china

China wants to imprison the world with its restrictions on rare earths. His greatest prey has escaped him

by

It’s been months since China presses the whole world with one of his great aces up his sleeve: rare earths. Last week he used them again to unbalance the balance of technological trade worldwide and imposed new restrictions to its export, but its attack has a gigantic hole. One called Taiwan. rare earths to me. Taiwan’s economy minister has revealed that the country does not expect there to be a big impact from these new restrictions from China. The reason is simple: such minerals are different from the metals needed in the semiconductor sector that Taiwan’s manufacturers and production plants dominate. Taiwan does not need China. In fact, both the products necessary domestically for the production of these chips and the rare earths used in their manufacturing processes come from Europe, the United States and Japan. This makes the country safe from the pressure that China wants to exert with its dominance of the rare earth segment. China tries to force the hand. China expanded significantly export controls on rare earths last Thursday. It added five new items to its list of minerals with restricted exports, but also imposed new scrutiny mechanisms for chip users. The change is not minor: any product manufactured outside the country that contains just 0.1% of materials of Chinese origin will need a license to be exported. TSMC safe. Taiwan is the largest chip factory in the world and for years it has TSMC as a major player in the sector. The company leads this segment and has become the great ally of the Western world when it comes to producing chips for the AI ​​industry. The Chinese restrictions do not appear to pose future dangers for TSMC and other manufacturers in the country, according to those statements. But. Even so, the economy minister added that these additional controls could affect global supply chains for various products. To clarify better: the direct impact may not be noticeable, but yes it could be the indirect onebecause for example ASML’s EUV scanners use rare earth magnets that could end up suffering delays due to these restrictions. And be careful with the “ripe chips”. For example, chips for electric vehicles and drones. China is precisely determined to dominate the mature circuit market: given that can’t compete At the moment with the most advanced manufacturing technology, what it wants is to be the main protagonist of less advanced but equally important chips in industries such as the automotive industry. Restrictions as a lever to negotiate. China’s measures in this regard They are just part of that commercial and technological war that it maintains with the West and, especially, with the United States. The reaction of the US government was immediate, and Donald Trump announced 100% additional tariffs on Chinese imports. Both superpowers try to use their assets to put pressure on their rival while waiting for a imminent negotiation: Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to meet in South Korea in late October. Image |Wikimedia | leannk

Immediately afterwards, they gave China a new railway record

by

China has been celebrating these days, as the National Day festivities have coincided with the Mid-Autumn Festival. And like every year, there is a larger influx of people who take public transportation from what is already usually China. In this aspect, its railway system has once again set a record. On October 8, China Railway Zhengzhou Group transported more than a million passengers in a single day, establishing a new historical mark and demonstrating once again the capabilities of its high-speed train infrastructure. Quite an achievement. During the entire festive period (October 1 to 8), China Railway Guangzhou Group moved 21.8 million passengerswhich represents an increase of 5% compared to the previous year. The first day of the festivities marked a milestone, with 3.5 million travelers in a single day. The data from the Ministry of Transportation reveal that about 82% of Chinese travelers chose the high-speed train as a means of transportation during these dates. Featured cases. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong line recorded 955,000 trips during the festive period, with an increase of 29.35% year-on-year. On October 4, this connection transported 135,000 passengers in one day, 40% more than the previous year. According to A spokesman for the passenger services department of China Railway Guangzhou Group, “the coincidence of National Day with the Mid-Autumn Festival caused a significant increase in passenger flow, mainly driven by tourism and family visits.” Click on the image to go to the post How have they achieved it? To manage such a volume of passengers, the railway authorities deployed an operational strategy which included extraordinary trains, connections with multiple units, circular routes were established, night services increased on days of higher demand and additional carriages were coupled to regular trains. During the holidays, the Guangzhou Railway Group operated an average of 3,419 trains of daily passengers, with 358 extra services. Increasingly popular destinations. These data, however, reflect only part of the picture. The Ministry of Transportation amounted to approximately 1,240 million interregional travel during the first half of the festive period, reaching historical highs. Only on Saturday, October 5, 301.29 million trips were registered, 6.1% more than the previous year. Frontline cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen were the most popular destinations, along with tourist enclaves such as Chengdu and Xi’an. High speed train as favorite. These records once again cement high-speed rail as the backbone of transportation in China, while also reflecting the vitality of the country’s tourism and mobility sector. The Chinese railway network, which is crowned as the largest in the world at high speed, it does not disappoint in infrastructure capacity and operational efficiency, especially in times of mass events. In Xataka | China has just redrawn the map of strategic minerals: its new rules on rare earths target the United States

