Latest news with #Xinjiang
Associated Press
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- Associated Press
GWM's Mass-Produced Off-Road Fleet Takes on China's Largest Desert Rally
XINJIANG, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 1 June 2025 - As engines roared across the vast desert skies, the 2025 Taklimakan Rally—dubbed the 'Asian Dakar"—roared to life in China's largest desert. This FIA-certified premier event stretches 4,500 kilometers across Xinjiang, including 2,350 kilometers of grueling special stages through the infamous 'Sea of Death,' Gobi deserts, and dramatic Yardang landforms—terrain long revered as the ultimate test of man and machine. Marking its boldest return yet, GWM enters the fray with its complete lineup of mass-produced vehicles, unshaken by the challenges that lie ahead. GWM's Mass-Produced Off-Road Fleet Takes on China's Largest Desert Rally Early Dominance Proves Production-Level Excellence GWM has already made a powerful impression, with its unmodified production vehicles dominating key categories. In the T2.1 fuel class, the HAVAL H9 diesel—equipped with a factory-spec 2.4T engine and triple-locking differential—has claimed multiple stage victories, including the punishing SS5 stretch across Moyu's Red and White Mountains. Its confident navigation of shifting dunes and rugged Gobi terrain highlights the brand's expertise in diesel technology and all-terrain engineering. In the hybrid T2E category, the GWM TANK 300 Hi4-T has emerged as a standout contender. Drivers Yao Weiqiang and Zhou Renbin clinched stage wins in SS2, SS6, and SS7, powered by the model's stock Hi4-T system—a 2.0T engine paired with a P2 motor and 9HAT transmission. The setup's seamless torque delivery and rapid responsiveness in intense sandstorms and steep dune climbs reinforce GWM's new energy off-road platform as both powerful and efficient. Stock Cars, Extreme Terrain: GWM's Factory Off-Roaders Hold Their Ground The Taklimakan Rally, recognized globally as a proving ground for endurance, draws elite teams with its unforgiving terrain and rigorous FIA standards. For GWM, the event is more than a competition—it's a bold assertion of technological independence. The brand's three flagship lines—HAVAL, GWM TANK, and POER—are all in the spotlight. Every participating vehicle, from the HAVAL MENGLONG (gasoline) and HAVAL H9 (diesel) to the GWM TANK300 Hi4-T, GWM TANK400 Hi4-T, GWM TANK500 Hi4-Z, and the POER V6, runs with factory-standard engines and transmissions, modified only for safety. No race-tuned upgrades, no compromises—what conquers the desert is exactly what customers can drive off the lot. Built to Last: GWM's Factory Engineering Faces the Desert Head-On 'We chose to compete in the T2 production class to further validate our production vehicles under extreme conditions,' said GWM CTO Nicole Wu. 'Our goal is to bring the same models designed for our users into the heart of the Taklimakan Rally.' Throughout the grueling 4,500-kilometer course, every component faces relentless testing—each shock absorbed by the suspension, every spike in engine temperature, every grain of sand in the drivetrain becomes proof of GWM's 'Intelligent Off-Road' capability. As the rally continues, GWM's message is unmistakable: reliability isn't engineered in laboratories—it's forged in the field. By pushing production vehicles through some of the planet's harshest terrain, GWM is redefining what 'Made in China' means—one sand-covered, stage-winning machine at a time. Hashtag: #GWM The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Malay Mail
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- Malay Mail
GWM's Mass-Produced Off-Road Fleet Takes on China's Largest Desert Rally
GWM's Mass-Produced Off-Road Fleet Takes on China's Largest Desert Rally XINJIANG, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 1 June 2025 - As engines roared across the vast desert skies, the 2025 Taklimakan Rally—dubbed the "Asian Dakar"—roared to life in China's largest desert. This FIA-certified premier event stretches 4,500 kilometers across Xinjiang, including 2,350 kilometers of grueling special stages through the infamous "Sea of Death," Gobi deserts, and dramatic Yardang landforms—terrain long revered as the ultimate test of man and machine. Marking its boldest return yet, GWM enters the fray with its complete lineup of mass-produced vehicles, unshaken by the challenges that lie has already made a powerful impression, with its unmodified production vehicles dominating key categories. In the T2.1 fuel class, the HAVAL H9 diesel—equipped with a factory-spec 2.4T engine and triple-locking differential—has claimed multiple stage victories, including the punishing SS5 stretch across Moyu's Red and White Mountains. Its confident navigation of shifting dunes and rugged Gobi terrain highlights the brand's expertise in diesel technology and all-terrain the hybrid T2E category, the GWM TANK 300 Hi4-T has emerged as a standout contender. Drivers Yao Weiqiang and Zhou Renbin clinched stage wins in SS2, SS6, and SS7, powered by the model's stock Hi4-T system—a 2.0T engine paired with a P2 motor and 9HAT transmission. The setup's seamless torque delivery and rapid responsiveness in intense sandstorms and steep dune climbs reinforce GWM's new energy off-road platform as both powerful and Taklimakan Rally, recognized globally as a proving ground for endurance, draws elite teams with its unforgiving terrain and rigorous FIA standards. For GWM, the event is more than a competition—it's a bold assertion of technological independence. The brand's three flagship lines—HAVAL, GWM TANK, and POER—are all in the spotlight. Every participating vehicle, from the HAVAL MENGLONG (gasoline) and HAVAL H9 (diesel) to the GWM