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Category: China

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: £1bn gift transfer to British Museum given green light

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    £1bn gift transfer to British Museum given green light

    The Charity Commission has given its formal permission for the most valuable object donation in British museum history to go ahead.

    In November 2024, the Trustees of the Sir Percival David Foundation announced they were to make a permanent donation of their collection of Chinese ceramics to the British Museum.

    The collection numbers around 1,700 pieces estimated at around £1bn.

    The gift was subject to regulatory authority from the Commission, which has the power to authorise payments or transfers of assets from charities where this is not explicitly allowed for in the charity’s governing document.

    The Commission has now provided written authority under the Charities Act to change the Foundation’s governing document to enable the permanent transfer of the collection.

    In such cases, the relevant trustees need to think about how best to further the charity’s purpose before making the gift.

    In this case, the Sir Percival David Foundation was keen to fulfil its founder’s determination to use his collection to inform and inspire people, by keeping it on public view and enabling academic study of the pieces, while managing the charity’s resources effectively by transferring the costs of maintaining the collection.

    Sir Percival David (1892–1964) was a British businessman who collected ceramics in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and China. Sir Percival’s collection has been on loan to the British Museum since 2009 in the specially designed bilingual Room 95, where it has been studied and enjoyed by millions of visitors.

    Head of Regulatory Authority at the Charity Commission, Christine Barker, said:

    We are pleased to have given authority for this remarkable transfer to go ahead. The Foundation’s trustees are clear that ensuring the safe and accessible display of their founder’s collection is fully aligned with their charitable objects.

    Our team are dedicated to considering such applications carefully, balancing the need to reflect changing circumstances against the importance of ensuring trustees safeguard their assets to pursue their charitable aims.

    Director of the British Museum, Dr Nicholas Cullinan said:

    I am humbled by the generosity of the Trustees of the Sir Percival David Foundation in permanently entrusting their incomparable private collection to the British Museum and thank the Charity Commission for their support in now approving the transfer.

    These celebrated objects add a special dimension to our own collection and together offer scholars, researchers and visitors around the world the incredible opportunity to study and enjoy the very best examples of Chinese craftsmanship anywhere in existence.

    Chair of The Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art and The Sir Percival David Foundation Academic and Research Fund Colin Sheaf FSA said:

    Sir Percival was motivated by three principal concerns. These were to preserve the whole collection together for posterity, to display it publicly and safely in its entirety, and to ensure that his superb porcelain should not only be admired by connoisseurs for its beauty but should also educate the widest possible audience about China’s historic culture which he greatly admired.

    With the valued support of the Charity Commission, the Foundation Trustees have taken this major decision because they believe that this transfer entirely meets the philanthropic intentions and long-term wishes of the Founder almost a century ago.

    Highlights from the Sir Percival David collection include the ‘David vases’ from 1351. Their discovery revolutionised the dating for blue and white ceramics.

    The collection also includes a “Chicken cup” used to serve wine for the Chenghua emperor (1465–87) and Ru wares made for the Northern Song dynasty court around 1086.

    In the past year the Charity Commission considered 545 applications for the transfer of money or assets, often to enable trustees to switch these holdings to more modern charity structures.

    Ends

    Notes to editors

    1. The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its ambition is to be an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent so that charity can thrive. This ambition will help to create and sustain an environment where charities further build public trust and ultimately fulfil their essential role in enhancing lives and strengthening society.

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    Updates to this page

    Published 31 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    April 1, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Cultural adaptation of foreigners: students of the State University of Management visited the Museum of Time and Clocks

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    Students of the State University of Management, who came to study in Russia from Vietnam, India, China, Nepal and Ethiopia, visited the Museum of Time and Clocks on an excursion.

    The museum opened in November 2022 in Moscow with the support of the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives and the National Association of Watchmakers. The museum includes a retrospective exhibition dedicated to the development of watchmaking in Russia, temporary exhibitions, an event space for public lectures, conferences, master classes, discussions and round tables.

    Most of the students of the State University of Management who visited the museum are currently studying at the preparatory department and are actively studying Russian, getting acquainted with our culture and history. One of the most interesting methods of immersion in the Russian environment for them was visiting museums.

    This time, foreign students, accompanied by teacher Natalia Krylova, not only enthusiastically practiced their Russian language skills, but also learned about the history of Russian and Soviet watchmaking.

    Time flew by. We are sure that the children have good memories of the excursion.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 03/31/2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Aegon announces changes to its Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The Hague, March 31, 2025 – Aegon today announces the nomination of David Herzog, Lori Fouché and Jay Ralph as new members of its Board of Directors at the company’s Annual General Meeting of shareholders (AGM) which will be held on June 12, 2025. 

    The Board intends to appoint David Herzog as Chair in the second half of 2025. Mr. Herzog will succeed William Connelly. To ensure a smooth transition, the Board will propose the reappointment of Mr. Connelly as a member for an additional year. Subsequently, Mr. Connelly will retire as Chair and member of the Board in the second half of 2025. 

    Mark Ellman, who joined Aegon’s Board in 2017 and whose second term will end in 2025, along with Jack McGarry, who joined the Board in 2021 and whose first term will end in 2025, will be nominated for reappointment at the AGM. Meanwhile, Dona Young, who joined Aegon’s Board in 2013 and whose third term concludes in 2025, will retire. 

    William Connelly commented: “We are delighted to propose David Herzog, Lori Fouché and Jay Ralph as new members of Aegon’s Board. We believe their expertise in insurance and asset management will strengthen the Board’s composition and support the company as we continue to execute our strategy and deliver value to our stakeholders. I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Dona Young for her many contributions to Aegon. With her commitment, valuable insights and pragmatic approach, Dona has played an important role in Aegon’s transformation.” 

    David Herzog brings over forty years of life insurance and financial services experience to the Board. Currently serving as a member of the Board of Directors at MetLife, and as Chairman of the Board at DXC Technology, David’s extensive career includes key roles such as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President at American International Group (AIG) from 2008 to 2016. Prior to this, Mr. Herzog was the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer at American General Life, following its acquisition by AIG. He also held various executive positions at GenAmerica Corporation and Family Guardian Life, a Citicorp company, adding to his profound insight into the financial services industry.

    Lori Fouché brings over two decades of experience in the financial services industry and has extensive expertise in driving transformation and innovation. Most recently, Ms. Fouché served as Senior Executive Vice President and Advisor to the CEO of TIAA, a US-based provider of retirement and investment solutions, and as CEO of TIAA Financial Solutions. Prior to joining TIAA in 2018, she held several senior positions at Prudential Financial, including Group Head of Individual Solutions, President of Individual Annuities, and CEO of Group Insurance businesses. In addition to her executive roles, Ms. Fouché currently serves on the Board of The Kraft Heinz Company, a global food and beverage company, and Hippo Holdings, a property insurance provider and she is member of the Princeton University Board of Trustees.

    Jay Ralph has had a distinguished career in insurance and asset management including almost 20 years in leadership roles at Allianz SE, a global insurance and asset management company. Mr. Ralph was most recently a member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE and Chairman of both Allianz Asset Management and Allianz Life Insurance Company North America. He has also served on various boards of Allianz SE’s global subsidiaries across Europe and the Americas. Prior to this, he held several senior roles in the financial industry. Mr. Ralph currently sits on the Board of Swiss Re Group and the Siemens Pension Advisory Board. 

    The appointments are subject to shareholder approval and will be included in the agenda of the 2025 AGM, which will be published in May. Once elected by Aegon’s AGM, the appointments will be effective as of the end of that meeting. 

    Contacts

    About Aegon

    Aegon is an international financial services holding company. Aegon’s ambition is to build leading businesses that offer their customers investment, protection, and retirement solutions. Aegon’s portfolio of businesses includes fully owned businesses in the United States and United Kingdom, and a global asset manager. Aegon also creates value by combining its international expertise with strong local partners via insurance joint-ventures in Spain & Portugal, China, and Brazil, and via asset management partnerships in France and China. In addition, Aegon owns a Bermuda-based life insurer and generates value via a strategic shareholding in a market leading Dutch insurance and pensions company.

    Aegon’s purpose of helping people live their best lives runs through all its activities. As a leading global investor and employer, Aegon seeks to have a positive impact by addressing critical environmental and societal issues, with a focus on climate change and inclusion & diversity. Aegon is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, domiciled in Bermuda, and listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the New York Stock Exchange. More information can be found at aegon.com.

    Forward-looking statements
    The statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The following are words that identify such forward-looking statements: aim, believe, estimate, target, intend, may, expect, anticipate, predict, project, counting on, plan, continue, want, forecast, goal, should, would, could, is confident, will, and similar expressions as they relate to Aegon. These statements may contain information about financial prospects, economic conditions and trends and involve risks and uncertainties. In addition, any statements that refer to sustainability, environmental and social targets, commitments, goals, efforts and expectations and other events or circumstances that are partially dependent on future events are forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Aegon undertakes no obligation, and expressly disclaims any duty, to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which merely reflect company expectations at the time of writing. Actual results may differ materially and adversely from expectations conveyed in forward-looking statements due to changes caused by various risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to the following:

    • Unexpected delays, difficulties, and expenses in executing against Aegon’s environmental, climate, diversity and inclusion or other “ESG” targets, goals and commitments, and changes in laws or regulations affecting us, such as changes in data privacy, environmental, health and safety laws;
    • Changes in general economic and/or governmental conditions, particularly in Bermuda, the United States, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom;
    • Civil unrest, (geo-) political tensions, military action or other instability in a country or geographic region;
    • Changes in the performance of financial markets, including emerging markets, such as with regard to:         
      • The frequency and severity of defaults by issuers in Aegon’s fixed income investment portfolios;
      • The effects of corporate bankruptcies and/or accounting restatements on the financial markets and the resulting decline in the value of equity and debt securities Aegon holds;
      • The effects of declining creditworthiness of certain public sector securities and the resulting decline in the value of government exposure that Aegon holds;
      • The impact from volatility in credit, equity, and interest rates;
    • Changes in the performance of Aegon’s investment portfolio and decline in ratings of Aegon’s counterparties;
    • Lowering of one or more of Aegon’s debt ratings issued by recognized rating organizations and the adverse impact such action may have on Aegon’s ability to raise capital and on its liquidity and financial condition;
    • Lowering of one or more of insurer financial strength ratings of Aegon’s insurance subsidiaries and the adverse impact such action may have on the written premium, policy retention, profitability and liquidity of its insurance subsidiaries;
    • The effect of applicable Bermuda solvency requirements, the European Union’s Solvency II requirements, and applicable equivalent solvency requirements and other regulations in other jurisdictions affecting the capital Aegon is required to maintain;
    • Changes in the European Commissions’ or European regulator’s position on the equivalence of the supervisory regime for insurance and reinsurance undertakings in force in Bermuda;
    • Changes affecting interest rate levels and low or rapidly changing interest rate levels;
    • Changes affecting currency exchange rates, in particular the EUR/USD and EUR/GBP exchange rates;
    • Changes affecting inflation levels, particularly in the United States, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom;
    • Changes in the availability of, and costs associated with, liquidity sources such as bank and capital markets funding, as well as conditions in the credit markets in general such as changes in borrower and counterparty creditworthiness;
    • Increasing levels of competition, particularly in the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and emerging markets;
    • Catastrophic events, either manmade or by nature, including by way of example acts of God, acts of terrorism, acts of war and pandemics, could result in material losses and significantly interrupt Aegon’s business;
    • The frequency and severity of insured loss events;
    • Changes affecting longevity, mortality, morbidity, persistence and other factors that may impact the profitability of Aegon’s insurance products and management of derivatives;
    • Aegon’s projected results are highly sensitive to complex mathematical models of financial markets, mortality, longevity, and other dynamic systems subject to shocks and unpredictable volatility. Should assumptions to these models later prove incorrect, or should errors in those models escape the controls in place to detect them, future performance will vary from projected results;
    • Reinsurers to whom Aegon has ceded significant underwriting risks may fail to meet their obligations;
    • Changes in customer behavior and public opinion in general related to, among other things, the type of products Aegon sells, including legal, regulatory or commercial necessity to meet changing customer expectations;
    • Customer responsiveness to both new products and distribution channels;
    • Third-party information used by us may prove to be inaccurate and change over time as methodologies and data availability and quality continue to evolve impacting our results and disclosures;
    • As Aegon’s operations support complex transactions and are highly dependent on the proper functioning of information technology, operational risks such as system disruptions or failures, security or data privacy breaches, cyberattacks, human error, failure to safeguard personally identifiable information, changes in operational practices or inadequate controls including with respect to third parties with which Aegon does business, may disrupt Aegon’s business, damage its reputation and adversely affect its results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, and Aegon may be unable to adopt to and apply new technologies;
    • The impact of acquisitions and divestitures, restructurings, product withdrawals and other unusual items, including Aegon’s ability to complete, or obtain regulatory approval for, acquisitions and divestitures, integrate acquisitions, and realize anticipated results, and its ability to separate businesses as part of divestitures;
    • Aegon’s failure to achieve anticipated levels of earnings or operational efficiencies, as well as other management initiatives related to cost savings, Cash Capital at Holding, gross financial leverage and free cash flow;
    • Changes in the policies of central banks and/or governments;
    • Litigation or regulatory action that could require Aegon to pay significant damages or change the way Aegon does business;
    • Competitive, legal, regulatory, or tax changes that affect profitability, the distribution cost of or demand for Aegon’s products;
    • Consequences of an actual or potential break-up of the European Monetary Union in whole or in part, or further consequences of the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union and potential consequences if other European Union countries leave the European Union;
    • Changes in laws and regulations, or the interpretation thereof by regulators and courts, including as a result of comprehensive reform or shifts away from multilateral approaches to regulation of global or national operations, particularly regarding those laws and regulations related to ESG matters, those affecting Aegon’s operations’ ability to hire and retain key personnel, taxation of Aegon companies, the products Aegon sells, the attractiveness of certain products to its consumers and Aegon’s intellectual property;
    • Regulatory changes relating to the pensions, investment, insurance industries and enforcing adjustments in the jurisdictions in which Aegon operates;
    • Standard setting initiatives of supranational standard setting bodies such as the Financial Stability Board and the International Association of Insurance Supervisors or changes to such standards that may have an impact on regional (such as EU), national or US federal or state level financial regulation or the application thereof to Aegon, including the designation of Aegon by the Financial Stability Board as a Global Systemically Important Insurer (G-SII);
    • Changes in accounting regulations and policies or a change by Aegon in applying such regulations and policies, voluntarily or otherwise, which may affect Aegon’s reported results, shareholders’ equity or regulatory capital adequacy levels;
    • Changes in ESG standards and requirements, including assumptions, methodology and materiality, or a change by Aegon in applying such standards and requirements, voluntarily or otherwise, may affect Aegon’s ability to meet evolving standards and requirements, or Aegon’s ability to meet its sustainability and ESG-related goals, or related public expectations, which may also negatively affect Aegon’s reputation or the reputation of its board of directors or its management; and
    • Other risks and uncertainties identified in the Form 20-F and in other documents filed or to be filed by Aegon with the SEC.
    • Reliance on third-party information in certain of Aegon’s disclosures, which may change over time as methodologies and data availability and quality continue to evolve. These factors, as well as any inaccuracies in third-party information used by Aegon, including in estimates or assumptions, may cause results to differ materially and adversely from statements, estimates, and beliefs made by Aegon or third-parties. Moreover, Aegon’s disclosures based on any standards may change due to revisions in framework requirements, availability of information, changes in its business or applicable governmental policies, or other factors, some of which may be beyond Aegon’s control. Additionally, Aegon’s discussion of various ESG and other sustainability issues in this document or in other locations, including on our corporate website, may be informed by the interests of various stakeholders, as well as various ESG standards, frameworks, and regulations (including for the measurement and assessment of underlying data). As such, our disclosures on such issues, including climate-related disclosures, may include information that is not necessarily “material” under US securities laws for SEC reporting purposes, even if we use words such as “material” or “materiality” in relation to those statements. ESG expectations continue to evolve, often quickly, including for matters outside of our control; our disclosures are inherently dependent on the methodology (including any related assumptions or estimates) and data used, and there can be no guarantee that such disclosures will necessarily reflect or be consistent with the preferred practices or interpretations of particular stakeholders, either currently or in future.

    This document contains information that qualifies, or may qualify, as inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation (596/2014). Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting Aegon are described in its filings with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the 2023 Integrated Annual Report. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, Aegon expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Aegon’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

    Attachment

    • 31032025_PR_Aegon announces changes to its Board of Directors

    The MIL Network –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Large European and US organizations are prioritizing reindustrialization investments over short-term profitability

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press contact: 
    Florence Lièvre  
    Tel.: +33 1 47 54 50 71  
    Email: florence.lievre@capgemini.com

    Large European and US organizations are prioritizing reindustrialization investments over short-term profitability

    • To mitigate concerns over supply chain pressures, rising tariffs and trade disputes, cumulative investments within and outside of domestic markets projected to reach $4.7 trillion over the next three years, up from $3.4 trillion in 2024
    • More than half have invested in nearshoring or reshoring their manufacturing over the past year, with 35% planning to increase investments in nearshoring in 2025 to diversify their manufacturing
    • Friendshoring, in terms of sourcing and production, is poised to become a key route forward for nearly three quarters of organizations

    Paris, March 31, 2025 – The 2025’ edition of the Capgemini Research Institute’s report, ‘The Resurgence of manufacturing: Reindustrialization strategies in Europe and the US’, published today, shows that large organizations across the US and Europe are intensifying their focus on reindustrialization to mitigate concerns over supply chain pressures, rising tariffs and trade disputes. The reconfiguration of global supply chains and manufacturing capacity, including ‘reshoring’ and ‘nearshoring1production, as well as diversification, is being strategically prioritized over short-term profitability. Nearly 60% of executives are determined to continue their efforts despite higher costs and most organizations (65%) are reducing reliance on Chinese products. Instead, they are planning to invest in ‘friendshoring’1over the next three years to de-risk their supply chains.

    According to the survey conducted from January 1st to 20th, 2025, market tensions are driving large European and US organizations to accelerate their plans to diversify their manufacturing and supply chains: two thirds have an active or in-progress reindustrialization strategy – up from 59% in 2024.

    “After decades of globalization, the imperative to reindustrialize is clear. Organizations are intensifying their efforts to de-risk and diversify their manufacturing and supply chains through friendshoring to reinforce proximity to markets,” said Aiman Ezzat, Chief Executive Officer at Capgemini. “Complexities and costs involved in re-orchestrating supply chains are not being underestimated. Business leaders are investing to navigate the unpredictable macro-environment and drive long-term competitiveness, taking advantage of advanced technologies. In an evolving global landscape, regional collaboration with suppliers, technology providers and policymakers will be key to build a resilient and adaptable manufacturing ecosystem.”

    Rising tariffs and strain on supply chains drive reindustrialization
    Supply chain resilience, geopolitical concerns, and a desire to be closer to customers emerge as the top drivers of reindustrialization. Supply chain pressure is cited by an overwhelming majority (95%) of executives, a significant increase from 69% in 2024. The desire to be closer to customers is cited for the first time, arriving in second position (92%).

    Rising tariffs are further exacerbating supply chain challenges, with 93% of executives expressing concerns about their impact. Reindustrialization is increasingly viewed as a strategic response to the geopolitical environment – notably for battery/energy storage manufacturing, automotive and telecom – with more than half of executives across regions stating that tariffs are accelerating their reshoring and reindustrialization efforts.

    Executives acknowledge the complexity and cost of reindustrialization. More than six in ten (62%) expect rising capital costs in the next three years but half foresee reduced logistics and supply chain costs within the same period thanks to greater proximity to customers. In addition, nearly two-thirds still view the domestic skills gap as a major challenge, showing no improvement from 2024.

    Nearshore and friendshore manufacturing to surge in the next three years
    Over the past year, business leaders across sectors say that they have intensified their strategy to relocate their production and supply chain with more than half (56%) having invested in either nearshoring or combined reshoring and nearshoring of their manufacturing, up from 42% in 2024. This trend is predicted to continue. In the next three years, onshore and nearshore operations are expected to rise to account for 48% (up 7 percentage points) and 24% (up 2 percentage points) respectively, of total manufacturing capacity.

    According to the report, ‘friendshoring’ is poised to become a key route forward for most organizations (73%) in terms of sourcing and production. It is expected to account for 41% of total manufacturing capacity in the next three years, up from 37% in 2024. More than eight in ten (82%) executives indicate that they plan to reduce supply chain reliance on China, a significant increase from 58% in 2024. Organizations surveyed have instead targeted reindustrialization destinations in North America, UK, Mexico, Vietnam, India and North Africa.

    Advanced technologies to accelerate reindustrialization while driving innovation and reducing costs
    Most organizations (62%) are focusing on upgrading manufacturing facilities to make them smart and tech enabled. Over half of them have realized more than 20% cost savings through digital technologies in their reindustrialization efforts and a large majority (84%) plan to invest in advanced manufacturing technologies to further reduce costs.

    More than 6 in 10 organizations are looking at critical technologies like data and analytics and AI/Machine Learning to support reindustrialization in the next three years. Organizations are also considering emerging technologies such as Gen AI and 5G & Edge computing; blockchain and digital twins; and quantum technologies.

    In addition, nearly three quarters (73%) of organizations foresee that reindustrialization will help catalyze a shift toward sustainable and eco-friendly manufacturing practices, a significant increase from 56% in 2024.

    To read the full report: LINK

    Report Methodology
    During January 1-20, 2025, the Capgemini Research Institute surveyed 1,401 executives employed at organizations with more than $1 billion in annual revenue, across the US, the UK, and continental Europe (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the Nordics, and Spain). Organizations surveyed operate across 13 key industrial and manufacturing industries. Executives surveyed were at director level and work across diverse business, technology, and manufacturing-related functions. The Capgemini Research Institute also interviewed supply chain and manufacturing executives and experts at large organizations globally.

    About Capgemini
    Capgemini is a global business and technology transformation partner, helping organizations to accelerate their dual transition to a digital and sustainable world, while creating tangible impact for enterprises and society. It is a responsible and diverse group of 340,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong over 55-year heritage, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to unlock the value of technology to address the entire breadth of their business needs. It delivers end-to-end services and solutions leveraging strengths from strategy and design to engineering, all fueled by its market leading capabilities in AI, generative AI, cloud and data, combined with its deep industry expertise and partner ecosystem. The Group reported 2024 global revenues of €22.1 billion.

    Get The Future You Want | www.capgemini.com

    About the Capgemini Research Institute
    The Capgemini Research Institute is Capgemini’s in-house think-tank on all things digital. The Institute publishes research on the impact of digital technologies on large traditional businesses. The team draws on the worldwide network of Capgemini experts and works closely with academic and technology partners. The Institute has dedicated research centers in India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. It was ranked #1 in the world for the quality of its research by independent analysts for six consecutive times – an industry first.

    Visit us at https://www.capgemini.com/researchinstitute/

    1 In this research, reshoring is defined as bringing manufacturing/production back to the domestic market/country of headquarters. Nearshoring is defined as moving manufacturing/production to a nearby or neighboring country. Friendshoring is a growing trade practice where supply chain networks are focused on countries regarded as political and economic allies, to further reduce risk exposure.

    Attachments

    • 2025_03_31_Capgemini_Press release_Reindustrialization of Europe and The US report_2nd edition
    • Capgemini-Infographic-Reindustrialization of Europe and The US report_2nd edition

    The MIL Network –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: LIN MCU with Touch Sense Technology for Automotive Applications

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MILPITAS, Calif., March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lumissil Microsystems expanded its automotive MCU portfolio with the introduction of the IS32CS8976 and IS32CS8978 family of AEC-Q100 general purpose 8-bit MCU featuring an integrated LIN Controller and Physical Layer and Gen 3 touch key controller.

    For flexibility, the IS32CS8976 and IS32CS8978 integrate 64KB ECC (Error Correction Code) flash memory that can be used to customize GPIO pins and features up to 20 Gen 3 touch sensors with auto wake and sleep modes. The IS32CS8976 and IS32CS8978 also feature onboard touch sensors that are reconfigurable from self-capacitance to mutual-capacitance mode. In mutual-capacitance mode, Shield is offered as a feature which provides dust and water immunity and offers proximity detection. Further, the integrated LIN protocol handler is compliant with SAE J2602 LIN 2.0A, LIN 2.1A and LIN 2.2A standards, ensuring seamless communication and interoperability with electrical sub-systems within vehicle’s LIN networks.

