Category: China

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: After Pressure from Pressley, Treasury Secretary Says Ending Tariffs on Essential Baby Products “Under Consideration”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Pressley Slammed Trump’s Chaotic Tariff War, Highlighted Harmful Impact on Families With Babies and Young Children

    Video (YouTube)

    WASHINGTON – In a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) pressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about the harmful impact of Trump’s tariffs on families with young children and asked if he would support an exemption to tariffs on baby products and other items that parents need to care for their kids, such as car seats. In response to her sharp questioning, Secretary Bessent conceded that such an exemption was “under consideration.”

    Congresswoman Pressley also underscored the harm felt by small business owners, parents, and other constituents in the Massachusetts 7th who are dealing with rising costs due to Trump’s tariffs and urged the Trump Administration to immediately reverse course.

    Last month, Congresswoman Pressley joined 45 colleagues in sending a Congressional letter to the Trump Administration imploring them to end tariffs on essential baby goods.

    A full transcript of her line of questioning is available below and the full video is available here.

    Transcript: After Pressure from Pressley, Treasury Secretary Says Ending Tariffs on Essential Baby Products “Under Consideration”
    House Financial Services Committee
    May 7, 2025

    REP. PRESSLEY: Secretary Bessent, you have heard from Democrats publicly and I’m certain you’ve heard from Republicans privately that this administration’s reckless and chaotic tariff policy is wreaking havoc on our economy.

    Rather than delivering stability for our country, this Trump tariff tantrum has been inconsistent, counterproductive, and disconnected from reality. 

    In my district, the Massachusetts 7th, I am hearing it from everyone.

    Small business owners are reeling from the unpredictable on-again, off-again tariffs. They’re holding back on expansion, delaying hiring, and bracing for the impact.

    Local and state officials are telling me about the effect tariffs will have on our state budget. Simultaneously, Massachusetts will see energy bills increase while revenue from tourism will decrease.

    But I want to focus on the constituent outreach that I’ve received from everyday families who are just fighting to make ends meet.

    Yes or no. Mr. Secretary, do you know what a car seat is?

    SEC. BESSENT: I have two children, yes. 

    REP. PRESSLEY: I figured as much, it’s correct you and your husband have two children.

    So I am sure you know that car seats are absolutely essential for families when traveling with babies and toddlers to school, to worship, to doctor’s appointments, just everyday living. 

    But not only are car seats essential, they are the law of the land. It’s the law of the land in 50 states. So there’s no getting around that.

    Mr. Secretary, what’s your estimate of how many babies are born in the United States each year?

    SEC. BESSENT: I’m gonna guess 2-3 million. 

    REP. PRESSLEY: Well, while the number fluctuates, there have consistently been more than 3.5 million babies born in the United States. That means millions of families in this country are doing what? Buying a car seat, because it’s essential and it is the law of the land in all 50 states. 

    But now, that cost is going up because Trump has announced up to 145% tariffs on Chinese imported products.

    Approximately, 9 out of every 10 car seats in the U.S. come from China. That’s a steep cost, a steep cost hike for families all over the country. The price is up in Republican districts and in Democratic districts.

    And it’s not just the car seats that are impacted. We’re talking about strollers, cribs, high chairs. No family is exempt from the harm of these Trump tariffs on essential baby products.

    But don’t just take my word for it.

    Mr. Chair, I would like to enter into the record a Yahoo Finance article from May 2025 entitled, “First Year Baby Expenses Already Top $20,000 and Tariffs Are Adding to the Bill As China Dominates Key Imports.”

    CHAIR: Without objection.

    REP. PRESSLEY: Look, I support improving manufacturing in America, but that is not going into effect overnight, like these tariffs are. There needs to be an exemption to help America’s families.

    Trump has used his power for tariff exemptions on thermoplastics, semiconductors, but what about baby products?

    Mr. Secretary, do you support an exemption to tariffs on items that parents need to care for their kids? Yes or no?

    SEC. BESSENT: Congresswoman, what you’re referring to are—

    REP. PRESSLEY: Yes or no.

    SEC. BESSENT: What you’re referring to are–

    REP. PRESSLEY: I’m reclaiming my time because I don’t want you to filibuster and give me some macroeconomic answer. Families at home are hurting … just give me a direct answer. 

    SEC. BESSENT: I am going to agree with you. 

    REP. PRESSLEY: So yes, you do support an exemption on tariffs for products that are essential for families for their babies?

    SEC. BESSENT: We are considering exemptions on E-4 items, which…

    REP. PRESSLEY: I’m sorry I have to reclaim my time. I’m reclaiming my time. 

    Mr. Chair. I am reclaiming my time. Give me my time back. I’m reclaiming my time.

    I just want a simple yes or no: do you support an exemption to tariffs on items that parents need to care for their kids? Because you all claim you’re pro-family.

    I cannot hear the words you say because I see the things that you do, every day. So clear it up.

    Yes or no. Do you support an exemption to tariffs on items that parents need to care for their babies? 

    SEC. BESSENT: It is under consideration. 

    REP. PRESSLEY: Great. Good.

    I don’t know what’s stopping an exemption from going into effect today, so do it now.

    In Donald Trump’s America, yesterday’s price is not today’s price. Costs are going up. Everyone is suffering, especially our families with young children.

    Mr. Secretary, I’m making an appeal to you on behalf of the people of this country. Please tell occupant Trump to reverse course and stop hurting America’s families.

    I yield back.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: As Big Tech Fights Antitrust Enforcement in the Courts, Warner, Colleagues Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Encourage Competition in Social Media

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, reintroduced the Augmenting Compatibility and Competition by Enabling Service Switching (ACCESS) Act, legislation that would encourage market-based competition between major social media platforms by requiring the largest companies make user data portable – and their services interoperable – with other platforms, and to allow users to designate a trusted third-party service to manage their privacy and account settings.
    “As social media and online platforms continue to become a larger part of our society, we’ve seen a handful of companies completely dominate the marketplace, giving consumers no real option to shift platforms without losing years’ worth of data and interactions,” Sen. Warner said. “By making it easier for social media users to easily move their data or to continue to communicate with their friends after switching platforms, startups will be able to compete on equal terms with the biggest social media companies. Interoperability and portability are powerful tools to promote innovative new companies and limit anti-competitive behaviors. This legislation will create long-overdue requirements that will boost competition and give consumers more power.”
    Joining Warner in introducing the legislation are Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).
    Online platforms have become vital to our economic and social fabric, but network effects and consumer lock-in have solidified a select number of companies’ dominance in the digital market and enhanced their control over consumer data, even as the social media landscape continues to change by the day and platforms’ user experiences become more and more unpredictable. The ACCESS Act would increase market competition, encourage innovation, and increase consumer choice by requiring large communications platforms (products or services with over 100 million monthly active users in the U.S.) to:
    Make their services interoperable with competing communications platforms.
    Permit users to easily port their personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format.
    Allow users to delegate trusted custodial services, which are required to act in a user’s best interests through a strong duty of care, with the task of managing their account settings, content, and online interactions. 
    Sen. Warner first introduced the ACCESS Act in 2019 and, as a former tech entrepreneur, has been one of Congress’s leading voices calling for accountability in Big Tech. He has introduced several pieces of legislation aimed at addressing these issues, including the SAFE TECH Act, which would reform Section 230 and allow social media companies to be held accountable for enabling cyber-stalking, online harassment, and discrimination on social media platforms; the Honest Ads Act, which would require online political advertisements to adhere to the same disclaimer requirements as TV, radio, and print ads; and legislation requiring that the prominent social media platform TikTok divest from China-owned parent company ByteDance. Sen. Warner continues to advocate for the sale of the app to a company not beholden to a U.S. adversary.
    Full text of the ACCESS Act is available here. 
     

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Rosen Introduce Legislation to Protect Sensitive Federal Data from DeepSeek, Adversarial AI Technologies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced the Protection Against Foreign Adversarial Artificial Intelligence Act of 2025 to prohibit federal contractors from using DeepSeek, an artificial intelligence (AI) platform with direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), to fulfill contracts with federal agencies. DeepSeek poses a significant potential national security threat and is required by Chinese law to share the data it collects with the government of the People’s Republic of China and its intelligence agencies. Several U.S. states and allied nations have already moved to block DeepSeek from government devices due to critical security concerns.
    “AI is a powerful tool which can be used to enhance things like medicine and education. But in the wrong hands, it can be weaponized. By feeding sensitive data into systems like DeepSeek, we give China another weapon,” said Dr. Cassidy.
    “The U.S. must take steps to ensure Americans’ data and our government systems are protected against cyber threats from foreign adversaries,” said Senator Rosen. “This bipartisan legislation would prevent federal contractors from using Deepseek, a CCP-linked AI platform, when carrying out government work. I will continue working across party lines to bolster our national security and protect Americans’ data.”
    Specifically, the Protection Against Foreign Adversarial Artificial Intelligence Act of 2025 would:
    Prohibit federal contractors with an active federal contract from using DeepSeek, and any successor application developed by High-Flyer, for the fulfillment, assistance, execution, or otherwise support to complete, or support in part, a contract with an agency of the U.S. federal government. 
    Allow the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the U.S. Secretary of Defense, may provide a waiver, if necessary, on a case-by-case basis for national security-related or research purposes.
    Include a report to Congress from the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the U.S. Secretary of Defense, on the national security and economic espionage threats posed by AI platforms from adversarial nations, such as China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia.
    Background
    Cassidy has been a consistent champion for online privacy and user data protection. Earlier this year, he introduced legislation to protect U.S. servicemembers’ data from adversarial nations like China and has worked to ensure that Americans can delete their personal data collected by private data broker companies.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Chinese Red Cross Society has formed more than 1,000 rescue teams.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) — The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) has formed more than 1,000 specialized rescue teams with a total of about 100,000 members to carry out emergency rescue operations, the RCSC said at a press conference on Wednesday.

