
China targets chip, quantum advances with 2030 metrology action plan in tech race with US
scientific study of measurement – within the next five years.
Advertisement
The 2030 action plan, released by the State Administration for Market Regulation, focuses on breakthroughs in chip technology and quantum-scale measurement, both critical to a wide range of industries.
According to a report by ministry newspaper Science and Technology Daily last week, the plan targets tackling several 'pain points' or shortcomings in China's metrological capabilities, including measurement capabilities that are missing or need to be improved.
Metrological applications relating to chips and rare earth magnets have been flashpoints in the
US-China technological rivalry , as Washington continues to tighten controls on hi-tech chip exports to China citing national security while China leverages its dominance in rare earth metals with its own export restrictions.
As metrology is the foundation for all industries dependent on precise and dependable measurements, the expansion of such capabilities is a strategic priority for both countries.
Advertisement
'By 2030, basic metrology capabilities will be comprehensively improved, with key breakthroughs in more than 50 key core technologies of metrology,' the Chinese action plan released on May 16 says.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


HKFP
3 hours ago
- HKFP
Tycoon Jimmy Lai did not ask activists to halt sanctions push after nat. sec law enacted, prosecutor says
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai did not ask activists and foreign politicians to stop calling for sanctions even after Beijing's national security law in the city was passed, a prosecutor has said. Continuing to deliver closing arguments in Lai's national security trial, lead prosecutor Anthony Chau accused the founder of pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily of being the 'mastermind' in an alleged foreign collusion plot against the city's authorities. The prosecution said Lai himself admitted his commitment to lobbying for sanctions was 'unwavering,' even if he risked breaking the national security law by doing so. Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong's mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest, criminalising subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The tycoon stands accused of two charges of conspiring to commit foreign collusion under the Beijing-imposed security law, and another charge of conspiring to publish seditious materials under colonial-era legislation. He faces life behind bars if convicted. Collaborators Chau on Wednesday said that even after Beijing's national security law in the city was passed, Lai did not stop his alleged collaborators, including members of the overseas activist group Stand With Hong Kong (SWHK), and the foreign politicians group the Interparliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), from continuing to lobby for sanctions. The prosecution cited open letters, articles, and social media posts from SWHK calling on foreign governments, including those of the UK, the Czech Republic, Ireland, and Portugal, to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and Beijing officials, and urging support for the 'people of Hong Kong.' A focal point of Lai's trial was his ties to two activists linked to SWHK, Chan Tsz-wah, or Wayland, and Andy Li, both of whom were charged alongside the tycoon and have testified against him. Citing Chan's testimony, Chau also said that Lai had 'never' told the activist there was any change in his stance on lobbying for sanctions, even after the enactment of the law. Chau also pointed to a meeting weeks before the national security law was enacted in which Lai encouraged Chan to press on with lobbying efforts, saying the security legislation was 'more bark than bite.' Lobbying groups SWHK and IPAC, indeed, continued their efforts after the national security law took effect, the court heard. 'Lai knew exactly what IPAC was doing at the time,' Chau said, citing updates that Lai received about the international parliamentary group in the weeks after the law was enacted, as well as the tycoon's own social media activity. The prosecution also argued that Lai maintained ties with retired US army general Jack Keane, ex-US deputy secretary of defence Paul Wolfowitz, and US state department advisor Christian Whiton after the security law came into effect. Lai had admitted trying to inform foreign governments about Hong Kong's situation and appealing to them to condemn the city's authorities, Chau said. But he also argued that Lai went further than what he admitted. The tycoon sought to demonstrate to Hongkongers, through meetings with the former US officials, that 'foreign governments had not abandoned them,' Chau said. Chau also said that the Apple Daily founder used the paper as a platform to urge sanctions on Beijing, a clear betrayal of national interests and security. He added that Lai's description of the paper as both 'anti-communist' and a 'neutral defender of Hong Kong's core values' were conflicting.


South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump tariffs spark India-China reset, Chinese city's biotech dream: 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 subscribing The world's two most-populous countries made significant progress on the diplomatic front recently, and those championing such moves may have Washington to thank. South China's Guangdong province has announced its ambition to join the country's race to expand its commercial space sector, promising financial and policy support for companies wanting to build low-orbit satellite constellation systems and promote their application in futuristic industries including space mining and space tourism. Ilustration: Brian Wang Could a city best known for its classical gardens and ancient canals emerge as China's answer to Boston – the global epicentre of biotechnology innovation?


South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Philippines assures China of restraint after ship clashes – will tensions ease?
Maritime tensions between the Philippines and China have entered what analysts describe as a risky and potentially volatile phase after an accidental collision between two Chinese vessels near Scarborough Shoal, one of the most contested features in the South China Sea The rare mishap involving the vessels from the Chinese coastguard and navy during a high-speed chase of a Philippine coastguard ship has raised the risk of Beijing adopting a more aggressive posture as it seeks to save face, potentially leading to further tensions in the disputed waters, according to analysts. Chester Cabalza, founding president of the International Development and Security Cooperation think tank in Manila, said the Chinese coastguard and navy could 'launch a thousand assets from the sea, cyber, air, and ground to redeem its military image in the region' because of the 'embarrassing collision'. Nonetheless, officials in Manila reaffirmed the Philippines' intention to exercise restraint while defending its sovereignty in response to the incident on August 11 and other subsequent maritime activities involving Chinese vessels. 'We will not be intimidated. And we will continue to have our presence felt to protect and defend sovereignty in our jurisdiction,' said Undersecretary Alexander Lopez, spokesman for the National Maritime Council, the government's coordinating and policymaking body on maritime concerns, during a press briefing on Monday. Borrowing a line from President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr , Lopez said: 'Now, we do not intensify operations, we just respond.'