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Khaleej Times
29-03-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
China and the UAE: Forging shared futures through strategic convergence
In March, as Muslims worldwide observe the blessed month of Ramadan, China welcomes its annual political highlight — the 'Two Sessions' comprising the third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) and the third session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Serving as a vital window for the world to observe China's whole-process people's democracy, this year's meetings offer UAE observers not only deeper insights into China's development roadmap but also reveal striking alignment in the two nations' development philosophies and shared values — a convergence that unlocks new opportunities for bilateral cooperation. China and the UAE share development strategies anchored in economic growth and social welfare. According to a report on the work of the Chinese government, China's GDP rose to 134.9 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year increase of five per cent — ranking among the world's fastest-growing major economies and continuing to contribute about 30 per cent to global economic growth. A total of 12.56 million urban jobs were created, disposable income per capita grew by 5.1 per cent in real terms, and greater support was provided for compulsory education, basic old-age insurance, basic medical insurance, and social assistance. For 2025, China projects continued five per cent GDP growth while reorienting economic policy toward social priorities and promoting consumption: A series of new measures have been proposed in social security, assistance to disadvantaged groups, services for the elderly, and reducing the burden of childbirth, upbringing and education on families, highlighting China's adherence to the people-centred development concept. Concurrently, the UAE maintained robust GDP growth in 2024, rolling out citizen-centric initiatives in housing subsidies, healthcare modernisation, education reform, and infrastructure upgrades. Against a backdrop of global economic uncertainty, this strategic parallelism not only elevates living standards domestically but injects much-needed stability into worldwide recovery efforts. China and the UAE demonstrate convergent tech-forward trajectories. In 2024, China's national R&D expenditure surged to 3.6 trillion yuan, an eight per cent real-term growth, supporting nearly 500,000 enterprises holding valid invention patents. Five national innovation hubs were established in frontier fields including next-gen energy storage, micro-nano manufacturing, molecular pharmaceuticals, humanoid robotics, and embodied AI systems — yielding 672 critical technological breakthroughs and incubating 182 startups. New energy vehicle production surpassed 13 million units, capturing over 60 per cent of global output, while integrated circuit exports hit a historic high of 1.1 trillion yuan. The global ascent of Chinese generative AI — epitomized by DeepSeek's cost-efficient models rivaling Western counterparts — has reinvigorated confidence in nations like the UAE pursuing sovereign AI capabilities. China prioritises future industries Looking to 2025, China prioritises future industries from biocomputing to quantum tech, embodied intelligence, and 6G networks. Its 'AI Plus' action plan accelerates high-quality growth through intelligent manufacturing upgrades and industrial ecosystem expansion. Meanwhile, the UAE intensifies its innovation drive — Dubai's D33 Agenda is reshaping its digital economy through blockchain integration and smart city deployments. As technological disruption reshapes global value chains, this dynamic synchronization positions both nations to harness innovation dividends across their development matrices. China and the UAE exemplify a shared commitment to open, mutually beneficial global engagement. President Xi Jinping's declaration — 'China's door will never close — it will only open wider' — resonates through concrete action: the nation now serves as the primary trading partner for over 150 countries and regions, with 23 free trade agreements spanning five continents. In 2024, China's total trade volume surpassed 43 trillion yuan, cementing its eighth consecutive year as the world's top merchandise trader. Foreign investment inflows surged, evidenced by a 9.9 per cent year-on-year increase in newly established foreign-invested enterprises. Visa-free policies — including unilateral visa exemptions for 38 countries and transit visa waivers extended to 240 hours for 54 nations -- further streamline global connectivity. This commitment is mirrored by the UAE's meteoric trade growth. The Emirates' 2024 foreign trade hit record levels, with China-UAE bilateral trade exceeding $100 billion — solidifying China's position as the UAE's top trading partner for 11 consecutive years. Amid global headwinds of protectionism and deglobalization rhetoric, the two nations' synchronized pursuit of institutional openness positions them as the international community's go-to partners. Serving as twin anchors China and the UAE serve as twin anchors underpinning global development and stability. Since President Xi Jinping launched the Global Development Initiative (GDI) in 2021, this framework has delivered tangible results across developing countries. China's $4 billion Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund (GDSSCF) has financed over 200 poverty-alleviation projects. On Palestine, China has dispatched four tranches of emergency humanitarian aid since October 2023. In May 2024, President Xi pledged an additional 500 million yuan for Gaza's reconstruction — complemented by 25 million yuan in food/medical supplies through GDSSCF channels. African partnerships showcase scale: 20 agricultural demonstration centres across 50 countries, 300 agricultural collaborations, 130 hospitals, 170 schools, 40 stadiums and capacity-building programs for 160,000 professionals. Meanwhile, the UAE marked nationwide celebrations of Sheikh Zayed Humanitarian Day, while Dubai launched the 'Father's Endowment' charity fund -- initiatives epitomizing Emirati values of generosity and civic dedication. Amid declining foreign aid commitments from some countries, China and the UAE stand united in delivering equitable and sustainable development opportunities for the Global South, emerging as a catalytic force accelerating collective progress across emerging economies. In 2025, China will solemnly commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. As this year's rotating chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China will host the SCO Summit in Tianjin this autumn. Marking three decades since the Beijing World Conference on Women, China will convene another Global Women's Summit in the latter half of the year. This year also marks the 41st anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the UAE. Standing at a new historical juncture, the peoples of both nations, under the visionary leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and driven by shared development approaches and values, will work together to forge an even brighter future.
