Page 141 - China

Chinese tech giants cut prices of language models used to power AI chatbots

It was quickly followed by Baidu, which hours later announced that its Ernie Speed and Ernie Lite models would be free for all business users

China may raise temporary tariffs on some US, EU cars, warns lobby group

Chinese EVs are under the spotlight in the EU and US, as China controls a majority of the battery supply chain and produces more EVs than anywhere else in the world

Taiwan detects Chinese incursion with military vessels around island

seven People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels and four China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels operating around the nation up until 6 am

Tech competition: China wants AI academies to keep tech talent supply going

With the Ministry of Education spearheading this endeavour, plans are underway to expand these AI academies across various Chinese provinces

BMW imported 8,000 cars with parts from banned Chinese supplier: US Senate

The report found that Bourns Inc, a California-based auto supplier, had sourced components from Sichuan Jingweida Technology Group

Apple slashes iPhone prices in China amid fierce competition from Huawei

The discounting comes as the U.S. tech giant seeks to defend its position in the high-end smartphone market, where it faces increasing competition from local rivals such as Huawei

New Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te calls on China to stop its threats

China repeatedly called Lai a separatist who risked war in the run-up to his election in January

China's fuel oil imports surges 10% to 2.93 million MT, highest since 2020

The import volumes included purchases under ordinary trade, which are subject to import duty and consumption tax, as well as imports into bonded storage

Russia is China's top oil supplier for 12th month in April, volumes up 30%

Imports from Saudi Arabia, which was last China's biggest supplier in April 2023, were 6.34 million tonnes, or 1.54 million bpd, down 25 per cent from a year earlier

China's housing rescue is too small to end ongoing crisis, say analysts

The decline in China's sales of new homes accelerated in recent months, with households increasingly preferring to buy in the secondary market

US issues statement calling on China to disclose Panchen Lama's whereabouts

The US has urged China to immediately account for the Panchen Lama's whereabouts and his well-being, coinciding with the 29th anniversary of the Tibetan spiritual leader's disappearance from the remote Himalayan region. The Panchen Lama is one of the most important religious figures in Tibetan Buddhism, second only to the Dalai Lama himself. Today marks 29 years since the People's Republic of China (PRC) abducted the 11th Panchen Lama, one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism, as a six-year-old child. Gedhun Choekyi Nyima remains missing and has not appeared in public since that day, a press statement from the US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Friday here. Titled Marking 29 Years Since the Panchen Lama's Disappearance,' the statement further said, The PRC government is denying members of the Tibetan community access to this important religious figure and instead continues to promote a state-selected proxy. According to a statement of the Central .

FPI selling tops $3.5 billion amid Lok Sabha poll jitters, flows to China

If sustains, it will be highest monthly pullout since January 2023

Vladimir Putin, Xi Jingping vow to cooperate against US 'containment'

The two leaders also warned of "increased strategic risks" from spiraling tensions between nuclear powers

Role of advanced tech, critical materials more pronounced: Industry

The industry and the government should focus on getting technology from Chinese companies rather than allowing China to control the technology

Pak mulls 5-yr extension on $15.5 bn Chinese debt amid IMF loan talks

Amidst talks with the International Monetary Fund about a fresh loan, cash-strapped Pakistan is contemplating seeking a five-year extension on the USD 15.5 billion debt in the Chinese energy sector, it emerged on Friday. The consent of the Chinese government as well as its Independent Power Producers' (IPPs) operating in Pakistan is mandatory to alter the existing contracts, which might require long negotiations to clinch the desired results, The News reported. If the government decides to make a formal request to China, then it will require long negotiations, the paper reported, and highlighted various options. One of the options is to reduce the tariff for consumers by Rs 1.1 from 2024-2029, and Rs 0.9 from 2030 to 2040. So, in totality, the average tariff will reduce by Rs 0.18 kWh from 2024 to 2040 with an extension in the tenor of debt for five years from 2036-2041, the report said, quoting top official sources. According to the official workings done by the relevant ministrie

China unveils new measures to fix its real estate crisis, spur growth

China announced a slate of fresh measures Friday to reinvigorate its ailing property industry after the latest data showed housing prices have slumped nearly 10% since the start of the year. Among other things, the central bank said it would reduce the minimum down payment for mortgages and remove the floor on interest rates for first and second homes. China's housing market has slumped after a crackdown on excessive borrowing by property developers several years ago, dragging along a wide range of other businesses such as home furnishing, appliances and construction and slowing growth in the world's No. 2 economy. Dozens of developers, whose legions of high-rise apartments have transformed urban landscapes across China, have defaulted on their debts. Many projects have just stalled, unfinished. He Lifeng, a vice premier, said officials would roll out policies to suit each city and fight the tough battle of dealing with the risk of unfinished commercial housing. We will solidly

China to announce new measures to fix its property crisis, spur growth

Housing prices in China slumped in the first four months of the year, although factory output rose nearly 7%, according to data released Friday, as the country prepares to announce fresh measures to reinvigorate its ailing property industry. Officials of the National Bureau of Statistics acknowledged that domestic demand spending by consumers and businesses remained insufficient and said the government was considering further ways to revitalize the property industry after housing prices sank 9.8% in January-April from a year earlier. Liu Aihua, spokesperson for the bureau, said that in keeping with policies set by the Communist Party leadership, there was a need to find ways to balance supply and demand, meet public expectations for high-quality housing and seize the opportunity to build a new model of high-quality development of the real estate sector. The State Council, China's Cabinet, said it would hold a news conference later Friday focusing on the property industry. China's

Putin focuses on trade, cultural exchanges after reaffirming ties with Xi

Russian President Vladimir Putin focused on trade and cultural exchanges on Friday on his state visit to China that started with bonhomie in Beijing and a summit with China's leader Xi Jinping that deepened their no-limits partnership as both countries face rising tensions with the West. Putin will attend the China-Russia Expo in the northeastern city of Harbin and meet with students at Harbin Institute of Technology. Harbin, capital of China's Heilongjiang province, was once home to many Russian expatriates and retains some of these historical ties in the city's architecture, such as the central Saint Sophia Cathedral, a former Russian Orthodox church. Though Putin's visit is more symbolic and short on concrete proposals, the two countries, which both face rising tensions with the West, nonetheless are sending a clear message. At this moment, they're reminding the West that they can be defiant when they want to, said Joseph Torigian, a research fellow at Stanford University's Hoove

China introduces visa-free entry for cruise tourists: What you must know

The visa-free policy applies to designated cruise ports in 13 cities across coastal provinces, including Tianjin, Dalian, Shanghai, and Xiamen

China's annual oil refinery output falls for first time in 20 months

The 3.3 per cent fall was the first year-on-year decline since August 2022