The Critical Mineral Companies of the West are trapped between the US and its best client: China

Western companies that are dedicated to the extraction and processing of critical minerals are between the sword and the wall. These raw materials They are fundamental for many strategic industriessuch as those of semiconductors, telecommunications, advanced weapons or electric car, so USA and China are using them as a resource to exert pressure on the other. This situation represents a very serious problem for Western mining companies because Donald Trump’s government has imposed very strict controls to China of these minerals, as well as High tariffs. Rio Tinto and BHP are the world’s largest western miners, and its best client is China. In fact, According to Volt Rush In 2024, 57% of Rio Tinto’s income came from China compared to 16.7% of the US. Losing the Chinese market is not an option for these companies, so the managers of the two companies I just mentioned have met with President Donald Trump in the White House with the purpose of defending their interests and protecting their position in China. However, they also have something to offer to the Administration: the possibility of reinforcing the US supply chain by opening new deposits in the country, such as the “Resolution Copper” project of Arizona, delayed for years due to the opposition of the Apache tribe of San Carlos. China dominates an essential market for the US and its allies: that of rare earths On April 4, just 24 hours after Donald Trump announced the taxes that he was going to apply to the importation of most products from abroad, The administration led by Xi Jinping responded. And he did it forcefully. In early December 2024 He chose to prohibit The export of some critical minerals to the US, among which were three essential metals for the chips industry: Gallium, Germanio and Antimony. Shortly after the Chinese government added two more critical metals to its list of export restrictions: the Scandio and the Disposio. These chemical elements are probably less known than metals prohibited by China previously, such as Gallium or Germanio, but They are at least so important Like the latter because they have a fundamental role in the industries of integrated circuits, telecommunications and the manufacture of storage devices. Many companies have high -power magnet reservations made with rare earths, but possibly they will only allow them to subsist a few months The ability to put pressure from China had not yet been extinguished. Just ten days later, on April 14, the Administration did not hesitate take another step forward With the purpose of putting in check, in addition to the industries that I just mentioned, those of electric cars, aeronautics and advanced armament. To achieve this, it effectively suspended, in addition to the export of the most valuable rare earths, that of high -power magnets that have a critical role in the industries that I have cited in this same paragraph. Chinese authorities are retaining in ports throughout the country not only rare earths, but also high -power magnets acquired by electric cars manufacturers throughout the planet, aerospace companies, chip factories and armament companies. Many of these organizations They have high -power magnet reservations Made with rare earths, but possibly they will only allow them to subsist a few months. Europe in particular is in an extremely delicate position. China’s export controls are directed mainly to the US, but the old continent It does not remain unscathed. At least for the moment. In fact, in Germany, which as we all know is the heart of the European car industry, There are already experts who assure that if China continues to retain rare earths and electric motors some essential parts of the electric cars production chain will stop in a few weeks. For the European car industry this blow would be very difficult to fit. European companies that are dedicated to the manufacture of semiconductors are also in a very compromised situation. According to Reuters Many European chip production lines They will stop very soon Due to the shortage of crucial supplies, which has led the European Chamber of Commerce to meet with officials of the Ministry of Commerce of China to ask them to allow rare earth supply to European companies that are dedicated to the production of integrated circuits. Image | Volker Braun | Gage Skidmore More information | Volt Rush In Xataka | The US will not be able to contain the technological development of China. Experts from the chips industry forecast it

The last to get to the China parade was Kim Jong Un. Because in North Korea the leaders do not fly, but they travel armored

