Alibaba pushes forward with AI innovation, launching a wide range of open-source models and text-to-video technology. The Chinese tech giant’s latest release includes over 100 models from its Qwen 2.5 family, offering significant improvements in mathematics, coding, and multilingual support.
These models aim to enhance AI capabilities in various industries, including gaming, automotive, and scientific research. Alibaba has adopted a unique hybrid approach, combining open-source and proprietary methods, setting itself apart from competitors like OpenAI and Baidu.
With model sizes ranging from 0.5 to 72 billion parameters, Alibaba’s AI tools cater to diverse business needs. The company’s text-to-video technology, part of its Tongyi Wanxiang image generation family, positions it as a key player in the expanding text-to-video market.
As competition in AI technology intensifies globally, Alibaba’s new developments could challenge major players such as OpenAI and ByteDance. ByteDance recently launched a text-to-video app for Chinese users on Apple’s App Store, further highlighting the rising interest in this technology.
Top legislative body in China has approved changes to its statistics law to combat data fraud. The move addresses growing concerns over the reliability of economic figures in the world’s second-largest economy. Amended regulations aim to prevent statistical manipulation and penalise officials involved in falsifying economic reports.
Authorities have acknowledged persistent problems with statistical fraud, which has led to public mistrust in economic data. The issue has become a major focus for lawmakers, as many believe it harms the accuracy of important economic indicators.
External analysts have long questioned the authenticity of Chinese data, particularly as the country grapples with an economic slowdown. The new law is part of ongoing efforts to restore confidence by cracking down on fraudulent reporting.
Government in China has vowed to investigate and penalise officials involved in data manipulation, seeking to improve transparency and the overall quality of economic statistics.
China Telecom Global has recently inaugurated two significant centres in Hong Kong: the Artificial Intelligence Innovation Center and the Security Business Innovation Center. That development marks a crucial step in China Telecom’s strategy to enhance its high-quality development, cloud capabilities, and digital transformation initiatives.
By establishing these centres, the company aims to leverage China’s high-level opening-up policy to strengthen its international presence and drive global business growth through advanced technology and innovation. Furthermore, these centres are designed to optimise the business structure, integrate internal and external resources, and accelerate the global deployment of China Telecom’s capabilities in AI and security, thereby reinforcing its position as a leading global telecom player.
Additionally, China Telecom Global is placing a strong emphasis on research and collaboration. The focus is advancing cutting-edge technology and fostering partnerships between industry, academia, and research institutions. As a result, these centres are poised to become central hubs for developing AI and security talent, which will support Hong Kong’s evolution into an international centre of innovation and technology.
US authorities have taken down over 350 websites selling gun silencers and parts from China used to convert semiautomatic pistols into fully automatic machine guns. The move follows an investigation that started in August 2023, targeting illegal sales of these dangerous devices.
Undercover operations revealed shipments from China, falsely labelled as items such as ‘necklaces’ or ‘toys’. Instead, these packages contained machine gun conversion devices, known as ‘switches’, and ‘silencers’, both banned under the National Firearms Act. Some websites even sold counterfeit goods, misusing the trademark of gun manufacturer Glock Inc.
Acting US Attorney Joshua Levy emphasised the importance of seizing these websites to halt the influx of illegal and dangerous contraband. Law enforcement has so far seized over 700 machine gun conversion devices, 87 illegal suppressors, 59 handguns, and 46 long guns.
Officials highlighted the growing problem of such devices being easily accessible, posing a serious threat to public safety. The seizures are part of a broader effort to tackle the illegal gun parts trade and protect communities.
Around 60 nations, including the United States, endorsed a ‘blueprint for action’ on Tuesday to regulate the responsible use of AI in military settings. The blueprint was unveiled at the second Responsible AI in the Military Domain (REAIM) summit in Seoul. However, China was among the countries that declined to support the legally non-binding document.
The blueprint builds on discussions from last year’s summit in Amsterdam and outlines concrete steps, such as risk assessments and ensuring human involvement in decisions related to AI in military operations, including nuclear weapons. It also emphasises preventing AI from being used in weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by non-state actors, such as terrorist groups.
The summit, co-hosted by the Netherlands, Singapore, Kenya, and the United Kingdom, aims to foster global cooperation without being led by a single entity. Despite this, China and approximately 30 other countries refrained from endorsing the document, highlighting differing views among participants on AI’s military use.
As the international community moves forward, discussions on AI in military contexts are expected to continue at the United Nations General Assembly in October. Experts stress that while the blueprint is a step forward, progress must be made carefully to avoid alienating countries from engaging in future talks.
Apple’s new iPhone 16, launched on Monday, faced criticism in China for its lack of AI features, as the company contends with increasing competition from domestic tech giant Huawei. While Apple highlighted AI-enhanced capabilities in its global announcement, the iPhone 16’s Chinese version will not have AI functionality until next year, which sparked significant debate on Chinese social media platforms.