    To support this claim, Lumissil submitted an MCU with LIN stack to iHR Automotive®, a third-party LIN test house for LIN 2.2 OSI Layer 2 data link layer certification. LIN conformity ensures that a LIN master can transmit 19.2kbps LDF (LIN Definition Frames) to the IS32CS8976 and IS32CS8978 and makes certain that the devices process LDF commands as a protocol handler.

    To address EMI concerns, the IS32CS8976 and IS32CS8978 incorporate oscillators with spread-spectrum modulation which effectively disperses energy at the operating frequency thereby reducing EMI-related radiated noise. To further ease the design, the IS32CS8976 and IS32CS8978 were designed to utilize an easy-to-use software calibration GUI which eliminates touch calibration issues and are designed around VS Code, a popular off-the-shelf IDE.

    The new IS32CS8976 and IS32CS8978 MCU’s enable command-control GPIO applications while simultaneously processing touch key functions. “Automotive engineers can achieve LIN command-control operation while processing touch sensor operations with the IS32CS8976 and IS32CS8978,” said Ven Shan, VP of Lumissil Marketing. “Both the IS32CS8976 and IS32CS8978 will facilitate the development of complex MCU applications by providing LIN command-control initiated by user interaction.”

    The IS32CS8976 and IS32CS8978 feature a built-in LIN Physical Layer LDO capable of 100mA and are available in 3.3V or 5V options. For cost sensitive applications, the IS32CS8976 is available in a TSSOP-24 package offering 16kB flash ECC and 10 GPIO pins while the IS32CS8978 is available in a compact wettable flank WQFN-40 package and features large 64kB flash ECC and 20 GPIO pins. Both devices are RoHS compliant and Pb-Free available with a 2,500 unit per reel MOQ.

    About Lumissil Microsystems
    Lumissil Microsystems specializes in analog/mixed-signal products for automotive, Communications, industrial, and consumer markets. Lumissil’s primary products are LED drivers for low to mid-power RGB color mixing and high-power lighting applications. Other products include audio, sensors, high-speed wire communications, optical networking, and application specific microcontrollers. Lumissil Microsystems has worldwide offices in the US, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, mainland China, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Israel, and Korea.  

    Website: https://www.lumissil.com

    Ven Shan

    P: 408-969-4622

    vshan@lumissil.com

    Herbe Chun

    P. 408-969-5128

    hchun@lumissil.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/871f8a4f-88e9-413f-8101-b87b58d8b7eb

    The MIL Network –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Expands Its Smart Laundry Offerings With Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo

    Source: Samsung

    ▲ Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo_Dark Steel
     
    Samsung Electronics today announced the addition of the Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo1 — an All-in-One Washer and Electric Dryer with a 7-inch AI Home touchscreen – to its lineup of Bespoke AI Laundry appliances. The combined unit eliminates the need to transfer laundry between washing and drying, while also bringing fast drying performance and intelligent functionality that makes laundry remarkably convenient.
     
    Samsung has continued to innovate in the laundry room to offer consumers a wide array of washer and dryer models for spaces of all sizes and layouts. The Bespoke AI Laundry Ventless Combo was a standout in 2024, as it raised the bar for all-in-one washer-dryers by eliminating the common performance sacrifices associated with the format. The new Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo builds on its innovation and success, giving consumers another stylish and convenient space-saving option.
     
    “At Samsung, our mission is to create smart home solutions that make life easier, more efficient and more sustainable, elevating home space to the next level in both performance and style,” said Jeong Seung Moon, EVP and Head of R&D Team for Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics. “The Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo brings exceptional time-saving efficiency to the laundry room in a compact all-in-one solution.”
     
     
    Convenient, Time Saving Functionality
    ▲ Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo_SuperSpeed
     
    The Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo is a powerful model that washes and dries clothes completely in a single machine in just 68 minutes2 when using the Super Speed cycle. Its roomy 5.3 cu. ft. Ultra Capacity drum lets users do more laundry in a single load, and its vented design uses the internal heater and fan to move hot air through clothes and vent out moisture, ensuring clothes are always dried quickly and thoroughly. For even more convenience, the Vented Combo can simply swap out the currently installed washer and electric vented dryer.
     
    And with Samsung’s AI Bubble technology, users can enjoy clean clothes, cycle after cycle. Water, air and detergent combine to create a cleansing foam that seeps into fabrics for an effective wash. To tackle tough stains without spending time pretreating them, the Steam Wash cycle comes into action. The drum releases steam to thoroughly saturate every item in the load and ensure an effective deep clean.
     
     
    Effortless Operation
    ▲ Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo_Lifestyle
     
    Like the other products in Samsung’s Bespoke AI Laundry lineup, the Vented Combo automates the process of washing and drying clothes, streamlining laundry routine and making it faster, easier experiences. Its intuitive 7-inch AI Home display is simple to use and gives a quick access to the Combo’s settings for effortless operation. And for those busy moments when the user is multi-tasking or has their hands full, convenient Voice Control capabilities let them give commands to turn the Combo on or off, access settings and more.3
     

    Samsung’s AI Opti Wash & Dry technology uses powerful AI sensors to detect soil levels and fabrics, automatically adjusting settings as needed during the cycle to deliver a better wash and dry.4 For added convenience, the Flex Auto Dispense System automatically dispenses up to 47 loads5 of detergent — or users can choose to split the compartment, so it dispenses up to 34 loads of fabric softener and 25 loads of detergent. And when the clothes are finished drying, the Auto Open Door pops open, allowing leftover moisture to evaporate, preventing unpleasant, musty odor so clothes are fresh and dry when taken out.

     
    And with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, users can also get end-of-cycle alerts and remotely start, stop or delay the Combo from their mobile phone, using the SmartThings app.6
     

    Innovations To Improve Energy Efficiency
    ▲ Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo_Lifestyle1
     
    The Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo is engineered for seamless sustainable living. As an ENERGY STAR® Certified washer-dryer, it has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for delivering energy efficiency along with the latest in technological innovation.7
     
    SmartThings Energy allows them to monitor power consumption and estimate their monthly electricity bill for improved control over their energy usage.8 They can also turn on AI Energy Mode9 to have the Vented Combo automatically optimize its energy consumption and reduce usage by up to 30%.10 The Vented Combo is also equipped with Samsung’s Less Microfiber cycle setting, which allows users to gently clean synthetic textiles while reducing 39% of microfibers released into the ocean.11

     

    Availability and Pre-Orders
    Samsung’s Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo comes in two premium colors — Dark Steel and Brushed Black for the U.S. consumers. Only the Brushed Black is available in Canada and the Dark Steel in Mexico. For those who prefer the ventless version, the Bespoke AI Laundry Ventless Combo with Heat Pump is available in Dark Steel.
     
    The Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo is now available for pre-order in the U.S. and will be available in Canada and Mexico in 2Q of 2025.
     
     
    1 Among 27″ combo washer/dryers. Sold only in USA, Canada and Mexico.2 Based on using a Super Speed cycle only with a 10 lb. DOE load (cotton 50% + polyester 50%). Individual results may vary based on actual load content.3 Available on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required. Bixby availability may vary depending on the country. Bixby only recognizes certain accents and dialects of English (U.K.), English (U.S.), English (India), French (France), German (Germany), Italian (Italy), Korean (South Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China), Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Spain) and Portuguese (Brazil).4 Fabric sensing operates for 8 lbs (3.6kg) and under. Based on AI algorithm using IEC 8 lbs (3.6kg) load. To prevent wear, wash like fabrics together. Results may vary.5 Expected number of loads: Detergent compartment can hold general detergent for up to 25 loads. Flex compartment can hold one of the following: softener for up to 34 loads, general detergent for up to 22 loads or specialty detergent for up to 29 loads. Actual results may vary depending on individual use.6 Available on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required.7 Visit www.energystar.gov for more information on ENERGY STAR® guidelines.8 Available on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required.9 Can be applied on Towels, AI Opti Wash & Dry , Heavy Duty, Super Speed, Small Load cycle only when the selected washing temperature is ‘hot.’ Applicable to wash only.10 Based on internal testing with IEC 8lbs. (3.6kg) load except for Small Load cycle [IEC 4lbs. (1.8kg) load]. Results may vary depending on the actual usage conditions.11 Based on testing by the Ocean Wise Plastics Lab using a 2kg load of 100% polyester hoodies, comparing the Synthetics cycle on a Samsung conventional model 27″ washing machine with US design and the Less Microfiber cycle. Results may vary depending on the actual clothes and usage conditions. Applicable to wash only.

    MIL OSI Economics –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Electronics Unveils ‘AI Home’ Vision at Welcome to Bespoke AI Event

    Source: Samsung

     
    Samsung Electronics unveiled its refreshed “AI Home” vision and innovative appliance lineup at its global launch event, Welcome to Bespoke AI, in Seoul, Korea. With a focus on providing a more secure and intuitive user experience, the company introduced an AI Home experience, showcasing advanced AI features and a wider range of screen-enabled appliances.
     
    Jeong Seung Moon, EVP and Head of the R&D Team for Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics, opened the global press conference by introducing the company’s vision for creating an AI Home that harmoniously connects various devices and, as a result, caters to user needs in every room of the home.
     
    “Through our Bespoke AI appliances, Samsung has brought an AI Home to life that not only enhances everyday convenience but also enables energy savings and care,” said Jeong Seung Moon. “We will continue to expand the advanced AI Home to more households, leveraging smart screens, Bixby and Knox security.”
     

    The 2025 Bespoke AI Appliance Lineup
    ▲ Samsung unveiled the new Bespoke AI appliances for 2025.
     
    During the event, Samsung introduced its Bespoke AI appliances for 2025, which bring new and innovative functionalities to solve users’ difficult problems.
     
    At the heart of the company’s vision is the AI Home display.1 Built upon the innovation of the first introduction of the AI Home display last year, the AI Home with new size options has been expanded to a broad range of new products, such as Bespoke AI Refrigerators, the Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo, Washers and Dryers.2

     
    The 9-inch AI Home screen on the Bespoke AI Refrigerator lineup increases consumers’ options by offering a similar experience to what’s available on the larger AI Family Hub screen. With the upgraded AI Vision Inside,3 food management has been enhanced with new features such as automatic recognition of processed food items,4 for models with the AI Family Hub and those with the AI Home. Through the 7-inch AI Home in the Bespoke AI Laundry, users can intuitively control the washing and drying cycles, as well as monitor and control other connected devices.5
     

    Moreover, the new Bespoke AI appliances bring enhanced features that adapt to consumer needs. For example, the Bespoke AI Hybrid Refrigerator utilizes AI to efficiently cool the inside of the fridge, detecting its current status and predicting internal temperature changes to effectively adapt cooling.
     
    The Bespoke AI Laundry includes new functions to enhance consumer convenience, with new standalone models that have upgraded AI Wash and AI Dry to AI Wash+ and AI Dry+,6 as well as models to be launched in Europe, using up to 55% less energy than class A minimum requirements for the washer.7 Also, Samsung unveiled the new Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo, which is the first ever vented combo in its class.8 It significantly reduces drying time, finishing both washing and drying in 68 minutes with its Super Speed cycle.

     
    Samsung is continuing to innovate its vacuum cleaner lineup, as well. The cordless stick vacuum cleaner, the Bespoke AI Jet Ultra, will be launched with the world’s most powerful9 suction power of up to 400W.10 The upgraded AI Cleaning Mode 2.011 classifies more diverse environments12 like corners13 and the type of carpets14 for improved cleaning performance.

     
    Samsung also revealed the Bespoke AI Jet Bot Steam Ultra.15 Not only is the robot vacuum cleaner designed to climb thresholds, but it is also enhanced with AI Object Recognition for complex environments,16 which can recognize obstacles as small as 1cm, and even transparent liquids17 for better cleaning results. And when it encounters corners or walls, the brush pops out, allowing it to clean areas that can be difficult for typical robot vacuum cleaners to deal with.

     
     
    Samsung Home Appliances Bring Easy To Use, Care and Saving to Consumers
    Samsung elaborated further on its “AI Home” vision and its commitment to integrating AI across the connected experience to cater to diverse lifestyles — through the core benefits of Easy to Use, Care and Saving.
     