TANK300 Hi4-T, GWM TANK400 Hi4-T, GWM TANK500 Hi4-Z, and the POER V6, runs with factory-standard engines and transmissions, modified only for safety. No race-tuned upgrades, no compromises—what conquers the desert is exactly what customers can drive off the lot."We chose to compete in the T2 production class to further validate our production vehicles under extreme conditions," said GWM CTO Nicole Wu. "Our goal is to bring the same models designed for our users into the heart of the Taklimakan Rally."Throughout the grueling 4,500-kilometer course, every component faces relentless testing—each shock absorbed by the suspension, every spike in engine temperature, every grain of sand in the drivetrain becomes proof of GWM's "Intelligent Off-Road" the rally continues, GWM's message is unmistakable: reliability isn't engineered in laboratories—it's forged in the field. By pushing production vehicles through some of the planet's harshest terrain, GWM is redefining what "Made in China" means—one sand-covered, stage-winning machine at a #GWM The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE One in five NHS trusts using Chinese-made solar panels 'linked to slaves'
One in five NHS trusts are using solar panels produced by Chinese companies with alleged ties to slave labour, the Mail can reveal. Hospitals, mental health units and ambulance stations across the country are fitted with such panels, with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband looking to expand the scheme exponentially. His controversial plans to refit the roofs of 200 schools and 200 NHS sites have sparked fury among human rights campaigners. But despite Labour bowing to pressure and trying to stop the future purchase of panels from slave labour, critics have warned it will prove challenging, meaning more will end up on NHS buildings. Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said the Government must do more to clean up the sector as our investigation found: Around two thirds of NHS Trusts currently using solar panels have installed equipment made by Chinese firms – with the majority allegedly having ties to slave labour; Some panels were installed after the links were made public and after laws were introduced aimed at cleaning up UK supply chains; and The largest provider is Beijing-based firm JA Solar, which has provided panels for 19 NHS sites despite being banned in the US. China is behind 80 per cent of the global supply of solar panels – and more than a third of the world's polysilicon, a key component, comes from the Xinjiang region. There, Uighur Muslims are rounded up and forced to work for little or no pay. The solar sector has known its supply chains are affected by slave labour since 2020, according to a report by Sheffield Hallam university. And in April 2023, the Tory government introduced requirements for public bodies to provide supply chain information for products deemed at risk of modern slavery. The Mail asked trusts for names of firms that installed and made their panels, alongside correspondence discussing risk of slave labour in the supply chain. But replies show some NHS managers seem to be passing the buck to subcontractors. Of the 215 health trusts in England, 98 use solar power across 212 sites, with 46 trusts having installed solar panels made by Chinese companies. Some 40 of these are using firms linked to slave labour in the 2023 report by Sheffield Hallam. In December 2024, Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust installed 86 solar panels made by Chinese firm Longi at a new £9 million outpatient department at West Cornwall Hospital. But when asked what due diligence was carried out, the trust said it was 'not aware of any correspondence' discussing the risk. Instead, it pointed to Longi's code of conduct, which says the firm does 'not engage in or tolerate any form of modern slavery'. But Longi was one of ten makers said to have a 'very high' exposure to slave labour in Xinjiang by the 2023 report. RCHT and contractor Kier Construction said that Kier 'received extensive assurances from its supply chain regarding the ethical production of PV panels' and that its 'procurement processes integrate modern slavery due diligence'. Longi denied that forced labour was present in its supply chain. Some trusts said panels had been installed before modern slavery statutes were introduced in 2023. But Luke de Pulford, of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, said companies should still have been screened for exposure to slave labour, given the known risks. Mr Miliband's £180million of new investment in solar panels is to come from GB Energy, the Government's new, publicly owned clean energy company. The Government initially voted down a Lords amendment to stop GB Energy buying panels made using slave labour from China. It reversed its position after 92 Labour MPs abstained. But the Government's measure in the GB Energy Act only applies to the state-owned energy firm, so private firms could still use Chinese materials. Mr De Pulford said it would be 'difficult' to ensure equipment was clean of slave labour, as the Government 'doesn't have the ability to do the kind of due diligence that's required'. And Sir Iain called on the Government to adopt the US model, which places the burden of proof on Chinese firms to prove they are free from slave labour. Professor Laura Murphy, co-author of the Sheffield Hallam report, said it was possible to meet demand without relying on slave labour, but the sector had not done enough to overhaul or scrutinise supply chains. An NHS England spokesman said: 'NHS trusts should always purchase products in line with government procurement guidelines – which includes identifying higher risk sectors and taking appropriate action.'