Where is Kim Yong Un? The question shortly before the beginning of the Military Parade in Beijing For the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, it began to circulate among the attendees. The answer would come shortly after. Just because The missiles that North Korea He had shown hours before they fly at a vertiginous speed, the nation leaders do it slow and on land, but completely safe. A trip loaded with symbolism. The displacement of Kim Jong-un a Beijing represented much more than a simple transfer: it was his reappearance in the multilateral scene accompanied by an emblem of dynastic power, the known armored train as “the sun” (Taeyangcho). This convoy, painted green off and armored in each of its wagons, has been the means of favorite transport of the Kim family from the Foundation of North Korea, linked to both the personal security of the leader and the propaganda staging of the dynasty. Its use reinforced the continuity narrativetradition and strength in an event where state leaders of more than 20 countries coincided, including strategic allies such as Russia and Iran. The rail legacy. The train predilection comes from afar. Kim Il-Sung used it as Modernity symbol and closeness to the people, and Kim Jong-il made him Your exclusive vehicle for fear of flying, reaching a journey of thousands of kilometers Until Moscow in 2001. His trips were long expeditions in which the train became a residence, command room and meeting space with foreign leaders. After his death in 2011, occurred precisely on this train, one of his wagons was converted in exposed relic In his mausoleum in Pyongyang, consolidating the image of the railroad as an essential part of the cult of personality. Kim Jong-UN has continued tradition, although it combines the train with rented aircraft when travel demands to cross oceans, as happened at its summit With Donald Trump in Singapore In 2018. A armored office. Beyond tradition, the train is today an authentic Mobile Command Center. Their wagons have offices, meeting rooms, sofas, satellite communication systems, televisions and computers, in addition to a permanent bodyguard and medical staff. Security measures include Comprehensive armor and weapons Heavy on board, in addition to space to transport the leader’s own car. This infrastructure makes it an Rself -sufficient and safe efugiobut also in an extremely slow medium: its maximum round speed 60 km/hwhich, together with the precarious state of the North Korean roads, prolongs any journey for days. Thus, in 2019 he needed almost three days to reach Hanói from Pyongyang in his meeting with Trump. Luxury and ostentation. The train not only guarantees protection and functionality, it is also the scene of the excesses associated with the dynasty. For example, during the trips of Kim Jong-il, I They served live lobsters and delicacies of various international kitchens, while French wines arrived in air cargoes along the journey. They even organized shows on board with singers and actors to liven up displacements. Although similar anecdotes have not been documented in the era of Kim Jong-UN, South Korean intelligence services believe that the leader has inherited his father’s inclination by the Refined gastronomy and the ostentation. The train as a metaphor. So, “The Sun” It is much more than a vehicle: it symbolizes the rigidity of power that moves slowly, but with Absolute armorwrapped in luxury for the leader and sacrifice for the people. In each international trip, the image of the green convoy touring borders becomes a metaphor for the survival of an isolated regime, which combines tradition, ostentation and fear in equal doses. Kim Jong’s arrival a Beijing in this kind of strength about Raíles not only evoked his father and grandfather’s legacy, but sent the world a continuity message: The dynasty remains firm, armored against external threats and determined to maintain its rituals even in the era of hypersonic missiles and autonomous drones. Image | Heute In Xataka | China has just told the world the place it wants to occupy. And he has done it with a parade of weapons that seem like science fiction In Xataka | In 2021 North Korea drew a stage as a power. Russia and a secret base have turned the plan in four years

China has just told the world the place it wants to occupy. And he has done it with a parade of weapons that seem like science fiction