    Thanks to the adoption of the AI Home display, users will find it easier than ever to engage with the full functionality of their Bespoke AI appliances. The smart screen is now an even better central control hub, even connecting third party devices through SmartThings without the need for a separate hub device.18 Users can also utilize features like the refrigerators’ Daily Board to receive personalized information and better manage their day — or use Map View to effortlessly monitor and control other connected devices.

     
    The upgraded Bixby allows for easier control of appliances through voice commands and enhances usability through new features like Voice ID.19 It personalizes services by recognizing the user’s voice, automatically switching to the Samsung account of the speaker and showing their calendar on the screen. And if that person also uses the low vision option on their Galaxy smartphone, it will be automatically synced to the screen for a better viewing experience.
     
    New SmartThings services were also introduced during the event, including Family Care,20 which sends an alert to other family members if a user’s movement is not detected at the set time — or if there is no activity for a certain amount of time after the last activity. It is also possible to use the robot vacuum cleaner to look for signs of an emergency, with all of this functionality being tightly secured by Samsung Knox.
     
     
    Continued Efforts To Deliver Reliable Experiences
    To complete its “AI Home” vision for 2025, Samsung shone a light on how it is pushing the boundaries of innovation, prioritizing a trusted experience for users.
     
    First, Samsung will apply enhanced Knox security to devices across the lineup so that users will be able to enjoy their AI Home experience with peace of mind. This year in particular, Trust Chain, which is part of Knox Matrix, is applied to all Wi-Fi enabled appliances launching in 2025. Users can continuously monitor products’ security status in real time through the dashboard.21
     
    Knox Vault is also applied to home appliances for the first time,22 storing particularly sensitive user information, such as passwords and authentication information, in a separate hardware chip to ensure protection. Furthermore, to protect against the potential of future quantum attacks, Samsung’s security is also equipped with post-quantum cryptography (PQC), a part of Knox Matrix Credential Sync, for its screen-applied products.23

     
    Another key priority for Samsung is making sure that customers can use the latest software features on their existing appliances without buying new ones. With Smart Forward,24 the software update service through SmartThings, Samsung continuously updates its appliances with new features to enhance the consumer experience.
     
    Samsung is also actively improving product maintenance. SmartThings Home Care utilizes AI to diagnose each appliance’s status, and if signs of malfunction are detected, it sends a notification in advance. In addition, a technical support representative can provide guidance on remote measures based on pre-diagnosis results.25 This support feature has already expanded to more countries, including France, Netherlands and Canada, following Korea and the United States.
     
    By integrating all of these wide-ranging initiatives, Samsung aims to create safer and more reliable smart home experiences that users can enjoy with comfort and peace of mind.
     
    ▲ Samsung DA held a global event to unveil its vision and new products.
     
     
    1 AI Home display refers to the 7″ or 9″ LCD screen on the product. Does not mean all services available on the AI Home are AI or generate information or outcome using AI. Certain functions accessible through the AI Home utilize AI-based algorithms, which can be updated periodically to improve accuracy. AI-based algorithms may generate incomplete or incorrect information.2 AI Home is available on select models, and its availability may vary by region.3 Available on select T-Type and French Door refrigerator models. As of April 2025, AI Vision Inside can recognize 37 food items like fresh fruits and veggies. If the food is not recognizable, it may be listed as an unknown item. AI Vision Inside cannot identify or list any food items in the fridge door bins or freezer. It recognizes food items based on deep learning models, which may be updated periodically to improve accuracy.4 AI Vision Inside will recognize and recommend that users save processed food items that have been placed inside multiple times, allowing up to 50 items to be saved with the designated name. Processed foods are limited to those that keep a certain packaged form. AI Home recommends saving the item after it has been input more than 4 times during 30 days.5 A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required. Third-party devices must be SmartThings compatible.6 Based on an advanced AI-created algorithm. It may not detect certain fabrics or accurately identify them when a load includes a mixture of different fabric types. To prevent wear, wash like fabrics together. For US, the names of features are applied differently; AI OptiWash and AI OptiDry to AI OptiWash+ and AI OptiDry+.7 Based on Samsung internal testing. The energy consumption of this 9KG model is EEI 21.8, which is 55% more energy efficient compared to the minimum threshold of energy efficiency class A (EEI 52 for 9KG models). Energy ratings tested with Eco 40-60 program, 55% savings tested with Eco 40-60 program.8 Among 27” vented washer/dryers. Sold only in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.9 Based on testing by SLG Prüf- und Zertifizierungs GmbH, in accordance with the IEC 62885-4 Cl.5.8 standard, using a handheld type vacuum cleaner (with no brush) in Jet mode. The results were compared to cordless stick vacuum models available on the market with a stated suction power within 30% of the actual suction power of the Samsung model tested by SLG. Based on sales data between January 2024 and December 2024 as compiled by an independent market research institute.10 Based on testing by SLG Prüf- und Zertifizierungs GmbH, in accordance with the IEC 62885-4 Cl.5.8 standard. Measured at the inlet of the non-motorized tool when the dustbin is empty, using Jet Mode and a large capacity battery that is fully charged. Lasts up to 1 min.11 The updated functions of AI Cleaning Mode 2.0 can be activated after registering the stick vacuum cleaner on the SmartThings App. The operation of AI Cleaning mode 2.0 may be limited in certain environments, such as when the All-in-one Clean Station is unplugged or Wi-Fi connection is unstable or the Bluetooth connection status between the stick vacuum cleaner and the All-in-one Clean Station is unstable. If AI Cleaning mode 2.0 does not work frequently, please move the All-in-one Clean Station to a space without obstacles nearby. To enable continuous function updates, keep Wi-Fi on in the house on at all times.12 The ability to identify different cleaning environments and the time it takes to change the settings can be affected by environmental conditions.13 When used with Slim LED Brush+. Corner and floor-wall joint detection only operates in hard floor environments. “Corner” refers to the area where two flat and closed walls meet. The suction power increases about 2-3.5 seconds after the brush is pressed against the wall. If the brush contacts only one side of the corner or if there is a gap in the corner, it may not be recognized as a corner, and the recognition accuracy and reaction speed may vary depending on the wall shape and actual usage environment.14 When used with Active Dual Brush.15 Product features are still in development and may change. It does not guarantee final specifications.16 Based on our deep learning model trained using a predefined set of data and may yield incomplete or incorrect information. New datasets may be introduced to our learning model from time to time to enhance its accuracy.17 A liquid spill is defined as having a size of 7cm x 7cm or larger. Identification may be affected by the size of the stain or the environmental conditions of the floor, such as the floor pattern.18 Available in the refrigerators’ 32” AI Family Hub and/or 9” AI Home. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required. All products must be connected to SmartThings. Only 3rd party devices that are compatible with SmartThings can be registered.19 Bixby availability may vary depending on the country. Bixby only recognizes certain accents and dialects of English (U.K.), English (U.S.), English (India), French (France), German (Germany), Italian (Italy), Korean (South Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China), Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Spain) and Portuguese (Brazil). Voice ID will be available starting May of 2025 through Smart Forward update. Launch date may differ according to region and country. Bixby activated Samsung Account is required. Up to six accounts can be registered per device. To increase the accuracy of identifying each voice, it is recommended for you to register your voice in quiet surroundings. Voice ID is done based on the tone of voice used during registration process. Any change or modification to your voice may lead to misidentification.20 Appliance must support Wi-Fi and connect to SmartThings to activate service. Users can activate the service on the SmartThings.21 Trust Chain Dashboard is applied to appliances with 7-inch or 9-inch AI Home, and AI Family Hub screen launching in 2025.22 Knox Vault is applied to Bespoke AI Jet Bot Steam Ultra and appliances with 7-inch or 9-inch AI Home, and AI Family Hub screen launching in 2025, except Bespoke AI Oven.23 PQC is applied to appliances with 7-inch or 9-inch AI Home, and AI Family Hub screen launching in 2025, except Bespoke AI Oven.24 Smart Forward updates are available for software only, and for models released after 2017 that are equipped with standardized OCF protocol. Adequate hardware specifications may be required for certain updates. Available on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required.25 Applicable to appliances launched after 2018 and is supported on models with standardized OCF protocol released from 2018 onward. Supported features may vary according to region and country. Appliance must support Wi-Fi and connect to SmartThings to activate service.

    MIL OSI Economics –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: AFCD reminds public not to enter Sham Wan Restricted Area during restricted period

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) reminds members of the public today (March 31) not to enter the Sham Wan Restricted Area, Lamma Island, from tomorrow (April 1) to October 31 to protect nesting green turtles.
     
         The Sham Wan Restricted Area includes a beach of 0.5 hectare and a sea inlet of 98.2 hectares adjoining the beach at Sham Wan (see Annex). The restricted period lasts seven months, from April 1 to October 31.
     
         An AFCD spokesman said, “The green turtle is an endangered species protected by the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170) in Hong Kong. It is also the only sea turtle species that nests locally. The sandy beach at Sham Wan on Lamma Island is the only site in Hong Kong and one of the few sites in the South China Sea at which green turtles nest from time to time. Green turtles are known to stay in waters adjacent to their natal beaches before and in between their nesting. During the period, breeding green turtles are particularly sensitive to human disturbances, which may frighten them and cause them to abandon nesting. The designation of the Sham Wan Restricted Area helps protect endangered green turtles and their breeding ground. It can bring about a positive impact on the survival and breeding of green turtles in the long run.”
     
         The spokesman pointed out that AFCD staff will conduct patrols to prevent unauthorised entry to the area and monitor the occurrence and nesting activities of green turtles. Unauthorised entry to the restricted area is subject to a maximum fine of $50,000 upon conviction.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: OFFICIAL HANDOVER OF AGRICULTURAL AID MATERIALS BY THE CHINA-SAMOA SCATAP PROJECT

    Source:

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    KEYNOTE ADDRESS by Hon. Niuava Eti Leatiogie Malolo Funefeai, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries (19 March 2025)

    Your Excellency Fei Mingxing, Ambassador of the Government of the People’s Republic of China in Samoa,

    Distinguished Representatives from the Government of the People’s Republic of China,

    Our SCATAP Chinese Expert Team,

    Our MAF colleagues,

    Our SCATAP Model Farmers,

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Talofa Lava and Warm Greetings to You All!

    It is with great pleasure that I stand before you today on this momentous occasion, the official handover of agricultural aid materials, provided through the Samoa-China Agricultural Technical Aid Project, SCATAP. The SCATAP initiative, which has been implemented by both Governments of Samoa and the People’s Republic of China for six consecutive phases now since 2010, is a testament to the strong and enduring partnership between our two Governments, in the area of agriculture and food security.

    On behalf of the Government of Samoa and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, I wish to extend our sincere gratitude to the Government of the People’s Republic of China, for their continued support in advancing agricultural development in our small island country.

    The generous assistance provided through SCATAP has played a crucial role in strengthening our local farming practices, improving productivity, and enhancing food security and nutrition for our people.

    Agriculture remains the backbone of Samoa’s economy, sustaining the livelihoods of many families in our rural communities. It is therefore important that we continue to introduce modern farming techniques, improve seed quality, and promote sustainable practices, to ensure long-term food security and nutrition, and economic resilience. Through SCATAP, we have seen remarkable progress in capacity building, technology transfer, and access to essential farming tools and resources.

    Today, as we officially receive these agricultural aid materials, we recognize the positive impact they will have on our farmers and our agricultural sector as a whole. These resources will help us increase production, improve efficiency, and create more opportunities for our farmers to thrive.

    To our farmers and stakeholders, I encourage you to use these materials in a way that maximizes its benefits, and the knowledge shared through this partnership. Let us work together to further develop Samoa’s agricultural sector, ensuring economic prosperity, and food security and nutrition for our future generations.

    In closing, I wish to again express my sincere appreciation to the Ambassador and Government Representatives of the People’s Republic of China, the dedicated SCATAP Chinese Expert Team, and all those involved in making this development partnership a success, and may it continue to grow for the desired benefits of both our countries.

    Soifua ma ia manuia!

