Day: January 2, 2026

That release was a fitting reminder to the world, especially during the peak of the Christmas holiday season, about Chinese AI companies’ sharpened focus on innovation to stay ahead in this fast-developing industry. It was around this time last year when DeepSeek started to get widely noticed days after releasing its namesake large language model (LLM), DeepSeek-V3. Weeks later on January 20, reasoning model DeepSeek-R1 was released. Advertisement The two models either surpassed or matched the performance of rival models across a range of industry benchmark tests. They were also…

China aims to expand its west-to-east power transmission network to more than 420 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, increasing the share of renewables to about 30 per cent of total electricity output as it pursues a greener transition and a more reliable power supply. The targets were outlined in guidelines issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top economic planner, together with the National Energy Administration. In addition to strengthening long-distance transmission lines that move power from the resource-rich west to major demand centres in the east, the…

US President Donald Trump has ordered the forced divestment of key semiconductor assets acquired by HieFo Corporation, a Delaware-registered company, which he said is controlled by a Chinese citizen, citing national security risks. In an executive order (EO) issued under the Defense Production Act, Trump on Friday said there was “credible evidence” that HieFo’s acquisition of EMCORE Corporation’s digital chips and related wafer design, fabrication and processing businesses could threaten US national security. “There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that HieFo Corporation, a company organised under the…

China’s biopharmaceutical sector is said to have entered an “innovation 2.0” phase as it moves to a commercialisation mindset that could see it sideline global competitors and outpace the US – despite restrictive trade policies. In recent years, innovative drug development in the world’s second-largest pharmaceutical market has rapidly approached – and in some cases surpassed – that of the United States, the world’s biggest market. Growing concerns over China’s biotech capabilities have led the US to renew efforts to restrict federal contracting with Chinese firms. But those efforts could…

US President Donald Trump is meeting US Ambassador to China David Perdue at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Friday, rounding off a day of diplomacy that began with a call with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The engagements come at a delicate moment for the administration as it seeks to align its “America first” regional approach amid a deepening diplomatic rift between Tokyo and Beijing over Taiwan, and following Washington’s recent approval of its largest-ever arms sale to the self-governed island. Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China, to…

When Arthur Sze translates classical Tang dynasty poetry into English, he writes Chinese characters by hand, slowing himself to the pace of brush strokes and gaps. This deliberate resistance to speed is central to the craft of the US’ 25th poet laureate, and to his belief that poetry must be treated with care if it is to cross borders with depth intact. Sze only translates poems he loves, noting that he’s done just 75 translations over a five-decade-long career. “I don’t work on assignment. I need to think about the…

The Chinese public’s favourability towards the United States saw a “notable” rebound in 2025 to reach a three-year high, according to a new study by Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy (CISS). The annual Chinese Outlook on International Security survey, released on Wednesday, also found that the share of respondents holding a positive view of Sino-US relations increased by a “substantial” margin over the last year. Despite this warming sentiment, domestic support for assertive trade policy remained high, with nearly 90 per cent of those polled voicing support…

One of the most resonant words in the United States today is “affordability”. From rent and utilities to groceries and medical bills, prices seem to keep climbing. The term has helped Democrats win a string of local elections. It has also become a favourite target of US President Donald Trump. At a rally in Pennsylvania last month, the US president dismissed talk of affordability as a Democratic “hoax”. That stance came months after Trump revived the threat of sweeping tariffs, declared “Liberation Day” and vowed to restore factories to American…

Those big-ticket transactions – 8.27 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion) for Hua Hong and 40.6 billion yuan for SMIC – signalled a fresh round of consolidation in the country’s semiconductor industry, as Beijing’s tech self-sufficiency drive gathered pace amid heightened rivalry between China and the US. Advertisement The acquisition would help Hua Hong add a monthly production capacity of 38,000 65-nanometre and 40-nm chips, boosting its asset base and profitability, according to a filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange. Hua Hong shares gained 9.42 per cent to close at HK$81.30…