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China's visa-free push for Gulf nations, ‘cure' for Musk's Hyperloop: SCMP daily highlights

China's visa-free push for Gulf nations, ‘cure' for Musk's Hyperloop: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP's biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider
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China extended its short-term stay visa exemption policy to four Persian Gulf countries on Wednesday, a day after a landmark summit with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Southeast Asian countries.
European businesses' optimism about growth and profitability in China has hit a record low, overshadowed by economic downturns and rising geopolitical tensions, according to annual survey findings by a leading foreign business association, which called for the full implementation of recently announced measures aimed at improving the business environment.
A worker handles materials during the semiconductor-production process in China's Shandong province. Photo: AFP
Semiconductor representatives from China and Europe have come together at a government-hosted meeting in Beijing to explore deeper collaboration and enhance supply-chain resilience after the United States stepped up tech curbs on China.

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Beijing academy unveils open-source ‘RoboBrain' AI model for China's humanoid robots
Beijing academy unveils open-source ‘RoboBrain' AI model for China's humanoid robots

South China Morning Post

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Beijing academy unveils open-source ‘RoboBrain' AI model for China's humanoid robots

The Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence (BAAI), a non-profit research laboratory in China, launched on Friday a series of new open-source artificial intelligence (AI) models designed to be the 'brain' of robots, as the country rushes to build smarter machines. Advertisement The use of powerful AI models in China's booming robotics industry could accelerate the development and adoption of humanoids, as the sector addresses challenges such as limited model capabilities and a lack of training data, according to BAAI head Wang Zhongyuan during the institute's annual conference in Beijing. Wang described BAAI's RoboBrain 2.0 as the world's most powerful open-source AI model designed to improve various types of robots, including humanoids. The launch of this general-purpose AI model coincides with the Chinese robotics industry's rapid growth, positioning BAAI as a potential major player in the local sector. Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence director Wang Zhongyuan speaks at the institute's annual conference on Friday. Photo: Handout 'We sincerely hope that various stakeholders in the embodied intelligence industry will collaborate with the Zhiyuan Institute,' Wang said, referring to the local name for BAAI. Advertisement 'Currently, we are partnering with over 20 leading companies in the sector and are looking for additional collaborators to drive growth.'

Beijing academy unveils open-source ‘RoboBrain' AI model for China's humanoid robots
Beijing academy unveils open-source ‘RoboBrain' AI model for China's humanoid robots

South China Morning Post

timean hour ago

  • South China Morning Post

Beijing academy unveils open-source ‘RoboBrain' AI model for China's humanoid robots

The Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence (BAAI), a non-profit research laboratory in China, launched on Friday a series of new open-source artificial intelligence (AI) models designed to be the 'brain' of robots, as the country rushes to build smarter machines. The use of powerful AI models in China's booming robotics industry could accelerate the development and adoption of humanoids, as the sector addresses challenges such as limited model capabilities and a lack of training data, according to BAAI head Wang Zhongyuan during the institute's annual conference in Beijing. Wang described BAAI's RoboBrain 2.0 as the world's most powerful open-source AI model designed to improve various types of robots, including humanoids. The launch of this general-purpose AI model coincides with the Chinese robotics industry's rapid growth, positioning BAAI as a potential major player in the local sector. Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence director Wang Zhongyuan speaks at the institute's annual conference on Friday. Photo: Handout 'We sincerely hope that various stakeholders in the embodied intelligence industry will collaborate with the Zhiyuan Institute,' Wang said, referring to the local name for BAAI. 'Currently, we are partnering with over 20 leading companies in the sector and are looking for additional collaborators to drive growth.' According to Wang, RoboBrain 2.0 features significant upgrades in spatial intelligence and task planning, achieving 17 per cent faster performance and 74 per cent greater accuracy compared to its predecessor, which was introduced three months ago.

Key question remains after Xi-Trump phone call breaks stand-off
Key question remains after Xi-Trump phone call breaks stand-off

South China Morning Post

time2 hours ago

  • South China Morning Post

Key question remains after Xi-Trump phone call breaks stand-off

Top-level talks amid tense stand-offs between China and the United States have the power to move markets, and often do. The excitement generated by the 90-day trade war truce agreed in Geneva last month is an example. But it is not matched by reaction to Thursday's call between presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump. Though it is another welcome break in the ice that has formed over the bilateral relationship, it leaves a key question unanswered – what next, if the truce is to succeed in heading off a damaging global tariff war. That is not to say no good at all came from the first call between the two leaders since days before Trump's inauguration in January. The US president said on social media that Xi had invited him and America's first lady to visit China, and he had reciprocated. The details – ceremonial and diplomatic – remain to be negotiated between officials, but a possible opportunity will be the annual Apec Economic Leaders' Meeting to be held in Seoul in November. Both leaders had concrete results to show for the call. Trump agreed to unblock visas for Chinese students in the US, days after the State Department said it would revoke them, and Xi agreed to resume Chinese exports of rare earth minerals, crucial to everyday civilian, strategic and military technologies. Each has dimmed prospects of more constructive dialogue and negotiation between the two sides. A number of technological bans and export controls imposed by Washington remain in place, examples of mixed messaging that does nothing to ease tensions. The tone of the official readouts contrasted, with Trump focusing on trade issues and Xi, besides trade, emphasising the importance of the Taiwan issue and overall bilateral ties. Xi warned the US not to embolden Taiwan separatists to jeopardise China-US relations – an apparent reference to what is seen as an attempt by Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-ti to use the US-China tariff war to gain an advantage. 'Xi emphasised that the US should handle the Taiwan issue with caution,' state television said, to avoid dragging 'the two countries into a dangerous situation of conflict and confrontation'. Hopefully, the next round of trade negotiations will come sooner rather than later – not just for China and the US but for the sake of global trade. The European Union and many other markets are frustrated by the slowing of Chinese rare earth exports. China is similarly facing difficulties because of US technological bans and controls, including critical aviation technology. Both sides must improve communication in all areas to build consensus, clear misunderstandings and strengthen cooperation. That is the best way back to the negotiating table and more positive measures than tit-for-tat bans and controls.

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