Reece James: Chelsea FC captain slams Club World Cup pitches ahead of Palmeiras 'battle'
Golden Visas: the four European countries where you can still get citizenship by buying property
Four European countries still offering golden visas to property buyers
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
China finalising new safety rules for driver-assistance systems
China's automakers are outpacing foreign rivals in their push for assisted-driving technology, eager to woo motorists hungry for rapid innovation. Yet, Beijing has a nuanced message for its rising stars: move fast – but be careful. Regulators this week have been finalising new safety rules for driver-assistance systems as Beijing sharpens scrutiny of the technology following an accident involving a Xiaomi SU7 sedan in March. That incident killed three occupants when their car crashed seconds after the driver took control from the assisted-driving system. While Chinese officials want to prevent carmakers from overselling the capabilities of such systems, they are also threading the needle between innovation and safety to ensure their automakers don't lose out to U.S. and European rivals. Setting clear regulations for assisted-driving tech without slowing its advancement could give China's industry an edge over global competitors, analysts say. This approach is in stark contrast to the U.S. market, where companies pursuing autonomous cars have expressed frustration that the government has not implemented a regulatory system to validate and test the technology. Markus Muessig, auto industry lead at Accenture Greater China, said China's regulators and industries have long followed former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's 'feel the stones to cross the river' philosophy. The expression means to steadily explore new, uncertain technologies, which 'has proven very successful for this market,' he said. Current Chinese regulations allow systems that automatically steer, brake and accelerate under certain conditions while requiring the driver to stay engaged. For that reason, marketing terms such as 'smart' and 'autonomous' are banned. The new rules will focus on hardware and software designs that monitor a driver's state of awareness and their capacity to take control in time. To do this, regulators enlisted Chinese automaker Dongfeng and tech giant Huawei to help draft new rules and have sought public input over a month-long period, ending Friday. At the same time, government officials are pressing Chinese automakers to rapidly deploy even more-advanced systems, known as Level 3 assisted-driving, which allow drivers to take their eyes off the road in certain situations. Level 3 is the midway point on the industry's autonomous-driving scale, from basic features like cruise control at Level 1, to self-driving capability under all conditions at Level 5. The Chinese government had tapped state-owned Changan to be the first automaker to begin Level 3 validation tests in April, but the plan was paused after the Xiaomi crash, said a source familiar with the regulatory planning process. Beijing still hopes to resume such tests this year and approve the country's first Level 3 car in 2026, the source said. China's Ministry of Industry of Information Technology and Changan did not respond to requests for comment. Xiaomi has said it is cooperating with a police investigation into the accident. Driver-assistance systems are seen by industry analysts as the next big battleground in China's hyper-competitive car market. Over the past decade, Level 2 systems have proliferated in China, including Tesla's Full Self Driving system, as well as the Xiaomi feature involved in the March crash. The capability ranges from basic vehicle following on highways to handling most tasks on busy urban roads, under driver supervision. Automakers have pushed down hardware costs to levels that allow them to offer Level 2 features at little or no extra cost. China's No. 1 automaker BYD has rolled out its 'God's Eye' assisted-driving software for free across its entire product line-up. More than 60% of new cars sold in China this year will have Level 2 features, according to an estimate from research firm Canalys. GLOBAL RACE In its push for assisted-driving technology, and ultimately fully self-driving cars, Beijing is seeking to help homegrown carmakers just as it supported China's rapid rise to become the world's electric-car juggernaut. Last year, China's government lined up nine automakers for public tests to advance the adoption of self-driving cars. In their Level 3 push, Chinese regulators also are upping the regulatory ante by holding automakers and parts suppliers liable if their systems fail and cause an accident. Legislation passed in Britain last year adopted a similar approach to liability. At the Shanghai auto show in April, several companies touted progress toward rolling out vehicles with Level 3 capability. Tech giant Huawei said it is ready to introduce a Level 3 system for highways after simulated testing of more than 600 million kilometers. It showed a video of drivers and passengers singing karaoke as the car drove itself. Geely's Zeekr brand debuted the luxury SUV 9X, featuring Level 3 software the automaker said is ready for mass production in the third quarter if regulations allow. Zeekr is also applying to be part of a second batch of automakers to undergo government Level 3 validation tests. Meanwhile, traditional automakers at the Shanghai auto show such as Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen said they were pushing their most advanced assisted-driving features but stopped short of crossing the Level 3 liability line. Getting there is a challenge as they are already at a cost disadvantage against their Chinese rivals, analysts say. Mercedes-Benz CTO Markus Schaefer told Reuters that while chip and computing power prices have fallen, the additional safety required for Level 3 will cost much more. 'It's a moving target,' Schaefer said.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