    TUFATUFAINA ALOAIA O MEAFAIGALUEGA MO LE AU FAIFAATOAGA TAUALA MAI LE POLOKETI A LE SCATAP I LE FAIGAPA’AGA A SAMOA MA SAINA

    SAUNOAGA AUTU a le Minisita o Faatoaga ma Faigafaiva le afioga Niuava Eti Leatiogie Malolo Funefeai, (19 Mati 2025)

    Lau Afioga i le ali’i Amepasa o le Malo o Saina i Samoa nei, Your Excellency Fei Mingxing,

    Afifio sui mai le Malo o Saina,

    ‘Au faigaluega fa’apitoa a le tatou SCATAP mai Saina,

    Sui o paaga tumaoti mo atinae fa’atoaga ma faigafaiva,

    Le mamalu o le aufaifa’atoaga,

    Talofa, talofa lava.

    E muamua ona ou fa’atalofa atu i le suafa manumalo o Iesu Keriso, le Ao o le Ekalesia i lo outou paia , ma lo outou mamalu. Malo afua ailao ua maua, ua poto moli i futiafu e tasi i lo outou soifua maualuga ma le lagi e mama i lenei taeao matagofie, ina ua tatou feiloai i magafetau soifua. Vi’ia le Atua, ma ia fa’amanuina lona Suafa Paia.

    Ou te matautia fa’atulou i lenei aofia aemaise o le maimoa fa’afofoga mai a Samoa i lenei aso. E iai le manatu, o paia fa’ataotooto o Samoa ua potopoto, o le a le o’o iai se leo vaivai, aua e taliu ae popoe, ina ne’i le atoa li’o le masina, ona faitauina lea o le tautalaga. Nu’unu’u atu fa’atini o tausala. Ae tatou aumaia mamalu o le Atua e palelae’i ai lenei taeao ua tatou potopoto ai i Nu’u nei, i le Vaega o Laau Toto aua lenei fa’amoemoe taua.

    Ae o le a aga’i loa sina fa’amatalaga pu’upu’u i le auga o aute o lenei aso. Ou te tulai atu ai la ma le agaga fiafia tele i o outou luma i lenei taeao, ona o se fa’amoemoe sa fauao, faupo, sa talia lupe o maunu pe taunu’u nei fa’amanuiaga, ae fa’afetai i le Atua ua ia fa’ataunu’uina ma tu’uina mai le avanoa ma lenei laolao e fa’aleo ai ma le loto fa’afetai nei meaalofa ua foaina e le Malo tele o Saina, e tauala mai i le Poloketi o le SCATAP, lea o le a tauaaoina aloaia i lenei taeao mo le tatou Matagaluega o Fa’atoaga ma Faigafaiva, aemaise o ana paaga faifa’atoaga.

    O lenei fa’amoemoe na afua mai i taumafaiga a le tatou Malo e tauala mai i le tatou Matagaluega ina ia fa’amalosia le galulue fa’apaaga o Malo e lua (Samoa ma Saina) i le atina’e o fa’atoaga ma le si’itia o le tulaga o le mauaina pea o taumafa mo ona tagata.

    E ia te a’u le ava ma le fa’aaloalo e tatau ai e tu’uina atu ai se lagona o le agaga fa’afetai tele lava i le Malo o Saina e fai ma fofoga taumolimoli o le Malo o Samoa, ma le Matagaluega o Fa’atoaga ma Faigafaiva, e tusa ai o nei foa’i taua, e ala i mea faigaluega, atoa ma le lasi o mea ua taua’aoina i lenei aso.

    Fa’afetai tele mo le lagolago o lo’o fa’aauauina pea e ala i atina’e eseese ma metotia fou ua fa’asoa mai aua le si’itia o tomai ma agava’a o le mamalu o le aufaifa’atoaga ma le Matagaluega, ina ia si’itia ai le tamaoaiga o le tatou atunu’u e ala i atina’e o fa’atoaga.

    E tumau pea le avea o atinae o fa’atoaga ma ivitu malosi o le tamaoaiga o Samoa, lea o lo’o ola fa’alagolago iai aiga uma aua tupe maua ma le tausia o le ola manuia o tagata taitoatasi.

    O le fa’asoa mai o tomai ma agava’a fa’anei ona po i le faiga o fa’atoaga, o metotia eseese, ituaiga fatu laau eseese, seia o’o lava i ituaiga faiga o fa’atoaga e mautinoa le fa’aauauina pea ina ia maua pea taumafa, ma e mafai ona pulea gafataulimaina ma tali atu i suiga o le tau.

    O nisi o vaega taua o lenei poloketi ua afua ai nei foai e ala i mea faigaluega, ina ia fa’aoga tatau, e aofia ai le si’itia lea o tomai ma agava’a o le aufaigaluega ma le aufaifa’atoaga e pei o a’oa’oga ma polokalame fefa’asoaa’i, aemaise ai o le fa’aogaina o mea faigaluega talafeagai mo le fa’afaigofieina o le fa’atinoina o atinae o fa’atoaga.

    O le asō, ua tatou molimauina nei foai taua ma le aoga, o le a saga fa’amausali ai le aoga mo le atina’e o fa’atoaga a le mamalu o le aufaifa’atoaga, sosaiete, aemaise o pa’aga tumaoti. E talitonu o le a fesoasoaini tele nei meafaigaluega i le si’itia o fua o fa’atoaga ma atina’e, aemaise o le a tele avanoa mo le aufaifa’atoaga latou te agava’a ai i nei fa’amanuiaga.

    Mo le aufaifa’atoaga ma pa’aga uma a le tatou Matagaluega i lenei taeao, o le tu’ualalo ma le fa’amalosiau mo lo outou mamalu, ia fa’aoga lelei nei foai ma tomai ua fa’asoaina mai e nei sui o le Malo o Saina. Ia tatou galulue fa’atasi mo se Samoa manuia ina ia mau le atunu’u i taumafa aua fanau lalovaoa.

    O le a le fa’amatafauloaina se fa’amatalaga, e toe momoli atu le agaga fa’afetai tele lava i le aumalaga mai le Malo o Saina i lana Afioga i le ta’ita’i malaga, aemaise le amepasa o le Malo Saina o lo’o i’inei Samoa, fa’apea le aufaigaluega a le SCATAP, fa’atasi ai ma i latou uma sa tofu sao mo lenei taumafaiga. Ia tumau pea le galulue fa’atasi, ma ia fa’aauauina pea lenei faigapaaga i le va o Malo e lua aua le manuia o ona tagata.

    Soifua ma ia manuia.

    Ata Pueina – Malo o Samoa (Leaosa Faaifo Faaifo)

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    March 31, 2025

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: NHC vice-minister meets with chair of US-based China Medical Board

    Source: People’s Republic of China Ministry of Health

    Zeng Yixin, vice-minister of China’s National Health Commission (NHC), met with Harvey V. Fineberg, chair of the China Medical Board (CMB), an independent American foundation, on March 21 in Beijing. The pair discussed strengthening exchanges and cooperation in health.

    Zeng affirmed the CMB’s role as a vital bridge in promoting non-governmental health as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and the United States.

    He said China has preliminarily established a medical education system with Chinese characteristics, involving academic medical education, postgraduate education and continuing medical education, and expressed hope that the CMB will support China in advancing the reform and development of medical education.

    He proposed expanding bilateral cooperation in medical education to cover more areas of mutual interest, such as aging population response and adolescent mental health, so as to better meet public needs.

    Fineberg said the CMB values collaboration with China and is willing to further bilateral exchanges in medicine, nursing, public health and global health to help cultivate high-level medical talent.

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Geopolitical Risks and Trade Conflicts: How Resilient is the Swiss Economy? – KOF

    Source: KOF Economic Institute

    Since the new U.S. administration took office, geopolitical risks and international trade conflicts have significantly intensified. KOF has examined the risks and possible consequences for the Swiss economy. The findings show: trade conflicts can lead to declines in Swiss gross domestic product (GDP), ranging from fractions of a percent to over one percent per year on a sustained basis. In the case of severe and prolonged trade conflicts, the economy could fall into a recession.

    In their KOF Working Paper “Resilience of Small Open Economies to Geopolitical Shocks: The Case of Switzerland,” Hans Gersbach, Paul Maxence Maunoir, and Kieran James Walsh examine various scenarios concerning the risks to the Swiss economy arising from trade conflicts and its consequences. “The Swiss economy is both resilient and vulnerable,” summarizes Hans Gersbach, Co-Director of KOF Swiss Economic Institute, reflecting on the study’s findings.

    Although the Swiss economy is relatively resilient to the effects of geopolitical shocks, it is also quite vulnerable in the event of intense and prolonged trade conflicts. In such cases, permanent losses of around one percent of GDP per year are possible. In some scenarios, additional effects (so-called “second-layer” effects) can further amplify these losses. If severe trade conflicts were to arise between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, as well as between the U.S. and Europe, there would be a clear risk of recession for several countries, including Switzerland.

    Two-Stage Process for Analysis

    To examine the resilience of the Swiss economy, the authors employed a two-step approach. The impact of geopolitical disruptions on international trade in goods and services for Switzerland and other countries is analyzed using the new “KOF Trade Model”. This model is a modern quantitative general equilibrium model of global trade networks. It captures the effects of relative price and demand changes resulting from tariffs, how companies respond in their production of goods and services, and feedback effects on all market participants.

    However, a number of further effects—such as downward amplification, structural changes in investment activity, further nominal exchange rate fluctuations, or product-specific supply chain disruptions—are not included in the model. Depending on the scenario, these second-layer effects may have minor, significant, or major implications. They must therefore be considered for a comprehensive assessment.

    In (Almost) All Scenarios, the Economy Suffers Losses

    The Swiss economy is particularly vulnerable if the U.S. administration imposes tariffs on imports from all countries, including key sectors of the Swiss economy. These sectors would include the pharmaceutical industry, mechanical engineering, and precision instruments for instance. If this scenario were to occur, the Swiss economy would be the most affected of all countries on the European mainland. If the European Union (EU) responded to broad U.S. import tariffs with comprehensive countermeasures, also against Switzerland, significant losses could arise—potentially exceeding 1% of GDP.

    However, in both scenarios, the economies of the U.S. and major countries in the EU would suffer similarly or even more. Therefore, such comprehensive tariff wars are difficult for these countries to sustain in the long term and are not considered the most likely scenario. Should critical raw materials or computer chips become unavailable due to geopolitical tensions, or if there were a rapid policy-driven decoupling between a Western sphere (including Switzerland) and a sphere centered around China, major disruptions would be expected. Such a decoupling could even lead to a global economic crisis.

    Conclusion

    Our results provide a foundation for discussion on how the economic resilience of Switzerland can be strengthened and what role the state should play in this process. Key policy levers include free trade agreements to promote diversification and risk mitigation, conditions to ensure supply security, and the government’s contribution to a resilient innovation system.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Tokyo stocks plunge over US recession fears

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Tokyo stocks plunged on Monday, following a sharp drop in U.S. stocks amid growing concerns over a potential economic slowdown.

    The benchmark Nikkei stock index, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average, closed at 35,617.56, down 1,502.77 points, or 4.05 percent from the previous trading day.

    At one point, the index fell more than 1,570 points, reaching its lowest closing level in more than seven months since August 2024.

    Market sentiment has weakened after reports that U.S. President Donald Trump said that his administration’s upcoming tariffs would apply to all countries and regions.

    Analysts warned that until the full scope of Trump’s tariff policies becomes clear, Japanese stocks are likely to remain under pressure.

    The broader Tokyo Stock Price Index (TOPIX) also declined, losing 98.52 points, or 3.57 percent to close at 2,658.73.

    On the Prime Market, declining stocks outnumbered gainers by 1,575 to 52, while 10 stocks remained unchanged.

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese sci-fi film ‘Redland’ dazzles at industry gala

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    A trailer for the long-awaited Chinese sci-fi film “Redland” debuted to great acclaim at the 2025 Beijing Sci-Fi Night and Science Fiction Planet Extravaganza gala on Sunday in Beijing.

    Sci-fi film “Redland” is presented at the 2025 Beijing Sci-Fi Night and Science Fiction Planet Extravaganza gala in Beijing, March 30, 2025. [Photo courtesy of the CSFC Organizing Committee]

    “Redland,” formerly known as “Underground Deep Palace,” is adapted from the novella “Red Earth” by Xiao Xinghan. The story depicts the world after a nuclear war where humanity survives underground, battles genetically mutated species, and ultimately saves and revives human civilization. The novella won the Chinese Nebula Original Award in 2019. 

