Author: Media Library

Chinese military aircraft may already be using a new joint aviation facility in Laos, with satellite imagery showing twice as many K-8/JL-8-family trainer aircraft there as the Laotian air force is assessed to possess. Eight of the two-seat trainer and light-attack aircraft were visible at Ban Keun Airport in commercial satellite imagery taken on September 30, according to Reuters, which first reported the images. More than two dozen military and support vehicles were also visible. The image was… South China Morning Post

Communist Party officials in eastern China’s Zhejiang province have called for greater oversight of major internet platforms and their “traffic power”, warning that online traffic and algorithms had evolved into a force capable of shaping public discussion and sentiment. The publicity department of the Zhejiang provincial party committee published the commentary on social media on Thursday, saying traffic could no longer be viewed simply as a data resource. Zhejiang’s capital city, Hangzhou, is… South China Morning Post

Two Chinese ceramics at the British Museum have been damaged while on display and are being restored, sparking fresh debate over how museums should safely exhibit fragile cultural treasures. The museum confirmed on Friday that a bowl had fallen from its shelf and landed on a small box on the bottom shelf, damaging both pieces. “Both objects are already with our expert conservation team for complete restoration,” the museum said. The museum, which said the incident occurred on October 4, noted… South China Morning Post

Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has welcomed talks between Washington and Beijing aimed at reducing the risk of conflict. Lai’s annual Double Tenth address on Saturday, marking the anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of China, Taiwan’s official name, also called for democracies to work together to safeguard regional peace and for the Taiwanese people’s right to exist to be respected. He also warned that mainland China was trying to put pressure on the island to change the status… South China Morning Post

China has unveiled a smart robot prototype designed to assist with wheat breeding in the latest step in its ongoing drive to advance agricultural technology and bolster food security. The robot made its public debut at a recent seminar on wheat breeding, state-run China Science Daily reported on Friday. Traditional wheat breeders rely on a wealth of accumulated experience to identify and select strains with superior traits from tens of thousands of hybrid offspring. But this requires manual… South China Morning Post

At events marking China’s National Day in Africa on October 1, robots provided the entertainment. In Luanda, Angola, dancing robots amused guests and ambassador Zhang Bin called the industry “a small snapshot of the Chinese economy’s move towards innovation and higher-quality development”. In Brazzaville, Congo, nearly 400 guests – including Congolese officials and Chinese business representatives – watched on as a robot dog performed. Guests also interacted with a robot dog at a Chinese New… South China Morning Post

Recent interactions involving the US and Taiwan are not expected to derail the current momentum in relations between Washington and mainland China, according to diplomatic analysts. Beijing was taking a pragmatic approach to navigating the complexities of the Taiwan issue, they said, but the fate of a US$14 billion arms package for the island remained a key concern. During President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to the United States, Xi urged his hosts to “adhere to the correct position of opposing… South China Morning Post

The setting may have been casual but the choice was not when the Communist Party boss of a northeastern Chinese province sat down with digital content creators at a coffee shop on Wednesday. Jilin province party secretary Huang Qiang invited the influencers to the relaxed setting of the Songyuan Coffee Shop in Changchun to encourage them to “actively promote mainstream values and spread positive energy”. According to a local government statement, Huang and the participants also exchanged views… South China Morning Post