When asked to comment on the development of China-Russia cooperation and recent signs of a possible improvement in bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington in the future, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that China and Russia enjoys a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Russia relations have remained unaffected by external interference, maintained healthy and stable development, and are at their best period in history. China-Russia cooperation is neither targeted any third party, nor influenced by any third-party factors.
China is willing to continue working with Russia to consolidate their permanent good-neighborly friendship and steadily advance all-round strategic coordination on the principles of non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of any third party, continuously deepening mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, the spokesperson said on Friday's routine press conference.
Friday marks the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance. On February 14, 1950, the two sides signed the treaty and other agreements. The Foreign Ministers of the two countries exchanged three notes, declaring null and void the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance and the other agreements which were signed by the Soviet Government and the Kuomintang Government of China on August 14, 1945.
An innovative floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel equipped with a carbon capture and storage facility has been completed in Shanghai, according to Science and Technology Daily.
The vessel is the first of its kind in the world and is scheduled for delivery by the end of February, according to the newspaper.
The FPSO, measuring 333 meters in length and 60 meters in width, has a daily production capacity of up to 120,000 barrels of crude oil.
It has a unique ability to capture carbon dioxide emissions generated during both navigation and oil production processes. Additionally, it utilizes the heat energy from exhaust gases to generate electricity, achieving dual objectives of environmental protection and energy efficiency, the news report stated.
Offshore oil and gas operations are known to produce substantial amounts of carbon dioxide annually. The deployment of carbon capture and storage facility on such vessels offers a promising solution to reduce emissions from offshore production and processing activities.
In August 2019, in a reply letter to residents of Xiadang Township in Ningde, East China's Fujian Province, Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed delight over local villagers being lifted out of poverty and living a better life. After 30 years of unremitting efforts by the people, Xiadang has become a place that is easily accessible by road with a brand new image, while local residents have a stronger sense of happiness and fulfillment, Xi said, "which vividly proves the old adage that weak birds take flight early, and constant dropping wears away a stone."
Early in 1990, Xi wrote an article titled "Water droplets drilling through rock," using this natural landscape as a metaphor for the process of poverty alleviation in economically backward areas. The article was included in the book Up and Out of Poverty, a compilation of Xi's major works from September 1988 to May 1990 when he was the Party chief of Ningde. The book, along with Eradicating Poverty, a book of excerpts from discourses on poverty alleviation by Xi, have been published in different languages to provide reference points for other countries to shake off poverty.
In light of this, the Global Times is launching the series "constant dropping wears away a stone," to share compelling poverty alleviation stories. In this first installment, we focus on three cases demonstrating how small industries bring big happiness.
Nestled in the misty mountains of Southwest China's Guizhou Province, where ancient traditions whisper through bamboo groves, the vibrant world of Miao embroidery comes to life with every stitch crafted by local artisans.
Guizhou has long been one of the most impoverished regions in China, grappling with a combination of geographical, economic, and infrastructural challenges that make daily life a struggle for many families. However, during China's monumental anti-poverty campaign - unprecedented in scale - Guizhou embarked on a transformative journey that harnessed local resources, introduced innovative methods, and revitalized traditional culture, ultimately achieving zero poverty by 2020.
For the villagers of Huawu in Xinren Miao Township, Guizhou's Qianxi city, the art of Miao embroidery, an intangible cultural heritage, was their magic weapon helping them shake off poverty and achieve prosperity.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, gave the thumbs up to using Miao embroidery to pass down ethnic, traditional culture, aid in the battle against poverty, and promote rural vitalization when visiting the villagers of Huawu on February 3, 2021, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Xi noted that "The treasures of ethnic culture are also the pride of the entire world. Miao embroidery is both traditional and fashionable, both a cultural treasure and an industry. It can promote not only traditional culture but also rural revitalization. Traditional ethnic culture like Miao embroidery must be kept alive and developed well."
Following the approach put forward by Xi, Huawu has made the ancient art of Miao embroidery a significant driver in the revitalization of rural industry, turning itself into one of China's beautiful leisure villages, Xinhua reported. Return hometown to start own business
Yang Wenli, a 30-year-old woman born in Huawu village, still vividly remembers when Xi went on an inspection tour of the village's poverty-alleviation workshop to learn about the development of the Miao embroidery industry and the preservation of traditional ethnic culture.