For decades a silent boom has been taking hold in many regions of China: Christianity

by

The recent history of Christianity in China is anything but simple. First for the Cultural Revolution and more recently, with Xi Jinping at the helm of the Communist Party, for repression against the unofficial churches. However, despite this troubled chronicle, experts tend to agree on something: in recent decades the Christian faith has expanded with force for the country. So much so that it already clearly dominates certain regions and there is who considers that in no time China will be “the largest Christian nation in the world.” How many Christians are there in China? The question is quite simple. Answer it, not so much. The China General Social Survey shows that between 2010 and 2018 the percentage of Chinese adults who identify as Christians (Catholic and Protestant) it was around 2%a percentage that can be found in essays about the matter. However, there is a quick search to find authors which differ significantly from that estimate, placing it at 3%, 7% or even 9% of the total population, which also includes children. In 2020 The Economist pointed that only Protestants make up 3% of the country’s population, although there are studies that suggest the real figure could be much higher if unregistered clandestine churches are taken into account. The reality is that it is not easy to have a precise figure. The reasons are multiple: the control of information by Beijing, the diversity of sources and methods in making calculations or even the “linguistic and conceptual differences between religion in East Asia and other regions”, such as warns Pew Research. How many believers are we talking about? The answer is again the same: it depends on the source. Although given the large size of China (1.4 billion inhabitants) even the most conservative calculations would leave a census of tens of millions. How many? Years ago, a Peking University study spoke of 40 millionWorld Population Review raises the estimate to 49.2 million and Visual Capitalist has even gone further, placing the figure close to 72 million. Is there more data? Yes. Other sources speak of some 20 million of adults, 60 million if the global population is taken into account, or even 100 million. Although its considerable disparitythe data lends itself to two clear readings. The first is the enormous weight of Protestants in the Chinese Christian community (some studies claim that represent 90% thanks to your great expansion). The second is that it is not necessary to resort to the most optimistic calculations to verify that China already surpasses (by far) the number of Christians in countries like Germany, France or Spain and would even be a handful of millions of believers in Italy if both Catholic and Protestant Christians are taken into account. How are they distributed throughout the country? A few years ago Reuters produced a map based on the studies of Professor Fenggang Yang, from Purdue University, which shows the dominant confession in the different regions of China. The plan reflects that Buddhism prevails in most of the southern and southwestern regions while other areas such as Xinjiang or Gansu are Muslim. Catholicism and especially Protestantism shine on the eastern flank. Even in Zhejiang areadespite the challenges that believers have encountered there. And what is the evolution? A quick Google search shows there are experts convinced that Christianity will continue to expand strongly in China and even place it among the countries in which the religion is experiencing greater growth, especially if we talk about Protestantism. In 2016 Professor Yang predicted that in 2030 the Asian giant will be “the largest Christian country in the world” despite its enormous Buddhist and Muslim population, among other confessions. “If we use an average annual growth rate of 7%, there will be more than 224 million Protestants in China by 2030,” the expert reflectedwho specifies that they would represent 16% of the population. “If we add Catholics, it would take even less time for China to become the largest Christian nation.” Does everyone have the same opinion? No, not everyone is so optimistic. In 2023 Pew Research published a study which suggests that, although Christianity expanded during the 80s and 90s (between 1982 and 1997 its faithful base went from six to 14 million), in recent years it has shown signs of “stabilizing.” As proof, they are based on official data that reflect that the percentage of Christian adults has barely changed between 2010 and 2018, without the pandemic having altered that picture. Still, Pew Research recognize that, in general, “survey-based estimates of China’s Christian population could be conservative,” as there are believers who choose not to reveal their faith “for fear of negative social or economic consequences,” especially if they belong to an unregistered church. Images | Gary Todd (Flickr) and Visual Capitalist (Pallavi Rao) In Xataka | China faces a bigger problem than the birth rate crisis: its young people are too busy to form couples

