Global Shifts: US-Philippines Military Alliance, China’s AI and 6G Advances, and the Rising Economic Power of Chinese Seaports
Matthew Hall, CISSP, CHFI
Vice President for Information Technology and CIO at Texas State University (San Marvelous, TX)
Rebuffing Beijing, US, and Philippines Vow to Operate in South China Sea
The US regularly patrols the skies with its surveillance aircraft and bombers and conducts aerial and maritime exercises with its regional allies, arguing it operates by international law. The half-billion dollars will also help deter "unwanted and unlawful aggression by building a credible deterrent posture," according to Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro. The crash of an Air Force CV-22 Osprey last year off Japan that killed eight Airmen was caused by a "catastrophic failure" in one aircraft's gearboxes that led to an "unrecoverable" loss of control just as the crew was about to conduct an emergency landing, a service investigation released Aug.… Boeing's board of directors has named Robert "Kelly" Ortberg, the new chief executive officer of the embattled aerospace giant, the company announced July 31. The two contractors picked for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft Increment 1 may not get half the work but could get a much larger or smaller share, Air Force officials said at the Life Cycle Industry Days conference.
China announces countermeasures against US lawmaker.
The Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday China's countermeasures against United States lawmaker Jim McGovern for his frequent words and deeds in recent years that interfered in China's internal affairs. It undermined its sovereignty, security, and development interests. The countermeasures will come into force on Wednesday, including prohibiting all organizations and individuals within China from engaging in transactions, cooperation, and other activities with him and denying his and his family's entry into China. The countermeasures are under articles of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Countering Foreign Sanctions, the ministry said in a statement on its official website.
Tariff hike fears drive Chinese EV sales.
The surge in Chinese electric vehicle sales across Europe in June was mainly driven by looming tariff threats, newly released data reveal. The figures, which include the United Kingdom, show that about 23,000 EVs were registered in June, marking a 72 percent increase from the previous month as consumers raced to beat anticipated price hikes within the European Union. In early July, the EU announced plans to impose extra duties of up to 37.6 percent on Chinese EV imports because of what it called "unfair" state subsidies benefiting manufacturers in a keenly contested market. The Guardian cited research by Spanish bank BBVA showing that a Chinese car in Europe was up to twice as costly as in the domestic market, with some vehicles, such as BYD's Dolphin, selling for almost three times the price. In Italy, sales incentives in June to increase EV purchases were all snapped up in less than 9 hours, the Italian government said, with most interest coming from individual buyers.
Others should resist US coercion over restricting chip trade with China: FM.
Lin said that the US has politicized and instrumentalized trade and economic matters, abused the concept of national security, and continued to tighten control over semiconductor exports to China. Chinese analysts noted on Wednesday that a series of incidents have underscored that when it comes to cracking down on China, the US doesn't give any thought to its allies and pays no heed to their interests. In the face of the turbulent international situation, Veldkamp said that the Dutch side does not support "decoupling" from China and is willing to maintain communications to develop practical bilateral relations. Washington's reported new curbs follow earlier efforts by the US to intensify regulation on legacy chips made in China, which has met with opposition from industry players. In an interview with German business outlet Handelsblatt, published on July 8, current CEO Christophe Fouquet argued that the world needs the legacy chips coming out of China.
AI conference points to China's prominent role.
The annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference, which wrapped up over the weekend, showcased China's growing significance in promoting global governance of the game-changing technology, industry experts said. "To tackle major issues emerging in AI development, a system on global exchanges, prevention, and control, strengthening multilateral dialogue mechanism among governments, and improving the global system by the scientific community must be developed," said Xue, who is also director of the Institute for AI International Governance with Tsinghua University. "Investing in AI security must catch up to talent density, commercial motivation, and computing power. "By making a Chinese proposal into an international consensus, China has played a vital role in tapping into the aspirations and wishes of developing countries for AI governance," said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, during a special briefing on the sidelines of the Global AI Governance Forum. According to Dai, on July 1, the 78th session of the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution proposed by China and cosponsored by over 140 countries on strengthening international cooperation in the capacity building of AI.
China builds the world's first 6G field test network.
China developed the world's first 6G field test network that integrates communications and intelligence, demonstrating that the transmission capabilities of 6G can be reached on 4G and 5G technologies. Zhang Ping, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications professor, led the breakthrough. The team has successfully built the world's first 6G field test network integrating communications and intelligence, allowing a more profound integration of communication with artificial intelligence. The team said this network has also validated the feasibility of 4G and 5G links having 6G transmission capabilities, with significant capacity, coverage, and efficiency improvements.
Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway records 4 Million passengers after nine months of operation.
Indonesia's Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, locally called Whoosh, recorded on Saturday that it had carried 4 million passengers since it began commercial operations on October 17, 2023. Eva Chairunisa, general manager and corporate secretary of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China, said the achievement had proven the high public trust and enthusiasm in Indonesia for the HSR during the nine months of operation. "We achieved this through the combined efforts and innovations of KCIC and all stakeholders, who continuously strive to enhance our services," Chairunisa said in a statement. With a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the train connects Halim station in Jakarta to Tegalluar station in Indonesia's fourth largest city, Bandung of West Java province, cutting the travel time between the two towns from over three hours to around 40 minutes. "The positive impact on tourism strengthens our mission to improve connectivity and support economic growth through efficient and convenient transportation," she said.