"I was greatly encouraged. In the future, I will cultivate more excellent embroiderers and I hope that one day our Miao embroidery works can be showcased at more international platforms, allowing traditional cultures like embroidery and wax dyeing to be known and loved by more people around the world," Yang told the Global Times.
Yang was not originally involved in the industry. While she started to learn traditional Miao embroidery from an early age, she had not imagined that this local craft, which nearly every woman in the community was able to do, could lead to something greater than just making clothes for people.
After graduating from high school, in order to ease her family's financial burden, she found a job at an embroidery factory in East China's Zhejiang Province. It is at this factory that she encountered machine embroidery.
"A senior worker told me that the machine can embroider any pattern. I was dubious of her words. Then I drew a random pattern and gave it to her, and she embroidered it with the machine," she recalled.
That ignited a dream of mastering the use of such machines to create Miao embroidery in Yang's heart.
After a learning period at the factory, Yang became proficient in operating the embroidery machine. After discussion, Yang and her husband pooled their money to buy a second-hand embroidery machine and returned home to start their own business.
At first, Yang set up a small family workshop. In 2019, with the support and assistance of the local government, she established a Miao embroidery workshop in Huawu village.
"We returned to our hometown to start a business not only to earn money for a better life, but also to help more women like me find employment through embroidery. We want to ensure that the children here are no longer left-behind children like our generation," Yang said.
To this end, Yang provided free training in embroidery techniques and machine operation for local embroiderers, while also taking orders in the market to ensure that everyone had work and income.
Today, Yang has a design team to innovate the styles, colors, and accessories of Miao embroidery clothing, while also venturing into the cultural and creative sector by producing bags, scarves, and other products. She has also transformed her workshop into a new 1,600-square-meter factory, utilizing fully automatic sewing and embroidery machines.
Her workshop has, so far, created job opportunities for 22 villagers. The highest monthly salary of embroiderers in Yang's workshop reaches 8,000 yuan ($1,103), according to Yang. Connect ethnic culture with fashion
As an intangible cultural heritage inheritor, Peng Yi has been thinking about how to pass on and develop Miao embroidery techniques since the day she started learning. A native of Huawu village, Peng has been deeply influenced by Miao batik and embroidery since childhood.
During her learning process, she developed a dream of promoting and revitalizing these ancient art forms. In 2015, to connect ethnic culture with fashion and bring it into the homes of many, Peng went to pursue a master's degree in ethnic and folk art at the Guizhou Minzu University. After graduating, Peng returned to Qianxi and established a company.
For Peng, inheritance is the most important aspect. She carefully taught her students the techniques of Miao embroidery and batik, requiring them to submit one or two batik paintings and a small piece of embroidery each week. She discussed each piece with her students, guiding them to adjust their techniques, and collaboratively researching and developing new technologies and products.
She also continuously visits other inheritors of intangible cultural heritage and folk artists, participates in various exhibitions, and works hard to promote the embroidery and batik products of Huawu Village.
"I firmly believe that traditional Miao embroidery and batik will continue to write more fashionable stories. We not only need to preserve Miao embroidery and batik, but also strengthen and expand the ethnic handicraft industry, allowing the lives of our elders and fellow villagers to flourish like the patterns of Miao embroidery and batik," Peng told the Global Times.
Today, Peng's studio has innovated over 100 batik and Miao embroidery cultural and creative products, including clothing, office supplies, and home decorations.
"The development of embroidery and batik needs to keep pace with the times; only through continuous innovation can more people appreciate these works, allowing the art of batik and embroidery to flourish," she stressed.
Join to save the ancient craft
Luo Yang, from East China's Shandong Province, was one of those who were attracted by the charm of traditional Miao embroidery and batik, thus deciding to join the industry to help preserve the culture.
In 2009, Luo went to a primary school in Qianxi as a voluntary teacher. It was during this year of teaching that she discovered the unique charm of Miao embroidery and batik.
After 2010, Luo went to work in Shanghai, but Miao embroidery and batik kept lingering in her mind. After getting married in 2021, she discussed her dream with her husband who supported her and later went to Qianxi with Luo to promote Miao embroidery.
The couple discovered that while Miao batik are exquisite, the inheritance of this art form faced challenges due to the acceleration of industrialization and urban-rural integration.