    Four years in the making, the film is scheduled to premiere on China’s iQiyi streaming platform in the near future. At the gala held during the China Science Fiction Convention 2025 (CSFC 2025), Gan Weikang, an executive producer of the film and president of Hainan Eternal Vision Science Fiction Media (EV/SFM), told the audience that “Redland” aims to provide uniquely Chinese original content and deliver higher-quality cultural content to audiences.

    “The success of sci-fi films and TV series like ‘The Wandering Earth’ and ‘The Three-Body Problem’ has opened new possibilities for China’s sci-fi film market, raising audience expectations for more outstanding works. The release of ‘Redland’ follows this trend, aiming to contribute to the development of Chinese sci-fi cinema,” he said.

    Director Liu Kaiyi stated that at its core, “Redland” explores humanity’s struggle and transcendence under extreme conditions. “When radiation mutates the world, with monsters rampant and survival at stake, people come to realize how truly precious those seemingly insignificant people and things really are,” he explained.

    A poster for the movie “Redland.” [Image courtesy of EV/SFM]

    The film, written by Wang Haoyi and produced by Lin Ran, creates a unique underground utopia besieged by nuclear wasteland, mutants and cave tribes. The central suspense driving the narrative is humanity’s desperate struggle to overcome these threats and reclaim the surface world. VFX supervisor Meng Jifeng stressed how the team meticulously crafted every visual effect detail — the war-torn above-ground ruins, the mysterious underground world and the bone-chilling monsters — to help fully immerse viewers.

    “Redland” author Xiao Xinghan lauded the film’s deep exploration of how cutting-edge technologies like genetic engineering may impact future society, as well as its extensive use of advanced technologies like AI during production, giving the entire film a strong futuristic sci-fi aesthetic with unique philosophical depth.

    Also at Sunday night’s gala, the 3rd Sci-Fi Planet Competition honored outstanding sci-fi enterprises, academic institutions, teams and individuals for their sci-fi and high-tech projects. As China’s first independent international sci-fi competition, it offered a prize pool worth 6.65 million yuan this year. The 2025 edition received 747 submissions from China and 10 other countries, with 61 projects advancing to the finals. Winners included Yan Xi’s “Age of the Godmakers,” Yin Chao’s “Village at the End of the World,” the Three-Body Universe’s VR interactive story “Three-Body: Expedition,” and Vidu, a large-scale Chinese video-generation model by Beijing ShengShu Technology.

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Ceremony honoring Yellow Emperor held in Henan province

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    An ancestral worship ceremony honoring Huangdi, also known as the Yellow Emperor, is held on March 31 in Xinzheng, central China’s Henan province. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
    Thousands of people from around the world gathered Monday for an ancestral worship ceremony honoring Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor, in Xinzheng, central China’s Henan province.
    The event attracted overseas Chinese, experts in culture, arts, calligraphy and media, as well as representatives from science and economics. Attendees paid respects to Huangdi, praying for national prosperity and global peace and harmony.
    In Chinese mythology, Huangdi is considered the ancestor of the Chinese nation and the founder of Chinese civilization. According to legend, Xinzheng is Huangdi’s hometown.
    The ceremony included a series of nine rituals: a ceremonial cannon salute, laying of flower baskets, hand purification and incense offering, ancestor worship, the reading of eulogy, hymn singing, musical and dance tributes, and prayers for China’s well-being and the harmony of heaven, earth and humanity.
    For the sixth consecutive year, the ceremony included an online ancestral worship platform, allowing participants worldwide to join virtually.
    Following the ceremony, participants were able to explore Henan’s rich cultural heritage and learn about the modern development of the Yellow Emperor’s hometown.

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi chairs leadership meeting on eco-protection inspection regulations, disciplinary inspection

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday chaired a leadership meeting to review a set of regulations on ecological and environmental protection inspection.
    The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee also reviewed a report on the fourth round of disciplinary inspection launched by the 20th CPC Central Committee. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Announcement on Open Market Operations No.61 [2025]

    Source: Peoples Bank of China

    Announcement on Open Market Operations No.61 [2025]

    (Open Market Operations Office, March 31, 2025)

    The People’s Bank of China conducted reverse repo operations in the amount of RMB166.7 billion through quantity bidding at a fixed interest rate on March 31, 2025.

    Details of the Reverse Repo Operations

    Maturity

    Rate

    Bidding Volume

    Winning Bid Volume

    7 days

    1.50%

    RMB166.7 billion

    RMB166.7 billion

    Date of last update Nov. 29 2018

    2025年03月31日

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Kung fu master from Cameroon wants Chinese culture to ‘light up’ lives

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Fabrice Mba’s passion for Chinese culture and martial arts budded in the southern Cameroon town of Sangmelima, where he grew up watching kung fu movies.

    Mba (right, front) instructs a young man in martial arts movements in Yaounde, capital of Cameroon. [Photo provided to China Daily]

    His elder brother was a projectionist and as a youngster, Mba often helped him sweep the theater.

    For the first time, he saw Shaolin monks on the screen. “I discovered kung fu and Chinese culture. It spoke a lot to me.”

    He and his friends would imitate characters from the movies, but there was no kung fu club to train them.

    When he was 8, he left home with his elder sister to settle in the capital, Yaounde.

    Life was difficult, his father was absent and his mother could not take care of all her children.

    “I grew up on the street,” he says.

    Mba’s life changed with the arrival of a group of Chinese engineers in the 1980s. They built the Yaounde Conference Center, a China-aid project that remains one of the landmarks in Cameroon to this day.

    He and his sister lived not far from the center. One of the Chinese engineers at the construction site was skilled in martial arts and trained regularly, to the amazement of Mba and his friends.

    “I often went with my friends, and we stood and watched (him training) from afar,” he says.

    One day, the man called to them and asked them to take a posture, with knees slightly bent as if holding a tree in their arms. “We stood facing the wall. It hurt,” says Mba.

    After that, he came every morning to learn kung fu. He trained hard, learning the fundamental elements.

    Mba returned briefly to Sangmelima to help his brother, but life was difficult there, and he returned to the capital, where he did odd jobs to survive.

    Fabrice Mba gives a lecture on traditional Chinese medicine to his students at the Confucius Institute at the University of Yaounde II in Soa, Cameroon, in February. [Photo provided to China Daily]

    His life took another turn in 2011, when he encountered a codirector of the Confucius Institute at the University of Yaounde II, during one of his training sessions.

    Mba enrolled in the institute. “That marked a turning point in my kung fu journey.”

    Thanks to a scholarship, he got the opportunity to train in martial arts and traditional Chinese medicine at the Shaolin Temple in Henan province. Between 2015 and 2019, he visited the temple three times.

    Today, Mba is a household name in Cameroon when it comes to kung fu and traditional Chinese medicine.

    “I am president of the Cameroon Kung-Fu Federation. I am a specialist in Chinese traditional medicine. I have been the president of the Association for the Promotion of Chinese Martial Arts since 2010, and I am also a Shaolin cultural ambassador of the time,” says the 46-year-old disciple.

    He runs a program that offers free short-term training in physiotherapy and other subjects to disadvantaged young people to help them find work. He also teaches kung fu in several schools.

    “Be your own boss” is the slogan of his Lotus and Water Lily program.

    “I train them to be morally upright and useful to society,” Mba says. “I went through difficulties as a child, and I do not want them to face the same hardships.”

    Martin Mangwandjo was one of Mba’s students. About seven years ago, Mangwandjo started learning kung fu, which changed his life. Now 29, he also teaches martial arts and runs a kung fu club of his own.

    “Kung fu has enabled me to fit into the social milieu more easily,” says Mangwandjo, who has a congenital disability in his left leg and walks on crutches. “It has given me a winning mentality, because I’ve understood that a man’s strength lies not in his physique, but in his mind.”

    Now, he wants to emulate his mentor and help promote Chinese culture. “I’d like to encourage other people, who have full mobility but still hesitate to take the plunge, telling themselves that these things are not feasible or not attainable, to really encourage them to embrace Chinese culture as I have,” he says.

    Mba’s knowledge and love of Chinese culture is also visible in the literary world. He has published several books of poetry and prose focused on kung fu, Chinese culture and nonviolence.

    “Martial arts is about moral values, peace, respect and life,” he says. “Cameroonians and Africans who read the books always come back to me, and say they now have a better understanding of Chinese people and their culture.”

    Mba says that as more people take up kung fu in Cameroon, he hopes to continue to offer valuable training.

    “Promoting Chinese culture in Cameroon does not mean turning Cameroonians into Chinese,” he says. “It’s like putting Cameroonians in front of a mirror, enabling them to understand that through hard work, they can reshape their mentality, shed poverty, and achieve the results they want, just like the Chinese.”

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Hosting the UN climate summit is far from ‘madness’ – here’s how Australia stands to benefit

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wesley Morgan, Research Associate, Institute for Climate Risk and Response, UNSW Sydney

    Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would withdraw Australia’s bid to co-host next year’s global climate summit if the Coalition wins the federal election.

    Australia has lobbied hard for the right to host the talks, known as COP31, in conjunction with Pacific nations. Australia has emerged as a leading contender, and has the backing of most countries in its United Nations grouping, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and New Zealand.

    However, Dutton on Sunday described the idea of hosting the UN climate conference as “not something we are supporting — it is madness”. He also falsely claimed it would cost Australia “tens of billions” of dollars to host the event.

    Australia would reap big benefits by hosting the high-profile global talks. It would likely attract considerable investment in renewables and clean energy export industries, and strengthen Australia’s national security during a time of increasing geo-strategic competition in the Pacific. To pull out now would be a costly move.

    Decison deferred until June

    The decision on who will host COP31 in 2026 was expected at last year’s summit in Azerbaijan. But it was deferred until June this year – after Australia’s next federal election.

    Hosting rights are shared between five UN country groupings on a rotational basis. The final decision is made by consensus.

    Australia’s bid to host with Pacific nations has considerable support. But Turkey, the only other country in the running to host COP31, has so far resisted lobbying efforts to persuade it to drop out.

    An economic boost for Australia

    Hosting the UN climate talks is a massive economic opportunity for Australia.

    COP31 would be one of the biggest diplomatic summits Australia has ever hosted. Tens of thousands of people could be expected for a fortnight of negotiations, with satellite events held across the nation and the Pacific.

    Adelaide is in the box seat to play host. The South Australian government estimated hosting the UN talks could generate more than A$500 million for the state. But economic benefits would be much wider, and longer-lasting, than tourism receipts from those attending. The talks are a chance to attract investment for Australia’s energy transition and for clean energy industries of the future, including critical minerals and green iron.

    The UK government’s assessment of the value of hosting the UN climate summit in Glasgow in 2021 found the net economic benefit was double that spent – around A$1 billion. That includes benefits from trade deals and foreign investment. With abundant critical minerals, and excellent wind and solar resources, Australia has even more to gain.

    Hosting the world’s largest climate summit is a chance to attract the investment needed to replace ageing and unreliable coal-fired power stations. According to the Clean Energy Investor Group, which represents the capital behind large-scale renewables, more than 70% of the investment in clean energy comes from international sources.

    Dutton says he plans to replace coal with nuclear power (and to rely on gas until nuclear plants are built decades from now). The Coalition’s nuclear plan would require hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer support.

    Securing our place in the Pacific

    Working with Pacific nations to address climate change is key to Australian national security.

    Australia aims to be the security partner of choice for Pacific island countries. And Pacific island countries are crystal clear: climate change is their “single greatest threat”.

    In 2022, Solomon Islands signed a security deal with China, which raised the prospect of a potential Chinese naval base in Australia’s maritime approaches. Foreign Minister Penny Wong – who was in opposition at the time – described it as the worst foreign policy blunder in the Pacific since the end of WWII.

    The Albanese government has looked to cement Australia’s place in the Pacific by working with island nations to address climate change. In July 2022, Albanese joined Pacific leaders to declare a Pacific climate emergency and launched bid to co-host a UN climate summit with Pacific nations. In 2023, Australia signed a climate migration deal with Tuvalu that also prevents Tuvalu from pursuing a security deal with China.

    Pacific leaders have welcomed Australia’s plans to host the UN climate talks and have agreed to work together to advocate for the joint bid. Walking away now could do real damage to Australian strategy in the region.