Daily Tribune
10-03-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
China to use AI in elder care as population ages: official
China said Sunday it will accelerate the use of artificial intelligence and big data in elderly and social care as it bets on new technologies to drive economic growth despite an ageing population. The announcement comes as officials grapple with the country's low birth rate and a declining workforce. "We will accelerate the development and application of new technologies and products such as big data and artificial intelligence in the fields of social assistance, elderly care services, and services for the disabled," civil affairs minister Lu Zhiyuan said at a news conference during China's annual "Two Sessions" political gathering. The move would make services "more convenient, more accessible and more standardised", Lu said. China's population fell for the third year in a row in 2024 and it already has more than 310 million people aged 60 and over. As the workforce shrinks, the government has increasingly looked to technology to drive future economic growth. Local governments have rushed to implement DeepSeek's AI model into their services since the privately run Chinese company released the latest version of its chatbot in January. DeepSeek's cut-price model outperformed many of its Western AI competitors despite US curbs on sales of advanced AI chips to Chinese companies. President Xi Jinping pointed to official support for the sector when he held a rare symposium for private companies last month that included several AI and technology bosses, telling them to "show their talents". DeepSeek's founder Liang Wenfeng attended, along with representatives from top technology firms such as Tencent, Huawei and Xiaomi.
Gulf Today
10-03-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Step back from separatism, China tells Taiwan
China's military vowed on Sunday to tighten its 'noose' around Taiwan if separatism on the island escalated, warning independence proponents to step back from the 'precipice.' Beijing considers the self-ruled island of Taiwan to be part of its territory and has not ruled out using military force to claim it. 'The more rampant 'Taiwan independence' separatists become, the tighter the noose around their necks and the sharper the sword hanging over their heads will be,' army spokesman Wu Qian said in an interview published by state broadcaster CCTV. 'The PLA is a force of action in countering separatism and promoting reunification,' said Wu, using an acronym for China's military. 'You've ridden your steed to a precipice of a cliff, but behind you lies land -- if you persist in taking the wrong course, you will meet a dead end,' he warned. The comments, made during China's 'Two Sessions' annual political gathering, come days after Beijing announced a 7.2 percent increase to its defence budget in 2025. The increase, the same percentage as in 2024, will drive the rapid modernisation of China's armed forces as strategic competition with the United States intensifies. It is above the government's annual GDP growth target of around five percent. Calling the increase 'limited reasonable and stable,' Wu said the extra cash would be used to develop 'combat forces in new fields and with new qualities,' and to enhance reconnaissance, joint strike and battlefield support capabilities. China faces 'one of the most complex neighbouring security situations in the world,' army spokesman Wu said, adding that it had to deal with 'severe challenges' in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity. But its sweeping territorial claims over areas controlled by other governments have raised fears of a regional clash. Taiwan is a potential flashpoint for a war between China and the United States, which is the island's most important backer and biggest arms supplier. On Friday, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a press conference that Taiwan coming under China's control was the 'shared hope of all Chinese people, the general trend of the time, and a righteous cause.' 'Using Taiwan to control China is just like trying to stop a car with the arm of a mantis,' he said. Last month, Taiwan's Ministry of Defence condemned China for holding 'live-fire' exercises to the island's south. Beijing defended the drills as 'routine.' China's military spending has been on the rise for decades, broadly in line with economic growth.