The US is becoming obsessed with virtual brides, China with boyfriends

by

There are more and more people who They have found a friend in AIa psychologist and even a romantic partner. “AI buddy” apps are increasingly popular and, same as in other aspects of the AI ​​race, there are notable differences between the approach being taken from the United States and China, which is taking two directions marked by culture. In China, what is popular are AI boyfriends. In the United States, brides. What is happening. They tell it in China Talk. There is a clear dichotomy in AI peer trends between the two countries leading the AI ​​race. On the one hand we have a United States where AI brides aimed at the male audience and with a clear sexual focus succeed. On the other hand, in China, boyfriends aimed at female audiences and with a focus on narrative immersion and game mechanics are more popular. Why is it important. Although with differences in approach, the rise of these apps reveals an underlying problem: widespread frustration with real human relationships. loneliness In a hyperconnected world, the ‘dating fatigue‘ of dating apps and other factors such as fear of rejection or marital failure are contributing to the use of these apps. According to this study that analyzed the 110 most popular AI companion apps, it is estimated that they have about 29 million active users per month, not counting more general use apps such as Replika either Character.aiwhere users can chat with various characters, not always for romantic purposes. The American approach. In the aforementioned study, it was seen that more than half of AI bride apps are based in the United States, while only 10% are in China. They are products designed for heterosexual men and often have the word “girlfriend” in the name (17% compared to only 4% with the word “boyfriend”). According to a report by girlfriend.ai published by Reuters, half of the users who use this app are young men who feel lonely and prefer an AI girlfriend than face possible rejection. The influence of the ‘manosphere‘ also plays an important role with misogynistic discourses that paint AI girlfriends as an alternative to real relationships because they are more controllable and submissive. The Chinese approach. Although there are also AI brides, the most successful format is the boyfriends aimed at the female public. One of the factors is the drop in marriage rateswhich in 2024 fell 20% compared to the previous year. There are many single people in China, but while many of single men live in rural areaswomen generally receive better education and move to cities, where it is easier for them to have access to technology. Furthermore, the advances in equality They have caused many women to deny the traditional family ideal and seek refuge in these pseudo-relationships. Two concerns. In the United States there is an open debate about the effects of AI on mental health and specifically AI colleagues are in the spotlight. The Federal Trade Commission has made a requirement to some of the most popular apps to provide information on how they are controlling the negative impact of their technology, especially on children and adolescents. In the United States, concern centers on the risk of addiction, emotional manipulation, and loss of contact with reality. In China too call for regulation to protect the youngest, but there is another reason that adds to their concern: the demographic crisis. They say in China Talk that, in the past, the strategy was to use the term “leftover women” in a derogatory way to push them to get married and have children (the classic “spinster” of a lifetime that the manosphere is resurrecting also in the West). In this sense, AI boyfriends pose a threat that can “distract” them from following the right path. Image | Girlfriend.ai / Zhumengdao In Xataka | China faces a bigger problem than the birth rate crisis: its young people are too busy to form couples

The US studied what would happen if it enters war with China. Now he has started a career desperate to double missiles