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Driverless ride-hailing accidents spark concerns; a high bar for intelligent systems is needed.
Autonomous driving technology can theoretically improve road safety by avoiding traffic violations through high-precision sensors and advanced algorithms. However, in practice, complex road conditions and traffic have placed high demands on the reaction speed and decision-making ability of intelligent driving systems, Zhang Xu, an Analyst from EnfoDesk, told Global Times on Thursday. With the development of technology and the market's maturity, driverless ride-hailing cars will gradually replace traditional operated services, driving the entire transportation industry toward a more intelligent and automated direction, they said. Although the development of driverless ride-hailing vehicles faces challenges, industry observers noted that its prospects are promising with the support of policies and technological advancements. In response to whether driverless ride-hailing cars have taken the drivers' jobs, Wuhan staff from the transportation bureau responded that the taxi industry is relatively stable. There are some online rumors, according to media reports on Wednesday.
Port economy of Chinese seaport cities soars to $869 billion in 2023.
The added value of the port economy across China's 59 seaport cities amounted to 6.2 trillion yuan ($869.05 billion) in 2023, accounting for 13.4 percent of the total economic output of port cities. An increase of 192.9 billion yuan compared with 2022, data from the Port Economic Development Report of Chinese Seaport Cities 2024 showed. The Transport Planning and Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport released the data during the Tianjin International Shipping Industry Expo 2024. The added value of the port economy in the Yangtze River Delta region accounted for 44.7 percent of the total added value of the port economy in China, with the region emerging as the most developed area of the port economy in China's coastal regions, according to the report. In the future, China's port economy will focus on new quality productivity and foster new drivers in the port economy. Chinese seaport cities mentioned in the report refer to the prefecture-level city or municipality where China's coastal ports are located. The port city along the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province is also included in the scope of seaport city research.
Russia, China, and Cuba unite to taunt, test, and spy on the US military.
According to a United States intelligence expert, the intended shows of force are part of an effort by the Kremlin to use its recently formalized partnership with Beijing and its Cold War-era alliance with Havana to "embarrass" Washington and assess the US military. NORAD said in a statement that "two Russian TU-95 and two PRC H-6 military aircraft were operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ)" when fighter jets from the US and Canada conducted the intercept. Currently a distinguished fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, Volker said Moscow was taunting the US and issuing a warning to stop supporting Ukraine or "maybe Russia will do something to harm our security as well." According to Russian state media RIA Novosti, they included the training ship Smolny, the patrol frigate Neustrashimy (Fearless), and the refueling tanker Yelnya. From positions inside Cuba, Russian and Chinese intelligence operatives, using their sophisticated technology, "can collect everything (that's unencrypted) from Northern Canada to the tip of Argentina," according to Simmons.
Russia, China leading wave of 'unprecedented' intelligence threats to US.
The United States is facing a series of unprecedented threats from foreign intelligence agencies, some of which are increasingly cooperating to gain an advantage, according to a newly approved strategy to blunt the impact of espionage. The National Counterintelligence Strategy, signed by President Joe Biden on Thursday, calls out Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea as the main culprits, identifying Moscow and Beijing as "the most significant intelligence threats." US counterintelligence officials "see our leading adversaries cooperating more frequently with one another, enhancing the threat they pose," the strategy warns, adding that "many PRC [People's Republic of China], Russian, and Iranian intelligence activities still go undetected." "A growing number of commercial firms are flooding the market with high-quality cyber intrusion tools, expanding the pool of [foreign intelligence] actors that can threaten our networks and people," the strategy says. US and Western officials have recently accused Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea of forming a new "Axis of Evil," working together to supply Moscow with weapons and ammunition for its war in Ukraine.
Putin praises significant development of energy cooperation between Russia and China.
Russian President Vladimir Putin greeted the participants, organizers, and guests of the 3rd Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum, noting the unprecedented high level of strategic interaction between the two states. "The relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China are at an unprecedented high level. An important component of these relations is energy cooperation, which has developed significantly in recent years," according to the statement. The construction of new units of Russian design has begun at two Chinese nuclear power plants," the head of state said. The event annually gathers representatives of the two countries' most prominent companies in the energy, financial, and IT sectors, political and public figures, diplomats, and experts.
Russia and China are likely to build a joint Moonbase.
Russia will likely build a joint research base on the Moon with China, Russian state space corporation Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin informed. "Recently, we [together with Director of the China National Space Administration Zhang Kejian] have agreed that we will probably research the Moon and build a Moon research base together - Russia and China," Rogozin said on the Solovyev LIVE YouTube channel. The Roscosmos chief stressed that he has a lot of respect for his Chinese colleagues. Earlier, Rogozin said he had discussed space cooperation with his Chinese partners, namely constructing a Moon research base. He added that the sides had agreed to take mutual steps in that direction.
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