Express Tribune
09-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
China to boost AI in elderly care amid ageing population, says official
In China, Currently, men retire at 60, while women in blue-collar jobs retire at 50, and those in white-collar roles retire at 55. PHOTO: REUTERS Listen to article China said Sunday it will accelerate the use of artificial intelligence and big data in elderly and social care as it bets on new technologies to drive economic growth despite an ageing population. The announcement comes as officials grapple with the country's low birth rate and a declining workforce. 'We will accelerate the development and application of new technologies and products such as big data and artificial intelligence in the fields of social assistance, elderly care services, and services for the disabled,' civil affairs minister Lu Zhiyuan said at a news conference during China's annual 'Two Sessions' political gathering. The move would make services 'more convenient, more accessible and more standardised', Lu said. China's population fell for the third year in a row in 2024 and it already has more than 310 million people aged 60 and over. As the workforce shrinks, the government has increasingly looked to technology to drive future economic growth. Local governments have rushed to implement DeepSeek's AI model into their services since the privately run Chinese company released the latest version of its chatbot in January. DeepSeek's cut-price model outperformed many of its Western AI competitors despite US curbs on sales of advanced AI chips to Chinese companies. President Xi Jinping pointed to official support for the sector when he held a rare symposium for private companies last month that included several AI and technology bosses, telling them to 'show their talents'. DeepSeek's founder Liang Wenfeng attended, along with representatives from top technology firms such as Tencent, Huawei and Xiaomi.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) Introduces AI-Aided Dubbing for Prime Video
We recently compiled a list of the . In this article, we are going to take a look at where Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) stands against the other AI stocks. According to Goldman Sachs, the AI-powered rally in Chinese equities could boost other markets as well. Consequently, the firm has raised its 12-month target for MSCI Emerging Markets Index by 3%, reaching 1,220 from 1,190, and reflecting an 11% potential upside from current levels. This increase reflects the impact of AI adoption on valuations through earnings, multiples and portfolio flows. The firm further noted that China's stock market rally has the potential to boost emerging markets that are linked to China but have been lagging previously. This could also be supported by a stimulus-driven catch-up in A-shares. In this regard, the firm said that the recent fiscal stimulus announced at China's 'Two Sessions' meeting is anticipated to stabilize growth and improve market confidence, Reuters noted. READ ALSO: and With regard to the AI arms race, another region aiming to address the competitiveness gap is Europe. Reuters has reported how AxeleraAI, one of the few companies in Europe making computer chips for artificial intelligence, has been awarded a grant of up to 61.6 million euros ($66 million). This grant aims to develop a chip for use in data centers, aiming to uplift EU efforts to boost the sector. Europe is increasingly trying to fund domestic chipmakers and build publicly funded data centers, known as "AI factories," making them accessible to European scientists, companies and startups. "It's a moment of pride." Axelera has won funding from EuroHPC, which is an agency overseeing the European Union's network of supercomputers and AI factories - to bring out a chip efficient at "inference" AI computing. "We are not here to challenge Nvidia in the data centre space, in the training. But when the network is ready and you want to run it, we are developing a solution that can deliver extremely high performance ... we can do that." For this article, we selected AI stocks by going through news articles, stock analysis, and press releases. These stocks are also popular among hedge funds. The hedge fund data is as of Q4 2024. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (). A customer entering an internet retail store, illustrating the convenience of online Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is an American technology company offering e-commerce, cloud computing, and other services, including digital streaming and artificial intelligence solutions. On March 5th, Prime Video announced that it will begin offering AI-aided dubbing in English and Spanish on licensed movies and series starting Wednesday. The AI-aided dubbing will be available initially on 12 licensed movies and series, including titles such as El Cid: La Leyenda, Mi Mamá Lora, and Long Lost. According to the company, this pilot program is a hybrid approach to dubbing where localization professionals collaborate with AI to ensure quality control. The feature will only be available on titles that do not already have dubbing support. This move marks the latest by Amazon to integrate AI into their offerings in order to improve user experiences. 'At Prime Video, we believe in improving customers' experience with practical and useful AI innovation. AI-aided dubbing is only available on titles that do not have dubbing support, and we are eager to explore a new way to make series and movies more accessible and enjoyable.' Overall AMZN ranks 1st on our list of the AI stocks analysts are monitoring. While we acknowledge the potential of AMZN as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than AMZN but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the . READ NEXT: and Complete List of All AI Companies Under $2 Billion Market Cap. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