by

When China raised the curtain of your military parade staged much more than arms power which has. It was a clear and direct message that had its reaction a few days later, when the United States moved its new platform from missiles to Japan. It was then discovered that, if missiles, there are 3,500 pointing In the same direction. Since then, the United States has started a desperate race: to double its own missile manufacturing for what may happen. The strategic awakening. I told it in an exclusive The Wall Street Journal. The Pentagon has turned on all alarms in the face of the evidence that its missile arsenals would not reach to sustain a prolonged conflict With China. Russian Ukraine invasion and mass consumption of interceptors In Europe the fragility of the American industrial base had already made clear. However, He counted the medium What was the twelve between Israel and Iran, in which Washington launched Hundreds of high -end missiles to support their ally, which finished emptying the deposits and precipitated a shock plan. The message that circulates in the pentagon’s offices is clear: the current arsenal is not enough to defend Taiwan or the allied bases in the Pacific if a direct confrontation with Beijing explodes. The new creation. To face that reality, the Department of Defense has created an extraordinary body, the Munits Acceleration Councilpersonally directed by Deputy Secretary Steve Feinberg, who calls the main executives of the industry every week to demand immediate increases. The strategy seeks to duplicate, and even quadruplethe production of the twelve missiles considered critical: from the Patriot interceptorsto him Standard Missile-6the Long Range Anti-Ship Missilesthe Precision Strike and the Joint Air-Surface Standoff Missiles. The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegesh, and the Chief of the General Staff, General Dan Caine, They have presided Meetings with giants such as Lockheed Martin, Raytheon or Boeing, but also with new actors such as Anduril Industries and with key component suppliers, from solid propellants to batteries. The destroyer of guided missiles USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53) of the United States Navy launches an RIM-174 Standard Eram (Standard Missile-6, SM-6) The industrial bottleneck. The challenge is monumental. The complete manufacture of a missile can take up to two years. The production lines have cooled after decades of divestment, secondary suppliers have disappeared and critical pieces such as Boeing front search engines have become true bottlenecks. Expanding shifts, add square meters and form specialized personnel require billions of investment and firm purchase commitments. As Experts remembercompanies do not produce without contract: they need guarantees that the pentagon will not withdraw financing in the middle of the effort. Even so, some suppliers have taken steps in advance. Northrop Grumman, for example, has invested More than 1 billion in expanding its rocket engines capacity, with the expectation of doubling production in four years. Patriot Priority: Patriot. The most urgent case is the Patriot PAC-3whose global demand has shot himself. In September, the army gave Lockheed a contract of almost 10,000 million of dollars to manufacture 2,000 missiles in three years, but the objective of the pentagon is to reach that same figure Every twelve monthswhich means quadruple the current rhythm. To do this, Boeing has been seen forced to expand Thousands of square meters of its plant to assemble more search engines, while Lockheed studies new investments in assembly lines. The spokesmen insist that they can deliver above their declared capacity, but all claim more money and multiannual commitments that give stability to the productive jump. Precision Strike Missile New acquisition model. The pressure is such that The army announces “Massively substantive changes” in the way of buying weapons. Formulas such as licenseing technologies to third parties are explored, attract private capital or guarantee registration programs to give demand visibility to the entire supply chain. Trump administration already It allocated 25,000 million extra in five years through Big, Beautiful Billbut analysts agree that it will be necessary to multiply For several orders that figure to meet the objectives. The effort, in addition, is part of a greater debate: how to maintain an industrial base capable of sustaining high intensity wars in a world where arsenals are consumed in weeks. Background: China. The ultimate reason for this acceleration is the perspective of a War in the Pacific. A confrontation By Taiwan I would demand simultaneously American and Allied Bases, guarantee maritime runners and face a Chinese Navy increasingly equipped with hypersonic missiles and drons swarms. American superiority will depend not only on the quality of its systems, but on their ability to replace them quickly in case of prolonged conflict. Pentagon fears Discover too late that does not have the necessary volume to hold the pulse. Hence the race against clock to turn the industry into a large -scale war arsenal. The risk of the gap. The acceleration effort reveals the structural contradiction of the West: weapons every time more sophisticated and faces which are consumed at an industrial rate, in front of adversaries willing to flood the battlefield with solutions of low cost and mass production. In that sense, Ukraine’s lesson seems clear: millions of millions of dollars They can be exhausted In a matter of months, and rebuild reserves it has been. If the United States wants to maintain its deterrence against China, it must demonstrate that it can sustain not only technological innovation, but also the mass production on which the survival of its network of alliances depends. Image | Lockheed Martin, Mapn, Us Navy In Xataka | Satellite images have revealed that China has turned its oriental coast into a war zone: 3,500 missiles point to Taiwan In Xataka | After the demonstration of China’s force, the US moves a card sending its new missile platform to Japan

The greatest attack of Ukraine on Russian soil discovered a new threat with drones. China has just multiply it