Many young people left their hometowns for work, leaving behind the elderly and children in the villages, and the techniques at that time struggled to enter the market. The younger generation was reluctant to learn, putting this ancient craft at risk of disappearing, Luo explained.
"I studied art design and have over a decade of experience in the advertising industry in Shanghai, which makes me think that I can do something to help the protection, inheritance, promotion, and development of the two intangible cultural heritages," Luo told the Global Times.
Thus, Luo established a company to start her entrepreneurial journey, while her husband Yang Ming, who is now the principal of a primary school in the Gaojin township, Qianxi, focused on promoting intangible cultural heritage in schools.
"I took senior Miao wax dyeing artisans, most of whom are dubbed as 'old aunts,' in the village to visit places where the industry of Miao embroidery and batik is more developed. They gradually understood that batik is not outdated, but a craft that is still loved by many people and can create practical value. This restored their confidence in their ethnic traditional technique," Luo said.
She said that the moment she saw some of these "old aunts" were willing to pick up their wax knives again, her eyes were filled with tears.
Now, Luo routinely organizes batik and embroidery training in her company, and invites professional teachers to teach new techniques. She has also taken Miao batik works to exhibitions in bigger cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.
In 2023, a large-scale Miao batik and embroidery work titled "Miao Rhythm: Flame of Inheritance," designed by Luo and Yang, made a stunning debut at the Hangzhou Asian Games Museum. With its unique artistic charm and cultural value, the work was permanently preserved by the Asian Games Museum.
According to Yang, the Miao embroidery products her workshop creates are sold to countries including the UK, France, and India, and are popular among local customers.
In the summer of 2024, Yang managed to secure a cross-border order. "At that time, several foreign tourists visited our workshop. They were very interested in our Miao embroidered hats. They ordered 1,000 hats and later added another 3,000."
Now, Yang's daughter has also fallen in love with this traditional craft and has become a new generation of inheritors. "She says she wants to be a designer when she grows up. I think that is great. I told her that when you become a designer, you can combine advanced design concepts with traditional Miao batik and embroidery to create more beautiful things and continue to pass on this traditional craft."
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Wednesday said that China stands ready to work with ASEAN countries to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, actively advance the consultations of the code of conduct in the South China Sea (COC), strive to conclude the COC at an early date, and jointly keep the South China Sea peaceful and stable.
Guo Jiakun, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry, made the remarks on Wednesday in response to a media inquiry regarding China-ASEAN relations and disputes in the South China Sea, as media reported that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called on Tuesday for a "conclusion" of the COC "as soon as possible" to address and solve disputes in the South China Sea.
The spokesperson said that what China takes away from growing its relations with ASEAN is to properly handle and solve differences through the Asian Way of friendly consultation. China stays committed to resolving the relevant disputes through negotiation and consultation with the states directly concerned in the South China Sea.
Malaysia is the current chair of the ASEAN. In a speech on Monday, Anwar said ASEAN's relationship with China needs to grow beyond traditional trade and investment and focus on preparing the region for future challenges, warning that artificial intelligence (AI) and fresh American tariffs threaten to upend the global economy, the South China Morning Post reported.
Guo said that under the strategic guidance of leaders of China and ASEAN countries, the vision of building a China-ASEAN community with a shared future is well received and great progress has been made in building a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home.
Guo emphasized that China and ASEAN have been each other's largest trading partners for years running. Our negotiations with ASEAN to upgrade to free trade area 3.0 have been substantially concluded.
The visa-free arrangement between China and other countries, including Malaysia, has produced remarkable results, and the "Lancang-Mekong visa" policy was officially launched. China and Malaysia have always been the key players in upholding peace in the Asia-Pacific and promoting development there, Guo said.
Guo added that China supports Malaysia in assuming the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN. We stand ready to work with Malaysia to bring about more bright spots in China-ASEAN cooperation in economy and trade, digital transformation, industrial and supply chains, green development, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, among other fields, strive for coordinated advances in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, the three global initiatives, and ASEAN community building in a mutually reinforcing way, and help regional cooperation produce more outcomes.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson responded on Tuesday to questions regarding US withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and the WHO, as well as the US President Donald Trump's claims about the Panama Canal.
In response to the White House's announcement to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that China expresses concern over the US announcement.