    These teams work in eight areas, including disaster relief, medical assistance, water supply, public health, emergency transportation, psychological support, search and rescue, and water rescue.

    CRCC Vice Chairman Wang Bin said that in 2024, the organization carried out 565 emergency response measures and distributed 775,000 units of emergency aid.

    The KOKK intends to continue to actively use its network of local branches and volunteers, implement technological solutions to enhance rescue capacity and coordinate with emergency management agencies to promptly provide emergency assistance to populations affected by natural disasters.

    Bei Xiaochao, chairman of the board of the China Red Cross Foundation, stressed that the foundation uses a closed system that covers all areas of activity, from fundraising and resource allocation to monitoring compliance with accepted standards.

    According to him, the fund provides updated information on rescue operations and distribution of funds in real time and in accordance with legal regulations, publishes reports on the receipt and expenditure of donations, as well as audit reports. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Vice Premier of the State Council of China Meets with Chairman of the Management Committee of the Abu Dhabi Sovereign Wealth Fund

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met with Majid Al Romaithi, chairman of the governing committee of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday.

    He Lifeng, also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, said that since the beginning of this year, China’s economy has made a solid start, high-quality development has made solid progress, and public confidence and expectations have continued to improve.

    The Vice Premier stressed that China will continue to comprehensively deepen reforms and promote high-level opening-up in various fields such as the financial sector. China welcomes foreign financial institutions including ADIA and long-term investors to do business in China and seize the development opportunities, He Lifeng added.

    Majid Al Romaithi, for his part, said that ADIA is optimistic about China’s economic prospects and looks forward to cooperation and exchanges with China in various fields. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking News: China and Russia Have Found the Right Path for Coexistence of Large Neighboring Countries – Xi Jinping

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Moscow, May 7 /Xinhua/ — China and Russia have found the right path for coexistence between large neighboring countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in the Russian capital on Wednesday.

    Xi Jinping made the statement in a written speech published upon his arrival in Moscow on a state visit and to attend events marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

    The Chinese leader noted that the two sides have formed a spirit of Chinese-Russian strategic interaction in the new era, which is characterized by eternal good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic interaction and cooperation for mutual benefit and common gain.

    According to Xi Jinping, independent, mature and sound China-Russia relations not only bring great benefits to the two peoples, but also make important contributions to maintaining global strategic stability and building an equal and orderly multipolar world. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Urgent: China and Russia will jointly defend the results of the victory in World War II, oppose hegemonism and power politics – Xi Jinping

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Moscow, May 7 /Xinhua/ — China and Russia will jointly defend the results of victory in World War II and oppose hegemonism and power politics, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in Moscow on Wednesday.

    Xi Jinping made the statement in a written speech published upon his arrival in the Russian capital on a state visit and to attend events marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

    China and Russia, as important major countries in the world and permanent members of the UN Security Council, will firmly safeguard the international system with the UN as its core and the international order based on international law, adhere to genuine multilateralism, and promote the building of a more just and reasonable global governance system, the Chinese leader said. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese authorities have called on the financial sector to increase credit support for small and micro enterprises.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) — China’s National Financial Supervision Administration on Wednesday called for maintaining stable growth in lending to small and micro enterprises and continuously improving the quality of credit services provided to them.

    In its circular, the department said that banking and financial institutions need to ensure sufficient supply of credit for small and micro enterprises, aiming to ensure that the growth rate of inclusive lending to small and micro enterprises is at par with the growth rate of all types of loans.

    The Authority also called on the above-mentioned institutions to strengthen regulation of the cost of credit, and scientifically and rationally determine the interest rate levels for inclusive lending to small and micro enterprises.

    In addition, banking and financial institutions are encouraged to leverage their professional advantages and increase financial support for small and micro enterprises in the areas of foreign trade, private sector, technology and consumption.

    As of the end of February 2025, the total outstanding inclusive loans issued to small and micro enterprises nationwide stood at 33.9 trillion yuan (about 4.71 trillion U.S. dollars), up 12.6 percent year-on-year. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Lightning: Xi Jinping announced in-depth communication with Russian President V. Putin on bilateral relations, major international and regional issues of mutual interest

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Xinhua | 08. 05. 2025

    Keywords:

    Source: Xinhua

    Flash: Xi Jinping announced in-depth communication with Russian President V. Putin on bilateral relations, major international and regional issues of mutual interest Flash: Xi Jinping announced in-depth communication with Russian President V. Putin on bilateral relations, major international and regional issues of mutual interest

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Lightning: Xi Jinping Calls for Jointly Advancing Correct Historical View of World War II, Sending Strong Signal of Upholding International Fairness and Justice

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Xinhua | 08. 05. 2025

    Keywords:

    Source: Xinhua

    Flash: Xi Jinping Calls for Jointly Advancing the Correct Historical View of World War II, Sending a Strong Signal of Upholding International Fairness and Justice Flash: Xi Jinping Calls for Jointly Advancing the Correct Historical View of World War II, Sending a Strong Signal of Upholding International Fairness and Justice

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Foreign Minister, EU Diplomacy Chief Exchange Congratulations on 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas exchanged congratulatory messages on Tuesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU.

    Wang Yi, also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, noted in his message that in the half-century since the establishment of diplomatic relations, ties between China and the EU have achieved significant development, demonstrating high stability and vitality.

    According to the Chinese diplomat, in the context of chaotic transformations in the international situation, the two sides should implement the important agreements reached by the leaders of China and the EU, remain true to the original intentions when establishing diplomatic relations, strengthen strategic exchanges, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, properly handle differences and frictions, firmly adhere to genuine multilateralism, jointly oppose unilateralism, protectionism and economic bullying, and safeguard global fairness and justice.

    Wang Yi added that the two sides should make unremitting efforts to build China-EU relations into a comprehensive strategic partnership with greater strategic significance and greater global influence, and jointly enter the next promising 50 years in the history of bilateral ties.

    For her part, K. Kallas stated that the European Union and China, which have many common responsibilities, must jointly adhere to multilateralism, defend the UN Charter, the primacy and norms of international law, maintain international order, as well as peace and stability throughout the world. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Congressional testimony: Supporting American leadership in quantum technology

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Congressional testimony: Supporting American leadership in quantum technology

    Editor’s note: On Wednesday, May 7, Dr. Charles Tahan, Partner, Microsoft Quantum, testified before the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. To view the proceedings, please visit the committee’s website.


    Written Testimony of Dr. Charles Tahan
    Partner, Microsoft Quantum, Microsoft Corporation

    U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
    “From Policy to Progress: How the National Quantum Initiative Shapes U.S. Quantum Technology Leadership”

    Chairman Babin, Ranking Member Lofgren, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you to discuss the importance of quantum technology and the transformative role it will play for this country and for our collective future.

    It is an honor to be here again. I first appeared before this Committee nearly two years ago. Then, I was Assistant Director of Quantum Information Science and Director of the National Quantum Coordination Office (NQCO), an office within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The NQCO was created in the first Trump Administration by the National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018. Our job was to coordinate the more than 20 agencies led by the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, along with the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community, to develop and execute a national strategy to strengthen American leadership in quantum information science and technology. I spent almost four years in that job, which capped an almost 17-year career as a practicing physicist and technical leader at the National Security Agency and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), where I worked on quantum computing, high-performance computing, and other advanced technologies. I now work at Microsoft where I lead technical teams within Microsoft Quantum that are working both internally and with our close partners to build the world’s first useful quantum computers.

    Through my testimony I hope to outline the transformative potential of quantum technology and why the United States must lead and win the quantum race. To provide some context, I will begin by highlighting the revolution in quantum sciences and why quantum matters in the age of artificial intelligence. I then expand on Microsoft’s leadership in this field—both through our own research and through our strategic collaborations with other leaders in the quantum ecosystem. But, despite our tremendous progress, sustaining American leadership requires government action. I therefore offer three focus areas that I believe this Committee and Congress should prioritize: (1) advancing the quantum sciences; (2) developing, attracting, and retaining a skilled quantum workforce; and (3) building a resilient and secure supply chain. Taken together, these strategic actions will not only bolster our nation’s security and competitive edge against competitors and adversaries, but it will also drive innovation and economic growth at home towards a new frontier of American prosperity.

    The Quantum Information Revolution

    I like to think of quantum science as the operating system of the universe. What we physicists call quantum mechanics are essentially the rules that the universe follows at the microscopic level. Over the last 100 years, we have learned a tremendous amount about how those rules work. They appear strange to us because we do not experience them in our daily lives. As we have learned more about these quantum effects, we have been able to leverage them to build new tools and technologies.

