warship an aircraft carrier In an aviation tech breakthrough that could change naval warfare, Chinese aerospace engineers have unveiled what could be the world’s first high-speed vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone powered by a jet engine. The sleek, runway-independent uncrewed aircraft can be launched from the decks of…

China has tested a new residual heat removal system that could make its next-generation, radioactive waste-recycling nuclear power plants more meltdown-proof. Advertisement The China Institute of Atomic Energy said it “recently” conducted the simulation of a passive heat removal system for fast nuclear reactors, calling it a breakthrough in the development of a fourth-generation nuclear plant with a closed-loop fuel cycle. “This is the first proof-of-principle test in China for a new passive residual heat removal technology for [integral] fast reactors,” the institute wrote on Monday, although it did not…

China’s industrial companies saw their profits fall at a slower pace in July, in a potential sign that efforts to curb overcapacity are starting to ease the strain from aggressive competition among producers. Advertisement Industrial profits declined 1.5 per cent last month from a year earlier, falling the least since they began shrinking in May, according to data released on Wednesday by the National Bureau of Statistics. For the first seven months of the year, earnings contracted 1.7 per cent year on year. Profits climbed much faster in the manufacturing…