Day: January 7, 2026

China seeks ‘safe and reliable’ AI supply as global tech race heats up

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China has vowed to achieve “safe and reliable supply” in key artificial intelligence (AI) technologies by 2027 as the global race for frontier technologies and applications heats up. A plan published on Wednesday by eight government agencies, led by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, listed the main areas of work to reach the goal, including promoting the deep application of three to five general-purpose large AI models in the manufacturing sector. “By 2027, China’s key core artificial intelligence technologies will achieve a secure and reliable supply, with the…

Alleged scam kingpin Chen Zhi extradited to China after Cambodia arrest

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Chinese-born tycoon Chen Zhi, who was indicted by the US on fraud and money-laundering charges for running a multibillion-dollar online scam network from Cambodia, has been arrested there and extradited to China, Phnom Penh said. Chen allegedly directed operations of forced labour compounds across Cambodia, where trafficked workers were held in prison-like facilities surrounded by high walls and barbed wire, according to US prosecutors. Since the US indictment and sanctions by Washington and London in October, authorities in Europe, the US and Asia have targeted Chen’s firm, Prince Holding Group,…

Beijing urged to let renminbi strengthen

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Economists and investors in China and beyond are calling on Beijing to allow a sharper appreciation of the renminbi, arguing that the currency is significantly undervalued and is being used to fuel an unprecedented trade surplus. Over the past year, the People’s Bank of China, which manages the renminbi’s exchange rate, has allowed a gradual appreciation of the currency against the dollar. At the end of 2025 it crossed the level of Rmb7 to the dollar for the first time since 2023 and is now trading at about Rmb6.99. But…

China sends 0.1-second blackout recovery technology to protect power grids in 12 nations

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China has developed smart power grid technology that cuts blackout recovery time to a 10th of a second, according to state media, which said the innovation was expected to play a bigger role in ensuring the safe and stable distribution of electricity worldwide. The grid protection technology enables power grid faults to be isolated and restored within a hundred-millisecond window, compared with the hours otherwise required, according to a Science and Technology Daily report on Tuesday. It also solves the problem of identifying micro-current faults at the hundred-milliampere level. Advertisement…

Alleged scam tycoon arrested and sent to China

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Chen Zhi, who has been accused by the US of running one of Asia’s largest criminal cyber scam organisations, has been arrested in Cambodia and sent to China.  Phnom Penh arrested and extradited Chen, 38, who was born in China but also has Cambodian citizenship, following a request from Beijing, its interior ministry said in a statement. The ministry added that Chen’s Cambodian citizenship had been revoked. Two other Chinese…

Alleged scam billionaire arrested and sent to China

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Chen Zhi, who has been accused by the US of running one of Asia’s largest criminal cyber scam organisations, has been arrested in Cambodia and sent to China.  Phnom Penh arrested and extradited Chen, 38, who was born in China but also has Cambodian citizenship, following a request from Beijing, its interior ministry said in a statement. The ministry added that Chen’s Cambodian citizenship had been revoked. Two other Chinese…

As Beijing targets Tokyo over Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks, what levers does Japan have?

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China’s access to Japan’s coveted industrial-use goods – especially a critical chipmaking ingredient – may face hurdles if Tokyo imposes export restrictions in the event of a prolonged political dispute, though trade is holding steady for now, analysts and a trade organisation said. Beijing’s response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s November 7 remarks about Taiwan has prompted some analysts to ask what cards Tokyo might play should the relationship deteriorate further. Beijing’s latest move came on Wednesday, when it announced an anti-dumping investigation into a crucial chipmaking material from…

‘Hard to say who’s winning’: China and Australia battle for influence in Solomon Islands policing

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At a church hall on the outskirts of Honiara, dozens of community leaders gathered for a training session organised by the Chinese police, alongside local Solomon Islands officers. Among them is Ben Angoa, who has enthusiastically embraced the training, as well as other things China has provided: solar lighting, sewing machines, soccer balls, and even noodle-making lessons. “We really love China,” he says. The sessions – along with the provision of blue uniforms, flashlights and fleets of police cars – are among the many ways Beijing supports Solomon Islands policing.…

Samsung forecasts record profit and signals sustained AI boom

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Samsung Electronics has forecast record quarterly earnings, cementing a turnaround for the South Korean technology group as demand surges for chips during the global race to build out data centres powering artificial intelligence. The world’s largest memory-chip maker on Thursday estimated that its fourth-quarter operating profit trebled to about Won20tn ($13.8bn) from a year earlier, surpassing analyst estimates of Won17tn. The company forecast a 23 per cent revenue increase to…

China hacked email systems of US congressional committee staff

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Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free Your guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the world China has hacked the emails used by congressional staff on powerful committees in the US House of Representatives, as part of a massive cyber espionage campaign known as Salt Typhoon. Chinese intelligence accessed email systems used by some staffers on the House China committee in addition to aides on the foreign affairs committee, intelligence committee and armed services committee, according to people familiar with the attack. The intrusions…