On Weibo, discussions centred on the absence of AI, with users questioning the value of the new model compared to Huawei’s imminent launch of a three-way foldable smartphone. Some users expressed disappointment that Apple hadn’t yet partnered with a local AI provider to enhance the iPhone‘s functionality in China.
Despite the AI criticism, analysts believe that the lack of immediate AI integration is unlikely to impact short-term sales. Experts pointed to Apple’s strong customer loyalty and predicted that users of older iPhone models will still drive demand for upgrades. However, they warned that the company must develop a robust AI ecosystem in China to stay competitive in the long run.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 16 will begin on Friday through platforms such as JD.com, with deliveries expected from 20 September. Meanwhile, Huawei’s latest models continue to gain popularity in China, posing a growing challenge to Apple’s market share.
Portugal’s new centre-right government has upheld the previous administration’s ban on Chinese equipment in its 5G networks, citing security concerns. This move, initially imposed in May 2023 by the country’s cybersecurity board (CSSC), also applies to 4G platforms supporting 5G, dealing a setback to Chinese tech giant Huawei’s attempts to expand its presence in Portugal.
Infrastructure Minister Miguel Pinto Luz confirmed the continuation of the ban, emphasising the importance of maintaining security measures, especially in light of the growing geopolitical tensions between global powers. While Portugal’s position aligns closely with US policy, it is stricter than that of other European nations, as Huawei challenges the ban in court.
Telecom operators like Altice, NOS, and Vodafone have already opted not to use Huawei’s technology in their 5G networks. However, a recent study suggests the exclusion could cost Portugal’s economy over 1 billion euros, including significant replacement costs. The minister, however, downplayed the financial impact, stating operators have ample time to transition.
Egypt Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly signed five key Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Chinese firms and institutions to enhance Egypt-China telecommunications and information technology cooperation. These agreements, made during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, mark a significant development in Egypt’s tech and infrastructure sectors.
The first MoU with FiberHome Telecommunication Technologies involves setting up a fibre optic cable factory in Egypt, producing one million fibre kilometres annually and creating 200 jobs. It will also include a research and development centre and a training facility for network engineers.
The second MoU, with ITIDA, Tsinghua Unigroup, and Telecom Egypt, focuses on building a data centre and cloud services operation supported by a $300 million investment fund. This partnership will also establish a research centre for semiconductor design and develop AI applications, including an Arabic language model.
Huawei Egypt’s MoU will establish a development centre for local industry solutions, software, and cloud computing, aiming to train 1,500 developers by 2025 and support startups with cloud resources. The fourth MoU with ZTE will localise network equipment production and establish training labs for 5G and GPON technologies, providing training for 1,200 participants.
The final MoU with Hengtong Group will create a second fibre optic cable factory in the Suez Canal Economic Zone with a $15 million investment, producing 3 million kilometres of cables annually and including a training academy in collaboration with the National Telecommunications Institute. These agreements highlight Egypt’s commitment to advancing its technological infrastructure and deepening its partnership with China.
China has expressed dissatisfaction with the Dutch government’s decision to extend export controls on ASML’s chipmaking equipment. The Dutch government announced it would expand licensing requirements on ASML’s 1970i and 1980i DUV lithography machines, aligning its policies with the US export restrictions introduced last year.
China has criticised Washington’s efforts to pressure allies like the Netherlands and Japan to impose restrictions that limit Chinese access to advanced semiconductor technologies. Beijing described the move as part of the United States strategy to maintain global dominance and strongly opposed the measures.
In its statement, China urged the Netherlands to avoid abusing export controls, emphasising that such actions could harm Sino-Dutch cooperation in the semiconductor sector and damage business interests on both sides. Dutch Trade Minister Reinette Klever defended the decision, saying it was made in the interest of safety.
The Dutch restrictions have effectively blocked ASML, the world’s largest chipmaking equipment supplier, from sending its most advanced lithography systems to China, impacting China’s ability to produce cutting-edge semiconductors.
China recently launched a Long March-6 carrier rocket, marking the 534th mission in the Long March series. The rocket carried ten commercial satellites for Geespace, a subsidiary of Geely, and was launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.
These satellites are part of Geely’s ‘Future Mobility Constellation’ network, expanding the total to 30 satellites. With this deployment, Geespace now provides 24/7 communication coverage to 90% of the world, becoming the first Chinese commercial company to offer global low Earth orbit satellite communication services. This significant achievement furthers China’s efforts in commercial space endeavours.
Initiated in 2019, the project has made substantial progress, with successful launches in 2022 and 2024, aiming to achieve global vehicle-to-everything connectivity by 2025. The Long March-6 rocket, designed for small payloads under 1,000 kilograms, is comparable to rockets like the European Vega and Russia’s Angara-1. However, the launch took place amid concerns raised by the US about debris from previous Chinese rockets in low-Earth orbit, underscoring ongoing challenges in space debris management.