    Embracing our clean energy future

    Hosting COP31 is a chance to set up Australia’s economy of tomorrow, signalling the shift from fossil fuel heavyweight to clean energy superpower.

    Australia is leading the clean energy transition. This is a story to tell the world. One in three households have rooftop solar. Already 40% of the main national power grid is powered by wind, solar and storage. We are on track for 80% renewables by 2030.

    South Australia is moving even faster, set for 100% clean electricity by 2027. Hosting COP31 in the state is also a chance to showcase clean energy export industries, especially plans to produce green iron and green steel at the Whyalla steelworks.

    Australia is the world’s largest exporter of raw iron ore, but is well positioned to export more-valuable, and lower-polluting, green iron to major economies in our region. The potential export value of green iron is estimated to be $295 billion a year, or three times the current value of iron ore exports.

    More broadly, our clean energy exports – including green metals, green fertilisers and green fuels – could be worth six to eight times more than our fossil fuel exports.

    Walking away from the chance to host the world and showcase our clean energy future would be costly indeed.

    Wesley Morgan is a fellow with the Climate Council of Australia

    – ref. Hosting the UN climate summit is far from ‘madness’ – here’s how Australia stands to benefit – https://theconversation.com/hosting-the-un-climate-summit-is-far-from-madness-heres-how-australia-stands-to-benefit-253423

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese government dispatches first batch of emergency humanitarian aid to Myanmar

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Staff members load China’s first batch of emergency humanitarian aid to Myanmar onto an airplane at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, March 31, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China’s first batch of emergency humanitarian earthquake relief supplies to Myanmar departed from Beijing Capital International Airport on Monday morning.

    In response to a request from the Myanmar government, China has decided to provide Myanmar with 100 million yuan (13.9 million U.S. dollars) in emergency humanitarian aid to support earthquake relief efforts.

    According to the China International Development Cooperation Agency, the initial supplies include tents, blankets and first aid kits. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Dutton says it would cost too much to host UN climate summit, but pulling out would cost Australia even more

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wesley Morgan, Research Associate, Institute for Climate Risk and Response, UNSW Sydney

    Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would withdraw Australia’s bid to co-host next year’s global climate summit if the Coalition wins the federal election.

    Australia has lobbied hard for the right to host the talks, known as COP31, in conjunction with Pacific nations. Australia has emerged as a leading contender, and has the backing of most countries in its United Nations grouping, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and New Zealand.

    However, Dutton on Sunday described the idea of hosting the UN climate conference as “not something we are supporting — it is madness”. He also falsely claimed it would cost Australia “tens of billions” of dollars to host the event.

    Australia would reap big benefits by hosting the high-profile global talks. It would likely attract considerable investment in renewables and clean energy export industries, and strengthen Australia’s national security during a time of increasing geo-strategic competition in the Pacific. To pull out now would be a costly move.

    Decison deferred until June

    The decision on who will host COP31 in 2026 was expected at last year’s summit in Azerbaijan. But it was deferred until June this year – after Australia’s next federal election.

    Hosting rights are shared between five UN country groupings on a rotational basis. The final decision is made by consensus.

    Australia’s bid to host with Pacific nations has considerable support. But Turkey, the only other country in the running to host COP31, has so far resisted lobbying efforts to persuade it to drop out.

    An economic boost for Australia

    Hosting the UN climate talks is a massive economic opportunity for Australia.

    COP31 would be one of the biggest diplomatic summits Australia has ever hosted. Tens of thousands of people could be expected for a fortnight of negotiations, with satellite events held across the nation and the Pacific.

    Adelaide is in the box seat to play host. The South Australian government estimated hosting the UN talks could generate more than A$500 million for the state. But economic benefits would be much wider, and longer-lasting, than tourism receipts from those attending. The talks are a chance to attract investment for Australia’s energy transition and for clean energy industries of the future, including critical minerals and green iron.

    The UK government’s assessment of the value of hosting the UN climate summit in Glasgow in 2021 found the net economic benefit was double that spent – around A$1 billion. That includes benefits from trade deals and foreign investment. With abundant critical minerals, and excellent wind and solar resources, Australia has even more to gain.

    Hosting the world’s largest climate summit is a chance to attract the investment needed to replace ageing and unreliable coal-fired power stations. According to the Clean Energy Investor Group, which represents the capital behind large-scale renewables, more than 70% of the investment in clean energy comes from international sources.

    Dutton says he plans to replace coal with nuclear power (and to rely on gas until nuclear plants are built decades from now). The Coalition’s nuclear plan would require hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer support.

    Securing our place in the Pacific

    Working with Pacific nations to address climate change is key to Australian national security.

    Australia aims to be the security partner of choice for Pacific island countries. And Pacific island countries are crystal clear: climate change is their “single greatest threat”.

    In 2022, Solomon Islands signed a security deal with China, which raised the prospect of a potential Chinese naval base in Australia’s maritime approaches. Foreign Minister Penny Wong – who was in opposition at the time – described it as the worst foreign policy blunder in the Pacific since the end of WWII.

    The Albanese government has looked to cement Australia’s place in the Pacific by working with island nations to address climate change. In July 2022, Albanese joined Pacific leaders to declare a Pacific climate emergency and launched bid to co-host a UN climate summit with Pacific nations. In 2023, Australia signed a climate migration deal with Tuvalu that also prevents Tuvalu from pursuing a security deal with China.

    Pacific leaders have welcomed Australia’s plans to host the UN climate talks and have agreed to work together to advocate for the joint bid. Walking away now could do real damage to Australian strategy in the region.

    Embracing our clean energy future

    Hosting COP31 is a chance to set up Australia’s economy of tomorrow, signalling the shift from fossil fuel heavyweight to clean energy superpower.

    Australia is leading the clean energy transition. This is a story to tell the world. One in three households have rooftop solar. Already 40% of the main national power grid is powered by wind, solar and storage. We are on track for 80% renewables by 2030.

    South Australia is moving even faster, set for 100% clean electricity by 2027. Hosting COP31 in the state is also a chance to showcase clean energy export industries, especially plans to produce green iron and green steel at the Whyalla steelworks.

    Australia is the world’s largest exporter of raw iron ore, but is well positioned to export more-valuable, and lower-polluting, green iron to major economies in our region. The potential export value of green iron is estimated to be $295 billion a year, or three times the current value of iron ore exports.

    More broadly, our clean energy exports – including green metals, green fertilisers and green fuels – could be worth six to eight times more than our fossil fuel exports.

    Walking away from the chance to host the world and showcase our clean energy future would be costly indeed.

    Wesley Morgan is a fellow with the Climate Council of Australia

    – ref. Dutton says it would cost too much to host UN climate summit, but pulling out would cost Australia even more – https://theconversation.com/dutton-says-it-would-cost-too-much-to-host-un-climate-summit-but-pulling-out-would-cost-australia-even-more-253423

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Mini robot to explore world’s deepest sea trench

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A team of Chinese scientists has developed a miniature 2.7-kilogram deep-sea robot to explore the deepest natural frontier on Earth — the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean, according to a study published in the journal Science Robotics in March.
    The researchers from Beihang University, formerly known as the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, have further consolidated China’s position as one of the few nations able to explore the deepest depths of the oceans.
    Headed by Professor Wen Li, researchers from the university’s School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation started working on the robot’s design in 2019 and completed its construction in 2021. So far, the team has collaborated with peers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering and Zhejiang University to use the 50-centimeter-long machine for deep-sea exploration.
    Zuo Zonghao, a doctoral student at the school and a member of Wen’s team, said that the overall goal of the project was to build a robot to demonstrate new actuator technologies and to verify a new configuration of deep-sea probes.
    “The core part of our robot is a centimeter-scale deep-sea soft actuator that weighs 16 grams. It incorporates bistable chiral metamaterials and tube-sealed shape-memory alloys,” he said.
    These actuators and materials mean that the robot is able to move its fins, flex and swim, as well as glide and crawl on the surface of the seafloor.
    The robot has already been used by two of China’s most advanced crewed submersibles — Shenhai Yongshi, or Deep-sea Warrior, and Fendouzhe, or Striver, and has carried out 14 seabed trips to assess its capabilities and performance.
    “Under the sea, it is powered by a special lithium battery and is released and retrieved by the submersibles’ robotic arms. During each operation, it worked for more than 20 minutes,” Zuo said.
    “During one of the operations that took place in 2021, it was released by Fendouzhe onto the seafloor of the Mariana Trench, reaching a depth of 10,666 meters.”
    During the next phase, researchers will mount buoyancy and scientific devices such as special cameras and sensors on the robot, and they plan to build a larger prototype, he said.
    Such robots can be used in marine resource development, archaeological excavation and environmental monitoring in the future, Zuo added.

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s manufacturing sector picks up pace in March

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s manufacturing sector continued to expand this month as business production accelerated amid sustained economic recovery, official data showed Monday.

    The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for China’s manufacturing sector came in at 50.5 in March, up 0.3 percentage points from February, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement. The reading reached the highest notch since March 2024.

    NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe said the manufacturing PMI has climbed for two months in a row, indicating continued improvement in industrial sentiment.

    A PMI reading above 50 reflects expansion, while suggesting contraction if below 50.

    Monday’s data also showed that the non-manufacturing PMI came in at 50.8 in March, up 0.4 percentage points from the previous month, and the general PMI climbed from 51.1 to 51.4. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: These 3 arguments are part of the long game in Trump’s trade wars

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Markus Wagner, Professor of Law and Director of the UOW Transnational Law and Policy Centre, University of Wollongong

    Since returning to office in January, US President Donald Trump has doubled down on using trade measures – mostly tariffs – to reshape global trade. He plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on what he has labelled “Liberation Day”, April 2.

    The Trump administration claims US producers face higher tariffs and more restrictions abroad than foreign producers when they export to the US.

    The administration also examined tax systems such as Europe’s Value Added Tax and Australia’s GST, import regulations and other factors. It believes – mostly wrongly – these unfairly disadvantage American businesses and contribute to the US trade deficit.

    As with many Trump initiatives, actual tariffs often change significantly between announcement and implementation, if they are implemented at all.

    His reciprocal tariffs have been narrowed to imports from the US’ largest trading partners instead of imports from all countries. There may also be tariffs on specific sectors. Last week, Trump announced 25% tariffs on cars from overseas. At the weekend said he “couldn’t care less” if this made cars more expensive for US consumers.

    Coercive control, revenue and re-shoring

    President Trump has raised a myriad of puzzling arguments in favour of tariffs. They largely fall into three categories:

    The first is the use of tariffs as a coercion tool against other countries. In the first Trump presidency, trading partners were pressured to renegotiate trade agreements such as the renamed but largely identical US-Mexico-Canada agreement.

    Similarly, the Trump administration used the threat of tariffs to gain market access, elicit better trade terms or as a form of weaponised trade to achieve unrelated foreign policy goals.

    Last week, Trump suggested he would consider a reduction in tariffs on China in exchange for a sale of TikTok by its Chinese owner.

    The second category is the use of tariffs as a source of revenue. The Trump administration envisions tariffs to be collected by a yet-to-be-created External Revenue Service. This would form the flip side of the powerful and much-maligned Internal Revenue Service.

    Trump claims tariffs will be paid by the exporting country. This would be in theory to finance future tax cuts. In practice, tariffs are almost always paid by the importer of goods and usually get passed on to consumers.

    There is a potential contradiction between these two rationales. It appears the Trump administration wants to make at least some tariffs permanent. But doing so would almost nullify the use of tariffs as a bargaining chip and coercion tool.

    The final category is to encourage companies to “re-shore” production to the US to avoid tariffs and to support US jobs.

    This would signal a reversal of what 1994 presidential candidate Ross Perot, speaking of the North American Free Trade Agreement, called the “giant sucking sound going south”. Some manufacturing may return to the US. But the high costs of building new factories, re-routing supply chains and uncompetitive US labour costs will hinder large-scale re-shoring efforts.

    A long-term plan?

    The Trump administration’s trade moves can be seen as part of a larger strategy to reshape the US domestic and the global economic system.

    In a recent speech, US Vice-President JD Vance argued for a structural reshaping of the US economy, to increase domestic innovation capacity.

    Vance warned “deindustrialisation poses risks both to our national security and our workforce”. Vance himself sums up this approach by characterising tariffs as a “necessary tool to protect our jobs and our industries”.

