3 d. ago Kazakhstan, China to Build Smart Water Technology Plant in Taraz

Kazakhstan, China to Build Smart Water Technology Plant in Taraz  The Astana Times

Politics

8 d. ago Japan’s English skills crash to record low, behind Laos and Vietnam

Japan’s ability to communicate effectively in English has dropped to its lowest level in more than a decade, according to a global ranking that paints a worrying picture for a nation that prides itself on being an economic and educational powerhouse. The latest survey by Swiss education company EF Education First places Japan 96th out of 123 nations, relegating it to the lowest of five proficiency tiers – “very low” – and behind Laos, Bhutan, Turkmenistan and Vietnam. China ranks 86th, while the...

Events

9 d. ago AI race comes down to power and data centres – and China has the edge, says unicorn hunter

China is likely to overtake the United States in artificial intelligence within a decade because of its faster buildout of the power and data-centre infrastructure that AI relies on, according to a veteran Chinese investor. “It’s much easier [for China] to catch up on algorithms and AI models than [for the US] to build up the data centres and power plants [that run AI],” said Allen Zhu Xiaohu, managing director at GSR Ventures, on a recent podcast. “AI competition is really a competition in data...

Politics

1 week ago Japan drops out of plans to build major nuclear power plant in Vietnam

Japan has dropped out of plans to build a major nuclear power plant in Vietnam because the time frame is too tight, Japanese ambassador Naoki Ito told Reuters, potentially complicating Vietnam’s long-term strategy to avoid new power shortages. Vietnam, home to large manufacturing operations for multinationals including Samsung and Apple, has faced major power blackouts as demand from its huge industrial sector and expanding middle class often outpaces supplies, strained by increasingly frequent...

Events

2 w. ago China breaks ground on 30 MW power plant in Inner Mongolia using a 100% hydrogen turbine

China breaks ground on 30 MW power plant in Inner Mongolia using a 100% hydrogen turbine  Energies Media

Politics

2 w. ago Cuba starts restoring power to Havana, as millions suffer blackouts

Cuba has begun to restore power after a partial collapse of its electrical grid on Wednesday that left capital Havana and much of western Cuba in the dark, the latest incident in an energy crisis that has left millions suffering from prolonged blackouts for months. Top energy official Lazaro Guerra said a main transmission line connecting Havana with the country’s largest power plant in Matanzas failed around 5am, but that workers had begun restoring power by midmorning. “We already have a...

Politics

2 w. ago Chinese involvement stalls Manila Bay bridge project due to security fears

The Philippines deferred the awarding of a project that is part of a plan to build one of the world’s longest marine bridges after local opposition over the potential involvement of a Chinese company due to national security fears. The proposals were “undergoing thorough review” by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which acts as a lender and an overseer of the project to ensure it meets international environmental and governance standards, Manila’s public works department said in a statement on...

Events

3 w. ago China’s power equipment firms ride AI boom amid demand from US, emerging markets

The race to develop artificial intelligence has pushed governments and technology giants to build new electricity plants and upgrade their decades-old grid networks, creating significant opportunities for Chinese power equipment companies, according to analysts. Chinese firms have been benefiting from the spillover of a US order boom, which was driven by US President Donald Trump’s push for tech leaders like Meta and SoftBank to invest in AI infrastructure. “The US buys products from Japan and...

Economics

4 w. ago ‘Limited alternatives’: why Japan will struggle to replace China’s tourists

Japan will find it hard to replace the revenue lost if Chinese tourists keep avoiding the country amid a diplomatic row over Taiwan, a subsidiary of the data provider Fitch Solutions warned on Friday. A sustained drop-off in visitor numbers from China would “significantly impact” Japan’s retail and tourism industries, as Chinese tourists were not only Japan’s largest source of overseas visitors but were also higher-than-average spenders, subsidiary BMI said in a research note. In the short term,...

Politics