by

In 2024, Ukraine managed to enter trucks disguised as mobile houses in Russian terrain. It was the origin of what happened in June 2025, when The Spiderweb operation It was activated giving rise to kyiv’s greatest attack on Moscow since the beginning of the invasion in Ukraine. The offensive also staged the Future of the contests. China has taken another step in that threat marked by drones. Show converted into threat. They told them Analysts at The War Zone. China, through the company Damodahas presented a containerized system designed in principle for light shows with drones, but whose concept reveals deep military implications. The Automated Drone Swarm Container System is capable to display and recover Hundreds (potentially thousands) of small grid drones automatically, in a matter of minutes and with a single operator. Although the declared objective is entertainment, the system encapsulates the logic of how a simple container can be transformed into a portable swarm launcher with capacity of saturating skies and objectives at will. What today is a viral show on social networks, tomorrow can be a devastating weapon on the battlefield. From Guinness to War. Damoda already holds the world record with More than 11,000 drones in simultaneous flight in a coordinated show. Now, with this modular system of extensible racks, each container can accommodate At least 648 dronesready to take off and land synchronized. Drones automatically return to their positions and recover in the system itself, which It allows constant repetition With minimal human intervention. The promise for the civil market is speed, portability and cost reduction, but from the military perspective what is shown is the ability to convert a truck or a container into a force multiplier, camouflaged in an innocuous appearance. The precedents. The most immediate parallelism is found in the Ukraine War. As we said at the beginning, in mid -2024, kyiv carried out the call Spiderweb Operationwhere hidden containers as sheds or mobile houses were used as undercover kamikaze drones. Those attacks against aerodromes inside Russia They damaged or destroyed dozens of aircraft, including strategic long -range bombers. The blow was so serious that the Pentagon estimates the loss of at least ten of these devices. Something similar It happened in the Middle Eastwhen Israeli commands used covert structures to launch drones and missiles against goals in Iran during the beginning of the twelve -day war. Both operations show that the container, the most banal and ubiquitous infrastructure of global trade can become A lethal vector of power projection. The military potential. If civil design is extrapolated to the war, the concept is transformed into A swarm weapon low cost with saturation effects. Several trucks equipped with these containers could simultaneously launch hundreds or thousands of drones with diverse missions: from exploration and recognition to electronic warfare, interference of radars or kinetic attacks with small explosive loads. It would be enough Reduced number of systems To sweep an air base, disable radars or cover an urban front with lethal swarm. Its deployment in scenarios where the control lines are diffuse, such as cities in war, would allow devastating and almost impossible to stop with traditional defenses. The defense challenge. The difficulty in repelling a massive attack of swarms is multiplied with each advance in Autonomy and artificial intelligence. A swarm with the ability to Autonomous search and destruction It could penetrate shegars, hangars or buildings in search of objectives, exceeding the limitations of preprogrammed attacks. Let’s think that conventional anti -aircraft systems, designed to intercept specific threats, are overwhelmed in front of hundreds of simultaneous drones. The directed energy weapons, like lasers or microwaveThey offer partial but limited solutions by scope, direction and power. One of the few effective alternatives is to respond with another defensive swarm of interceptor drones, capable of creating a mobile barrier in the sky. Even so, cost-efficacy asymmetry plays in favor of the attacker: while an interceptor missile It can cost millionseach suicide drone barely reaches some thousands of dollars. Representation of a container launch system for the Merodeo ammunition of the Hero family of the German contractor Rheinmetall, as another example of a relevant concept that has previously been shown A show in the contest. The great risk is that what is now deployed as a cultural or tourist show can be transformed With hardly modifications In a gun of war. The camouflage, a priori, is perfect: a load container standard, transported by train, truck or ship, does not raise suspicions until, in minutes, it becomes A lethal swarm. This multiplies the strategic challenge for air bases, ports and cities close to the front, where a single infiltrated container could inflict damage comparable to that of a cruise missile sap. In wars where surprise and saturation are key, this kind of “drone box” emerges as the contemporary equivalent of an unpublished intelligent cluster bomb and precision. Global threat in buds. The truth is that China is not the only country in Explore this land. Defense companies and contractors In the United States And Europe also work in similar conceptssome even thought for naval pitchers. The debate in the US Navy already proposes to install containerized swarms In ships for defense and attack, which shows the inevitability of this transition. The Chinese precedent and the war in Ukraine indicate that the next future of the Air War is not only in the great seasons of sixth generation or in hypersonic missiles, but in low -cost swarms capable of overflowing any defense. The paradox. The Automated Drone Swarm Container System of Damoda It is officially a civil product to illuminate the skies in celebrations. But what projects, beyond its luminous choreographies, is a disturbing mirror of the future of war. Each viral show is at the same time, An essay From what can happen on the battlefield: the replacement of the power concentrated by distributed saturation, the replacement of the missile of millions with hundreds of low -cost drones, the transit of the technological war to … Read more

Drastically reduce the consumption of data centers is crucial for AI. And China has had an idea: to submerge them in the sea

by

China is About to submerge a data center In the sea, near Shanghai, as a solution to a problem that we will gradually begin to see more: Great energy consumption of the AI. The installation, which will come into operation in mid -October, is one of the first commercial projects of this type in the world and points to a new way of cooling servers without depending on traditional cooling systems that devour electricity. The background problem. Data centers are the backbone of the Internet and AI, but They generate huge amounts of heat. Keeping them refrigerated by air conditioning or evaporation of water consumes a brutal amount of energy, and with the rise of artificial intelligence, the demand of these facilities has shot. China seeks to reduce the carbon footprint of this critical infrastructure, and its commitment It goes through sinking it underwater. How it works. The yellow capsule that They have built Near Shanghai houses servers that remain cold thanks to the ocean currents, without the need for active cooling systems. According to Yang Ye, vice president of Highlander, the maritime company that develops the project with state companies, “underwater operations have inherent advantages” and can save approximately 90% of the energy for refrigeration. The installation will extract almost all its electricity from nearby marine wind farms, with more than 95% renewable energy. The technical challenges. Putting servers under the sea is not easy. They must be protected from the corrosion of salt water, for which they use a special coating with glass scales on the steel capsule. Also They have installed An elevator that connects the main structure with a section that remains on the water, allowing the access of maintenance equipment. Another challenge is to build the Internet connection between the Submarine and Tierra Firme Center, a more complex process than with conventional facilities. Universities researchers in Florida and Japan They have warned In addition to these centers could be vulnerable to attacks by sound waves driven by water. Environmental doubts. Although the project promises to reduce emissions, questions remain about its ecological impact. The heat emitted by servers could alter the surrounding marine ecosystem, attracting some species and driving others. Andrew Want, marine ecologist from Hull University, Point out That “these are unknown aspects at this time, sufficient research is not yet being carried out.” Highlander says that an independent 2020 evaluation on its test project in Zhuhai indicated that the water remained well below the acceptable temperature thresholds, but Shaolei Ren, an expert from the University of California in Riverside, warns That climbing these centers will also climb the heat emitted. There are few precedents. Microsoft tested this technology off the coast of Scotland in 2018, recovering the capsule in 2020 after declaring that The project had been completed successfully. However, he never marketed it. The Chinese project advances with the support of government subsidies: Highlander received 40 million yuan for A similar project in the province of Hainan in 2022, which is still operational. The installation of Shanghai will serve clients such as China Telecom and a state computing company of AI. What comes now. Experts agree that these underwater centers will probably not replace the traditional ones, but will complement the existing infrastructure in specific niches. According to Rencurrent projects seek to demonstrate “technological viability”, but much remains to be resolved before a massive deployment. What is clear is that, if these types of projects face all technological challenges and manage to greatly reduce the energy consumed of the data centers, it will be a great point in favor for the company that manages to provide its solution in the AI ​​race. Cover image | AFP In Xataka | China was the great pollut the planet: now it is emerging as the first “electrostate” in history