During September 3, Beijing has become the stage of one of the Chinese military parades more elaborate that are remembered, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. An event that China has used to Promote nationalism through a parade where to show the world the place he wants to occupy. And according to the artillery that has seen the lightThere are no limits. Artillery as support. As we said, the imposing military parade in Beijing was conceived as An unequivocal message: Xi Jinping’s vision of a new world order with China in the center has a warlike vanguard apparatus that begins to be at the height, and even ahead, of its rivals. Among the protagonists highlighted the new intercontinental ballistic missile DF-61successor of DF-41together with missiles with hypersonic plankers capable of exceeding the speed of sound five times and complicating any antimile defense. The demonstration included a broad Drones repertoire (aerial, terrestrial and submarines) with functions ranging from direct combat to logistics, some designed to act as “faithful squires” of Chinese furtive fighters, consolidating the EPL’s commitment to the Autonomous War. DF-61 Directed energy weapons. Beyond the missiles, the true revolution was on the exhibition of Laser and energy weapons directed, in naval and land versions, capable of neutralizing sensory and drones enemy at ridiculous costs compared to conventional ammunition. If these systems are deployed in number, such as They hinted Official sources could suppose an unprecedented challenge for any force that tries to stop Chinese military movements in their region of influence. This technological turn, supported by an enormous industrial capacity, points to a strategy where the quantity and sophistication They combine to cement China’s strategic ascent. Set of laser weapons during the military parade Two versions. They appeared Two laser systems Air defense: a large one, intended for its installation in warships, and another mounted on an eight -wheeled vehicle, capable of hosting the necessary electrical power to overcome the limitations of previous versions. These systems, which do not depend on kinetic projectiles but on Electromagnetic energy To destroy objectives through heat, electrical interference or sensor blindness, they mark a turning point in the anti -aircraft and anti -anton defense. In front of them, high -power microwave systems (also in development) offer the ability to neutralize whole swarms of drones with simultaneous bursts. The logistics and economic advantage is evident: each shot costs a fraction of a missile and does not require transporting heavy ammunition, only energy. Submarine drone AJX002 The debut of underwater drones. China also showed for the first time Two submarine vehicles not large -sized (Xluuv), consolidating their leadership in a field where at least five different programs in the test phase already operate. One of the exhibited models, identified as AJX002measures between 18 and 20 meters long with a reduced diameter of up to 1.5 meters, while the second shares length but is considerably wider, between 2 and 3 meters, and carries two masts. Although their specific missions have not been revealed, analysts consider carry torpedoes or mineseither fulfill recognition functions in prolonged and high autonomy operations. With this presentation, the Chinese Navy confirms its intention to integrate underwater platforms Autonomous on a large scaleexpanding the unmanned war options in a domain traditionally reserved for conventional submarines. Some of the hypersonic missiles shown The YJ-17: hypersonic and “nuclear.” Among the most strategic revelations The YJ-17 wasa missile that combines the naval denomination of the YJ family with the technological inheritance of DF-17the first medium -range ballistic missile with a hypersonic planner (HGV) developed by China. If the DF-17 already demonstrated extreme precision in tests (capable of impacting a few meters from its target after performing evasive maneuvers), the YJ-17 supposes the adaptation of that system For vertical pitchers of warships. Although it is believed that it can carry conventional eyelets, its nuclear capacity cannot be ruled out, which reinforces its deterrent value. Non -manned wing aircraft of the Plaaf. Two different configurations were seen but no designation details have been provided The industrial muscle as an advantage. No doubt, the parade was also proof of the volume of production that China can sustain. According to analysts Like Malcolm Davisthe country demonstrates the ability to develop, manufacture and deploy faster and higher advanced systems than the West. In other words: it is a reminder that, while in World War II the American industry inclined the global balance, today is Beijing who You can manufacture in mass Military teams with efficiency that Washington can hardly match. The CSIS data They confirm this trend: Chinese military expenditure has multiplied by thirteen in 30 years and already exceeds its immediate neighbors, quintupllica that of Japan and septuming that of South Korea. Anti-Enlambre Training (MENGSHI Laser “OW5-A10”, “PLB-625” cannon of 6 x 25 mm, 30 mm cannon, “Mini dome CUAV FK-3000”, Laser HMV3 “OW5-A50”) The naval dimension. Already We count yesterday. The biggest difference with the United States is perceived in the sea: by 2030, the Chinese Navy could have a 48% more ships of war that the American, which revives the historical maxim that the largest fleet usually imposes itself. While in the West it is confident that technological superiority, such as drone swarms with artificial intelligence, maintain balance, the parade showed that China already has Advanced autonomous systems in active duty and in operational quantities. In addition, the introduction of laser defenses against drones and missiles reinforces Beijing’s narrative about an “intelligent war”, where autonomy and systems network dominate the battlefield. JY-17 The Arsenal per sea. The YJ-17 did not appear alone: ​​it was accompanied by anti-man- YJ-15, YJ-19 and YJ-20all conceived to be deployed from the largest surface fleet in the world, composed of destroyers and frigates with vertical pitchers. Here the strategic message seems clear: the American aircraft carriers, the cornerstone of Washington’s naval power in the Pacific, could be vulnerable at any point in the region before a coordinated rain Hypersonic missiles and cruise released from multiple platforms. With … Read more

