China

China’s top spy agency vows to safeguard critical minerals, slams Western tech containment

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China’s top spy agency vows to safeguard critical minerals, slams Western tech containment

The WeChat post listed lithium, gallium, germanium and rare earths as precious mineral resources – saying they had fuelled the development of strategic new industries, such as new energy, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and aerospace. “Strategic critical minerals have become an important engine for speeding up the building of a modern industrial system and promoting high-quality … Read more

China bosses told to clear migrant workers’ dues or face ‘severe’ punishment as Lunar New Year approaches

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China bosses told to clear migrant workers’ dues or face ‘severe’ punishment as Lunar New Year approaches

The year-end is a time of widespread wage arrears, and local governments should investigate such cases to identify hidden problems so that all dues are settled as soon as possible, Shen told the conference. State Councillor Shen Yiqin (centre) addresses a national teleconference on clearing wage arrears for migrant workers, in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: … Read more

‘Energy-boosting’ inhaler craze grips school students in China as experts express safety and addiction fears

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‘Energy-boosting’ inhaler craze grips school students in China as experts express safety and addiction fears

The inhalers, which are also marketed as an alertness aid for long-distance drivers, cost between 10 and 20 yuan (US$2.70) and are selling in their thousands. “Most of our consumers are secondary school students. Some primary school pupils also use them, although it is not meant for them – perhaps they bought it out of … Read more

Microsoft President Meets Chinese Government To Discuss AI, Trade Relations, More

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Microsoft President Meets Chinese Government To Discuss AI, Trade Relations, More

Microsoft President Brad Smith recently met with China’s Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao to discuss important topics including artificial intelligence (AI), economic cooperation and trade relations between Washington and Beijing. According to a CNBC report, key details about this meeting are mentioned in a Chinese government announcement, which has been translated using the Chinese search … Read more

National security studies are going mainstream in China. Will it breed a new Chinese elite?

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National security studies are going mainstream in China. Will it breed a new Chinese elite?

The initiatives first introduced in 2018 have turned the once-specialised subject into a discipline that is now accessible to the wider public and admits students from diverse academic backgrounds. Previously, the curriculum was mostly focused on academic training for military, security and law enforcement officials. National security courses in Chongqing’s Southwest University of Political Science … Read more

Known Pathogens Cause Rise in China’s Respiratory Illness, Official Says

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Known Pathogens Cause Rise in China’s Respiratory Illness, Official Says

SHENZHEN, China —  China’s surge in respiratory illness is caused by known pathogens and there is no sign of new infectious diseases, a health official said Saturday as the country faces its first full winter since lifting its strict COVID-19 restrictions. The spike in illness in the country where COVID emerged in late 2019 attracted … Read more

As temperatures rise, dengue fever infections keep surging around the world

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As temperatures rise, dengue fever infections keep surging around the world

This story is part of CBC Health’s Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here. In Bangladesh, roughly 300,000 people have been infected with dengue this year during the country’s worst-ever outbreak of the mosquito-transmitted disease. … Read more

Researchers used Hurricane Larry to prove ocean microplastics can be swept inland as air pollution

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Researchers used Hurricane Larry to prove ocean microplastics can be swept inland as air pollution

As Hurricane Larry lashed Newfoundland in 2021, university students from Halifax headed to a rural area in its track to find out whether the ocean might whip microplastics up into the atmosphere then transport them by air to otherwise pristine communities. The results, you could say, blew their socks off. “It was such, like, an astonishing result that we … Read more

Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City to have green innovation park, be a model for other Chinese cities

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Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City to have green innovation park, be a model for other Chinese cities

SHIPPING CORRIDOR, COOPERATION INITIATIVES Singapore and Tianjin will also establish a green and digital shipping corridor – the first such corridor to connect the two countries. The corridor will be a testbed for both countries to pilot and trial digital solutions, alternative fuels and technologies, as well as facilitate manpower development to support the decarbonisation and digitalisation … Read more

Microsoft’s president meets with the Chinese government to talk AI

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Microsoft’s president meets with the Chinese government to talk AI

Microsoft CEO Brad Smith participates in a meeting at The Westin Palace Hotel, on 20 May, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. Cezaro De Luca | Europa Press | Getty Images Microsoft President Brad Smith met with China’s Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao on Wednesday to discuss topics ranging from artificial intelligence to trade relations between Washington … Read more