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.
China Mobile International (CMI) has officially activated the Pakistan & East Africa Connecting Europe (PEACE) submarine cable, a groundbreaking project that spans 15,000 kilometres, linking Singapore to France and extending its reach to Malaysia and various European countries. This cable is designed to deliver fast, open, and flexible connectivity between Asia and Europe, addressing the growing demand for reliable international data transmission.
China Mobile’s commitment to collaboration is evident in constructing the PEACE cable, which involved 11 partners. This open cable solution aims to provide neutral and flexible interconnection services to carriers, over-the-top (OTT) service providers, and enterprises worldwide. By leveraging the New Egypt Crossing, CMI utilises a network of fully diversified terrestrial cables across Egypt, moving away from traditional routes. This innovative approach enhances bandwidth services, ensuring high quality, low latency, and robust security for data transmission between continents.
China Mobile has enhanced its network by integrating the PEACE cable with existing submarine cables like AAE-1 and SMW5, creating three key routes between Asia and Europe. This integration meets growing bandwidth demands and allows for customisable solutions through CMI’s fibre optic ring systems in the region. The activation of the PEACE cable marks a significant milestone for China Mobile, providing over 150 terabits per second of bandwidth and connecting 78 countries.
The Indian government maintains strict restrictions on Chinese telecom equipment manufacturers like ZTE and Huawei, citing security concerns. Despite ZTE’s recent proposal to partner with Celkon Resolute to manufacture routers in Andhra Pradesh, the government’s stance remains unchanged. This is due to the National Security Directive, which prohibits using equipment from ‘non-trusted sources’ in India’s telecom networks, effectively barring these companies from participating in the 5G rollout and limiting their involvement in existing networks.
The ‘trusted sources’ policy enforced by the National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) is central to the issue. ZTE and Huawei still need to meet the stringent compliance requirements, which include detailed disclosures about their operations and products. As a result, they remain excluded from India’s telecom projects. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has also asked operators to assess and report the use of non-trusted equipment in their networks, further limiting these companies’ prospects.
Although ZTE can manufacture consumer Wi-Fi equipment in India, these products can only be used in telecom networks with NCSC approval. The ZTE-Celkon partnership has stalled due to a lack of progress and clarity from the government. Despite some recent relaxations for Chinese companies in other sectors, the telecom equipment industry remains tightly regulated, with little chance of relief for ZTE and Huawei amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and cybersecurity concerns.
Two US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) leaders are urging the agency to investigate e-commerce giants Shein and Temu after dangerous baby and toddler products were found on their websites. CPSC Commissioners Peter Feldman and Douglas Dziak have expressed concerns about how these foreign-owned platforms, based in Singapore and China, comply with US safety regulations, manage relationships with third-party sellers, and represent imported goods.
Shein and Temu, known for shipping low-cost products from China to the US, are particularly concerning due to their reliance on the ‘de minimis’ rule. This rule allows packages valued at $800 or less to bypass tariffs when sent directly to consumers, which is a loophole critics argue has contributed to their rapid success in the US market.
The scrutiny of Shein and Temu isn’t new; their low prices and product quality have been questioned before. Last year, a bipartisan group of US lawmakers proposed eliminating the de minimis rule, which is widely used by these platforms and third-party sellers on major sites like Amazon and Walmart.
China has issued a stern warning to Japan, threatening severe economic retaliation if it intensifies restrictions on selling and servicing chipmaking equipment to Chinese companies. The warning came as part of China’s ongoing effort to counter Japan’s alignment with US measures to limit China’s semiconductor production capabilities.
Toyota Motor reportedly informed Japanese officials that China may retaliate by cutting off access to essential minerals required for automotive manufacturing. The concerns were raised during recent meetings between Chinese and Japanese officials, where China’s stance on the issue was made clear.
Japan recently began limiting exports of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, joining a US-led initiative to curb China’s ability to produce advanced chips. These restrictions have sparked fears of further economic conflict between the two nations.
Toyota and China’s foreign ministry have yet to comment on the matter, while tensions over trade controls continue escalating in the region.
