Posted on

China, U.S. can complement each other in technological cooperation experts

(Xinhua)09:47, June 02, 2019

BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) — Cooperation between China and the United States on technological innovation and high-tech can be highly complementary and mutually-beneficial, and both sides can enhance competitiveness in the long run, according to Chinese trade experts at a seminar.

It is a false view that China is the only party benefiting from the bilateral technological and high-tech cooperation, said Zhang Xiaoqiang, executive deputy head of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE).

Organized by the CCIEE on Friday, the seminar was attended by former officials and representatives from business sectors.

For example, U.S. semiconductor giant Qualcomm and Micron have seen over half of their sales revenue coming from Chinese market while the figure for Texas Instruments and Intel is one-third, said Zhang, also the former deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Meanwhile, Apple and Hewlett Packards largest assembly and manufacturing bases are also located in China where they have sold a large number of their products, Zhang said. These companies have all benefited from the dividends of Chinas development.

Commenting on recent U.S. moves to escalate trade disputes, Zeng Peiyan, chairman of the CCIEE said a cold-war mentality, unilateralism and a zero-sum games were outdated things and not conducive to solving problems.

The U.S. trade bullying will seriously damage global scientific and technological exchanges and industrial development, said Wang Chunzheng, former head of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Financial and Economic Affairs.

The spillover effects accumulated over the years in the process of international technological cooperation, which have been proved effective, will be lowered, resulting in immeasurable losses to China and the United States as well as people across the globe, he said.

Ma Xiuhong, former vice commerce minister said that the U.S.-invoked trade disputes and escalating behaviours had apparently curbed the sound momentum of Sino-U.S. two-way investments, causing adverse impact on enterprises of both countries.

However, China is capable of strengthening basic research, striving for breakthroughs in core technology and enhancing competitiveness of its high-tech industry, Zhang said.

Chinese economy has great resilience, huge potential and room for manoeuvres in coping with external challenges, and the U.S. suppression would be in vain, Zeng said, calling on the U.S. side to return to rationality on its policy toward China and show sincerity to solve the problems.

Posted on

Chinas national supercomputing center launches AI testbed

(Xinhua)16:50, June 02, 2019

SHENZHEN, June 1 (Xinhua) — Chinas National Supercomputing Center in the south China city of Shenzhen on Friday launched a testbed for artificial intelligence (AI) experiments.

The AI testbed, named Tai, provides the basic environment of AI chips and systems for the research, development and application tests of AI inventions.

Tai is capable of dealing with large-scale and complex scenarios. Scientists have built an EB-level intelligent data management and analysis system for high-energy physics, as well as simulation of AI scenarios in real business situations and an AI-powered weather forecast platform.

The testbed is co-built by organizations, enterprises and research institutes from home and abroad, including the Bench Council, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Software Testing Center under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Alibaba and Cambricon.

It can simulate the verification environment for future smart devices, said Feng Shengzhong, head of the center.

As a part of the Bench Councils 2019 International Symposium on Intelligent Computers, an international AI competition started Friday in Shenzhen, which has made the new testbed the venue.

Feng said the center had taken charge of the operation and maintenance management together with the Beijing Academy of Frontier Sciences and Technology.

Posted on

NASAs Mars 2020 rover to have high definition eyes

(Xinhua)13:48, June 03, 2019

LOS ANGELES, June 2 (Xinhua) — NASAs Mars 2020 rover will carry the first Mars color camera that can zoom, enabling 3D images that will help its driving, sampling and observing of the Red Planet, according to a press release of NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

One of the first operations the Mars 2020 rover will perform after touching down on the Red Planets Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021, will be to raise its remote sensing mast (RSM), which carries important optics and instrumentation.

Engineers have integrated two Mastcam-Z high-definition cameras and reinstalled the cover to the RSM head in a clean room at the Spacecraft Assembly Facility in JPL.

The RSM and its twin cameras will be installed on the rovers deck soon, according to JPL.

Mastcam-Z is a multispectral, stereoscopic imaging instrument that will enhance the Mars 2020 rovers driving and core-sampling capabilities.

It will also enable science team members to observe textural, mineralogical, structural and morphologic details in rocks and sediment at any location within the rovers field of view, helping them piece together the planets geologic history, according to the JPL release on Friday.

Mastcam-Z will be the first Mars color camera that can zoom, enabling 3D images at unprecedented resolution, said Mastcam-Z Principal Investigator Jim Bell.

Mars 2020, scheduled to launch from Florida in July of 2020, will be the first spacecraft in the history of planetary exploration with the ability to accurately retarget its point of touchdown during the landing sequence.