It is not that China seriously in the Pacific, is that the space has revealed the size of a vertiginous naval domain

The satellite images From the rehearsals in Changjing, near Beijing, they are showing the magnitude of what China prepares for The military parade of September 3: an exhibition that coincides with the 80th anniversary of the end of the war against Japan and that is emerging as a demonstration of naval and strategic power directed against the United States and its allies. Because China goes very seriously If we expand the focus. A missile showcase to deter. They counted the Insider analysts that among the images include the presence of mobile systems, advanced drones and, above all, a complete line of Antibheque missiles that It covers from Furtive subsonic models to hypersonic projectiles of great maneuverability, conceived to deny the access of the US Navy to the Western Pacific. Among the systems: The YJ-18Csubsonic and stealthy missile, The YJ-15Ramjet propulsion and supersonic speed, and The YJ-21capable of launching from ships or aircraft with hypersonic capacity against whites in motion. An even more advanced projectile would be added to them, The YJ-19of hypersonic planning superior to Mach 10. This missile deployment, which covers all possible categories, far exceeds what is necessary to face the Taiwanese navy and directly points to US and allied forces in the region, reinforcing the Power perception capable of controlling nearby seas. Unmanned platforms. Next to the missiles, the parade will include unmanned war systems. In the preparation zone, combat drones have been observed as The GJ-11 and the GJ-2as well as vehicles designed to transport naval surface drones. One of the most striking elements is the appearance of a small submarine drone to the Russian Poseidonpossibly destined for long -range oceanic surveillance or even attack missions. Although it is not clear if it is nuclear or if it can carry eyebrows, its mere presence indicates that Beijing explores the strategic weapons path unconventional In the maritime domain. The image of the place of the parade, taken on August 25, shows the complete extension of the vehicles parked in the testing place ICBM, missiles and scope. The deployment is not limited to the naval stage. In another section of the enclosure, at least 16 vehicles are appreciated carrying what would be intercontinental ballistic missiles Dongfeng-41solid fuel and with a range of up to 15,000 kilometers, capable of carrying multiple nuclear heads. They could also present land attack cruise missiles such as The DF-100designed to achieve targets at great distance at supersonic speed. With these weapons, Beijing projects the image of a power with the ability to hit not only in Asia-Pacific, but against objectives in US territory, including Guam or even the west coast. The sea as an instrument of ascent. I remembered this week The BBC In an extensive report that, in just two decades, China has transformed its naval industry into the most powerful in the world, absorbing More than 60% of the global orders of ships and producing at a rhythm 200 times higher than that of the United States. This domain is reflected in its navy, which already has 234 ships compared to 219 of the American fleet, although the American advantage still lies in the tonnage, in the large aircraft carriers and in the technological superiority of its submarines. For Beijing, the sea is The basis of its development economic (with seven of the ten most active ports on the planet) and the springboard to project Geopolitical ambitions increasingly explicit in the South China Sea and beyond. A new Chinese naval base with six nuclear submarines Dual shipyards and fusion. The key to this growth lies in the fusion between shipyards civil and military. Dalian, Guangzhou, Jiangnan and Hudong-Zhonghua produced between 2019 and 2024 almost 550,000 tons of military ships, more than the British Navy Royal displaces. The “military-live” model driven by XI Jinping allows large commercial facilities to manufacture war or support their maintenance, which provides China from multiply assets In case of prolonged conflict. Thus, even without even having a fleet of aircraft carriers comparable to the American, Beijing has a strategic advantage in the speed of replacement and In versatility of his shipyards. Extended bases. The qualitative leap is reflected in the expansion of bases such as Yulin, in Hainan, where in recent years they have Added five docks To house Jin nuclear submarines capable of carrying twelve strategic missiles each. In fact, recent trials and social networks material show that the popular liberation army is incorporating submarine drones capable of deep surveillance, detection of cables and covert operations in international waters. Although much of these technologies remains experimental, the investment rate suggests a clear will of shortening distances With Washington in high sophistication areas. The historical memory. In addition, the Chinese naval project is loaded of political symbolism. Xi Jinping links its strengthening to the “humiliations” suffered between 1840 and 1949, when China suffered 470 invasions and lost its regional power position. In The military paradeswhich exhibit hypersonic missiles and antisatellite weapons, the idea of ​​a country that resurfaces after centuries of submission is transmitted. Thus, the slogan “we defend our ocean dream”, present In naval theme parks and in walls of port cities, seeks to instill national pride and legitimize the enormous military expense before the population. The Taiwan factor and tensions. With this “Naval” Map of Beijing, the biggest question is how the nation will use The growing power. Although he says he does not want to interfere in other countries, he holds the promise of “gathering” Taiwan, without ruling out The use of force. United States, forced by law to assemble Taipéi, perceives the risk of an open conflict dragging the region to a greater war. Chinese naval trials near Japan and the circumnavigation of Australia show that the Navy is no longer limited to its nearby waters. Meanwhile, the Pentagon Try to revitalize a naval industry weakened after decades of divestment, although recovering the initiative will be A titanic task. The decisive issue for the Pacific balance, therefore, seems clear: who can put … Read more