    The National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018 recognized that we were on the cusp of a new technological revolution—a quantum information revolution— where we could harness the more advanced and unusual properties of quantum mechanics. This revolution is not just about new research discoveries but also about creating fundamentally new types of information technology like quantum computers, quantum networks, and quantum sensors. The full implications of this shift in quantum information science are unclear, but we do know that maintaining our global technological leadership is critical to sustaining economic prosperity, enhancing our well-being, and safeguarding our national security. We also know this is the first moment in our lifetimes in which we are able to radically reimagine how we build computers. As a country, and as a computing company, we must take that seriously.

    Why Quantum Matters in the Age of AI

    In the two years since my last appearance before this Committee, the world has shifted dramatically. The remarkable rise of AI systems has surprised all of us and increasingly affordable AI capabilities are likely to transform the world even more profoundly than the internet. Despite its immense potential, artificial intelligence—even coupled with the most powerful classical computers today—has limitations. There are problems that AI and classical computing will never be able to solve, not in our lifetimes or even in a hundred lifetimes, because of the fundamental limitations of how they are designed.

    Quantum technology can offer unprecedented capabilities for computing. Consider two quick examples where quantum computers are exponentially faster than anything we could imagine a classical computer could do. The first is code-breaking, which has serious implications to our national security and privacy. A sufficiently large quantum computer could break the public key cryptography systems we now rely on in days or weeks. Even the most powerful classical computer we could ever imagine would take the age of the universe to solve the same problem. That is the power of exponential improvement. And it is why we must move to quantum resistant cryptography as fast as possible.

    The other more commercially relevant application is, quite simply, making things—designing new materials, new chemicals, and new medicines. If you think about what the future holds, what will differentiate nations in an era of intelligence is their ability to create new things using tools that enable them to do so better, faster, and at lower cost. And this is why quantum is so important, not only because it helps us understand the universe as scientists but because it gives us unprecedented capabilities to dramatically improve our lives.

    Microsoft’s Leadership in Quantum

    It is important to appreciate that bringing quantum technology to practical application is hard. It requires focused and sustained investments, sophisticated infrastructure, and the best talent in the world.  It also requires new types of hardware—quantum hardware—and a new quantum technology stack, from chips to the control and readout layers to the user interface. This requires science and innovation at every level. That is what makes developing quantum technology expensive.

    The quantum team at Microsoft has been pursuing quantum computing for over 20 years. Our research program has spanned all three CEOs. We are singularly focused on building quantum computers that are able to solve meaningful problems, like problems in chemistry and material science. To do this, we need quantum computers that can scale to potentially millions of qubits—or quantum transistors—as compared to the small number currently available in prototype systems today. Microsoft has been pursuing this on two fronts: through our decades-long internal research and through strategic collaborations in the quantum ecosystem.

    1. Microsoft’s First-Party Research: The Topological Approach

    Microsoft’s internal hardware effort is based on a unique scientific approach aimed at developing qubits that rely on very novel physics. These are called topological qubits. We think they are promising for quantum computing because they have the potential to make it much easier to scale, meaning to control and enable readout of the millions of qubits needed to develop a useful quantum computer. However, to build even one topological qubit, the team had to take a scientific theory that was first proposed in the 1930s and make it a reality—a feat that included creating a new state of matter and engineering a device in which to exhibit it.

    Earlier this year, Microsoft unveiled new technical results that begin to validate our roadmap toward a topological quantum computer.[1] In addition, Microsoft presented the Majorana 1 chip, which brought together for the first time all the key components, validated individually, that will be needed to build quantum systems that scale: cryogenic electronics, interconnect wiring, and a qubit microchip layout that is compatible with both the physics of topological operation and the limits of control electronics. It is the embodiment of Microsoft’s topological roadmap[2] and the team is proud of it.

    Our approach has been evaluated by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which spent nearly two years vetting Microsoft’s architecture and engineering plan and the unique properties that enable topological qubits to scale.[3] As a result, DARPA selected Microsoft for the final phase of its Underexplored Systems for Utility-Scale Quantum Computing (US2QC) program—one of the programs that makes up DARPA’s larger Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI). To date, the US2QC program has brought together over fifty experts from leading government and academic institutions, including Air Force Research Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and NASA Ames Research Center, to verify our approach to quantum hardware, software, and applications. DARPA referred to this evaluation as “an incredibly rigorous and deeply technical analysis from what is almost certainly the world’s best quantum computing test and evaluation team.” The final phase of US2QC now envisions the development of a fault-tolerant prototype based on topological qubits—a crucial acceleration step toward making a utility-scale quantum computer a reality.

    Majorana 1 represents the pursuit of hundreds of scientists and engineers over the course of 20 years. Along the way there have been and will continue to be tremendous advances and contributions to the greater field of quantum information science and technology because of this pursuit. And this is why I came to Microsoft—to work on the hardest problems that promise to have an outsized impact for technology and for our society. Technical terms you may not have heard of, such as Topological and Floquet codes, pristine superconductor-semiconductor materials, measurement-based approaches to quantum computing, are all new technologies spun out of this pursuit with implications for many other types of qubits and other types of technologies, even other domains like astronomy. They came about because the Microsoft team found solutions to the hard problems—to the benefit of not only our company, but the entire quantum ecosystem.

    1. Strategic Collaborations

    At its core, Microsoft is a platform company. We want to empower our customers with the best computers in the world, whether they are quantum computers or classical computers, for the applications they care about. While we are excited about the continued advancement and promise of our own topological approach, we have no preference for which qubits ultimately provide our customers with quantum capabilities. We want the system to be the best technology for their use case. This means we develop software for multiple different technologies and layers of the quantum computer stack, everything from AI copilot to quantum languages to the real-time operating system needed to run a quantum computer with millions of moving parts.

    To do this, we work with, invest in, and partner with many different quantum computing technology companies, big and small, to help them make useful quantum computers a reality. We have entered into strategic collaborations with leading quantum hardware startups like Atom Computing, Quantinuum, and Photonic, and others. By applying our industry-leading error-correction and control software to their hardware platforms, we are accelerating the industry’s transition from rudimentary “Level 1” machines that use noisy physical qubits to the world’s first “Level 2” machines that rely on reliable, error-corrected logical qubits, composed of many physical qubits—which make quantum computing more useful for practical applications.

    Our breakthroughs in this area are coming fast. In April 2024, Microsoft and Quantinuum demonstrated the first logical qubits on record that outperform the underlying physical qubits.[4] Five months later, in September 2024, Microsoft and Quantinuum demonstrated 12 logical qubits on Quantinuum’s ion-trap machine, the most reliable logical qubits then on record.[5] Two months later, in November 2024, Microsoft and Atom Computing doubled this feat, creating and entangling 24 logical qubits made from neutral atoms.[6] These breakthroughs led by Microsoft, Atom Computing, and Quantinuum have for the first time moved the quantum industry firmly out of the “Level 1” noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era to Level 2 resilient quantum computing. With Atom Computing, we are now offering the world’s first commercially available Level 2 quantum machines. These collaborations enable us to deliver best-in-class logical qubits for our customers today, further cementing Microsoft’s leadership in the quantum ecosystem. But even these “Level 2” systems that aim to provide 1000s of physical qubits will pale to the scale of a true, utility-scale quantum computer powered by a million qubits or more. Getting to this point will require more sustained, large-scale investments in many areas—from talent development to new domestic capabilities to supply chain resilience.

    Winning the Race in Quantum

    While Microsoft has made significant investments in quantum technology, the efforts of individual companies alone are insufficient for the United States to secure the leadership position. Winning the quantum race will not happen without clear-eyed, intentional, and decisive government action. Indeed, these actions will decide whether American global leadership will continue for the rest of this century.

    In his first term, President Trump and Congress laid the foundation for American leadership in the quantum sciences. The passage of the National Quantum Initiative Act (NQIA) was a strong first step in moving from dispersed quantum science initiatives to a more active, coordinated effort to not only lead in the foundational research, but also take scientific breakthroughs through to practical technological innovation.

    As this Committee considers reauthorization of the NQIA and other specific actions that the United States must take to secure our technological leadership in quantum, we offer more detailed recommendations across three policy priorities: (1) robust funding for quantum research, (2) developing top-tier quantum talent, and (3) securing the quantum supply chain. These three categories—described more fully below—require U.S. government leadership to maintain a competitive edge, drive innovation, and safeguard national security in the face of growing global competition.

    1. Advancing Quantum Research

    First, we must continue our long American tradition of leading the world in groundbreaking scientific research. Our curiosity, our ability to innovate, and our desire to build has been responsible for a century of American prosperity. Indeed, the past century of our global leadership is rooted in our ability to not only innovate but innovate first. For quantum, the first-mover advantage is likely to define the geopolitical landscape for the rest of this century – and likely well beyond.

    Last week, Microsoft President and Vice Chair Brad Smith wrote specifically about the critical role of the American research triad—the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation—in driving American scientific and technological innovation.[7] I will add to that the unique role that the National Institute of Standards and Technology has contributed to quantum information science since the field’s inception. In addition, there have been vital investments by the Intelligence Community’s research funding organizations, who have core missions that demand expertise to monitor progress in quantum information technologies. We must make it a continuing national imperative to energize these institutions—for our economic future, for our national security, and for sustaining our global leadership. The American scientific enterprise is unmatched in the world and there is no private sector substitute. We benefit from multiple institutions that have very different models for how to fund science. This allows the U.S. to fund everything from basic ideas to large, very focused development programs to purchasing novel supercomputers. There is nothing else quite like it in the world.