China is building more electric cars than you can sell and that announces something dramatic: a manufacturers bleeding

by

For years, China has cooked its assault on the electric car. As in other sectors, the country has put a cooked pot and has been done with all the ingredients. Little by little, it has been heating the water, browning the sauce and, with everything ready, the fire has risen. The time has come to get the dishes. And it doesn’t matter if someone stays along the way. A huge market. China is the largest electric car market. Not only that, by volume, it is the country in which more cars are bought if we add all kinds of technologies. His market is gigantic. To the point that In it, 23.5 million cars were sold In 2024. To get an idea, in the United States 16 million cars were sold and around 12 million cars. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than the announcing According to data from Carnewschinasales were slightly lower (22.9 million) but the International Energy Agency (IEA, for its acronym in English) and the specialized medium in the Chinese market agree that the barrier of more than 11 million vehicles of new energy sold (category in which plug -in and electric hybrids are included) was broken). Over low heat. Until last year, European manufacturers had been leaders in the Chinese market. Little by little, local manufacturers have gained ground … until Byd rolled Volkswagen. Among new energy vehicles, more than 60% of sales They are electric cars. And there, Chinese manufacturers have passed over Westerners. They have achieved it with a determined policy. European manufacturers were offered land and labor at balance prices. Of course, they had to associate with local manufacturers. These manufacturers have learned from the West and, in addition, They have received subsidies from the Chinese governmenteither with the creation of state companies (or partial participation in them), almost free land and facilities and soft loans. And, at the same time, the State has been taking strategic positions. China controls the supply chain of semiconductors But also the production of Rare earth and of batteries. All this has caused that the cost of producing in China for the Chinese market is much cheaper for its local producers, which has resulted in a better product at a better price than foreign competitors. Fearless. Once the State has been done with the ingredients and has put the cooker, it has not been afraid to climb the fire with the intention that their marks will eat the western ones in the country. The purchase subsidies have been focused on maintaining a constant sales yield of electric cars and new energy, where China has managed to get ahead. At the same time, a wave of nationalism well aimed from the State (for the interests of its manufacturers) has moved the purchase interests of consumers. They already see Western brands as a thing of the past. Companies that previously positioned themselves as a luxury product today are obsolete in a market that bets on a type of car without barriers. A car that is the object of mobility but is also karaoke or interactive center where to take a while surrounded by screens. Overcapacy. Or overproduction, so that we all understand each other. According to data from the Chinese Association of Automobile Manufacturers, In 2024 there were 31,282 million vehicles and 31,436 million were sold. Keep in mind that much of that production, obviously, was sent outside the borders. In fact, already in 2023 The country beat Japan as the largest car exporter in the world. The problem is that the formula has begun to give symptoms of exhaustion in this 2025. O, as little, of a certain stagnation. Last August, Byd confirmed that he had to redirect your sales prospects. The company I planned to produce 5.5 million of vehicles but its new objective is on the border of the 5 million. With 80% of its sales in China, which by the brake begins to give an idea of ​​the difficulty finding the market to absorb all the cars that are producing. An unexpected war. That difficulty in putting cars in the market has been the manufacturer himself in his meats. They explain in Reuters That in the Chinese city of Chengdu it is easy to find cars with discounts of 50%. Some of them, the Audi that are manufactured in collaboration with FAW, are sold with up to 60% discount. That war is dilapidating the margin of benefits of brands such as byd that have more muscle than rivals to lower prices and reduce stock. Because that is another of the obvious symptoms that point to a slowdown in the Chinese market. A few months ago, The concessionaires themselves asked that manufacturers stop sending cars because they were having problems selling them despite the attractive discount. In fact, The State itself has brought together manufacturers To deal with the topic of kilometers 0, which add up as a sale but then are forgotten in stores in the absence of a buyer. A private market. When China lived its previous price war, we already commented that it was a fire test for some companies. The problem of this wild competition is that manufacturers enter a downward price wheel where cars are ended up without taking out enough benefit to it. So, Tesla and Byd They were the ones that had the entire muscle to destroy the rivals. But, in addition, two peculiarities in the Chinese market must be taken into account. The first is that the launch rhythm is very high. That makes the companies themselves leave the cars they have launched just a few months or a year ago with their own innovations. This is the case of byd And the announcement that His eye of God would reach all his cars From now on. The client observes that the models and prices are renewed with each launch. Conclusion: delays the purchase, the stock accumulates and the cars are outdated. But, in addition, manufacturers … Read more