Guo noted that climate change is a common challenge faced by all humanity, and no country can remain unaffected or isolated from its impact. China will work with all parties, upholding the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, to actively tackle the challenges of climate change and jointly promote the global green and low-carbon transformation.
Regarding the US withdrawal from the WHO, Guo said that the WHO plays a central and coordinating role in global health governance. The role of the WHO should be strengthened, not weakened. China will continue to support the WHO in fulfilling its responsibilities, deepen international public health cooperation, enhance global health governance, and promote the construction of a community of shared health for humanity.
China's position on issues related to the Panama Canal is consistent and clear, Guo said in response to a question concerning Trump's claim that China was effectively "operating" the Panama Canal and that the US would take back the canal. "I have no additional information to share," Guo said.
In a speech delivered on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum (WEF), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned China 14 times, claiming a "China shock" to world trade was caused by the so-called "over-capacity," while at the same time expressing a willingness to "engage and deepen" EU's relationship with China.
The WEF kicked off its 2025 session on Monday (local time) in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. According to the WEF's website, this year, the five-day annual meeting convenes under the title Collaboration for the Intelligent Age, with global leaders gathering to address key global and regional challenges.
Per a transcript from the WEF's official website, von der Leyen said in her speech that "When China joined the WTO [World Trade Organization] 25 years ago, the impact of rising Chinese exports was called the 'China shock." She went on to say that "Today, some are talking about a second China shock" caused by the so-called "over-capacity," adding "we must respond to this."
However, von der Leyen also said "we must engage constructively with China - to find solutions in our mutual interest."
The European Commission President added that "2025 marks 50 years of our union's diplomatic relations with China. I see it as an opportunity to engage and deepen our relationship with China, and where possible, even to expand our trade and investment ties."
"Von der Leyen's contradictory and divided remarks regarding China reflect the EU's dilemma in its policy toward China," Zhao Junjie, a senior research fellow at the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
On one hand, the EU is aligned with the unified strategy of the US to contain China. This approach views China as a competitor and an ideological rival, aiming to pressure it into ceding its interests, Zhao said.
However, the EU also takes its own interests into account, as it acknowledges that engaging in fierce competition with China has caused significant harm to the EU itself. Furthermore, this approach has not only offended China but has also generated discontent within EU, the expert noted.
According to European news website Euractiv, von der Leyen did not explicitly refer to the new US president's plan to put up trade barriers in her speech. Instead, she made a case for what's at stake for Americans in their country's trading relationship with Europe.
US President Donald Trump has promised to address a longstanding trade deficit with the EU, saying he will reverse that by imposing tariffs or making the EU buy more US oil and gas, Reuters reported.
The lack of explicit mention of the US' tariff threats may indicate the EU is subtly suggesting that China should be Washington's primary focus, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.
The EU should consider adapting to new circumstances in its economic cooperation with China and not attribute normal business competition between China and the EU to other factors, said Feng Zhongping, director of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noting that if the EU can reach a consensus with China on this matter, there will be greater space for cooperation given the complementary advantages of both sides.
When asked whether China plans to take any new measures to help resolve the Ukraine crisis, Mao Ning, spokesperson for Chinese Foreign Ministry, said dialogue and negotiation is the only viable way to resolve the Ukraine crisis.
Mao made the remarks in response to a question concerning US President Donald Trump's video address at the World Economic Forum in Davos that he hoped that China will play a major and constructive role in ending the conflict in Ukraine.
Mao said dialogue and negotiation is the only viable way to resolve the Ukraine crisis. We are happy to see that all parties play a constructive role and build conditions for de-escalation and the political settlement of the crisis.
China will continue to promote peace talks and stands ready to maintain communication with other parties, Mao noted.
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Saturday met with British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, who is in Beijing for the 11th China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD), the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Reeves' visit to China marks the restart of the China-UK EFD, a crucial dialogue mechanism between the two sides, after a nearly six-year hiatus.
During the meeting, Han Zheng, also a Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said that China and the UK are both major economies and financial heavyweights in the world, pointing out that strengthening economic and financial cooperation in the spirit of strategic partnership is of great significance to promoting economic growth, improving people's lives and encouraging green development in these two countries, according to Xinhua.
It will also inject confidence and impetus into the development of the world economy, Han added.