    Federal funding is the key to leveraging these institutions to sustain our leadership in quantum research and development.  Following passage of the NQIA, U.S. funding for the quantum sciences more than doubled from $456 million in 2019 to $1.041 billion in 2022.[8] But recent years have seen a decline, as reflected in President Biden’s $998 million budget request for FY2025. This has come as our global competitors are doing the opposite. Governments around the world are accelerating spending on quantum R&D – and China’s estimated $15 billion commitment dwarfs publicly reported U.S. funding levels.[9]

    To stay competitive, Congress should not only reauthorize the National Quantum Initiative Act but be purposeful in expanding initiatives through a coordinated national strategy. Key recommendations include:

    • Fully Fund and Expand Quantum Initiatives across the Federal Government: Reauthorize and fully fund the National Quantum Initiative Act and its programs. Congress should ensure agencies like the Department of Energy (DOE) and its National Labs, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), along with the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community receive sustained appropriations to expand fundamental quantum science research and development. This includes supporting the NSF’s Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes and the DOE’s National Quantum Information Science Research Centers, which have a proven record of leveraging each federal dollar to attract additional private investment. Expanding these programs will spur innovation nationwide and solidify U.S. leadership in critical quantum technologies.
    • Increase Directed Quantum R&D Funding: Move beyond fragmented funding by adopting a more directed, strategic investment approach. A recent ITIF survey suggests that China’s centralized funding strategy gives it advantages over the diffuse U.S. approach.[10] Congress can consider targeted increases in quantum R&D budgets across key agencies, aiming to exceed past funding peaks and keep pace with competitor nations. Restoring growth in federal quantum R&D funding—particularly after the dip in recent years—is the first and most urgent step to ensure the U.S. does not fall behind.
    • Expand Translational Research Programs: Boost funding for government evaluation and prototype development programs to build a bridge between lab discoveries, engineering initiatives, and real-world applications. For example, DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI)—the flagship program for assessing quantum breakthroughs—should be expanded and fully funded. Congress can direct agencies (DOD, DOE, NSF) to coordinate on identifying high-value quantum research projects and push them toward validation programs (like DARPA’s QBI program) and then to practical realization with additional grants, prizes, or public-private partnerships.
    • Encourage Public-Private Collaboration: Federal investment should be paired with incentives for private sector co-investment in quantum R&D. Each dollar of federal funding often leverages additional private sector investment, so policies like matching grants, or innovation challenges can multiply the impact of public funds. Congress should also support joint research centers and consortia that bring together government, academia, and industry to solve quantum engineering hurdles. In addition, maintaining a stable, long-term funding outlook will give industry the confidence to invest alongside the government in quantum technology development.
    • Provide access to the latest quantum capabilities: Congress should streamline pathways for government agencies to provide the latest quantum computing technology to the researcher community, which would allow them to better identify impactful quantum applications and use cases.

    By significantly increasing federal funding and focusing it strategically, Congress can reinvigorate America’s quantum R&D enterprise. Continued U.S. scientific leadership depends on this commitment and history shows that breakthroughs from federally funded basic research (from the internet to GPS) drive decades of innovation and economic growth. Investing ambitiously in quantum now will pay dividends for American security and prosperity in the years to come.

    2. Developing & Attracting Quantum Talent

    Throughout its history, the United States has developed and attracted the brightest and most innovative minds– and it is what powers Microsoft, the broader American technology sector, and our great academic and research institutions. But this country now faces a severe shortage of STEM talent and, even more critically, a shortage of specialized quantum expertise.

    The global quantum talent pool remains small even as demand increases. It is no exaggeration to say that a handful of gifted physicists, engineers, and mathematicians could sway the balance of power and shift the dynamics in the race to develop quantum technology. Globally, there are as many as three job postings for every one qualified quantum worker.[11] In the U.S., we are struggling to develop our own talent and labor pool. Today the U.S. STEM workforce consists of approximately 36.8 million people, but 43% of doctorate-level scientists and engineers are foreign-born.[12] In 2021, more than half of doctorate-level computer scientists, mathematicians, and engineers working in the United States—occupations directly connected to critical and emerging technologies—were born outside the country.[13] Meanwhile, other countries are sprinting ahead in producing STEM graduates. In 2020, the U.S. awarded roughly 900,000 undergraduate STEM degrees annually, compared to 2 million in China and 2.5 million in India.[14] That gap may have widened in the past five years and today, the European Union leads in quantum talent concentration, with India and China also surpassing the U.S. in the number of quantum-trained specialists. Without a bigger domestic pipeline of quantum talent, even the most well-funded programs will struggle to succeed.

    Congress should enact policies to train, attract, and retain top quantum talent. Important steps include:

    • Strengthen STEM Education at All Levels: Congress must be laser focused on expanding the STEM pipeline from K-12 through to graduate school programs. This includes initiatives through the NSF, as well as state and local partners to enrich science and math curricula and increase awareness and interest in emerging technology. By introducing comprehensive STEM education early (in elementary and secondary schools), we can inspire more students to pursue careers in emerging technology and quantum-related fields.
    • Invest in Higher Education and Training: Congress should also continue and expand initiatives to train the next generation of scientists and engineers. We must continue to fund scholarships, fellowships, and research assistantships, particularly those focused in STEM and specifically in the quantum sciences. This must include developing high-caliber talent at our nation’s premier research institutions through grants and quantum research programs.  It must also include prioritizing community colleges and technical institutes that often launch students into STEM careers. Programs like the NSF’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) are critical to engaging more students and providing educators with hands-on quantum projects.  Congress should also increase federal support for STEM graduate students in quantum-related disciplines—currently, only 15% of U.S. full-time STEM grad students are supported by the U.S. government, down from 21% in 2004.[15] Bolstering fellowships and traineeships will produce more Ph.D.-level researchers ready to push the boundaries of quantum science.
    • Retrain and Upskill the Existing Workforce: To meet immediate needs, Congress should also consider activating NSF and the Department of Labor for workforce retraining programs that would help add talent to the quantum ecosystem. Adult education, professional development, and certificate programs in STEM and basic quantum fundamentals can rapidly expand the pool of “quantum-aware” professionals. These efforts will help fill roles in quantum research and product development that do not necessarily require Ph.D.-level expertise but do need specialized training.
    • Attract and Retain Global Talent:  Many of the world’s best minds—in quantum science and across disciplines—come to the U.S. for education and we must continue to find ways to support their continued contributions to our country after graduation. For example, from 2018–2021, temporary visa holders made up 37% of U.S. science and engineering Ph.D. graduates and over 70% of those students intended to stay in the U.S. after graduating.[16]  Congress should create expedited pathways for highly skilled quantum experts and expand the number of visas for Ph.D. graduates in quantum-related fields. Easing green card backlogs for advanced STEM degree holders could help the U.S. retain and attract international talent that would otherwise find opportunities outside the United States.
    • Promote International Collaboration: Congress should encourage collaborative research and exchange programs with allied nations to broaden the talent base within a trusted network. Joint initiatives with allies can pool expertise and resources to collectively train more quantum scientists. By deepening ties with like-minded countries the U.S. can both learn from our allies and ensure that we lead the quantum future together.

    By implementing these measures, the United States can build a robust pipeline of quantum talent. A comprehensive strategy spanning education, training, and international collaboration will equip the U.S. with the skilled workforce needed to drive quantum innovation and outpace global competitors.

    3. Securing the Quantum Supply Chain

    Building a secure and reliable quantum supply chain is essential. Quantum technologies across the board—computing, communication, and sensing—depend on specialized materials and components. This includes hardware like cryogenic refrigerators to advanced lasers and quantum chips. There are currently few suppliers or fabrication facilities for these items and most are globally distributed. This creates a real risk of supply bottlenecks or dependencies on foreign sources, which could stall our R&D progress or even compromise the technology stack. It currently takes 12 to 18 months to get certain components and equipment we need, many of which come from overseas. The U.S. must be able to either build quantum components and devices domestically or have reliable, secure sources through trusted allies. We also need prototyping facilities that are rapid, focused, and work at the pace of industry. However, establishing a resilient supply chain will not happen without focused government action. It is a complex challenge requiring coordination between agencies and partnership with industry. And the need to act is now.