Posted on

China to promote overseas film market, strengthen cultural confidence

By WangQi (Global Times)08:05, July 15, 2019

Police officer Ke Lu from Chinas Public Security Bureau introduces the methods of film piracy to visitors at a conference in Yangzhou, East Chinas Jiangsu Province, on April 29. Photo: Wang Qi/GT

Chinas film bureau has vowed to push Chinese films to enter the global market and nurture Chinese-style blockbusters that boost patriotism and the national spirit.

During a conference on last week, Wang Xiaojun, head of the Chinas State Film Administration pointed out that Chinas film industry has achieved great success in recent years, media reported Saturday.

Chinas box-office income in 2018 reached 61 billion yuan ($9.1 billion), making the country the worlds second largest film market. China produced 1,082 films in 2018, 20 percent more than the previous year, ranking it third after the US and India, said Wang.

China has the worlds largest number of screens, with more than 60,000 screens, 20,000 more than North America, Xinhua reported.

Wang said a lack of high quality films is an issue that Chinas film industry needs to overcome.

Using more international themes and improving translation will help Chinese filmmakers promote their films on the international market, said Wang.

The Chinese sci-fi film The Wander Earth is the latest domestic blockbuster to successfully enter the global market. The film made $3.28 million in the first 11 days the film was released in North America, the most for a Chinese film in five years. In China the movie was a megahit, earning a reported $699.7 million.

The film was shown in 135 cinemas in 80 cities in North America and 45 cinemas in 11 cities in Australia and New Zealand, according to guancha.cn, which claims 90 percent of available tickets were sold.

Some of Chinas filmmakers lack an international vision and have insufficient understanding of overseas markets, and cannot tell stories with an international context, Zhang Wanmin, an industry insider told the Global Times previously.

Analysts said most Chinese filmmakers always target a Chinese audience rather than the mainstream overseas market. Some critics say Chinese films are often too complicated to understand with abstruse historical references, and Western audiences are not accustomed to watching films requiring English subtitles.

Posted on

New Lion King leads Chinese mainland box office

(Xinhua)16:20, July 13, 2019

BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) — The Lion King, a new live action-style remake, topped the Chinese mainland box office on Friday, with a strong first-day performance, China Movie Data Information Network reported Saturday.

The film, with prominent CGI special effects, raked in 95.13 million yuan (about 13.83 million U.S. dollars) at the box office, accounting for nearly half of the daily total.

Filmgoers on the Chinese mainland are the first to see the new Lion King, seven days ahead of the movies premiere in the United States. However, the original film of the same name first hit the screen in the United States in 1994 and was screened more than one year later in China in July 1995.

The Walt Disney Pictures musical drama film tells of a young lion prince fleeing his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery after his fathers murder.

A Chinese anti-drug action film grossed 60 million yuan (8.72 million U.S. dollars), accounting for 29.13 percent of the daily ticket sales.

Spider-Man: Far from Home, the latest installment of the acclaimed Marvel Cinematic Universe, fell to third place, generating around 14.6 million yuan.

Posted on

Technology draws Palace Museum closer to the public

(Peoples Daily Online)14:39, July 12, 2019

The Palace Museum (Photo/Xinhua)

The Palace Museum in Beijing signed a strategic agreement with Huawei in March to connect the museum with 5G technology.

The connection with 5G technology will allow the museum to better monitor its movable and immovable cultural relic items. It will also give the public a more educational experience at the museum, said Shan Jixiang, former curator of the Palace Museum, in a recent speech.

Currently, 80 percent of the Forbidden City is open to the public, Shan said. From January to March, more than 80,000 people visited the Forbidden City each day, and 50 percent of them were young people.

Meanwhile, the number of young people signing up for a job at the Palace Museum has been on the rise, Shan disclosed. This year, 40,000 candidates applied for the job of cultural relics repairer at the Palace Museum.

The museum then raised the threshold requiring that the candidates must have obtained a master鈥檚 degree from prestigious universities. In the end, 17,000 people sat the exam and 88 of them were recruited.

Posted on

China folk artist association celebrates 70th anniversary

(Xinhua)15:21, July 12, 2019

BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) — The China Quyi Artists Association (CQAA), an association for Chinas folk artists, is holding a series of activities to celebrate its 70th anniversary, the association said Friday.

Between Tuesday and Sunday, a performance week, sponsored by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and featuring various shows performed by over 400 performers of all ages, is being staged at the Erqi Theater in Beijing.

Over 2,000 pictures and 400 collection items are on display to showcase the history of the association.

Earlier this week, the CQAA also held a workshop in which Chinese folk artists gathered and pooled wisdom on the development of traditional art forms.

Quyi refers to various forms of narrative and singing folk arts, such as Chinese ballad singing, comic dialogues and clapper talk, which are popular among the public.

Initiated in July 1949, the CQAA evolved to its current organization after several name changes.

Posted on

PLA on high alert to safeguard national sovereignty spokesperson

(Xinhua)07:52, March 27, 2019

The Peoples Liberation Army will remain on high alert to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday.