"China is willing to continue to expand openness and exchanges with the UK, enhance mutual understanding and trust, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation to bring more benefits to the two countries and the world," said Han.
Reeves said the resumption of this dialogue after nearly six years is of great significance. The British side attaches importance to developing relations with China and is willing to strengthen candid dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation with China to promote the economic development of each country, she added.
Since last year, visits by senior UK officials and the meeting between the leaders of both countries have underscored the UK's willingness to strengthening bilateral ties, Li Guanjie, a research fellow with the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies under the Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Saturday.
Li noted that the visit by the UK Chancellor focused on bolstering collaboration in finance, trade, and other pivotal sectors of the bilateral relationship, adding that by reinstating dialogues, the Labour government hopes to reverse the decline in economic and trade relations with China and enhance the UK's economic standing amid challenging growth prospects. Li also noted that despite positive signals, China-UK economic and trade relations continue to face hurdles, including concerns over investment security, geopolitical strains, and external influences from third-party nations like the US.
The 11th China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue took place in Beijing on Saturday. It is co-chaired by Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council He Lifeng and Reeves as the lead persons of the Dialogue.
He stated that China is willing to work with the UK to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, uphold the strategic partnership, strengthen communication and dialogue, and further expand economic and financial cooperation, providing more momentum for the development of a stable and mutually beneficial China-UK relationship. Reeves expressed that the UK is willing to enhance practical cooperation with China in the economic and financial fields and develop a coherent, lasting, and mutually respectful UK-China relationship.
Established in 2008, this high-level dialogue mechanism has served as an important platform for dialogue and cooperation on strategic, overarching and long-term issues in the economic and financial fields.
In a statement to the Global Times, the UK Chamber of Commerce in China said that it warmly welcomed the Chancellor's visit to China and the revival of the Economic and Financial Dialogue.
The chamber highlighted that the resumption of this dialogue marks a significant step forward in rejuvenating economic ties and strengthening bilateral relations and it is hoped that this renewed engagement will foster constructive discussions in critical sectors, paving the way for fresh opportunities in trade, investment, and cooperation.
Earlier Saturday, the chancellor visited the Beijing store of UK bicycle maker Brompton and said that she was in China "to unlock tangible benefits for British businesses exporting and trading around the world to ensure that we have greater access to the second-largest economy in the world", Reuters reported.
Reeves' visit is being accompanied by a delegation of senior executives from the City of London, according to The Guardian. The Guardian described this trip as the UK government's efforts to "closer economic links with Beijing as part of its quest for growth."
In response to inquiry on remarks made by the so-called "Tibetan government-in-exile", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday that the so-called "Tibetan government-in-exile" is an outright separatist political group, which is not recognized by any country in the world, and that we are highly vigilant to its separatist nature and political schemes.
Regarding the earthquake that hit Dingri county in Xizang region, Guo said the rescue teams overcame difficulties posed by high altitude and low oxygen levels, racing against time to search for trapped individuals, minimizing casualties.
"Overall, the earthquake relief efforts went smoothly. We are confident that we will win the hard battle against the earthquake and disaster relief and restore normal order of production and life in the disaster area as soon as possible," said Guo.
China's Foreign Ministry (FM) on Tuesday lambasted new rules issued by US President Joe Biden's administration that reportedly aim to keep advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips and technology out of China, as the country vowed to take firm measures to safeguard the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies.
On Monday US time, the Biden administration issued an Interim Final Rule on Artificial Intelligence Diffusion, which encourages the diffusion of US AI technology by US "key allies and partners." It also constrains "countries of concern" from accessing advanced AI systems and the computing power used to train them, according to a fact sheet published by the White House.
Although the fact sheet did not name specific countries, US media outlets, including The New York Times, said that the new US rules are aimed at barring China from obtaining AI technology from other countries, as the US has previously banned such sales.
Notably, it is the "largest-scale and final" chip export restrictions during Biden's tenure, China Media Group reported on Tuesday.
Firm opposition
The move immediately drew swift and harsh criticism from China. Asked to comment on the US move at a regular press conference on Tuesday, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the FM, stressed that the US has been overstretching the concept of national security, politicizing and weaponizing trade and tech issues, and abusing export controls to maliciously suppress China. "China firmly opposes the US decision and will take firm measures to safeguard the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies."