    Congress and the Administration should pursue a national strategy to strengthen the quantum supply chain through the following actions:

    • Develop a National Quantum Supply Chain Strategy: We recommend that the Administration—perhaps via the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee or another interagency task force—develop a comprehensive strategy to develop the quantum supply chain. This strategy should identify key supply vulnerabilities, set goals for domestic capacity in quantum-related manufacturing, and provide the Administration with an action plan on how to spur public and private investment for key technology components. Congress may also consider regular reporting on quantum supply chain risks and a roadmap to de-risk dependencies.
    • Diversify Sources of Critical Components: The government should consider using federal purchasing power and funding to ensure multiple reliable sources for essential quantum hardware components. Congress can empower the Department of Commerce and Department of Energy to organize long-term purchase agreements or commit to buying key items (e.g. dilution refrigerators, superconducting amplifiers, high-purity qubit materials, photonic components) in bulk. Strategic investment (such as grants) could also target any chokepoints where the U.S. is overly reliant on foreign suppliers. By deploying capital toward widely needed quantum components, the government can incentivize companies within the United States (or, abroad in partnership with trusted allies) to build expertise and capacity.
    • Establish Quantum Manufacturing Facilities: Congress should also focus on building specialized infrastructure facilities for quantum device fabrication and testing. Building quantum computers and sensors often requires custom fabrication processes (for novel types of qubits, cryogenic electronics, etc.) and advanced packaging techniques. Congress should support the creation of one or more quantum foundries or test beds—perhaps through our National Labs or public-private partnerships—equipped to prototype and produce quantum components at scale. This includes facilities dedicated to fabrication, packaging, and assembly of quantum chips and systems, as well as laboratories for testing cryogenic and photonic components under quantum operating conditions. By investing in such infrastructure, the U.S. will reduce the need to rely on foreign fabrication facilities or suppliers for cutting-edge parts. These centers can also serve as innovation hubs where academia and industry collaborate on next-generation manufacturing techniques for quantum technology.
    • Prioritize Domestic Production of Advanced Components: Congress should create incentives (tax credits, grants, or loan guarantees) for companies to build production lines in the U.S. for critical quantum hardware. This includes the design and fabrication of advanced lasers, precision optics, microwave components, and quantum-grade semiconductors, as well as cryogenic electronics and ultralow-temperature refrigeration systems required for quantum labs. Capabilities like high-precision metrology (chip characterization) and advanced 3D packaging for quantum devices should also be developed domestically. Some of these areas overlap with semiconductor and photonics industries—where recent government efforts were aimed at boosting U.S. manufacturing— but specialized focus on quantum needs is essential. By onshoring production of these components, the U.S. will mitigate risks of foreign supply cut-offs and foster a local ecosystem of quantum suppliers and startups.  In tandem, federal R&D programs can partner with U.S. manufacturers to improve yields and performance in quantum-specific production, driving the costs down over time.

    By implementing these measures, the U.S. can build a resilient quantum supply chain that supports our nation’s long-term leadership. A combination of strategic planning, direct investment, public-private partnerships, and incentives will reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and ensure that our scientists and quantum innovators have access to the tools and components they need to succeed.

    Conclusion

    In closing, the government plays a critical role in coordinating our quantum ecosystem, funding the base of scientific discoveries and talent that the industry relies on, and being the first customer for next generation computers.

    Quantum technology promises to redefine the next era of human progress. The United States must act with urgency to ensure our continued leadership over the next hundred years.

    [1][2502.12252] Roadmap to fault tolerant quantum computation using topological qubit arrays.

    [2] Interferometric single-shot parity measurement in InAs–Al hybrid devices | Nature and Realizing Topological States on Quantum Hardware | APS Global Physics Summit.

    [3] DARPA selects two discrete utility-scale quantum computing approaches for evaluation | DARPA.

    [4] How Microsoft and Quantinuum achieved reliable quantum computing – Microsoft Azure Quantum Blog.

    [5] Microsoft and Quantinuum create 12 logical qubits and demonstrate a hybrid, end-to-end chemistry simulation – Microsoft Azure Quantum Blog.

    [6] Microsoft and Atom Computing offer a commercial quantum machine with the largest number of entangled logical qubits on record – Microsoft Azure Quantum Blog.

    [7] Investing in American leadership in quantum technology: the next frontier in innovation – Microsoft On the Issues.

    [8] National Science and Technology Council:  Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science, National Supplement to the President’s FY 2025 Budget.

    [9] Hodan Omaar and Martin Makaryan, “How Innovative is China,” Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, September 2024.

    [10] Id.

    [11] McKinsey & Company, “Quantum Technology Monitor,” April 2023.

    [12] National Science Board, “The State of U.S. Science and Engineering 2024,” March 2024.

    [13] Id.

    [14] Id.

    [15] Id.

    [16] Id.

    Tags: quantum, Senate Testimony, Technology

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Trump fails to understand China’s trade war tactics, and what his negotiators should be reading

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Harper, Lecturer in International Relations, University of East London

    As US and Chinese representatives prepare to meet in Switzerland in an effort to ease their escalating trade war, a potential sign of Beijing’s approach has emerged in an opinion piece published in the state-owned journal Beijing Daily.

    Articles in the publication are often seen as a reflection of Beijing’s official stance. The latest piece – Today, it is necessary to revisit On Protracted War – argues that the trade war is an American attempt to strangle China’s economic growth and that it is necessary to perceive the current trade tensions as a long-term development.

    What’s particularly important here is that the title refers to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong’s 1938 essay On Protracted War, a piece of writing that set out Mao’s approach to combating the invading Japanese during the second Sino-Japanese war between 1937 and 1945.

    This strategy was also key to the subsequent establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, after the communist victory in the long-running Chinese civil war. Mao became the chairman of the Chinese Communist party from 1943 until his death in 1976 and created a set of political theories referred to as Maoism. He wrote extensively on political strategy.


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    Chinese policymakers and media figures often invoke the nation’s history to justify domestic and foreign policy. And the decision to reference Mao’s text reflects not only China’s strategy in the current trade war but also the lasting influence of his ideas.

    Mao’s 1938 essay described a struggle that might seem, at first glance, a world away from the current China/US tariff conflict. His key thesis was that guerrilla warfare was a long-term affair with little chance for a quick victory.

    Mao’s argument was that a war of attrition would end with a Chinese victory as it would slowly bleed the conventionally stronger Japanese forces of resources.
    Such an approach has been a key feature of insurgencies throughout the modern world, with movements such as the Taliban in Afghanistan using the long war of attrition against larger or more technologically advanced foes.

    By invoking On Protracted War, it would appear that Beijing perceives its economic struggles with the US as a conflict without a swift resolution, something that may come as a shock to Donald Trump who is clearly signalling that he now wants a deal.

    This long view approach has also been reflected in how Beijing has been preparing for a second Trump trade war ever since its experiences in the first Trump presidency.

    How US/China tariff war is affecting US markets.

    In contrast to China, the US administration appears to have banked on the trade war being a comparatively brief affair that should be ended by a quick and decisive knock-out blow against Beijing. And a public relations coup for Trump. This explains the showmanship behind the “liberation day” announcements, and the speed at which Washington deployed its key moves.

    But by preparing its citizens for a protracted trade war, it would appear that China’s strategy, similarly to Mao’s, is to slow down the process and grind out the best deal it can over time.

    Beijing believes that Chinese consumers are more capable of “eating bitterness” (coping with hardship) than Americans. So US diplomats would be well advised to dip into On Protracted War to understand more of China’s president Xi Jinping’s intentions.

    Mao’s long shadow

    However, this is not the only way in which Mao’s strategies are relevant to global politics right now.

    Another of Mao’s political ideas was what he termed the “people’s war”. This envisioned a slow movement where one group creates “shadow institutions” that gradually displace established ones in order to build support from the local population.

    This echoes part of China’s approach to globalisation, where China has supported, or created, alternatives to US-led institutions.

    Many of Beijing’s international institutions, such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the belt and the road initiative are created to be alternatives to more established international bodies, such as the IMF and the World Bank. These Beijing felt were too dominated by the US.

    While China has worked on this policy for decades, it seems to chime with Trump’s lack of commitment to US involvement in international institutions, such as the IMF and Nato. In this aspect of international politics, Xi and Trump seem to have somewhat similar goals, and could open up more space for Chinese leadership of these institutions.

    It’s becoming clear that the Trump administration has severely miscalculated by assuming that Beijing would quickly capitulate, showing a lack of understanding of Chinese culture and political history. The expected instant deal has failed to materialise, and US stores are now warning that shelves may soon be empty of many goods.

    The trade war has become a war of attrition, and whatever moves Xi makes now are likely to be only his first in what he sees as a very long game, in the great Maoist tradition.

    Tom Harper does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. Why Trump fails to understand China’s trade war tactics, and what his negotiators should be reading – https://theconversation.com/why-trump-fails-to-understand-chinas-trade-war-tactics-and-what-his-negotiators-should-be-reading-256126

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese authorities have called for efforts to reduce the number of serious accidents

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) — China’s State Council’s Commission on Industrial Safety on Wednesday called for increased efforts to prevent serious accidents in the country.

    The agency issued a notice calling on governments at all levels and centrally-controlled enterprises to take decisive steps to fulfil their responsibilities and implement safety measures at the grassroots level and at every workplace.

    The document also emphasizes the need to actively respond to the challenges posed to production safety by adverse weather conditions.

    Additional efforts should be made to enhance safety in the transport sector by strengthening checks, patrols, monitoring and early warning during adverse weather and peak hours, the notice said.

    In addition, the committee requires strengthening security controls in crowded areas and taking measures to evacuate visitors and suspend operations in the event of extreme weather events.

    The notice notes the need to eliminate hidden hazards in key industries and areas, in particular to improve the safety of chemical industrial parks, improve the safety situation of obsolete chemical equipment, and expand expert support services in key areas. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking: Xi Jinping arrives in Moscow for state visit and to attend events marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Xinhua | 07. 05. 2025

    Keywords: Xi Jinping, Chairman of the People’s Republic of China, anniversary of victory, state visit, participation, occasion, arrived, Moscow, war, urgently, events, Jinping, celebrations, Wednesday, Russia

    Moscow, May 7 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for a state visit to Russia and to attend celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. –0–

    Source: Xinhua

    Breaking News: Xi Jinping Arrives in Moscow on State Visit and to Attend Events to Celebrate the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War Breaking News: Xi Jinping Arrives in Moscow on State Visit and to Attend Events to Celebrate the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Pakistan is fully capable of defending its borders and responding to Indian aggression: PM

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    ISLAMABAD, May 7 (Xinhua) — Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday said his country is fully capable of defending its geographical borders and responding to any aggression from India.