China says quiet part out loud: Beijing tells EU it can't afford Russia losing war against Ukraine; wants US distracted
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping attend a welcoming ceremony before their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP) Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi told the European Union's top diplomat that Beijing cannot accept Russia losing its war against Ukraine. According to a report by the South China Morning Post, Wang said such an outcome could allow the United States to fully shift its focus to China. This private remark goes against China's public stance of neutrality in the conflict. Sources were quoted as saying by the newspaper that Wang made the comments during a four-hour meeting with EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas in Brussels on Wednesday. European officials were reportedly surprised when Wang said Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been a blessing for China. According to the report, Wang's comments suggested that China might prefer a prolonged war in Ukraine because it keeps the United States occupied and away from the Pacific region. This aligns with the views of those who believe China has a larger geopolitical interest in the Ukraine conflict than it has publicly stated. At the same time, Wang rejected accusations that China is helping Russia militarily or financially. He said that if China were supporting Russia in that way, the war would have ended long ago. When asked about the report during a regular briefing on Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said, "China is not a party to the Ukraine issue." She added, as cited by the CNN, "China's position on the Ukraine crisis is objective and consistent, that is, negotiation, ceasefire and peace. A prolonged Ukraine crisis serves no one's interests." Mao also said, "Together with the international community and in light of the will of the parties concerned, we will continue playing a constructive role towards this end." Although China has stated that it is neutral on the Ukraine war, its ties with Russia have grown since the conflict began. Weeks before the full-scale invasion in 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "no limits" partnership. Since then, political and economic cooperation between the two countries has increased. One interpretation of Wang's reported comments is that although China did not seek the war, its continuation could align with Beijing's strategic goals, especially if it keeps the US focused on Ukraine. Meanwhile, China has also denied growing claims that it is providing near-military support to Russia in the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, Ukraine has imposed sanctions on several Chinese companies, accusing them of supplying drone components and technology used in Russian missile production. Following a large-scale Russian drone attack on Kyiv on Friday, Ukraine's deputy foreign minister Andrii Sybiha shared images of what he said were debris from a Geran-2 combat drone launched by Russian forces. One photo showed part of the drone's fuselage marked with a note stating it was made in China on June 20. Sybiha also said that the same night, a Russian strike caused minor damage to the building housing the Chinese Consulate General in Odesa. In a post on X, he said, "Chinese Consulate General's building in Odesa suffered minor damage as a result of Russian strikes on the city. There is no better metaphor for how Putin continues to escalate his war and terror while involving others, including North Korean troops, Iranian weapons, and some Chinese manufacturers. Security in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific is inextricably linked." Earlier this year, there were also reports that Chinese citizens had fought alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. Beijing denied the allegations and reiterated its position that Chinese nationals should avoid involvement in any military activity by any side.
Malaysia Sun
an hour ago
- Malaysia Sun
Made Here: Caoxian County, China's largest Hanfu production hub
Xinhua 05 Jul 2025, 07:54 GMT+10 CAOXIAN, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Leveraging its robust e-commerce foundation, Caoxian County in east China's Shandong Province has emerged as a significant global hub for Hanfu, the traditional attire of China. The county has built a comprehensive industrial chain encompassing design, manufacturing, copyright protection, and digital marketing, transforming tradition into a thriving modern industry. The Hanfu produced in Caoxian, especially the iconic horse-face skirt (Mamianqun), has gained international acclaim. Selected pieces have been featured at events like Milan Fashion Week, bringing these garments to the global stage. Now exported to markets including Australia, Canada, and European countries, Caoxian's Hanfu industry achieved remarkable sales of 12 billion yuan (about 1.7 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024. Driven by a youth-led cultural revival, Caoxian's Hanfu boom exemplifies the successful fusion of ancient heritage with digital innovation. It not only transforms the ancient aesthetics into symbols of modern Chinese identity on the global stage but also serves as a new engine for increasing the income of local people and promoting rural revitalization.