China is intractable in the electric car race, and is on its way to repeating with load trucks

by

The conquest of China in terms of electric cars has been noted over the last years, with A special thrust in Europe that has put the entire industry in suspense. But they are not the only type of vehicle with which it intends to conquer the globe. They also have a great presence their merchandise trucks. And is that Byd, manufacturer who has broken like nobody in the automobile sector, already sends electric charge trucks to Italy, Poland, Spain, and even Mexico, along with eight other Chinese companies that dominate the global market. Chinese brands monopolized 80% of the 90,000 world sales of electric charge trucks last year, according to The International Energy Agency. Why does this matter now. As they share from Rest of the WorldCO₂ emissions of heavy vehicles have grown almost 3% annually between 2000 and 2018, and trucks represent 80% of that increase. Its enormous environmental impact converts the electrification of merchandise transport into a key piece for global climatic objectives. And China has understood that there is a huge business opportunity. A domain with origin. China’s advantage does not arise from nothing. According to They share From the middle, it is born from a 15 -year government campaign in which commercial vehicles deal with as national priority, forcing manufacturers to produce electric vehicles as a percentage of their total production. Meanwhile, Western countries have limited themselves to offering tax credits to individual buyers. The result? In China, electric trucks They knead 22% of the heavy vehicle market In the first half of 2025. In Europe they represent only 1% of sales, and in India only 280 long -distance electrical trucks from a total of 834,578 commercial vehicles were sold. Profitability is no longer a promise. Chinese fleet operators report that their electric trucks cost between 10% and 26% less operate than diesel models, according to The commercial consultant Vehicle World. Catl, the largest worldwide electrical battery manufacturer, assures that its batteries reduce transport costs by 35% per ton-kilometer. These data have led to manufacturers such as Sany Group to predict That between 70% and 80% of the Chinese heavy truck market will be electric in a few years. The solution of the recharge problem. A typical load truck needs approximately a megavatio-hora of battery capacity, ten times what a Tesla Model 3. While in Europe truckers have mandatory breaks of 45 minutes every 4.5 hours (A time that can be used to load the truck), in markets such as Brazil or India commercial drivers usually drive between 10 and 18 hours in a row. China has resolved this dilemma through battery exchange technology, which they already use almost 40% of its heavy electric trucks. West goes far behind. Volvo, the main manufacturer in the West, barely has delivered 5,000 electric trucks In 50 countries. The case of South Africa illustrates its difficulties, because after two years in the market, Volvo has sold only Six unitstoo few to justify the local assembly. Importing them would have triggered prices in a country without buying subsidies. Meanwhile, Tesla promised Your semi truck In 2017, he delivered it in testimonial quantities to Pepsi in 2022 and practically It has disappeared for high component and cost failures. The global expansion is already underway. Byd It has facilities To produce electric load trucks throughout China and plan international assembly plants. Beiqi Foton already sends trucks to EU markets despite possible tariffs. In June, Chinese manufacturer Windrose announced plans to Establish a factory in GeorgiaUSA. “Chinese companies will adapt their entrance to the market strategies: supplying components where regulations require local manufacturing, establishing direct sales in other places,” Explain Ravi Gadepalli, founder of the Transit Intelligence consultant. The key is in capital. Commercial transport is dominated by small operators with very tight margins that lack capital for vehicles that cost twice as their diesel equivalents, although operating costs end up compensating. “Financing is the main obstacle in India, while in China the government invested significant capital to boost the sector,” Point out Gadepalli. However, the same expert warns that “it is very likely that Chinese electric truck manufacturers revolutionize the global cargo truck market. We have already seen it with cars and buses, and it is likely to continue.” He does not lack reason either as far as electric buses are concerned, because it is Another market in which China dominates. It still remains. The global heavy electric truck market will reach only 5,000 million dollars by 2030, a tiny fraction of the 6 billion electric vehicle market, according to The Grand View Research analysis firm. Most sales will be light commercial vehicles for urban cast, according to Share The medium, since long -distance trucks will continue to generate more emissions. Although seeing how unstoppable China is in the electric vehicle, the given estimates may underestimate the country’s growth rate in this sector. Cover image | Daniel Fikri In Xataka | China and Europe do not trust each other in electric car. And someone is taking advantage of it: Türkiye