Guo further pointed out that AI is humanity's common asset, and should not become "a game for the rich countries and the wealthy" or be used to generate another development divide. To maintain its supremacy, the US chooses to split the world into tiers, granting access to countries that are "close" and barring access to "the rest."
"The real purpose is to deprive developing countries, including China, of the right to make their own progress in science and development," Guo said, adding that this kind of roadblock strategy hurts the global common interest of promoting AI for good, and has triggered concerns from various quarters about a new tech Cold War from the US.
According to the White House fact sheet, no restrictions apply to chip sales to 18 "key allies and partners," while the rule takes significant steps against "countries of concern."
In stark contrast, China has been actively promoting global cooperation on AI. In July 2024, the 78th UN General Assembly adopted a China-led resolution on enhancing international AI cooperation, with over 140 countries supporting it. This milestone decision not only underscores the global consensus on AI governance but also highlights China's pivotal role in driving international AI collaboration, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
"China will continue to work with all parties to embrace openness, connectivity and equality instead of building walls, decoupling and discrimination, create an open, inclusive, and non-discriminatory environment for AI development that is beneficial to all, and make sure that all countries can access the benefit of AI," Guo said at the press briefing on Tuesday.
On Monday night, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce also slammed the US administration for ignoring strong opposition from the US tech industry to issue the new rule. "The Biden administration's abuse of export control measures severely obstructs normal trade exchanges between countries, significantly undermines market rules and the international trade order, greatly impacts global technological innovation, and seriously harms the interests of companies worldwide, including those in the US," a spokesperson for the ministry said.
The Biden administration's move drew widespread criticism from the US tech industry. In a statement on Monday, US AI chip giant Nvidia blasted what it calls "the Biden Administration's Misguided 'AI Diffusion' Rule." It added that "while cloaked in the guise of an 'anti-China' measure, these rules would do nothing to enhance US security." The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), which has already expressed firm opposition to the new rules before they were published, said in a statement on Monday that the new export controls threaten to discourage the use of US technology.
Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that although the US restrictions target countries like China, they will not bode well for the US' own companies. "These restrictions will backfire on US companies such as Nvidia, because the Chinese application market is enormous," Lü told the Global Times on Tuesday.
'Futile attempt'
Some Chinese industry representatives have also slammed the US move. The latest AI restrictions are a "futile attempt" that will not impede China's rapid progress in AI or stop the pace of China's technological development, according to Hu Ming, deputy general manager of CCCC (Zhongwei) Big Data Technology Co.
"Such restrictions do not carry much significance. While they may result in temporary disruptions, they are likely to spur China's pursuit of self-reliance in chip and AI development," Hu told the Global Times on Tuesday. "These restrictions may temporarily slow down China's development in AI, but they will also strengthen China's resolve and commitment to independently develop high-performance computing chips."
While the US has framed these restrictions as part of a global chip control measure, their impact on China is expected to be minimal, given the country's vast application scenarios for training and enhancing AI capabilities - a resource unavailable to the US, Hu noted.
China has been focusing on addressing challenges in computational power, AI, and chip manufacturing. For instance, the Global Times reporters learned from Phytium Technology Co, a leading independent core chip provider based in Tianjin, that the company has achieved breakthroughs in key technologies, including on-chip parallel microprocessor architecture, large-scale integrated circuit design, and inherent security architecture.
To date, Phytium's self-produced graphics processing units (GPUs) have sold over 10 million units, providing core computational support for devices ranging from endpoints to cloud services, representing a major leap from "functional" to "high-performance" domestic CPUs, according to the information the company shared with the Global Times.
While the US has and will likely continue to crack down on Chinese technological industries such as AI, "in the long run, the US' restrictions are not that significant. There will always be competition and even crackdown in competing for the leading position. However, even the harsh crackdown measures will not stop China's technological development," an executive of a chip firm based in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong, who requested to be identified as Zhou, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Zhou said that Chinese firms should view the US' moves objectively and make adjustments. "It is imperative to develop high-performance computing chips that are independently developed and controlled," Zhou said.
Lü also said that while the US restrictions may slow down China's progress in some areas, it will not stop China from catching up. "It is just matter of time before China catches up or even takes the lead. And it is possible there will be a shift in the race lane [in which China will take the lead]," Lü said.