    Sh. Sharif made this statement while speaking in the National Assembly (lower house of parliament) of Pakistan.

    Pakistan shot down five Indian military aircraft without entering Indian airspace, he said.

    Pakistan’s National Security Council has “authorised” the army to take “appropriate” countermeasures in response to the Indian attacks, which killed 26 civilians and injured 46, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Wednesday.

    Tensions between the two South Asian neighbours have escalated after an attack on tourists in Pahalgam, which Indian media reported killed at least 25 people. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Afreximbank launches US$ 1 Billion Africa Film Fund to transform the continent’s creative industry

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    Afreximbank launches US$ 1 Billion Africa Film Fund to transform the continent’s creative industry The Fund will play a pivotal role in promoting the production and global distribution of high-quality films and TV series, further amplifying Global Africa’s cultural influence across the world KIGALI, Rwanda, May 7, 2025/APO Group/ — African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com), through its development impact investment arm, the Fund for Export-Development in Africa (FEDA), has committed to spearhead the launch of the Africa Film Fund (‘the Fund’) as part of its Creative Africa Nexus Programme (CANEX). This transformative undertaking of up to US$1 billion is designed to revolutionize Global Africa’s film and creative industry. This move follows Afreximbank Group’s commitment at the CANEX Weekend (CANEX WKND 2024) in Algiers, Algeria, in October 2024, where the Bank announced plans to launch a private equity film fund through FEDA to support film production and distribution across Africa and empower African filmmakers to create globally appealing content. The Fund will play a pivotal role in promoting the production and global distribution of high-quality films and TV series, further amplifying Global Africa’s cultural influence across the world. In doing so, the Fund will be a catalyst to attract and direct crucial patient capital into Global Africa’s film and TV production industry, mobilising resources that would enable filmmakers and storytellers to produce world-class content that resonates globally. According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the African film and audiovisual industry generates an estimated US$5 billion in annual revenues and employs over 5 million people across the continent. However, the film industry on the continent has long faced challenges, including limited access to production facilities and equipment, a shortage of advanced post-production resources, and a lack of sufficient exhibition infrastructure—highlighted by fewer than 2,000 cinema screens and limited access to digital platforms. Afreximbank’s interventions through FEDA seek to address some of these issues and more. Professor Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank and Chairman of both the Boards of Directors of Afreximbank and FEDA commented: “Film is a cornerstone of the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme and the establishment of the Africa Film Fund is timely as it will help accelerate the growth of Africa’s creative sector, which has witnessed rapid growth but continues to face significant challenges including funding, scaling and accessing global markets.” Prof. Oramah added, “Through investments in the film sector, alongside initiatives such as the CANEX Shorts Awards, Afreximbank is committed to celebrating and amplifying a diverse range of African voices and experiences, thereby catalysing the creative industry and unleashing the creative industry’s potential to drive economic growth across Africa.” Marlene Ngoyi, CEO of FEDA, emphasized the Fund’s role in driving inclusive growth, stating that: “The Africa Film Fund is not merely about financing films – it is about building a thriving ecosystem that empowers Global Africa’s creative talent, fosters cultural exchange, and catalyses economic transformation. At FEDA, we are committed to ensuring this initiative delivers tangible impact with long-term and sustainable benefits.” Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice-President of Intra-African Trade and Export Development, Afreximbank, added: This Fund will help unlock the full potential of Africa’s creative economy by giving African storytellers the platform, resources, and visibility they deserve. It reflects our belief that culture is not just a soft power, but a strategic asset for economic growth, youth empowerment, and regional integration.” Viola Davis, co-founder of JVL Media LLC and an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winning actress welcomed the initiative: African stories are deeply human and universally powerful. This Fund is an invitation to the world to see Africa through the lens of its own creators — bold, unfiltered, and rich in truth. I am proud to be a part of this momentous step toward a more inclusive global film industry. Boris Kodjoe, award winning actor and Managing Partner of FC Media Group, stated:  “It has been a long-term dream of mine to be able to tell stories on a global scale. I am grateful and excited to partner with our friends at Afreximbank and FEDA in order to support quality content development and creation in Africa and beyond.” Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank. Media Contact: Vincent Musumba Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations) Email: press@afreximbank.com About FEDA: The Fund for Export Development in Africa (“FEDA”) is the impact investment subsidiary of Afreximbank (www.Afreximbank.com), set up to provide equity, quasi-equity, and debt capital to finance the multi-billion-dollar funding gap (particularly in equity) needed to transform the Trade sector in Africa. FEDA pursues a multi-sector investment strategy along the intra-African trade, value-added export development, and manufacturing value chain which includes financial services, technology, consumer and retail goods, manufacturing, transport & logistics, agribusiness, as well as ancillary trade enabling infrastructure such as industrial parks.  To date, FEDA has invested more than US$590 million in companies and projects across its various fund initiatives, in sectors such as manufacturing, agro-processing, financial services, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, amongst others. About Afreximbank: African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialisation and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2024, Afreximbank’s total assets and contingencies stood at over US$40.1 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa1), China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its equity impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

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    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Global: Europe is moving to reposition itself in Donald Trump’s new global order

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

    FabrikaSimf/Shutterstock

    The term that perhaps best describes the international impact of the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term is “disruption”. His tariff policy, his abolition of USAID, his questioning of the transatlantic alliance, and his attempted rapprochement with Russia have neither destroyed the liberal international order nor established anything new in its place.

    But the prospects of liberal internationalism under Trump are vanishingly small. And Trumpism, in the guise of an America-first foreign policy, is likely to outlast Trump’s second term.

    That the US is no longer the standard bearer of the liberal international order has been clear for some time. Trump and his Russian and Chinese counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, appear to see themselves as dominant players in a new multi-polar world order. But it is not clear that a grand bargain between them is possible – or that it would endure.

    Europe is particularly vulnerable to these changes in the international order. Having been able to rely for the past eight decades on an iron-clad American security guarantee, European countries chronically under-invested in their defence capabilities, especially since the end of the cold war.


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    Defence spending as a proportion of GDP may have increased over the past decade but remains lacklustre. And investment into an independent European defence industrial base faces many hurdles.

    These deficiencies predated Trump’s return to the White House. Addressing them will only be possible in a time frame beyond his second term. With no dependable partners left among the world’s great powers, Europe’s predicament – unenviable as it may be for the moment – nonetheless offers an opportunity for the continent to begin to stand on its own feet.

    Early signs of a more independent Europe are promising. In March, the European commission released a white paper on defence which anticipates defence investment of €800 billion (£680 billion) over the next four years.

    The bulk of this will rely on the activation of the so-called “national escape clause”. This allows EU member states to escape penalties if they exceed the normal deficit ceiling of 3% GDP.

    Once activated for the purpose of defence spending, they can now take on additional debt of up to 1.5% of their GDP. By the end of April, 12 EU member states had already requested that the national escape clause be activated, with several more expected to follow.

    Defence is clearly the most urgent problem for Europe. But it isn’t the only aspect to consider when it comes to achieving greater strategic autonomy, something that the European Union has grappled with for more than a decade. In other areas, such as trade and energy, the starting point is a very different one.

    Regarding energy independence, the EU has achieved a remarkable and quick pivot away from Russia. It has just released a final plan to stop all remaining gas imports from Russia by the end of 2027.

    On trade, Donald Trump’s America-first tariff policy has done significant damage to the global system. This has, in turn, created opportunities for the EU, as one of the world’s largest trading blocs, including greater cooperation with China, already one of its largest trading partners.

    Complex relationships

    China and the EU clearly share an interest in preserving a global trade regime from which both have benefited. But their economic interests cannot be separated easily from their geopolitical interests. So far, China has sent very mixed signals to Europe.

    Beijing has, for example, proposed to lift sanctions against some members of the European parliament who have been critical of China in a show of goodwill. But China’s support for Russia continues as well, most recently with Xi’s commitment to visit Moscow for the victory day parade on May 9.

    Standing with Moscow may benefit Beijing in its rivalry with the US by solidifying the no-limits partnership that Xi and Putin announced on the eve of Russia’s full-sale invasion in February 2022. But it does little to win the EU over as a partner in defence of the open international order that Trump is trying his best to shutter.

    On the contrary, in reaffirming China’s commitment to its partnership with Russia, Xi may well have lost whatever chances there were for a European realignment with China.

    The complexities of the EU-China and EU-US relationships – a curious mix of rapidly shifting interests – reflects the EU’s position as the natural centre of gravity of what is left of the west. This is evident in the rapid evolution of the “coalition of the willing” in support of Ukraine, which brings together 30 countries from across the EU and Nato under French and British leadership.

    Beyond Europe, Trump’s tariff policy has given plans for a strategic partnership between the EU and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) a new lease of life. The CPTPP is a group of 11 Indo-Pacific countries and the UK, which joined last December. It is one of the world’s largest free trade areas, accounting for approximately 15% of global GDP.

    Even without US and Chinese membership, a partnership between the EU and the CPTPP would wield significant power in the global economic system and could play a future role in shielding its members from an intensifying US-China trade war.