The entire planet looks intrigued at the cars factories of China and Morocco. Meanwhile, another power grows in the shadow: Türkiye

by

The European Union has more than A year applying the “compensatory rights” to the Chinese electric vehicles. This rate really applies to all manufacturers they produce in China and then bring their cars to European soil. The goal? That companies manufacture in Europe. But if all eyes point to China, other countries make their way. Morocco is not the only one that is consolidating as the springboard Star to Europe: Türkiye is asking for a step. And it is not something that are taking advantage of Chinese brands: also European. Trampolines. The Chinese automotive industry has a simple objective: to conquer the world with its electric cars. Companies have experience, technology, ships to transport thousands of cars of a tacada and are leaders in the manufacture of the most important: The batteries. China has launched some strategies to meet that plan, such as expand its factories in Europe, associate with European companies and create Kits that are manufactured in ChinaThey are transported disassembled and remembered in the final car on European soil. But, they are also taking advantage of “empty” in those compensatory rights. The combustion car is its ‘Trojan horse’but also countries like Morocco and Türkiye. In both, the labor is cheaper than in Europe and most importantly: they have commercial treaties with the EU, which allows those ‘tariffs’ to skip. Touchstone. It is calculated that The investment in Morocco is about 10,000 million dollarsa figure that contemplates not only manufacturing, but also the exploitation of key minerals for battery production. Morocco has huge deposits and China does not want to miss another portion of a chain that dominates with iron fist. In the case of Türkiye, there are examples like Chery investing $ 1,000 million for a plant in Samsun that will have a production capacity of 200,000 electric and hybrid vehicles every year. SWM Motors too will open A plant in Eskisehir to create hybrids and gasoline, and Byd will have one of its biggest factories In the West in Manisa. Besides, Not only will they be dedicated to manufacturing: In the case of Byd we also talk about an R&D center. Not only China. But it’s not just that China looks at Türkiye: Europe does not lose sight of them either. Brands like Renault and some from Stellantis produce There models for both the local market and Europe (The new Clio, for example). Moreover, the European Union, through funds such as Horizon Europe, intended 1,000 million euros in the 2021-2027 framework for the development of the automotive sector in Türkiye, especially for electric mobility, the development of load infrastructure and initiatives such as the manufacturing and recycling of batteries. Win-Win. Obviously, the situation is beneficial for all parties. On the one hand, China wins a springboard to European soil and the possibility of introducing their cars at very attractive prices in a local market that is upwards. The estimate is that Türkiye is the Major Market Fourth of electric cars for sales in Europe during the first half of 2025, only behind Germany, the United Kingdom and France. This is something favored by the State thanks to reductions and a series of advantageous tax conditions and tax exemptions if an electric car is purchased. And Türkiye, with that money, promotes the transformation of the sector with new R&D centers and strategic agreements with Europe to further reinforce its position. Toggg. And eye, Türkiye, Following The example of Europe put an aggressive tariff on Chinese electric cars, but with a condition: if manufacturers began to invest in local production facilities, they would be exempt from that import tax. But in all this there is an asterisk: Chinese companies, with their high capitalization and strong technology, can offer advanced vehicles at very competitive prices that overwhelm local producers like Toggg. There are already those who points That this competition, instead of healthy, could suppress the growth of the local ecosystem, being a danger if, at some point, Chinese companies decide to leave the market. And the United States? Apart from this issue, it is evident that the country is playing its letters well as the “bridge” between the East and West is, also in terms of critical raw materials to create batteries –part of the rare earth that China controls-. And, if you are wondering what happens to American companies, the truth is that their giants are not investing directly in Türkiye, but they are doing it through the calls Joint Ventures. They do not want to make too much outside the United States (something that recent tariff Otosan to create cars on Turkish soil and sell them both in that market and in the Middle East. In the end, as they say, a scrambled river, fishermen’s gain. And everything indicates that Morocco and Türkiye are those fishermen. In Xataka | Family and friends keep asking me if “it is worth buying a Chinese car.” This is my answer

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.