China's property crisis grinds on after Evergrande sentencing
"In smaller, inland cities, second-hand home prices are down almost a quarter from 2020 levels, a brake on consumption. [...] "The problem is systemic, and there’s not much you can do about it," said Sam Radwan, chief executive of Chicago-based real estate consultancy Enhance International. "You have more homes than households - second homes were used as an investment by over a third of the population."
--- And there is your main reason why China's domestic demand is so bad.
"Radwan estimates it will take 18 months to clear home inventory. Home prices must drop a further 40% from 2025 levels to reach an equilibrium, he says, a process that could take another decade."
--- A realistic outlook. Which also means that China will face a rather long period of at least stagnation with intermittent recession.
""Chinese citizens are very smart people," Radwan said. "They know well enough that they're nowhere near the bottom but they can't see the bottom.""
--- Which means, that the Chinese are a lot smarter than some experts who told us over the years again and again, that the real estate market had bottomed out.
Beyond China's humanoid robots, a quieter machine revolution is unfolding
"Over the weekend, China hosted the second edition of the World Humanoid Games where robots boxed, sprinted and marched."
--- Most of these machines though were not robots but simply remote controlled toys.
"The BBC has visited industrial sites where we have been shown robots that do not look human, or dance or leap on stage but weld, paint, lift, assemble and work around the clock without a break or benefits."
--- Yep, and such robots have already existed for several decades elsewhere.
"while China is good at building the body, the US is still leading at building the "brain", which includes developing the AI to programme robots"
--- For most industrial robots you do not need AI, though.
"Driven by an "open-source" approach, where AI start-ups share their code, Chinese innovation has been able to catch up faster than expected"
--- It is driven by a copy and steal approach.
Humanoid robot breaks Usain Bolt's 100m record in China
"During Saturday's opening ceremony, a Chinese robot broke Jamaican legend Usain Bolt's record for the 100-metre dash, a feat splashed across headlines in Chinese state media. The white and headless humanoid called Tiangong Ultra finished the sprint in 9.39 seconds according to state broadcaster CCTV – surpassing Bolt's best of 9.58 seconds, set in 2009. On Sunday, robot-makers scored another win, with the same humanoid model shattering the 400-metre world record by nearly five seconds."
--- These are friggin machines. Of course they have more power and endurance than human beings.
China’s Strategic Plan for Space Superiority
"possessing and launching satellites is not enough; a capable force must know its delta-v budget, how it sustains itself, and how its trajectory choices trade vulnerability for opportunity. These aspects are revealed in China’s focus on space logistics as a key component of its space superiority concept."
--- Logistics is always a key component in warfare.
"China is accumulating the scientific knowledge, surface experience, communications architecture, and robotic capabilities required for a more persistent lunar presence: think space logistics that result in space superiority."
--- Very good reason to go back to the moon before the Chinese get there.
"The ability to deflect an asteroid that small and that fast can be used to strike enemy targets in times of conflict."
--- Science fiction becoming reality.
Trump moves toward levying new tariff on China for flooding market with cheap goods, AP sources say
"Trump is considering setting the new tariff at 7.5%. It's a level administration officials believe would not endanger the one-year trade truce between Washington and Beijing or a planned White House meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to take place in late September."
--- China might see this slightly differently. Although 7.5% is not much and won't do much, anyway.
"The people familiar with the deliberations stressed that Trump could still change his mind on the new tariff on China."
--- Which would not be much of a surprise.
Trump admin unveils anti-Iran global sanctions plan, signals China not exempt
"“We want to make clear here today that no one is above the reach of U.S. sanctions,” Bessent said when asked if the administration would target Chinese banks, or if it would avoid doing so in order to preserve relations with Beijing. “If they facilitate transactions and are part of the ecosystem that turns Iranian oil into money, into repression, they will be targeted,”"
--- Unless of course such sanctions would risk emperor Xi's visit to Trump. Because Trump wants to show off. He needs to reciprocate for what he saw during his visit to China.
China probes use of formaldehyde to keep cabbages fresh
"Authorities in China have launched an investigation into reports of formaldehyde being used to preserve the freshness of cabbages for human consumption. Officials in the north-eastern Hebei province confirmed that they had verified footage showing individuals dipping cabbages in a solution before loading them onto trucks for transportation. An environmental blogger first released the footage last week. Using formaldehyde, a colourless chemical used for preserving biological specimens that is known to cause cancer, for keeping food fresh is strictly prohibited in China."
--- Strictly prohibited doesn't mean anything in China. Unless - like now - someone films it and that information causes a huge storm in society, nothing is done. And if it caused a storm like now, then they just find some scapegoats and later on ignore what's happening again. This is not the first time this happened and it won't be the last.
US supplies most of the world’s plasma. No country depends on it more than China
China's Reports Suggest J-16 Experiencing AI Hallucinations
Chinese research centre near MoD site poses snooping risk for Britain
--- China Uncensored: "China Built Its Military FAST. But Is It Any Good?"
--- China Uncensored: "The US China Trade War Is Over"
--- CNA:How AI is reshaping China's job market
Roboter schneller über 100 Meter als Usain Bolt
"Ein Roboter hat beim Auftakt einer Weltmeisterschaft in China im Sprint über 100 Meter den bestehenden Rekord eines Menschen geschlagen."
--- Zum einen war es vermutlich kein Roboter, sondern ein ferngesteuertes Spielzeug und zum anderen verstehe ich nicht, was die Aufregung soll. Ein Roboter oder Spielzeug ist eine Maschine und Maschinen sind natürlich leistungsfähiger als Menschen.
Kann Deutschland beim Roboter-Boom mithalten?
"Humanoide, also menschenähnliche Roboter"
--- Deutschland, deine Journaille. Humanoide sind keine menschenähnlichen Roboter, sondern menschenähnliche Wesen. Das können Roboter sein, müssen es aber nicht.
"Sie laufen Halbmarathons, greifen und tragen Gegenstände, sortieren Pakete - und übernehmen in ersten Fabriken bereits konkrete Produktionsaufgaben"
--- Dafür braucht man aber keine humanoiden Roboter. Das können andere Maschinen wesentlich einfacher und praktischer erledigen.
""Wir sind in Deutschland eigentlich sehr gut aufgestellt, um noch bessere Systeme auf den Markt zu bringen", betont Sebastian Reitelshöfer, Forschungsbereichsleiter Robotik an der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, im Gespräch mit der ARD-Finanzredaktion. Schließlich seien Roboter sehr komplexe mechatronische Systeme. "Und Komplexität, Mechatronik, hohe Qualität - das können wir eigentlich ganz gut. Das haben wir jahrzehntelang führend als Automobil verkauft.""
--- Ja und sich gleichzeitig alles von den Chinesen klauen lassen. Das gleiche passiert ja auch in der Robotik. Die ganze Technik, die man jetzt in China sieht, ist nicht auf chinesischem Mist gewachsen.
Lebensmittel-Skandal in China: Formaldehyd im Kohl entdeckt!
"China ermittelt gegen Gemüsehändler"
--- Meines Wissens waren Bauern die Übeltäter.
"Entsprechend schnell reagierten die Institutionen."
--- Die Behörden reagierten erst, nachdem es eine riesige Empörungswelle gab. Ausgelöst durch ein privates Video. Nicht durch behördliche Recherchen.
"Parallel soll geklärt werden, wie verbreitet die Methode ist und wohin behandelter Kohl gelangte."
--- Sehr weit verbreitet und auch nicht neu. Solche Fälle gibt es alle Jahre wieder.
--- ZDF: "Digitaler Albtraum? Die Wahrheit über Pekings Social Credit Score"