    This line of argument overlooks a number of critical factors. Tariffs lead to higher prices for consumers. Unless currencies adjust, the inflationary impact could disadvantage the very people that can least afford it.

    The same is true if other countries respond to US trade measures by responding in kind, as Canada and the European Union already have.

    American farmers and other export-oriented industries will be hard hit. From a strategic perspective, the US position as global leader has suffered a severe blow. Some countries are openly pivoting to its geopolitical and economic rival, China.

    If this scenario comes to pass, the US pullback – an outright withdrawal is unlikely – from the highly integrated international trading system might end up a more chaotic version of the UK’s pursuit of Brexit.

    A step back in time

    The world of liberalised trade that followed the end of the Cold War in 1990 is ending. Countries will turn inwards, prioritising their economic security and resilience. The costs of this turn away from multilateralism and international institutions, however, are not just economic.

    The close economic integration we have witnessed post-1990 has led to reduced uncertainty in international economic relations, increased international security and greater prosperity.

    A return of the “beggar thy neighbour” policies of the 1930s would be a dangerous path, with the world inching closer to the abyss. “Liberation Day” might push the world over the edge.



    Read more:
    What are non-tariff barriers – and why is agriculture so exposed?

    Markus Wagner 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. These 3 arguments are part of the long game in Trump’s trade wars – https://theconversation.com/these-3-arguments-are-part-of-the-long-game-in-trumps-trade-wars-252516

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Wuying Village promotes inheritance, development of ethnic culture

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Children play Lusheng, a traditional reed-pipe wind instrument, in Wuying Village on the border between south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and southwest China’s Guizhou Province, Oct. 5, 2024. Since 2017, supported by a paired assistance program, local authorities have continuously enhanced the living environment and improved cultural facilities in Wuying Village, aiming to strengthen the inheritance and development of ethnic culture and promote rural revitalization. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)

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    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s transport industry sees growth momentum in first two months

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s transport industry maintained its growth momentum in the first two months, with increases in key indicators such as freight volume and port cargo, according to the Ministry of Transport.

    Total freight volume during the January-February period reached 8.03 billion tonnes, up 4.8 percent year on year, with road and waterway freight increasing 5.7 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively.

    Cargo throughput at the country’s ports ticked up 2.3 percent from a year ago to hit 2.67 billion tonnes, with cargo throughput from domestic trade up 2.4 percent year on year.

    During the first two months, inter-regional trips across the country jumped 4.9 percent year on year to hit 12.29 billion, according to the ministry.

    The ministry data also showed that fixed-asset investment in the transport sector remained stable, standing at 366.5 billion yuan (about 51.08 billion U.S. dollars) during the period.

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Hong Kong’s mega-event March sees over 3.4M visitors

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Hong Kong recorded more than 3.4 million visitors in March as of Friday, up about 12 percent year-on-year, including around 960,000 non-Chinese mainland tourists, boosted by a slew of mega events held in Hong Kong this month, Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, has said.

    In a blog post on Sunday, Chan highlighted the Hong Kong Sevens, a major rugby event concluding on Sunday, which has elevated the festive atmosphere to new heights. The Kai Tak Sports Park, freshly opened in March, offers a larger venue with world-class facilities for the matches, with expected attendance reaching a record 140,000. All 60-plus corporate boxes at the venue were sold out well in advance, he said.

    Chan shared his personal experience at the Art Basel Hong Kong exhibition held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. He said that the five-day event is projected to attract more attendees than last year’s turnout of 75,000. Earlier this month, the international trendy cultural event ComplexCon also saw success, drawing 35,000 visitors, a 16 percent increase from the previous year, with total sales exceeding 87 million Hong Kong dollars (11.18 million U.S. dollars) over three days, he added.

    In recent weeks, several major conferences have taken place, including the Wealth for Good in Hong Kong Summit 2025, hosted by the HKSAR government, along with various meetings organized by financial, academic, media, and international institutions.

    Chan noted that international guests frequently observed that Hong Kong has regained its vibrancy and energy. The financial market has shown notable improvement this year, with rising stock markets and significant increases in trading volume. New stock financing activities have also become more active.

    Coupled with breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and developments in the cultural and creative industries, international investors are reassessing the financial markets in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, increasing their investment allocations in the region. They also hope to explore more investment opportunities in the Chinese mainland and surrounding areas through Hong Kong as a platform, Chan said.

    Looking ahead, Chan stated that the HKSAR government would continue to promote the mega-event economy and would work alongside the industry to encourage and support businesses in developing more unique products and services, continually enhancing customer experiences to create a bustling and prosperous environment. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign auto brands seize growth opportunities in China

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    An increasing number of foreign-funded enterprises are seizing development opportunities in China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) sector by boosting investment, expanding their market presence, and advancing projects, research and cooperation.

    The global automotive industry’s shift from internal combustion vehicles to NEVs has opened new opportunities for both China and Germany, said Helmut Stettner, CEO of Audi FAW NEV Co., Ltd.

    “We see that the switch to electric mobility is accelerating in China, especially in the premium market. Despite some challenges, it continues to offer significant growth potential for Audi. We want to and will participate in this development,” he added.

    In March, German carmaker BMW partnered with Chinese tech giant Huawei to develop an in-car digital ecosystem specifically tailored for the Chinese market. Tesla’s Megafactory in east China’s Shanghai, the first of its kind built by Tesla outside the United States, also exported its first batch of Megapack energy-storage batteries this month.

    “China’s NEV market holds immense potential, continuously improving business environment and complete, efficient industrial and supply chains, which are the key factors driving foreign auto companies to invest and deepen their presence in the Chinese market,” said Gao Yuning, deputy dean of School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University.

    In 2024, China’s production and sales of NEVs both exceeded 12 million units, solidifying the country’s leading position in the global market. China has established a comprehensive industrial chain, supplying 70 percent of the world’s battery materials and 60 percent of power batteries.

    In recent years, the Chinese government has created a favorable development environment for the NEV market through policies and measures such as purchase subsidies, extensive charging infrastructure, and the construction of intelligent connected vehicle demonstration zones.

    Data from the Ministry of Commerce showed that over 60 percent of vehicles purchased under the automobile replacement and renewal subsidy policy in 2024 were NEVs. As of Dec. 19, 2024, foreign brands accounted for more than 35 percent of the vehicles purchased through the policy.

    The open-mindedness of Chinese consumers toward new technologies and innovation, coupled with their focus on intelligent networking technology, has created new avenues for reform and business opportunities for foreign car companies.

    According to a Tesla salesperson in Changchun, northeast China’s Jilin Province, in the past, customers paid more attention to cruising range and cost performance, but now they look at the intelligent configuration of vehicles, such as smart cockpits and automatic parking.

    An increasing number of foreign car companies in China believe that developing new models tailored to the Chinese market is key to their future success. They are focusing on integrating smart driving, car networking and green solutions that align with the preferences and habits of Chinese consumers to achieve market breakthroughs.

    Among them, Volkswagen Group signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China’s First Automobile Works (FAW) in March to introduce 11 new models specifically tailored for the Chinese market, starting in 2026.

    “Our enduring partnership with FAW is a strong pillar of our success in China. Aligned with our ‘In China, for China’ strategy, we are further advancing FAW-VW’s product portfolio covering all powertrains, with a strong focus on NEVs, to meet evolving customer needs,” said Ralf Brandstaetter, chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Group China.

    The steady development of the Chinese economy and China’s continuous high-level opening-up are the biggest sources of confidence for foreign investment to boost their presence in China, Gao Yuning said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Myanmar people deeply feel fraternal friendship with China

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Ambassador of Myanmar to China Tin Maung Swe has said that after Myanmar was hit by a strong earthquake, China immediately extended a helping hand to Myanmar when it was facing the most difficult time, which made the Myanmar people deeply feel “Paukphaw” (fraternal) friendship between the two countries.

    Tin Maung Swe noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping extended condolences to Myanmar’s leader Min Aung Hlaing over the massive earthquake that hit the country, and Chinese rescue teams were the first to arrive in Myanmar to assist in disaster relief efforts.

    He expressed gratitude for this support and emphasized that it would be remembered. Myanmar will make every effort to protect the safety of Chinese citizens, enterprises and institutions in Myanmar, the ambassador added.

    Tin Maung Swe made the remarks when meeting with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong on Saturday. During the meeting, Sun delivered the message of condolence from Xi to Min Aung Hlaing over the earthquake.

    Sun said the Chinese people sympathize with the heavy casualties and property losses caused by the powerful quake in Myanmar. Within 24 hours of the earthquake, the Chinese government had sent three rescue teams to Myanmar, and announced the provision of emergency humanitarian assistance.

    At this challenging moment, China stands firmly with the people of Myanmar and interprets the profound meaning of the China-Myanmar community of shared future with concrete actions, he added. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Rocket crashes after liftoff in Europe’s 1st mainland commercial orbital launch

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A German-built rocket launched from Norway’s Andoya Spaceport crashed and exploded shortly after liftoff on Sunday, marking the first commercial orbital launch from mainland Europe.

    The Spectrum rocket, developed by German startup Isar Aerospace, lifted off at 12:30 p.m. local time (1030 GMT). Around 30 seconds into the flight, it began to tilt before falling back to the ground and exploding. A loud bang was heard during the live broadcast of the event, and video footage showed the 28-meter-tall, 50-ton rocket crashing near the launch pad at Nordmela on the island of Andoya.

    No injuries were reported. Andoya Space, which operates the launch facility, said a crisis team had been activated and it was working closely with emergency services and Isar Aerospace to assess the situation. “Safety during operational activities is Andoya Spaceport’s highest priority,” the company said in a press release.

    The launch had faced several previous delays due to adverse weather conditions. Both Andoya Space and Isar Aerospace said they will provide updates as more information becomes available.

    Following the crash, Isar Aerospace issued a statement, saying that the launch had met its set goals and “the launch vehicle fell into the sea in a controlled manner.”

    “Our first test flight met all our expectations, achieving a great success,” said Daniel Metzler, CEO and Co-founder of Isar Aerospace. He emphasized that the mission provided important data and experience for future flights.

    “Now it’s time to analyze all data, learn, iterate and be back on the launch pad as soon as possible,” he added.

    Metzler also affirmed his company’s ambition “to serve customers from around the world to bring their satellites into space and to help Europe solve a major blind spot in its security architecture: access to space.”

    Before liftoff, Andoya Spaceport Operations Director Jon Harr described the event as “an important milestone” not only for Norway but for European space activities as a whole. However, Isar Aerospace had cautioned that no company has ever succeeded in achieving spaceflight in its first test launch.

    Andoya Spaceport officials stressed that such incidents are part of the development process for new space technologies. “Making this work day after day, with so many actors involved, is demanding,” Harr said.

    “Today’s maiden flight has not been launched nominally. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a success,” said Walther Pelzer, executive board member of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and director general of the German Space Agency at DLR.

    He stressed the importance of today’s test, noting that it allows the team to detect errors and adapt quickly – “exactly what we expect from agile companies.”

    The project, known as “Going Full Spectrum,” had been in preparation for months. Sunday marked the final day of an initial 10-day launch window. Previous attempts had to be aborted due to high winds.

    Headquartered near Munich, Germany, Isar Aerospace was founded in 2018 and now has over 400 employees from more than 50 nations. Sponsored by private funding from international investors, it builds and operates launch vehicles for transporting small and medium-sized satellites as well as satellite constellations into Earth’s orbit.

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump threatens to impose ‘secondary tariffs’ on Russian oil

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he may impose “secondary tariffs” on Russian oil if he believes Russia is at fault for not reaching a ceasefire with Ukraine.

    In a phone interview with NBC News, Trump said he was “very angry” and “pissed off” when Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s leadership, adding that the comments were “not going in the right location.”

    “If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault — which it might not be — but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia,” Trump said.

    “That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States,” he said. “There will be a 25 percent tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.”

    Trump noted that the tariffs on Russia would come within the next month if Moscow does not sign up to a ceasefire with Ukraine.

    Trump said Putin knows he is angry, but he has “a very good relationship” with Putin and would speak to the Russian leader again this week.

    During a phone conversation on March 18, Trump and Putin agreed that the peace in Ukraine “will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire.”

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 31, 2025
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