Information/Technology - 2. page

Well-known Chinese news site Sina (NASDQ: SINA) recently published an article commenting on a “Joint Statement Endorsing Principles for 6G” that was jointly released by the United States as well as nine other countries. The article stated that “this US-led effort is obviously aimed at curbing China’s 6G development.”

The Sina article quoted sources saying “this move is intended to compete for dominance of the 6G standard.” The article also stated that “China has an extremely large user base, and Chinese technology companies such as Huawei have their own independent 6G strategies. … China has established a 6G promotion group in 2019 to systematically promote various tasks such as demand, technology, standards and international cooperation. The group also launched 6G technology trials.”

The ten countries party to the statement include the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Japan, South Korea and Sweden. A copy of the statement released by the White House on February 26 enumerated six “shared principles” to be fulfilled by 6G networks: “Trusted Technology that is Protective of National Security”, “Secure, Resilient, and Protective of Privacy”, “Global Industry-led and Inclusive Standard Setting & International Collaborations”, “Cooperation to Enable Open and Interoperable Innovation”, “Affordability, Sustainability, and Global Connectivity”, and “Spectrum and Manufacturing.”

Sources:
Sina, February 28, 2024
https://news.sina.com.cn/c/2024-02-28/doc-inakqwnf2276916.shtml

The White House, “Joint Statement Endorsing Principles for 6G: Secure, Open, and Resilient by Design.”
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/02/26/joint-statement-endorsing-principles-for-6g-secure-open-and-resilient-by-design/

Global Times, a tabloid under the Chinese Communist Party’s flagship People’s Daily newspaper, recently reported that the South Korean Ministry of the Environment has updated its electric vehicle (EV) purchase subsidy plan for 2024. According to the article, certain vehicles will be disadvantaged by the new subsidy plan, including:

• vehicles equipped with lithium iron phosphate batteries (the main product of Chinese battery companies), and
• cars built by foreign companies that are not able to set up direct after-sales service centers throughout South Korea.

The new subsidy plan introduces a “battery environmental protection factor” aiming to account for the “waste battery recycling value” in the subsidy. According to this new standard, electric vehicles equipped with lithium iron phosphate batteries will be subsidized less on the grounds that such batteries contain less valuable recyclable metals. Subsidies for Korean consumers purchasing EVs equipped with Chinese batteries will shrink by up to 40 percent.

“Some have said that this move is the South Korean government’s response to the rapid increase in the domestic supply of electric vehicles equipped with Chinese batteries.” One commentator said that “the new policy is to align with foreign policies such as the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, which is detrimental to Chinese battery companies to a certain extent.” According to Yonhap News Agency, “about 96.4 percent of South Korea’s EV battery imports currently come from China.”

Source: Global Times, February 7, 2024
https://m.huanqiu.com/article/4GUtT6ffRr9

Well-known Chinese news site Sohu (NASDAQ: SOHU) recently reported on a study done by Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service Think Tank regarding the speeds at which various countries have been able to complete construction of silicon wafer fabs (integrated circuit fabrication facilities). Sohu reported that the construction speed of wafer fabs in the United States is among the slowest in the world, and that Mainland China is quickly catching up in speed to the U.S. Below are some key points from the article:

Since the 1890s, a total of 635 new wafer fabs have been built around the world, with an average construction time of 682 days. The fastest construction time for wafer fabs is in Japan, which takes an average of 584 days to construct its factories , followed by South Korea at 620 days, Taiwan at 654 days, Europe and the Middle East at 690 days, and Mainland China at 701 days. In the United States, it takes up to 736 days, which is only slightly faster than the 781 days in Southeast Asia.

In 1990s and 2000s, wafer fabs construction in the United States took an average of only 675 days. By the 2010s, the fab construction speed had slowed to 918 days. Meanwhile, Mainland China and Taiwan shortened their fab construction times to 675 and 642 days, respectively. Entering the 2020s, the construction of wafer fabs in the United States is even more difficult and often cannot be completed on schedule. For example, TSMC’s Fab #21 in Arizona has been postponed for another year; Intel’s factory in Ohio has been postponed from 2025 to the end of 2026; and Samsung’s factory in Texas has been postponed to 2025.

The biggest factor leading to slowdown of fab construction in the United States is the various complicated laws and regulations, which may seem to be of benefit to the public, but which seriously hinder the development of semiconductors.

Source: Sohu, February 17, 2024
https://www.sohu.com/a/758247853_163726

To enhance its soft power, Beijing is making efforts to offer Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to international audiences.

People’s Daily reported that China “leads the development of the World MOOCs and Online Education Alliance.” It organizes the World MOOCs and Online Education Conference annually and actively promotes international exchanges and cooperation in online teaching. China has “launched 341 globally-integrated courses and introduced 10 global integrated certificate programs, attracting nearly 25.4 million learners; it has established bilateral communication and exchange channels for course with more than 30 renowned universities and online education institutions worldwide.” Additionally, China has published the “Infinite Possibilities: Report on the Digital Development of World Higher Education” and the “World Higher Education Digital Development Index.”

Another People’s Daily report stated that the World Digital Education Alliance was established at the 2024 World Digital Education Conference, and that China has officially launched the international version of the China National Smart Education Public Service Platform. The platform “offers 780 courses, covering 12 disciplines and 17 major categories including literature, engineering, science, and arts. The instructors for these courses come from over a hundred high-level Chinese institutions such as Tsinghua University.” The platform also provides services for international students to study in China.

The second article says that “in November 2023, UNESCO passed a resolution to establish the UNESCO International STEM Education Research Institute in Shanghai.” Xie Dong, Shanghai Deputy Mayor said that “the Shanghai center will actively focus on strengthening cooperation and exchanges in STEM education with African and island countries.”

Sources:
1. People’s Daily, January 29, 2024
http://edu.people.com.cn/n1/2024/0129/c1006-40168414.html
2. People’s Daily, February 8, 2024
http://edu.people.com.cn/n1/2024/0208/c1006-40175792.html