    Limited alternatives

    None of the steps taken by the EU and its partners on the continent and elsewhere require the breakdown in the transatlantic relationship that the Trump administration appears keen to engineer. But speeches by both the US vice president, J.D. Vance, and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, were clear that America’s relationship with Europe is changing.

    Washington, under its current leadership, increasingly leans towards the political forces in Europe that are opposed to the values on which the continent has been orientated since 1945. This leaves Europe few options but to seek more independence from the US.


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    A more independent Europe is unlikely to become a global superpower on par with the US or China. But it will be better able to hold its own in a geopolitical environment that is less based on rules and more on power.

    The EU currently enjoys historically high approval ratings among its citizens – who also support more unity and a more active role for the EU in protecting them from global security risks.

    It’s increasingly clear that EU leaders and their partners have a unique opportunity – and an obligation – to carve out a more secure and independent space in a hostile global environment.

    Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

    ref. Europe is moving to reposition itself in Donald Trump’s new global order – https://theconversation.com/europe-is-moving-to-reposition-itself-in-donald-trumps-new-global-order-255344

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman outlines China’s position on high-level trade and economic talks with US

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) — The United States has repeatedly expressed its willingness to hold talks with China recently, and the upcoming meeting between Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will be held at the request of the U.S. side, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday.

    Lin Jian made the statement at a regular press conference, noting that China firmly opposes the US abuse of tariff measures, and China’s position on this issue remains unchanged.

    “China will firmly protect its legitimate interests and uphold international fairness and justice,” the Chinese diplomat concluded. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: 26 civilians killed, 46 injured in Indian attack on Pakistan

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    ISLAMABAD, May 7 (Xinhua) — Twenty-six people, including women and children, were killed and 46 others were injured in Indian attacks on civilian areas in six districts of Pakistan on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, head of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, said at a briefing.

    He said India had attacked homes and mosques, targeting civilians in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and eastern Punjab province.

    He confirmed that the Pakistan Air Force had shot down five Indian fighter jets and one drone, the remains of which fell in Indian territory. “None of the Pakistani aircraft entered Indian airspace,” he added.

    The ISPR chief said that the Pakistan army hit several posts and a brigade headquarters of the Indian army in a retaliatory strike. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Exclusive: Leaders of China and Russia demonstrate determination to protect fruits of Victory in World War II – Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Moscow, May 7 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are jointly attending the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in World War II, demonstrating their political responsibility and firm determination to resist attempts to distort the historical truth, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said in an interview with Xinhua ahead of the Chinese leader’s state visit to Russia.

    “More than 80 years ago, the World Anti-Fascist War united peace-loving and justice-loving forces throughout the world and led to a great victory of justice over evil, light over darkness and truth over brute force,” the diplomat noted.

    According to him, China and Russia made enormous sacrifices and a significant historical contribution to the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. The peoples of the two countries fought shoulder to shoulder, cementing an unbreakable great friendship with blood and life, the ambassador emphasized.

    “Historical truth must not be distorted, justice must not be trampled,” Zhang Hanhui said. According to him, the leaders of China and Russia will jointly attend the festivities of the 80th anniversary of the Victory not only to remember history and honor the memory of the fallen heroes, but also to take responsibility for the future, demonstrate the firm will and determination of both sides to jointly defend the fruits of the Victory in World War II and uphold international justice.

    As the key victors in World War II, the founders of the UN and permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia will vigorously promote the correct view of the history of World War II, jointly protect the post-war international order, advocate for peace and promote global cooperation and development, the diplomat said.

    The two countries will also “continuously deepen political mutual trust and strategic cooperation, maintain great comradeship in arms, and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity,” Zhang Hanhui stressed. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Xi Jinping calls for maintaining post-war order, upholding international justice

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Moscow, May 7 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the international community to unswervingly uphold the historical truth about World War II, resolutely safeguard the post-war international order, and firmly uphold international justice and equality.

    The Chinese leader made the call in an opinion piece published Wednesday by Rossiyskaya Gazeta ahead of his arrival in Russia on a state visit and participation in celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War.

    He noted that China and the Soviet Union became the most reliable supports in the fight against militaristic Japan and Nazi Germany, and made a decisive contribution to the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War.

    Attempts to distort historical facts about World War II and deny its results, and discredit the historical feats of China and the Soviet Union are doomed to failure, Xi Jinping added.

    The Chinese leader noted that the establishment of the UN was perhaps the most important decision made by the world community since the end of World War II. The more complex the international situation becomes, the more important it is to protect and ensure the authority of the UN, firmly defend the international system, the core of which remains the UN, the world order based on international law and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, consistently promote the formation of an equal and orderly multipolar world, accessible and inclusive economic globalization, the article says.

    Xi Jinping also called on the international community to adhere to the principles of “dialogue instead of confrontation, partnership instead of self-interested blocs, and mutual benefit instead of a zero-sum game.”

    It is necessary to follow the path of true multilateralism, take into account the rational interests of various parties, and ensure international rules and order, the article says. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China highly appreciates Spain’s special attention to developing bilateral relations – Chinese Foreign Ministry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) — China appreciates the Spanish government’s strong focus on developing relations with China and its consistent promotion of practical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Wednesday.

    The Chinese diplomat made this statement at a regular briefing, commenting at the request of one of the journalists on the recently published Spanish Foreign Policy Strategy for 2025-2028, which, in particular, emphasizes the need to deepen Spanish-Chinese relations of a comprehensive strategic partnership.

    Recalling Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s recent visit to China, Lin Jian said the two countries jointly issued an action plan to strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership and proposed building a comprehensive strategic partnership with greater strategic determination and greater development vigor.

    The official representative indicated that, in addition to this, the parties signed a package of documents on cooperation in the areas of economics, trade, education, science and technology, and also achieved important results in cooperation in such areas of the new energy sector as electric vehicles and traction batteries.

    China hopes to work with Spain to further deepen open cooperation, especially in areas such as green development, artificial intelligence and digital economy, to improve the well-being of the peoples of both countries and give further impetus to China-EU relations, Lin Jian concluded. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Friendship forged by the blood of the two countries’ peoples provides an inexhaustible source of energy for strengthening relations between China and Russia – Xi Jinping

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Moscow, May 7 /Xinhua/ — Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the deep friendship forged by the blood of the two peoples in the World Anti-Fascist War provides an inexhaustible source of energy for passing on the deep feeling of mutual sympathy between China and Russia from generation to generation.

    He made this statement in an opinion piece published on Wednesday in Rossiyskaya Gazeta on the eve of his arrival in Russia on a state visit and participation in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War.

    Xi Jinping recalled that the current year is marked by the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people’s victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War, and the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the UN. The Chinese leader noted that he, together with the heroic Russian people, honors the memory of the past and bows his head low before the fallen heroes.

    According to him, all those who performed a great feat for the sake of victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, from privates to generals, will never be forgotten. The World Anti-Fascist War testified to the military brotherhood, mutual assistance and support of the peoples of China and Russia, the PRC Chairman added.

    According to him, 80 years ago, the world’s forces of justice, including China and the USSR, united in the name of a brave fight against a common enemy and won a victory over the ferocious fascists.

    “Today, 80 years later, unilateralism, hegemonism and bullying are causing serious harm, all of which are pushing humanity to a crossroads once again. Where to go next, what to choose: solidarity or division, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum game?” Xi Jinping raises this question in his article.

    He noted that it is important to preserve historical memory, lessons from World War II should be learned. The results of the great victory in the World Anti-Fascist War should serve as a source of minds and energy for the fight against hegemony and power politics in all its manifestations, for the sake of a bright and beautiful future for humanity. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Three civilians killed in India-Pakistan clashes in Kashmir – Indian army

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    NEW DELHI, May 7 (Xinhua) — At least three civilians were killed and several others injured on Wednesday in clashes between Indian and Pakistani troops along the International Border and Line of Control dividing Kashmir, officials said.

    On the night of 6-7 May 2025, the Pakistan Army resorted to indiscriminate firing, including shelling, from positions across the Line of Control and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir. Three innocent civilians were killed as a result of the indiscriminate firing and shelling, the Indian side said in a statement. “The Indian Army is responding proportionately,” the document added.

    Three civilians were reportedly killed in Poonch district, about 185 km southwest of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

    Wednesday marked the 13th consecutive day that ceasefire violations were recorded along the Line of Control in Kashmir.

    Early on Wednesday, Indian forces struck nine targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Africa: School of government partners with China to train public servants 

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Wednesday, May 7, 2025

    The National School of Government (The NSG) has organised a learning exchange programme taking public servants and elected public representatives to China to gain firsthand experience of how China has managed the modernisation and professionalisation of the State.

    The programme on Modernisation and Professionalisation of the State runs from 7- 27 May 2025.

    According to the NSG, it is hosted by the Academy for International Business Officials in the People’s Republic of China and is supported by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. 

    The programme explores the Chinese path of modernisation from a largely rural and agrarian society to a highly modernised and industrialised society having abolished absolute poverty in 2020, ten years before the goal South Africa has set in the National Development Plan [NDP] and the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable development, to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality –  by 2030.

    The NSG’s international exchanges are aimed at facilitating public servants’ access to specialist knowledge and skills needed to enhance public sector performance and development through among others learning from the development trajectory of other countries in the global South and North. 

    “State capacity is important in pursuing equitable and sustainable socio-economic transformation as well as safeguarding the rights and dignity of the people of South Africa. 