Spokesperson Ren Guoqiang made the remarks in response to a news report that a U.S. Navy warship and a U.S. Coast Guard ship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on March 24.

We are clear about the passage of the U.S. vessels through the Taiwan Strait and have monitored them from start to end, Ren said, adding that China had expressed concern to the U.S. side.

The Taiwan question bears on Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity, and is the most important and most sensitive core issue concerning China-U.S. relations, he said.

The U.S. side should strictly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, prudently handle Taiwan-related issues, and avoid damaging relations between the two countries and two militaries as well as cross-Strait peace and stability, Ren said.

Posted on

Guangdong firm to build Chinas first 10,000 ton maritime patrol vessel

(Global Times)10:15, March 28, 2019

Pictured is the Chinese Haixun01 maritime patrol vessel, which has a displacement of 5,418 tons. (Photo/Xinhua)

The Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration signed a contract for Chinas first 10,000 ton-class maritime patrol vessel on Tuesday, which experts said could sail the high seas and provide assistance to Chinese and foreign ships in need.

Under the contract, the ship will be constructed by Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company under China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited, according to a statement the company released on Tuesday.

Designed by the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporations No.701 Research Institute, the ship will be 165 meters long and 20.6 meters wide and have a displacement of 10,700 tons, according to the statement.

The ship will become Chinas first 10,000-ton class maritime patrol vessel and act as the countrys flagship for high seas patrol and rescue operations, serving Chinas strategy of becoming a major ocean power, the statement said.

South Chinas Guangdong Province is an important starting point and coastal hub of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Li Jie, a Beijing-based naval expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The large maritime patrol vessel could play a significant role as Guangdong will face more and more maritime tasks as the BRI develops, Li said.

Missions for the ship will include comprehensive law enforcement, emergency search and rescue, taking part in international maritime exchanges and cooperation and conducting maritime-related trainings, the statement said.

As a large ship it can carry more sailors, personnel and equipment and sail in rough seas, Li said, noting that it can also carry out longer missions and sail further distances than smaller patrol vessels.

The ship could have a crew of 100, accommodate 200 people rescued and host multiple types of helicopters, files show.

Li said the ship will not only rescue Chinese ships in peril, but help foreign ones in need.

The vessel should be delivered within two and a half years, according to a procurement notice released by Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration in April 2018.

China has experience with ships of a similar caliber, as the China Coast Guard already has two 10,000-ton class cutters, Li said.

Posted on

Ground Force tests proficiency of top officers

(China Daily)17:02, March 28, 2019

Military expects exam will improve skills, increase combat readiness

More than 200 major generals of the Peoples Liberation Army Ground Force simultaneously took part in a recent examination held across the nation, marking the Ground Forces first large-scale test of its high-ranking commanders.

The examination was arranged by the Ground Force headquarters and was held earlier this month in seven locations – Beijing, Fuzhou, Nanning, Lanzhou, Jinan, Urumqi and Lhasa. The largest test site was at the Ground Force Academy of Armored Forces in Beijing with 52 examinees, according to a statement from the Ground Force.

Experts from PLA National Defense University and inspectors from the Ground Forces disciplinary committee supervised the examination.

Participants were mostly made up of major generals and some senior colonels – commanding officers from departments under the Ground Force headquarters, academies, schools, regional branches and training and test bases.

The examination was designed to check and hone the generals capabilities in organizing training and commanding their troops. The results will be taken into consideration when it comes to promotion or commendation, the statement said. It added that the Ground Force wanted to use this examination to strengthen the notion that commanding officers must take the lead in combat readiness training.

Lu Chuangang, assistant to the Ground Forces chief of staff, said the examinations content included theory, strategy and command skills. Participants were given different tasks in different areas, and were told to analyze their respective situations, determine goals, make plans for troop deployment and develop combat schedules, according to Zhou Bingyi, director of the operations bureau of the Ground Forces staff department.

Zhou said participants had already taken part in tests on firearm usage and physical strength hosted by their own units before the examination.

The capabilities of these commanding officers determine whether their troops will be well trained, Zhou said. We hope such examinations will help improve the competence of commanders and consequently boost the combat capabilities and preparedness of their units.

Xie Zenggang, commander of the 83rd Group Army who took the examination, was quoted by China National Radio as saying that it had broadened his horizons and enabled him to gain a higher strategic perspective that can be used in planning future operations.

It also reminded me of the necessity that as a commander, I not only need to take into consideration joint operations by various services in the PLA but also to think about joint campaigns with foreign militaries, he said.

In June, the Ground Force organized a test for commanders of its 13 group armies – its largest combat units. Since the start of this year, the Ground Force has conducted a wide range of examinations for almost all of its members to verify their professional knowledge and skills.