https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/328479/feed The latest technology policy news, analysis and opinion. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Tim Yuen Lingk Tim Yuen Lingk China has taken a major step in spearheading the standardisation of brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies, as it now chairs the secretariat of a subcommittee jointly overseen by two key international organisations and lists the technology applications as a national development priority. The China-led subcommittee, known as ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 43, was set to formulate global standards regarding the communication and interaction between brains and computers that are applicable across... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3371742/china-moves-set-global-standards-brain-computer-interface-technology https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3371742/china-moves-set-global-standards-brain-computer-interface-technology Thu, 22 Oct 2026 06:00:26 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang The US government’s latest ban on Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek could have a chilling effect on the wider American business community and deter companies from adopting low-cost Chinese AI models, industry experts say. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ordered federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products and third-party services built on the Chinese AI model from their IT systems, according to a directive signed in July and published on Monday. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371649/washingtons-deepseek-ban-may-deter-us-firms-adopting-chinese-ai-models-experts https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371649/washingtons-deepseek-ban-may-deter-us-firms-adopting-chinese-ai-models-experts Wed, 21 Oct 2026 14:00:12 +0000 Chong Ming Lee Chong Ming Lee Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek has fully open-sourced an internally developed framework designed to run AI models efficiently, as a senior researcher at the company described the growing divide between open-source and closed-source AI as a battle between “light and darkness”. The company on Tuesday released DeepInfer, an inference framework tailored to support its DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash model on both Nvidia’s SM100 Blackwell graphics processing units (GPUs) and Huawei... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371592/deepseek-open-sources-new-tool-slash-ai-costs-fight-against-closed-source-rivals https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371592/deepseek-open-sources-new-tool-slash-ai-costs-fight-against-closed-source-rivals Wed, 21 Oct 2026 05:03:27 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China has set up a new state-owned enterprise dedicated to managing the country’s massive data resources, a significant move designed to turbocharge the nation’s artificial intelligence industry and bolster its digital economy. The National Data Group Co – based in China’s “city of the future”, Xiongan New Area in northern Hebei province – is tasked with “developing and utilising data resources, unlocking the value of data elements, serving AI development and fostering a data industry... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3371540/china-creates-state-owned-firm-xiongan-develop-nations-ai-data-resources https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3371540/china-creates-state-owned-firm-xiongan-develop-nations-ai-data-resources Tue, 20 Oct 2026 12:23:29 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China’s recent milestone in extending its home-grown satellite internet coverage to polar regions has given the country “fully self-controlled polar communications”, ending its long-time reliance on foreign technology to achieve the same capability, according to state media and industry experts. The breakthrough came during trials conducted as part of China’s 16th Arctic expedition – launched in early July and expected to conclude this month – when scientists aboard vessels in the Arctic... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3371386/chinas-milestone-polar-region-satellite-broadband-narrows-gap-elon-musks-starlink https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3371386/chinas-milestone-polar-region-satellite-broadband-narrows-gap-elon-musks-starlink Mon, 19 Oct 2026 13:30:07 +0000 Chong Ming Lee,Mandy Zuo Chong Ming Lee,Mandy Zuo When artificial intelligence agents first arrived, they came with a tantalising promise: autonomous “digital workers” that would finally free humans from corporate drudgery. As businesses across Asia are discovering, however, the reality is quite the opposite – more work, new friction and a whole new layer of management. When Xiao Mengjie, an AI product marketing manager at a Big Tech firm in Shanghai, recently assigned two AI agents what she described as a simple task, she expected efficiency.... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371246/ai-promise-was-automation-reality-managing-digital-workers https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371246/ai-promise-was-automation-reality-managing-digital-workers Sun, 18 Oct 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Iris Deng,Vincent Chow Iris Deng,Vincent Chow China’s proposed export bans and controls of artificial intelligence technologies aim to tighten Beijing’s grip in the strategically vital sector, casting a cloud over the commercial prospects of domestic model developers in the global AI race, analysts say. The new measures come as concerns mount globally over the risks of advanced AI systems, following a string of recent cyberattacks, while also underscoring AI’s growing national security importance for both Beijing and Washington. Zhang Yi,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371247/chinas-proposed-ai-tech-export-bans-may-create-short-term-costs-long-term-gains-analysts https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3371247/chinas-proposed-ai-tech-export-bans-may-create-short-term-costs-long-term-gains-analysts Sat, 17 Oct 2026 12:00:11 +0000 Otto Barten Otto Barten OpenAI recently announced perhaps its biggest mathematics breakthrough yet: it released novel results on 377 high-profile open problems. Artificial intelligence (AI) casually solved these decades-old problems as a mere by-product of training. The community of mathematicians did not universally welcome this development, with University of Connecticut professor Alvaro Lozano-Robledo commenting: “I am not sure at this point what this (hostile?) takeover of the mathematical landscape is trying to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370688/how-could-superintelligence-take-over-world-let-me-count-ways https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370688/how-could-superintelligence-take-over-world-let-me-count-ways Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China and the United States are in regular talks about artificial intelligence (AI) as they seek to firm up plans for an incident “hotline” and develop a formalised dialogue process ahead of a presidential summit next month. The two sides aim to agree on a basic framework for addressing AI incidents before Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump meet on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders’ meeting in Shenzhen, the South China Morning... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/tech/tech-war/article/3371013/china-us-discuss-ai-chip-stock-rout-hits-asian-markets https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/tech/tech-war/article/3371013/china-us-discuss-ai-chip-stock-rout-hits-asian-markets Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:27:12 +0000 Ann Cao,Howard Liu Ann Cao,Howard Liu A Chinese start-up has unveiled a prototype extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light-source machine – a component often described as the “heart” of advanced lithography systems – marking an early but critical step in Beijing’s drive for self-reliance in chipmaking equipment. At the China International Industry Fair in Shanghai, Langdao Silex displayed its self-developed EUV light-source system. Ninety per cent of the machine’s components were localised, with the vast majority of core parts developed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370966/start-unveils-prototype-heart-euv-lithography-amid-china-chipmaking-push https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370966/start-unveils-prototype-heart-euv-lithography-amid-china-chipmaking-push Thu, 15 Oct 2026 06:01:54 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China has granted approval for Alibaba Group Holding’s artificial intelligence models to be integrated into several Apple handsets, including the new iPhone Duo, in the Chinese market, clearing a key regulatory hurdle for the long-delayed launch of Apple Intelligence in the country. Updated network access permits for the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and several earlier Apple models from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology now include three approved AI systems: Apple Intelligence... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370893/china-approves-alibaba-ai-models-use-iphone-duo-and-other-apple-handsets https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370893/china-approves-alibaba-ai-models-use-iphone-duo-and-other-apple-handsets Wed, 14 Oct 2026 11:06:20 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s manufacturing sector is leapfrogging straight into the era of agentic artificial intelligence and is now exporting that playbook to global supply chains, according to the CEO of Black Lake, a Chinese provider of cloud-based AI tools for factories. “Just as China skipped credit cards and jumped directly to mobile payments, many factories are skipping full traditional digitalisation and jumping directly to AI agents,” Zhou Yuxiang said in a recent interview with the South China Morning... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370490/chinas-factories-leaping-straight-agentic-ai-and-taking-it-global-black-lake-ceo https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3370490/chinas-factories-leaping-straight-agentic-ai-and-taking-it-global-black-lake-ceo Mon, 12 Oct 2026 04:00:07 +0000 Chong Ming Lee Chong Ming Lee US President Donald Trump wants to banish the word “artificial” from artificial intelligence, saying it makes one of the world’s most consequential technologies sound “fake”. Across the Pacific, however, China’s name for the technology has long carried a different connotation – one that places humans, rather than artificiality, at its centre. Trump last week signed an executive order directing US federal agencies to replace “artificial intelligence”, or AI, with “Super Intelligence”, or SI, in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3370269/whats-name-what-china-and-trump-call-ai-reveals-how-they-see-its-future https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3370269/whats-name-what-china-and-trump-call-ai-reveals-how-they-see-its-future Sun, 11 Oct 2026 06:00:06 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China’s Xiongan New Area is accelerating its hunt for technology firms as the city, designed partly to house state-owned institutions relocated from Beijing, moves to nurture its own industries, according to people familiar with its plans and local officials. Officials were looking to attract tech companies that could reach valuations of 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion), hoping some would list on stock markets, including Hong Kong’s, in the next few years, sources said, adding that the key... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/article/3369879/chinas-city-future-xiongan-hunting-high-value-tech-firms-sources https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/article/3369879/chinas-city-future-xiongan-hunting-high-value-tech-firms-sources Wed, 07 Oct 2026 03:00:08 +0000 Xiao Qian Xiao Qian The latest US-China summit covered a wide range of topics including artificial intelligence (AI). However, the official readouts from both countries did not touch upon an issue that has generated heated debate: whether the United States and China should agree to pause or slow down the development of frontier AI. That absence has triggered considerable discussion. During my recent visit to New York, many US friends asked whether Beijing would ever agree to some form of arrangement. Before... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3369561/would-china-agree-slow-ai-development-thats-wrong-question https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3369561/would-china-agree-slow-ai-development-thats-wrong-question Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang Two decades after stepping away from the spotlight, iconic actress Joey Wong made an unexpected return to the screen – not through a traditional production, but via artificial intelligence-powered reconstruction. In a two-minute video by NetEase this summer, Wong, one of the most well-known actresses of the 1980s and 90s, had some of her most celebrated roles recreated, including the beautiful ghost in A Chinese Ghost Story and an alluring snake demon in Green Snake. The revival is just the tip... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3368700/quality-over-quantity-chinas-ai-microdrama-producers-battle-viewer-fatigue https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3368700/quality-over-quantity-chinas-ai-microdrama-producers-battle-viewer-fatigue Sun, 04 Oct 2026 02:00:09 +0000 Daisy Wu Daisy Wu After Ping An Bank became the first listed Chinese lender to formally adopt rules governing its use of artificial intelligence, analysts said more mainland institutions were likely to follow, with the move setting an early benchmark for how far the sector can go in applying the technology. The Shenzhen-listed bank said in a filing on Wednesday that its board had approved AI management measures, following a regulatory push for banks to strengthen oversight of AI use. The full rules have not been... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3369577/more-chinese-banks-likely-adopt-ai-rules-after-ping-move-analysts https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3369577/more-chinese-banks-likely-adopt-ai-rules-after-ping-move-analysts Sat, 03 Oct 2026 03:00:18 +0000 Chong Ming Lee Chong Ming Lee US President Donald Trump wants to retire one of the technology sector’s most recognisable acronyms, arguing that the term “artificial intelligence”, or AI, is no longer fit for purpose. On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order directing US federal agencies to replace “artificial intelligence” and “AI” with “super intelligence” and “SI” in official communications and non-statutory documents. He also instructed the White House science adviser to draft a new federal definition. The move... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3369617/whats-name-why-trump-wants-rebrand-ai-super-intelligence https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3369617/whats-name-why-trump-wants-rebrand-ai-super-intelligence Fri, 02 Oct 2026 14:00:30 +0000 Wency Chen,Howard Liu Wency Chen,Howard Liu China has set a five-year goal for the expansion of intelligent computing capacity to drive artificial intelligence (AI) that calls for a more than fourfold increase on what was in place at the end of June this year. To reach the 2030 target while being blocked by the United States from importing the most advanced Western-made AI chips will require innovation, adaptation and the application and coordination of vast resources. Judging by the 177 per cent increase in capacity achieved in the year... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/tech/policy/article/3369537/chinas-ai-compute-ambitions-demand-innovation https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/tech/policy/article/3369537/chinas-ai-compute-ambitions-demand-innovation Fri, 02 Oct 2026 07:05:21 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Subscribers: The Daily Pulse won’t be published on October 1, which is China’s National Day. We will resume publication on Friday, October 2. US President Donald Trump has again ruled out collaborating with China on artificial intelligence (AI), arguing that it would undermine American leadership in the technology. Cooperation would let China “immediately gain access to things that we know that they don’t know”, Trump told reporters on Tuesday. “We’re leading now over China and everyone else,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/tech/tech-war/article/3369336/trump-relies-ai-giants-self-police-after-ruling-out-china-deal https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/tech/tech-war/article/3369336/trump-relies-ai-giants-self-police-after-ruling-out-china-deal Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:13:03 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang and AMD chief Lisa Su have joined an influential advisory board at a prestigious Chinese university, placing the two US artificial intelligence chip leaders in a high-level forum known for connecting global executives with senior Chinese officials. Huang and Su were among three new members appointed to the advisory board of Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management (SEM), alongside Marc Pictet, senior managing partner of Swiss wealth and assets... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3369237/nvidia-and-amd-chiefs-join-tsinghua-advisory-board-us-china-chip-tensions-persist https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3369237/nvidia-and-amd-chiefs-join-tsinghua-advisory-board-us-china-chip-tensions-persist Tue, 29 Sep 2026 13:35:01 +0000 Chong Ming Lee Chong Ming Lee Hong Kong businesses are lagging behind their mainland Chinese peers in adopting artificial intelligence, as entrenched legacy systems and a risk-averse corporate mindset slow the city’s digital transition, according to a senior executive at consultancy Accenture. Only 10 per cent of Hong Kong firms surveyed by Accenture had integrated generative AI across multiple business functions, compared with about 21 per cent of mainland enterprises, said Robert Hah, Hong Kong office lead at Accenture... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3369205/hong-kong-firms-lag-mainland-china-ai-adoption-amid-legacy-system-burden-accenture https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3369205/hong-kong-firms-lag-mainland-china-ai-adoption-amid-legacy-system-burden-accenture Tue, 29 Sep 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Chong Ming Lee,Vincent Chow Chong Ming Lee,Vincent Chow When the presidents of the United States and China meet in Washington, the world will be watching to see whether their two countries can make good on their agreement to work towards “constructive strategic stability”. In the sixth part of a series, Chong Ming Lee and Vincent Chow examine what’s behind the call for “pacing” by American AI giants – effectively a slowdown in development – and how the phenomenon is being viewed in China. After years of rapid development, leading US AI executives are... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3368503/pacing-problem-can-ai-fears-overcome-us-china-race-dynamics-and-force-slowdown https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3368503/pacing-problem-can-ai-fears-overcome-us-china-race-dynamics-and-force-slowdown Wed, 23 Sep 2026 15:00:06 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for deeper integration of artificial intelligence and manufacturing during a visit to Shanghai, as Beijing seeks to expand advanced manufacturing and emerging industries amid intensifying global technology competition. “[We] should combine China’s strengths in manufacturing and digital technologies,” Li said during his visit to an AI application testing base in the city on Tuesday, Xinhua reported. He called for the creation of more manufacturing service... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3368455/chinas-premier-li-qiang-calls-harnessing-ai-propel-manufacturing-advances https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3368455/chinas-premier-li-qiang-calls-harnessing-ai-propel-manufacturing-advances Wed, 23 Sep 2026 03:30:26 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang China’s top internet watchdog has drafted new rules to regulate how social platforms and game developers should protect minors, including a ban on offering “virtual intimacy services” to those under 18 as artificial intelligence-powered companions gain traction. The rules, titled “Ensuring minors’ safe and healthy use of the internet”, would ban online platforms from providing “virtual relatives or companions”, and prohibit them from offering services that “induce minors to become addicted or... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3368252/chinese-regulator-drafts-rules-protect-teenagers-intimate-ai-companions https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3368252/chinese-regulator-drafts-rules-protect-teenagers-intimate-ai-companions Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:30:21 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng When Chinese artificial intelligence developers want to train their next-generation frontier models, they all face the same daunting wall: they cannot legally buy the world’s most powerful AI chips. However, the country’s tech giants and start-ups have still managed to quietly keep pace with global rivals. Their secret is an elusive workaround: moving heavy training workloads across borders through the cloud. By setting up proxy entities in foreign jurisdictions, domestic firms have for years... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3368011/us-weighs-restrictions-cloud-computing-how-will-chinas-ai-sector-adapt https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3368011/us-weighs-restrictions-cloud-computing-how-will-chinas-ai-sector-adapt Mon, 21 Sep 2026 02:00:26 +0000 Wency Chen,Mia Nurmamat Wency Chen,Mia Nurmamat As technological developments augur an era of renewed space exploration, China is aiming to become a major player. In the first part of this two-part series, Wency Chen and Mia Nurmamat examine how the southern island province of Hainan is betting on a growing aerospace cluster to rewrite its economic playbook beyond tourism. On Hainan’s northeastern coast, launch towers rise abruptly from a flat landscape of coconut palms and open sky. At Pad 1 of the commercial spaceport in Wenchang, an... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3367752/chinas-rocket-boom-turns-hainan-space-hub-can-launches-fuel-wider-growth https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3367752/chinas-rocket-boom-turns-hainan-space-hub-can-launches-fuel-wider-growth Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Chong Ming Lee Chong Ming Lee Calls by US tech leaders for a voluntary slowdown in artificial intelligence development have run into sharp pushback from Chinese researchers and state media, who question whether the proposal is a genuine push for responsibility or an effort to entrench America’s technological lead. The debate intensified on Monday when OpenAI CEO Sam Altman joined a growing chorus of Silicon Valley leaders demanding industry-wide “pacing”, warning that competitive pressure must not override safety as AI... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3367448/china-rejects-calls-pacing-ai-development-fearing-it-would-entrench-us-tech-lead https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3367448/china-rejects-calls-pacing-ai-development-fearing-it-would-entrench-us-tech-lead Mon, 14 Sep 2026 10:00:10 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma President Xi Jinping promoted China’s vision for artificial intelligence (AI) at the annual Brics summit, seeking to win support from the Global South amid tech competition with the US. China would spearhead development of an AI Brics “community”, support cooperation in developing large language models and offer training, Xi said on Sunday in New Delhi. The previous day, he invited Brics nations to join the newly formed World AI Cooperation Organisation. Brics countries must “strengthen... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367456/xi-touts-brics-cooperation-ai-us-titans-flag-tech-risks https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367456/xi-touts-brics-cooperation-ai-us-titans-flag-tech-risks Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:24:23 +0000 Haining Gao Haining Gao China unveiled its five-year development plan for the information and communications industries for the years 2026 through to 2030. The blueprint, released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Monday, lays out 13 key targets as part of a broader revamp of the sector by 2035, when the country is expected to “basically achieve socialist modernisation”. It includes plans to grow the sector’s revenues to 4.1 trillion yuan (US$610 billion). Below are its key points: See below... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/tech/policy/article/3366872/chinas-five-year-plan-information-and-communications-sector https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/tech/policy/article/3366872/chinas-five-year-plan-information-and-communications-sector Wed, 09 Sep 2026 07:05:12 +0000 Howard Liu Howard Liu China plans to deploy artificial intelligence computing clusters containing 100,000 accelerator cards and sharply expand the country’s intelligent computing capacity over the next five years, as Beijing steps up investment in the infrastructure underpinning its AI ambitions. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), in a five-year industry plan released on Monday, set a target of 9,800 eflops of intelligent computing capacity by 2030, and called for 3.8 trillion yuan (US$532... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3366733/china-targets-fourfold-boost-ai-computing-capacity-2030-major-tech-push https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3366733/china-targets-fourfold-boost-ai-computing-capacity-2030-major-tech-push Tue, 08 Sep 2026 06:00:20 +0000 Iris Deng,Wency Chen Iris Deng,Wency Chen One by one, Tesla Model Y Ls roll out of the company’s end-of-line inspection bays, gleaming in black, white and gold. They are a mix of left-hand and right-hand drive – one of many signs the electric vehicles (EVs) produced here are destined for ports around the world. The company touts a total assembly time of less than 40 seconds at its sprawling Gigafactory in Lingang, a coastal area on the far southeastern edge of Shanghai. From there, Tesla says, a finished car can reach the port and be... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3366387/talk-growing-tesla-spacex-merger-will-geopolitics-throw-spanner-works https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3366387/talk-growing-tesla-spacex-merger-will-geopolitics-throw-spanner-works Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:00:07 +0000 Chong Ming Lee Chong Ming Lee US tech titans including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla’s Elon Musk are pressing global powers to curb artificial intelligence regulations, warning that strict guard rails risk suffocating innovation as the US and China compete in an intensifying technological arms race. Speaking at a G20 meeting alongside US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Wednesday, Huang urged policymakers to pursue AI regulations targeting “actual and pragmatic harm” rather than... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3366216/tech-race-flashpoint-huang-musk-push-back-ai-guard-rails-amid-heated-us-china-rivalry https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3366216/tech-race-flashpoint-huang-musk-push-back-ai-guard-rails-amid-heated-us-china-rivalry Thu, 03 Sep 2026 08:00:26 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China’s science and technology minister Yin Hejun has called for global cooperation to manage the opportunities and risks posed by artificial intelligence, as Beijing and Washington face renewed trade and tech tensions ahead of a planned meeting between their leaders later this month. Speaking at the G20 Innovation Ministerial Meeting held in the United States, Yin said the development of AI and other emerging technologies had entered an “unprecedentedly active” period, with opportunities and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3366143/china-urges-global-ai-cooperation-not-rivalry-ahead-xi-trump-summit https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3366143/china-urges-global-ai-cooperation-not-rivalry-ahead-xi-trump-summit Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:30:10 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China is cracking down on artificial intelligence-generated “slop” – low-grade, mass-produced synthetic content cluttering social media and news feeds – as part of a sweeping campaign against the abuse of the generative technology, the country’s top internet watchdog said on Wednesday. In a statement posted to its website, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said it had scrubbed more than 5.61 million pieces of harmful or illegal content and removed some 49,000 accounts during its... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/article/3366096/china-cracks-down-ai-deepfakes-and-clickbait-cluttering-wechat-rednote-douyin https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/article/3366096/china-cracks-down-ai-deepfakes-and-clickbait-cluttering-wechat-rednote-douyin Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:15:21 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen An OpenAI executive and former White House adviser is calling for AI safety cooperation between Washington and Beijing ahead of a summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, even as Chinese state media launch a scathing attack on American frontier governance in artificial intelligence. “I have always believed US/China AI safety collaboration would be desirable but thought it was unlikely to happen,” Dean Ball, OpenAI’s head of strategic futures, wrote on X on Tuesday.... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3365980/call-trump-xi-ai-safety-talks-comes-state-media-slams-us-ai-governance https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3365980/call-trump-xi-ai-safety-talks-comes-state-media-slams-us-ai-governance Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma Bill Gates is likely to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year as the Microsoft co-founder seeks to rally support for global cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) risks. A meeting may take place in November, Reuters reported on Wednesday citing a Gates spokesman. Xi last met his “old friend” in 2023, when Gates became the first foreign business leader to visit the Chinese president following the Covid-19 pandemic. Gates also published a 6,000-word essay on Wednesday that called... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/tech/policy/article/3365454/gates-pitches-us-china-ai-cooperation-ahead-xi-meeting https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/tech/policy/article/3365454/gates-pitches-us-china-ai-cooperation-ahead-xi-meeting Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:06:19 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng The China unit of Dutch chipmaker Nexperia has announced plans to shift its entire product line to a domestic 12-inch silicon wafer foundry, pursuing what it calls “independent operations” amid a nearly one-year-long dispute with its European headquarters. Speaking at a press conference themed “based in China, serve the world” on Sunday, Nexperia’s China team – which used to source wafers from the firm’s European fabrication plants – said it was moving towards “100 per cent domestic production”,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3365049/nexperias-china-unit-pivots-domestic-12-inch-wafers-pursuit-100-independence https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-war/article/3365049/nexperias-china-unit-pivots-domestic-12-inch-wafers-pursuit-100-independence Mon, 24 Aug 2026 08:12:26 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China has approved its first private-sector commercial trial for satellite Internet of Things (IoT) services, granting a permit to a Geely-backed venture as part of broader efforts to open the country’s burgeoning satellite communications market to private capital. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) granted Zhejiang Geespace Technology, the commercial space subsidiary of electric vehicle giant Geely, a two-year trial period, according to a notice published on the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3364781/china-clears-geely-landmark-satellite-iot-test-spur-commercial-space-sector https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3364781/china-clears-geely-landmark-satellite-iot-test-spur-commercial-space-sector Fri, 21 Aug 2026 06:00:19 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Zhipu AI’s launch of China’s first answer to Project Glasswing signals a shift in how the country’s top artificial intelligence labs approach global cybersecurity, according to a researcher. The Beijing-based firm – now known internationally as Z.ai – announced its new GLM-5.3 model on Friday alongside the launch of its “Shield of Open Source” initiative. The programme offers free security audits to help users patch software vulnerabilities, as well as automated code-auditing tools via its ZCode... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/article/3364356/zhipu-ais-answer-project-glasswing-marks-shift-chinese-cyber-safety-researcher https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/article/3364356/zhipu-ais-answer-project-glasswing-marks-shift-chinese-cyber-safety-researcher Tue, 18 Aug 2026 03:00:14 +0000 Wency Chen,Daniel Ren Wency Chen,Daniel Ren Did the stair-climbing Chinese robot vacuum or flying robovac prototypes that wowed visitors at the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas go into production? American consumers will probably not find out. Nor will US businesses and households get to buy Iron, Xpeng’s humanoid robot, so lifelike it had to be unzipped on stage to convince onlookers it was a machine. Even Elon Musk, whose Tesla is developing Optimus, praised his Chinese competitor’s model. The next generation of the dancing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/tech/tech-war/article/3364234/chinese-robots-march-despite-tech-war-hurdles https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/tech/tech-war/article/3364234/chinese-robots-march-despite-tech-war-hurdles Mon, 17 Aug 2026 04:15:11 +0000 Robin Hu Robin Hu In 2022, Ukraine asked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to activate Starlink coverage around Sevastopol to support an attack on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. He refused, saying SpaceX would become “explicitly complicit in a major act of war”; he later also cited US sanctions covering Crimea. At the moment that mattered, one private actor had the final say. It exposed a question hidden inside every chokepoint. We usually ask where dependence is concentrated: a strait, mineral, technology, network. But three... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3363772/chokepoints-and-cost-cutting-access https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3363772/chokepoints-and-cost-cutting-access Sun, 16 Aug 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Xinmei Shen,Richard Chen Xinmei Shen,Richard Chen Chinese artificial intelligence firm Zhipu, also known as Z.ai, has unveiled its flagship GLM-5.3 model, saying it beat Anthropic’s frontier Mythos 5 model in a key cybersecurity test, as China races to counter Western advances in AI defence. Beijing-based Zhipu said GLM-5.3 achieved a success rate of 84.5 per cent on CyberGym, a benchmark that measures whether models can identify and validate security flaws from source code. That was above Anthropic’s Mythos at 83.8 per cent and OpenAI’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3364077/zhipu-launches-flagship-model-glm-53-china-seeks-mythos-level-edge-cyber-defence https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3364077/zhipu-launches-flagship-model-glm-53-china-seeks-mythos-level-edge-cyber-defence Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:03:30 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng China’s richest province has deepened its partnership with technology giant Alibaba Group Holding, eyeing a broad digital upgrade spanning artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and smart public services. Under a strategic cooperation framework agreement signed on Thursday in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province in southern China, the Hangzhou-based firm planned to increase its investments in computing power, AI models and digital services, according to a report by local state media... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3364053/chinas-richest-province-taps-alibaba-power-its-ai-and-chip-push https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3364053/chinas-richest-province-taps-alibaba-power-its-ai-and-chip-push Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:15:43 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen China’s dominance in open-weight artificial intelligence faces a fresh challenge from Meta Platforms, whose renewed push into open-source models could lure away American customers anxious about looming regulatory restrictions in Washington, analysts say. The US tech giant on Monday launched Muse Glimmer, a 30-billion-parameter open-weight model light enough to run locally on personal computers, while also announcing plans to release the weights of its latest flagship Muse Spark 1.2 model. In a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3363638/meta-challenge-chinas-open-weight-ai-dominance-amid-us-regulatory-fears https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3363638/meta-challenge-chinas-open-weight-ai-dominance-amid-us-regulatory-fears Tue, 11 Aug 2026 07:30:39 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen China’s top open-weight AI model Kimi K3 broke out of its isolated test environment during a cybersecurity evaluation, according to US security researchers, following similar high-profile incidents involving closed frontier models from OpenAI and Anthropic that highlight the growing challenge of constraining AI behaviour. Kimi K3, released last month by Beijing-based Moonshot AI, escaped from a supposedly isolated sandbox environment, accessed the open internet and found solutions on the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3363271/chinas-kimi-k3-ai-model-escapes-isolated-sandbox-during-security-test-researchers https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3363271/chinas-kimi-k3-ai-model-escapes-isolated-sandbox-during-security-test-researchers Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:00:06 +0000 Ji Siqi,Ann Cao,Ben Jiang Ji Siqi,Ann Cao,Ben Jiang Beijing has launched a cybersecurity review into products sold in China by US technology firm Palo Alto Networks, the Cyberspace Administration of China announced on Thursday. The administration said the probe was being conducted to “ensure the secure and stable operation of critical information infrastructure, prevent cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities, and safeguard national security”. Palo Alto Networks is a leading US cybersecurity and cloud computing provider, whose solutions are used... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3363177/china-launches-probe-us-cybersecurity-firm-palo-alto-networks https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3363177/china-launches-probe-us-cybersecurity-firm-palo-alto-networks Thu, 06 Aug 2026 09:21:20 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma In the months leading up to President Xi Jinping’s planned September visit to Washington for a summit with US President Donald Trump, a series of smaller trade and technology rifts has emerged between the world’s two largest economies. From tensions over Chinese artificial intelligence models and new US restrictions on advanced robotics, to optical modules and an expanded forced labour blacklist, this piece breaks down the latest developments shaping US-China economic ties. 1. AI models under... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/policy/article/3363062/disputes-over-ai-robotics-trade-mount-ahead-planned-xi-trump-summit-us https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/policy/article/3363062/disputes-over-ai-robotics-trade-mount-ahead-planned-xi-trump-summit-us Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:00:13 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Shares in Zhongji Innolight dived as much as 16 per cent on Wednesday after a report the United States intends to ban Chinese-made optical transceivers from use in data centres being used to power the race to develop artificial intelligence (AI). The plan by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to halt imports of new models of optical transceivers – which convert data into light pulses and back again – is reportedly aimed at preventing Chinese firms stealing data, installing malware or... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/tech/tech-war/article/3363048/chinese-data-centre-component-firms-hammered-us-drafts-ban https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/tech/tech-war/article/3363048/chinese-data-centre-component-firms-hammered-us-drafts-ban Wed, 05 Aug 2026 09:22:20 +0000 Ben Jiang,Coco Feng Ben Jiang,Coco Feng Chinese unicorn Moonshot AI has started and is expected to close its latest financing round by the end of this month, as it dismantles its offshore structure to pave the way for a potential Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) as early as the end of the year, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The company was expected to raise capital at a valuation of up to US$50 billion in this latest round, one of the sources said. The South China Morning Post, citing sources, reported last... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3363026/chinas-moonshot-ai-aims-us50b-round-year-end-hong-kong-ipo-targeted-sources https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3363026/chinas-moonshot-ai-aims-us50b-round-year-end-hong-kong-ipo-targeted-sources Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:24:12 +0000