    “Chinese leadership and achievements serve as a great source of inspiration for transformation on the African continent. African officials participating in these exchanges contribute to innovation and strengthening of public institutions to play a transformative role,” said Minister for Public Service and Administration, Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi in congratulating the officials nominated to attend the programme.

    The South African government has committed itself to drive inclusive growth and job creation; to reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living with a developmental and capable state playing a central role in this regard as the NDP puts it: “South Africa can realise these goals by drawing on the energies of its people, growing an inclusive economy, building capabilities, enhancing the capacity of the state, and promoting leadership and partnerships throughout society”.

    This exchange is part of a series in the NSG’s international cooperation for public sector development and performance. 
    The NSG forms part of the portfolio of the Ministry for the Public Service and Administration. – SAnews.gov.za 
     

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI China: New direct air route links south China’s Haikou, London

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    HAIKOU, May 7 — A new direct air route linking Haikou, capital city of China’s southernmost island province of Hainan, and London in Britain was launched on Wednesday.

    The route is operated by Hainan Airlines using a Boeing 787 wide-body aircraft, with one round trip per week scheduled.

    Outbound flight HU7911 departs from Haikou Meilan International Airport at 13:45 Beijing Time on Wednesday and arrives at London Heathrow International Airport at 19:30 local time the same day. Return flight HU7912 departs from London Heathrow at 22:00 local time and arrives in Haikou at 16:55 the following day, Beijing Time.

    Meanwhile, the airport authority also revealed that it plans to further increase the frequency of flights between Haikou and Kuala Lumpur, capital city of Malaysia, and between Haikou and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as part of its aim to continuously expand its network of both international and regional routes.

    These efforts aim to accelerate the airport’s development into a regional aviation hub serving destinations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, while supporting the growth of Hainan as an international tourism and consumption center.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: China announces fresh policy boost to fuel economic recovery

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 7 — China’s monetary and financial authorities on Wednesday unveiled a raft of supportive measures, including policy rate and reserve requirement ratio (RRR) cuts, as the country stepped up efforts to stabilize markets and sustain economic recovery amid external headwinds.

    In one of its key policy actions, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the country’s central bank, announced an RRR cut of 0.5 percentage points for eligible financial institutions from May 15. Notably, the RRR for auto financing and financial leasing companies will be slashed from 5 percent to 0 percent.

    PBOC Governor Pan Gongsheng told a press conference that this move is expected to provide the financial market with roughly 1 trillion yuan (about 138.9 billion U.S. dollars) in long-term liquidity.

    PBOC on Wednesday also announced its decision to cut the rate for seven-day reverse repos by 0.1 percentage points starting Thursday to better implement the moderately loose monetary policy and enhance support for the real economy.

    Pan said this policy rate reduction is expected to result in the loan prime rate (LPR), a market-based benchmark lending rate, dropping by 0.1 percentage points.

    More financial support, meanwhile, will be given to sectors including tech innovation, service consumption and elderly care via relending — with relending rates lowered by 0.25 percentage points from Wednesday, the central bank said.

    These announcements followed a high-level meeting of Chinese policymakers in late April that called for faster implementation of more proactive and effective macro policies, ample liquidity and stronger support for the real economy, after an encouraging 5.4-percent GDP expansion witnessed in the first quarter of 2025.

    “The foundation for China’s sustained economic recovery needs to be further consolidated, and the country faces an increasing impact from external shocks,” said the meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

    Pan said Wednesday’s policy decisions will steadily lower overall social financing costs, boost market confidence, and effectively support stable expansion of the real economy.

    CAPITAL MARKET BOOST

    Also speaking to the press, Wu Qing, head of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), pledged efforts to keep capital markets stable and active, noting that the commission will help listed companies affected by tariffs cope with challenges.

    Relevant authorities will support listed companies in using various financing instruments such as equities, bonds and real estate investment trusts (REITs) to conduct direct financing, and encourage eligible domestic enterprises to pursue overseas listings in compliance with laws and regulations, Wu told the media.

    Financial institutions and tech firms, as well as private equity and venture capital firms, will be allowed to issue technological innovation bonds, with funds raised in this manner earmarked for investment and financing in the innovation sector, according to a statement jointly released by the PBOC and the CSRC on Wednesday.

    To further bolster the capital market, the central bank said it will combine the quotas of its two monetary policy tools to make them more convenient and flexible — thereby strengthening the inherent stability of the capital market.

    The Securities, Funds and Insurance companies Swap Facility (SFISF), with an initial scale of 500 billion yuan, and the 300-billion-yuan relending facility that supports stock buybacks and shareholding increases, will be operated under a shared quota of 800 billion yuan from Wednesday onwards.

    At the same press conference, Li Yunze, head of the National Financial Regulatory Administration, said the administration will continue to expand the pilot program for long-term investment by insurance funds.

    An additional 60 billion yuan in quotas is expected to be approved in the near term, injecting fresh liquidity into the market, Li revealed.

    “We have solid economic fundamentals, sound macro policies, and reliable institutional guarantees, all injecting much-needed certainty into China’s economy and capital markets amid global uncertainties,” Wu said.

    PROPERTY MARKET CONSOLIDATION

    Chinese authorities will also expedite the rollout of a series of financing systems aligned with the new development model of its property sector, reinforcing efforts to stabilize the property market, Li said at the media conference.

    Loans approved for China’s “white list” real estate projects have reached 6.7 trillion yuan, which facilitated the construction and delivery of over 16 million homes, significantly stemming the property sector downturn and restoring market stability, Li said.

    An official survey covering 70 major Chinese cities showed that commercial home prices in March this year had risen in more cities compared with a month earlier, as transactions in the real estate market revealed greater vibrancy.

    To consolidate this trend, PBOC said it will lower interest rates on personal housing provident fund loans by 0.25 percentage points starting Thursday.

    This adjustment is expected to save homeowners more than 20 billion yuan per year in terms of interest payments, thus supporting the rigid demands of Chinese households, Pan told the press.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Half century on, China-EU economic ties deepen amid global uncertainties

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 7 — As China and the European Union (EU) mark 50 years of diplomatic ties in 2025, their economic partnership is showing renewed strength and resilience, even against the backdrop of mounting global uncertainties.

    Bilateral trade has expanded more than 320-fold over the past five decades, now standing at around 780 billion U.S. dollars, according to China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC).

    In the first quarter (Q1) of this year, trade between the two sides reached 1.3 trillion yuan (about 180.5 billion U.S. dollars), up 1.4 percent year on year. This translates to over 10 million yuan in trade every minute.

    Behind these figures lies not just massive trade volume, but increasingly diversified and innovation-led cooperation.

    In Q1, China’s imports of advanced equipment from the EU jumped 30.4 percent to 64 billion yuan, accounting for nearly a third of China’s total imports in this category. Meanwhile, China’s exports of industrial robots and high-end machine tools to the EU surged 81.9 percent and 11.7 percent, respectively.

    For many European multinationals, these trends are translating into long-term investment decisions and expanded innovation footprints in China.

    Oliver Zipse, chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, told Xinhua in a recent interview that China is not only BMW’s largest single market but also a vital hub for innovation.

    Highlighting China’s growing role in innovation, particularly in AI, Zipse said BMW plans to integrate AI technology from Chinese startup DeepSeek into its latest models in China later this year.

    Likewise, European companies across various sectors are also strengthening their local presence.

    Earlier this year, German industrial giant Siemens opened its first industrial ecosystem hub in western China. Leading Danish energy efficiency solution provider Danfoss officially launched its new campus in Nanjing, the company’s very first carbon-neutral factory in China, in line with China’s green development drive.

    These moves came as China takes concrete steps to expand high-standard opening-up. Despite mounting protectionism and geopolitical tensions, the country has remained focused on building a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment for foreign firms.

    According to this year’s government work report, China will ensure national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises in areas such as access to production factors, license application, standards setting, and government procurement.

    Earlier this year, China released a new action plan to stabilize foreign investment. It includes 20 targeted measures to further expand market access, encourage foreign equity investment, and expand pilot programs to open up fields such as telecommunication and medical services.

    China’s unwavering efforts to open up, as well as the steady growth of the Chinese economy, have strengthened many European multinationals’ determination to tap win-win opportunities in the world’s second-largest economy.

    Danfoss President and CEO Kim Fausing told Xinhua that the company is confident in China’s market, citing its strong growth in sectors like data center, marine, and energy storage achieved last year.

    He added that the company looks forward to deepening cooperation with Chinese partners to accelerate the green transition in China, and at the same time for the purpose of shared wins.

    Wang Lingjun, deputy head of the GAC, said that China and the EU remain each other’s most important trading partners, with highly complementary economies and closely intertwined interests.

    “In a world marked by economic instability and growing uncertainties, China and the EU, with close communication and cooperation, jointly uphold free, open trade and investment, and maintain stable industrial and supply chains in the world, which will bring more stability and certainty to both sides and the global economy,” Wang said.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman outlines China’s position on high-level trade and economic talks with the US

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) — The United States has repeatedly expressed its willingness to hold talks with China recently, and the upcoming meeting between Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will be held at the request of the U.S. side, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday.

    Lin Jian made the statement at a regular press conference, noting that China firmly opposes the US abuse of tariff measures, and China’s position on this issue remains unchanged.

    “China will firmly protect its legitimate interests and uphold international fairness and justice,” the Chinese diplomat concluded. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News