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Inside the secret spy den building China's attack drones
At first glance it could be a school classroom, with bright fluorescent lights, posters on the wall and long tables down the middle. But look closer, and the students are actually Chinese paramilitary police officers, the notices are instructions on how to build attack drones, and there are CCTV cameras watching their every move. This is the workshop for one of China's feared armed police units, in the eastern Shandong province. In a rare glimpse into China's arms manufacturing, a dozen or so officers can be seen seated at the long tables tinkering with their creations. Another 40 or so unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are mounted on the wall in front of them as they work. Speaking to Chinese state media, which produced the footage, one uniformed officer explains that each of the drones are assembled by a member of the People's Armed Police (PAP) force in Shandong. For a skilled worker it should take 'no more than two hours' to complete one device. Known as 'China's other army,' the PAP is one of the country's police forces responsible for national security. 'Unlike the civilian police force, which handles routine law enforcement, the PAP falls under the Central Military Commission and is often deployed for border security, riot control and counterterrorism, and has been part of the violent campaign against the Uighurs in Xinjiang province and in Tibet. While the exact number of officers is unknown, reports estimate it could be anywhere from 500,000 to 1.5 million, spread out over 32 regional commands, each with at least one mobile unit. The direction of travel is clear. In 2010 the PAP budget was £6.8 billion. By last year, it had more than tripled, to £15.9 billion. The unit in Shandong is the latest example of what it has been spending that money on. The drones are not just for surveillance. In a combat drill last month, two members of a PAP unit in western Yunnan province worked together to take out a target behind a closed window. The first drone smashed the glass and the second flew through the gap to strike the target. Other camera drones can be armed with grenades, which are dropped on perceived threats. And then there are disruptor drones, fitted with systems that can locate, track and 'soft-kill' enemy UAVs, according to state television. Training is intense. Before being allowed to fly actual drones, the operators have to work on simulators for about two months, according to state television. Then they are let lose on complicated aerial assault courses, with tight turns and high speed manoeuvres, before being allowed to use them in the field. Experts have said that drones would be central to any conflict between China and Taiwan, should Beijing decide to attack the island, which it claims as its own despite staunch opposition from the government in Taipei. Both China and Taiwan's interest in drone warfare has expanded since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 given the central role that UAVs have played in the conflict. Earlier this month, China announced that its new drone mothership, known as the Jiu Tan, which is capable of releasing swarms of 100 kamikaze UAVs at once, would launch on its maiden voyage in June. In Shandong, the officer in the video explains that the team is producing first-person view (FPV) drones of different sizes, from 3-inch to 9-inch models, at what he calls the 'UAV innovation studio'. In the footage, the personnel are seen assembling drone frames as well as testing camera and antenna placements. The UAVs are designed for both reconnaissance and precision strikes. The studio also has a 3D printer, which is used to design and manufacture various components. The officer explains that it is currently making landing pads, which it can print in three minutes. He then shows the camera a drone with a 3D-printed ammunition mounting platform, which he says can carry different types of weapons, 'significantly enhancing the drone's strike capabilities.' There is variation in the vehicles too. Footage shows the unit using drones with long fibre optic cables, as seen in Ukraine and Russia. These drones do not rely on radio signals and therefore cannot be jammed by enemy signal blockers. While drones can be used for humanitarian purposes – such as during disaster relief operations – in the hands of the PAP they can also be weapons of oppression. The force's focus in recent years has been on Xinjiang province, where it has been responsible for the persecution of Uyghur Muslims, as well as Tibet. Xinjiang hosts the largest concentration of PAP mobile units in the country with an estimated 200,000 troops. They have been using surveillance drones for a number of years. Both Uyghurs and Tibetans have been targeted by the central government in Beijing for decades, with abuses ranging from mass detentions to forced sterilisations. The Uyghur Human Rights Project accused the PAP of being 'among