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Q4 2023: China

China’s tech news, quarterly
December 2023  |  November 2023  |  October 2023

In Q4 2023, China’s tech news of course covered a huge range of developments and issues, including: the China-Singapore cross-border digital yuan pilot for, initially, tourist payments; China’s fast growth in space technologies across launch systems and schedules, and satellites; immense growth in state funding for China’s semiconductor-related industries; China’s moves to control the RISC-V open standard chips architecture; and many more.

Other editions: Asia’s tech news, daily (via LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter/X); and Indo-Pacific technology newsletters, weekly.

Also available:
Critical technologies news across Q4 2023

China Strategy For RISC-V chips

The Jamestown Fdn: Examining China’s Grand Strategy For RISC-V chips

December 2023

“Asia Research Engagement found that to align with a climate-safe future and decarbonize, alternative proteins would need to make up 50% of China’s protein consumption by 2060

India, China & Foxconn:
“Manufacturing an entire iPhone 15 within India — that is going to be projected as a big moment not just for Apple, but [also] for India.”

China and space launch

CSIS: China’s progress towards space resilience and responsive launch

“With [China] accounting for as much as 23% of transnational data flows…Beijing’s stringent data localization requirements have sweeping implications for global trade, investment, and innovation.”

“Temu makes a loss of around 30-35% on each US order, and an average of 40% on orders globally… budgeted $2.76BN in net loss for 2023, now it has increased that to $3.17BN…”

“…10900 chip-related companies have lost their registration in 2023… That means an average of 30 Chinese chip-related companies closed their doors each day in 2023.”

EY 2024 Geostrategic Outlook

EY 2024 Geostrategic Outlook: Thrive in ongoing geopolitical complexity

China in cyber and space

NBR: China’s Emerging Capabilities – cyber, space, autonomous systems

Tencent lost about $43.5 billion in market value… after China surprised financial markets with a fresh set of rules aimed at curbing excessive gaming…”

NATO and undersea cables

CSIS: NATO’s role in protecting critical undersea infrastructure

The ruling — which can be appealed and may not apply to every AI case — differs from a decision by the U.S. Copyright Office earlier this year, which found that AI-generated images “are not the product of human authorship” and therefore can’t be copyrighted. In the Chinese case, though, the court found that the plaintiff — who was awarded just 500 yuan, or $70 — made original decisions and choices to write a prompt and choose other inputs.

“The ruling, being the first decision on AIGC copyright infringement by a Chinese court, is very significant,” Zhang said. “Its issuance by the Beijing Internet Court, despite being a relatively low-tier court, signals a substantial policy endorsement for the AI industry.”

“The 12,000-sat G60 Starlink project, along with the 13,000-sat Guo Wang national network which is currently under construction, is widely seen as China’s answer to Elon Musk’s Starlink”

“The G60 megaconstellation is also a vital link in the aerospace information industry, which has an industrial chain including satellites, data application services, artificial intelligence and deep learning to support the processing of huge amounts of data captured by satellites.”

Chinese internet

MERICS: Fragmenting Cyberspace – The future of the internet in China

“Tether is banned in Cambodia but is frequently used to move money in and out of China… for gambling, and laundering money… also appeals to crime groups running online gaming and cyber scams in Southeast Asia…”

Chinese state-backed hacking

MERICS: Chinese state-affiliated hacking for strategic goals

November 2023

CSIS China in space

CSIS: China’s progress towards space resilience and responsive launch

“Users in the pilot zone will now be able to choose the e-CNY as a payment option in the Didi Chuxing app, as well as launching quick CBDC payment options on mobile widgets when hiring motorbikes.”

Future of internet in China

Fragmenting Cyberspace: The future of the internet in China

“Qatar’s state-owned energy firm has entered into a 27-year sales and purchase agreement with China Petrochemical Corp, also known as Sinopec, to supply 3 million tons of liquefied natural gas annually.”

Economic potential of artificial intelligence

McKinsey & Co: The economic potential of artificial intelligence

Lithium mining in Tibet

Lithium mining in Tibet: Impact on Tibet and Tibetans

“The 44 fabs currently operated by Chinese companies exclude seven sites where construction is temporarily suspended. The 44 comprise 25 fabs at 300mm, 4 fabs in 6-inch wafers, and 15 fabs for 200mm wafers. The 22 under construction are 14 for 300mm wafers and 8 for 200mm wafers. The 10 wafer fabs in planning are all for 300mm wafers except one.”

“…by the end of 2024, China is aiming to establish 32 large fabs, and all of them are about to focus on relatively mature processes.”

The Outlaw Ocean Project

The Outlaw Ocean Project: Human rights, environment, food supply…

WEF Markets of Tomorrow Report

World Economic Forum: Markets of Tomorrow Report

“Shanghai is aiming to foster a complete industrial chain for commercial rocket production, with an annual production capacity of 50 commercial rockets and 600 commercial satellites by 2025…”

Huawei’s 5G chip:

“He explained that the designing of 5G chips is not necessarily difficult for Chinese researchers and companies, so it wouldn’t have been that hard for Huawei to create a 5G chip in the lab. What is much harder is mass-producing a 5G chip at great quality and reasonable costs so it can be used in a consumer product.”

“…industry was surprised by how quickly it had been able to turn around a design, shift to a Chinese fab, manufacture the new chip, and get it to production rate…”

NBR: China's Emerging Capabilities

NBR: China’s Emerging Capabilities in Cyber, Space & Autonomous Systems

“Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim said that [China’s] Geely will invest around $10BN in…Tanjung Malim, in the state of Perak… will transform Tanjung Malim into an ‘automotive high-tech valley.'”

Internet in China

MERICS: Fragmenting Cyberspace – The future of the internet in China

October 2023

Lithium mining in Tibet

Turquoise Roof Bulletin: Impacts of lithium mining on Tibet and Tibetans

WEF - Space Applications in Agriculture

World Economic Forum: Space Applications in Agriculture

Supply Chains 2023

Achilles: Q2 2023 Supply Chain Resilience Index

Small satellites 2023

BryceTech: Small Satellites in 2023

The Outlaw Ocean Project

The Outlaw Ocean Project: Human rights, overfishing, environment…

Economy and AI

McKinsey: The economic potential of artificial intelligence

NBR: China's Emerging Capabilities

NBR: China’s Emerging Capabilities – Cyber, space, autonomous systems

Tech news, Daily: Asia & Indo-Pacific

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China's data management

MERICS: China’s data management – Putting the Party in charge

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