The tool, built on the DeepSeek platform, facilitates communication in Chinese, Myanmar, and English, helping responders coordinate aid. The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar confirmed that more than 700 people have used the system since the earthquake struck.
Developed in just seven hours, the translation tool was created by a language service team from the National Language Service Corps of China and Beijing Language and Culture University.
The Corps, a public-service alliance guided by various Chinese government agencies, specialises in providing language support during emergencies and key national initiatives.
The use of AI-powered translation in disaster response highlights the growing role of language technology in humanitarian aid.
By breaking down communication barriers, the system enables more effective coordination, reinforcing efforts to build stronger international cooperation in times of crisis.
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Retail giants are facing sharp declines in after-hours trading as new tariffs from the US on imports from China, the European Union, and Vietnam begin to rattle markets. Walmart and Amazon both saw their shares fall, with Nike also heavily impacted due to its dependence on Chinese manufacturing.
Walmart’s drop of over 4% reflects its heavy reliance on Chinese imports, with roughly 70% of its merchandise tied to the country. Amazon, similarly exposed through its third-party sellers, dipped close to 5% amid fears that rising costs will force sellers to raise prices, dampening consumer demand. These developments could severely affect the upcoming holiday shopping season.
Nike, meanwhile, saw shares fall by more than 6% as news emerged that many of its products, including popular sneakers, are produced in China and Vietnam. Although the company has been diversifying production to Vietnam, the move offers little relief now, as Vietnam faces an even steeper 46% tariff. The new policies may force widespread price hikes, putting further pressure on consumers and the broader retail sector.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook made a surprise visit to China last week, marking the 10th anniversary partnership between Apple and Zhejiang University. During the visit, Cook announced a donation of RMB 30 million (£3.4 million) to support programming education and cultivate future talent in app development. The funds will establish the Apple Mobile Application Incubation Fund, offering training and connecting students to industry mentors and opportunities.
Zhejiang University, located in Hangzhou and considered one of the top institutions in China, has worked with Apple on mobile app innovation since 2015. Their long-standing collaboration has already reached over 30,000 students through competitions and workshops across the country. The new investment brings the total funding from Apple over the decade to RMB 80 million (£9.1 million).
Apple’s move reinforces its commitment to the Chinese market amid ongoing regulatory challenges. Some Apple Intelligence features remain unavailable in China, prompting the company to explore partnerships with local AI firms. While no formal agreements have been announced, the tech giant’s engagement with Chinese academia may also pave the way for future tech integration and regulatory compliance.
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In Shenzhen, a quiet breakthrough is unfolding in autism rehabilitation as AI-powered tools begin to transform how young children receive therapy.
At a local centre, a therapist guides a three-year-old boy through speech exercises, while an AI system documents progress and instantly generates a tailored home-training plan, offering much-needed support to both therapists and families.
China faces a severe shortage of autism therapists, with only around 100,000 professionals serving a community of over 10 million individuals, including 3 million children.
Traditional diagnosis and treatment rely on time-consuming behavioural assessments. Now, AI is streamlining this process.
Centres like Dami & Xiaomi, in partnership with Amazon Web Services, have developed RICE AI, a system trained on over 80 million behavioural data points to generate faster, personalised interventions and even custom visual materials for home learning.
By dramatically reducing workloads and enhancing precision, AI is helping to close the gap in early intervention and support.
More facilities are following suit, with efforts underway to unify and open-source these tools across the country. As one mother tearfully recalled her autistic son’s first spoken word, the emotional impact of this technological shift was clear, AI is not replacing care, but deepening it.
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A Chinese brain chip project has expanded its human trials, aiming to implant 13 patients with its semi-invasive Beinao No.1 device by the end of the year.
Backed by the Chinese Institute for Brain Research and NeuCyber NeuroTech, the project may soon overtake Elon Musk’s Neuralink in patient numbers.
Early results have shown paralysed patients using the chip to control robotic arms and transmit thoughts to a computer screen. The developers from China plan a larger clinical trial next year with 50 participants, pending regulatory approval.
The team is also working on a more advanced wireless chip similar to Neuralink’s, expected to begin human testing within 18 months.
While funding remains a challenge, scientists stress their focus is on helping patients, not profit.
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Arm Holdings, owned by SoftBank, recently considered acquiring UK-based semiconductor IP supplier Alphawave to bolster its artificial intelligence processor technology.
The focus was on Alphawave’s ‘serdes’ technology, essential for rapid data transfer in AI applications requiring interconnected chips.
Despite initial discussions, Arm decided against pursuing the acquisition. Alphawave had been exploring a sale after attracting interest from Arm and other potential buyers.
Alphawave’s joint venture in China, WiseWave, added complexity to the potential deal due to national security concerns raised by US officials.
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Guangdong is stepping up efforts to become a world leader in AI and robotics by offering generous subsidies to attract start-ups and top tech talent.
The province will grant up to 50 million yuan to major AI manufacturing hubs and millions more to smaller firms and developers.
Officials also plan to fund five open-source communities and ten industrial applications of AI each year, with up to 8 million yuan in support for each.
Local tech giants like Huawei and Tencent are expected to play a key role in the ecosystem.
The move follows the rise of AI firm DeepSeek in neighbouring province of China, Zhejiang, whose founder hails from Guangdong.
The government hopes to replicate that success at home by turning the region into a centre for innovation and global competitiveness.
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Following the US’s first-ever Enterprise Artificial Intelligence Strategy in October 2024, leading robotics companies are urging the government to develop a national robotics strategy and establish a federal office to support the industry.
The push comes as China accelerates its robotics investments, raising concerns about US competitiveness in the global market.
Executives from Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and Agility Robotics showcased their latest innovations on Capitol Hill this week, advocating for policies that bolster domestic production and adoption of robots.
Jeff Cardenas, CEO of Apptronik, highlighted how the United States once led the field but lost ground to Japan and Europe. Tesla’s Jonathan Chen added that manufacturing at scale remains a key challenge.
The Association for Advanced Automation warned that without strong federal leadership, the US risks falling behind in both robotics and AI. Meanwhile, China continues expanding its robotics sector, with a state-backed fund aiming to attract $138 billion over two decades.
According to the International Federation of Robotics, China now leads in industrial robot usage, with 1.8 million in operation as of 2023.
With global investment in robotics projected to exceed $13 billion by 2025, US industry leaders stress that a national strategy is essential to maintaining a competitive edge.
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TSMC says future chip factories in the US will take two years or less to complete, a big step forward from the five years needed for its first Arizona plant. The goal is to narrow the technology gap with its cutting-edge Taiwanese fabs.
While the first US fab makes chips on a 4nm process, TSMC aims to start 3nm production in 2028 and reach 2nm ‘before 2030.’ This would bring American output closer to the most advanced nodes used in Taiwan.
For Apple, which relies heavily on TSMC, the move reduces geopolitical risks tied to China–Taiwan tensions. Critics, however, point out that all R&D remains in Taiwan, limiting the US’s chances of true semiconductor leadership.
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Chinese scientists have developed a compact chip-based quantum digital signature network that drastically improves both speed and efficiency.
The system replaces bulky, expensive equipment with streamlined silicon chips, making it easier to integrate into today’s fibre networks.
The new setup allows multiple users to share a single central detector, reducing cost and complexity. By adopting a star network design and a new cryptographic protocol, the system can handle longer documents with fewer resources and lower delays.
The Chinese experiment outperformed previous quantum signature technologies, achieving reliable performance even over a 200 km fibre link.
Experts say this research opens the door to future applications in quantum e-commerce, secure communication, and digital finance.
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