the prime actors in carrying out the genocide' against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. With their new tools, the PAP shows no sign of changing course. Beyond its domestic role, experts have also said that the PAP would likely play a key role in any future attack against Taiwan. In January, Chinese state media reported that some PAP officers in Fujian province had taken part in official combat training, which suggested that in the event of war, the forces could join the fight as a military unit. Lyle Goldstein, an Asia expert at Defense Priorities, a Washington-based foreign policy think tank, said that since China views Taiwan as one of its provinces, Beijing would see it as 'completely legal' to use armed police. The PAP could also play a central role if martial law were declared following an invasion of Taiwan. The International Institute for Strategic Studies said: 'As the PAP's mission sets have become more focused, their more centralised command structure, reorganisation and enhanced use of modern technologies have turned the PAP into a more potent force ready to carry out the CCP's vision of 'correct policy' and maintaining the Party's control.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Decoding the sands of time
The Taklamakan Desert, China's largest desert, in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, was once central stage for numerous legends along the ancient Silk Road. However, as environmental conditions changed, the once-thriving human settlements were abandoned, standing in the wilderness with only sand and wind as companions. It was not until the late 19th century when foreign explorers ventured into the desert that people began to uncover many of its cultural heritage sites. After more than a century, professionals are visiting these sites one by one. They tread on the sand, braving strong winds and enduring scorching sun as they work to investigate and document their conditions. They belong to a team of the fourth national census of cultural relics in China, which records the cultural heritage in the Taklamakan Desert, especially in its heartland. 'Many of the sites lie deep in the heart of the desert, inaccessible by regular vehicles like those used by other census teams,'' says Hu Xingjun, head of the team, who is also a researcher at the Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. 'We organised a team focusing on these sites. This ensures we fulfil the census mandate of 'taking census of all those that should be covered'.' The national census began in 2023 and will end next year. Field investigations started in Xinjiang in May last year. Census takers visit the sites to survey and map them using real-time kinematic devices, take aerial photos with drones and other photos recording details, measure the size of sites, collect specimens and record detailed information in the census database. With more than a dozen members, the team's work started recently and was due to run until the end of May. Team members must repeatedly enter the desert, often for several days or even weeks at a time. They usually invite experienced drivers to form a fleet of sport utility vehicles stocked with fuel, food and water, equipment and daily necessities to enter the desert's depopulated zones, rest in tents, and survey each site firsthand. Matyvsup Emirhazi, 31, a team member and a researcher at Hotan Museum, says they have to make careful plans for each day in the desert, follow plans strictly and carry supplies for several extra days beyond their initial estimates to deal with unexpected situations. In a desert in which footprints are easily left, they pay close attention to not leaving traces in their photos. 'We usually take the panoramic photo at first, without entering the site,' Matyvsup says. 'We then set foot on the sites to measure and take photos of details.' They are especially careful with protecting the environment by burning garbage and taking away items that cannot be incinerated. At the end of every day's work they report the all-clear with satellite phones to cultural heritage authorities. Another team member, Matkasim Tumir, 57, says they often have to save water, a scarce commodity. Sometimes camels join to help carry goods and materials. 'In the past when we didn't have SUVs, camels played a big role helping us carry goods,' Matkasim says. 'I still think they're the best partners you can have in the desert, because vehicles can break down or struggle with sand dunes, but camels' adeptness at traversing the desert is unmatched.' Ediris Abdurusul, 74, an archaeologist who has led nearly 100 expeditions in the desert over the past 46 years with no notable mishap, works as a consultant with the team. He has led many breakthrough discoveries in Xinjiang, including the excavations of the Xiaohe cemetery, a site of Bronze Age cultural remains from 4,000 to 3,400 years ago. He is also renowned for the discovery of a naturally preserved female mummy called the 'princess of Xiaohe' 20 years ago.
