CNAD-#118- China's ??????Updates about ????+(??????????????) & ???

Everyday Briefing: 2024-07-18

??Science and Technology??

??China's carmaker GAC Aion has opened its Thailand electric vehicle (EV) factory, marking a milestone in its overseas expansion. The factory, located in Rayong province in Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor, has a planned investment of 2.3 billion baht and an annual capacity of 50,000 vehicles. The factory uses technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things to produce multiple models more efficiently. Thailand's Minister of Industry Pimphattra Wichaikul said the operation of the new EV factory will promote Thailand's automotive industry transformation and help the country become a regional and global EV production hub. With the Thai government's investment promotion, EVs are expected to account for 30% of the country's total vehicle production by 2030.

??John Ross, senior fellow of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, has highlighted China's significant economic shifts and the remarkable improvement of its people's lives. He believes that China has transitioned from one of the world's poorest nations to a state of moderate prosperity within a single person's lifetime. Ross, who became interested in China after the 11th Communist Party of China Central Committee's third plenary session in 1978, believes that China's economic policy is correct from an economic theory standpoint and is expected to be a huge success. He has witnessed firsthand the improvements in Chinese people's lives over the years, particularly in areas such as high-speed trains and green energy. Ross also highlights China's technological advancements, highlighting its success in telecommunications and green energy sectors. He finds it fascinating to see many taxis in Beijing being new energy vehicles (NEVs).

??China is promoting a new round of large-scale equipment renewal and consumer goods trade-ins, aiming to expand domestic demand, stimulate investment, upgrade consumption, and provide vast market potential for all types of enterprises, including foreign-funded ones. Vice Commerce Minister Ling Ji stated that China will advance high-level opening up, optimize its business environment, and provide equal support to domestic and foreign enterprises in participating in the campaign. The country hopes that foreign enterprises will seize opportunities, delve deeper into the Chinese market, and boost their investment in the country. Representatives of foreign enterprises, such as GE HealthCare, Philips, and Siemens Healthineers, attended the meeting.

??Chinese researchers have discovered a new salt-tolerance gene in wheat, leading to 5% to 9% increase in experimental varieties grown in saline-alkali soils. The study, published in Nature Genetics, found that over 500 wheat varieties and lines cultivated in saline-alkali fields were affected by high soil salinization. Researchers identified TaSPL6-D, a transcriptional suppressor of critical salt-tolerance genes in wheat, and found a natural variant of TaSPL6-D, termed TaSPL6-D-In, in landraces that lost its ability to suppress key salt-tolerance genes in wheat. The researchers introduced TaSPL6-D-In into a leading wheat cultivar, improving yield in saline-alkali soils.

??Business China??

??The International Monetary Fund has revised China's 2024 economic growth to 5%, compared to its April forecast of 4.6%. The move follows China's release of its half-year economic data, which showed a 5% growth in GDP in the first half of the year. However, the growth pace moderated to 4.7% in Q2. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) attributed the milder Q2 growth to short-term factors such as extreme weather and floods, as well as rising difficulties and challenges, particularly insufficient effective demand and unsmooth domestic economic flow. China's economic fundamentals remain solid, with a surveyed urban unemployment rate of 5.1% in H1 and a consumer price index increase of 0.1% year on year. Imports and exports have continued to grow, with foreign exchange reserves steadying at 3.2 trillion U.S. dollars for seven consecutive months.

????The Shanghai Museum has opened a grand exhibition on ancient Egyptian civilization, the largest of its kind outside Egypt in the past 20 years. The exhibition, "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt," features 788 artifacts from Egypt and ancient Chinese artifacts. The exhibition, co-hosted by the Shanghai Museum and the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, is curated by Chinese scholars and provides a comprehensive presentation of ancient Egyptian civilization. It showcases the latest results of joint archaeological efforts between China and Egypt. The exhibition also features over 400 newly unearthed artifacts from Saqqara, an important burial site in ancient Egypt. The project leader, Xue Jiang, plans to establish a database of Sino-Egyptian joint archaeological research for global sharing and release major findings worldwide in Chinese, English, and Arabic.

???China-Foreign Affairs??

????The China-Russia "Exercise Joint Sea-2024" concluded with a fleet separation ceremony near Zhanjiang City, China. The exercise focused on joint response to maritime security threats and involved seven vessels from both countries. Live drills were conducted on joint reconnaissance, early warning, search and rescue, air defense, and missile defense. The exercise strengthened professional exchanges and mutual trust between the two navies, promoting practical cooperation in a standardized and systematic manner.

????China and Croatia have partnered in joint police patrols, enhancing bilateral law enforcement cooperation and contributing to the Safe Tourist Destination project. The project aims to make Croatia a safe environment for tourists, with Croatia inviting police officers from around the world to participate in patrols in major tourist destinations. China joined the project in 2018, and eight Chinese police officers will participate in a one-month joint patrol mission in Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Zadar, and Plitvice Lakes National Park. The patrols will help Chinese tourists, prevent crimes, and establish closer police cooperation. Petkovic expects the professionalism of Chinese police officers participating in the patrols to be met again this year. The joint patrol will not only contribute to Croatia's tourism safety but also to overall cooperation between the two countries.

??China and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries have entered a new era of equality, mutual benefit, innovation, openness, and more benefits for the people. President Xi Jinping's keynote speech in 2014, "Build a Community of Shared Destiny for Common Progress," emphasized the importance of building a China-LAC community with a shared future. Over the past decade, continuous progress has been made in building a China-LAC community with a shared future. Bilateral political mutual trust has been strengthened, with President Xi visiting the LAC region five times and holding meetings with regional leaders. Practical cooperation between the two sides has been deepened, with China signing Belt and Road cooperation MOUs with 22 LAC countries and an annual trade volume of nearly $500 billion. People-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and LAC have flourished, with flagship events like the China-LAC Cultural Exchange Year and the "Bridge to the Future" Young Leadership Training Program.

??Cultural??Insights ??

???China is welcoming more foreign friends to explore its unique "China Travel" experience, according to a foreign ministry spokesperson. The country has seen a significant increase in international tourism, with flights and hotel bookings increasing compared to last year. The trend has led to a rise in video clips of foreign friends enjoying unique experiences in China, such as learning square dancing, exploring night markets, taking photos with giant pandas, and riding driverless taxis. China has also introduced a 15-day visa-free entry policy for 15 countries, including France, and expanded its 144-hour visa-free transit policy to 37 ports of entry. The country now allows visa-free entry for all foreign tourist groups traveling by cruise ship and has improved mobile payment and ticket purchasing services. The foreign ministry welcomes more foreign friends to visit as many Chinese cities and scenic spots as possible.

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