China needs its own TSMC to withstand the US pressure. His best candidate already grows at a rhythm of vertigo

The US wants to avoid at any price that China has avant -garde photolithography equipment. These complex machines are necessary to manufacture very high integration semiconductorssuch as those used by the data centers specialized in artificial intelligence (AI). And without them the technological development of the country led by Xi Jinping has slowed down. It is fair What the US government wants. China is dedicating a huge amount of resources to the development of its own avant -garde lithography teams. Two of its largest investments They arrived in 2014 and 2019before the technological war of which we are witnessing was unleashed. In 2014, the Chinese government injected about 19,000 million dollars into its chip industry, and in 2019 this figure increased to touching 27.5 billion dollars. However, these investments pale in front of China at the end of 2023. And it is that just two years ago the government approved An investment of 41,000 million dollars expressly dedicated to manufacturers of lithography equipment. In any case, these machines are only one of the ingredients of a recipe in which the leading role is interpreted by chips manufacturers. And the best option that China has is SMIC (Semiconductor manufacturing international corp). This company has cost more than two years to refine its most advanced integration technology as necessary to produce integrated 5 nm circuitsbut your effort is already paying fruit. And is that, According to SCMPtheir income during the first semester of 2025 has increased by 22% if we compare them with the same period last year. And its benefits have grown by 35.6%. This is SMIC’s great challenge: go beyond 7 nm Dr. Kim, an expert in chips manufacturing who has worked in Samsung and currently investigating TSMC in the US, He maintains that SMIC It is about to start the production of 5 Nm chips. It is perfectly credible because, as we have just seen, we know with certainty that this company has been Working in this technology. And, in addition, Dr. Kim is a reliable source. However, this expert has pointed out something crucial that we should not overlook: the performance per wafer that SMIC has currently achieved in its 5 Nm nodes is less than 30%. When semiconductor manufacturers produce a chip wafer, some of those nuclei do not work properly. It is normal. And when they launch a new lithographic node their performance per wafer usually has a wide margin, but little by little, as engineers refine their integration processes, This parameter improves. A mature lithography can deliver to integrated circuit manufacturers a very high performance, but an incipient technology usually moves in the orbit of 50% performance, so only half of the chips produced work correctly. The 5 Nm chips that SMIC will manufacture for Huawei are possible thanks to a technology known as SAQP The problem is that for an integration technology to be profitable from an economic point of view, its performance by wafer has to be At least 70%. And, as we have just seen, Dr. Kim argues that the SMIC 5 NM node is below 30%. It is objectively a very poor performance, but we know what this low figure explains: the technique used by this manufacturer to produce these semiconductors. It is known as Multiple patterningand SMIC has used it for more than a year and a half to make 7 NM chips for Huawei and other customers. This strategy consists in transferring the pattern to the wafer in several passes with the purpose of increasing the resolution of the lithographic process. It works, but is responsible for wafer performance is clearly improvable. However, all probability Integrated 5 nm circuits that presumably SMIC will manufacture soon for Huawei are possible thanks to a technology known as SAQP (Self-alledhed Quadruple Patterning), which is nothing more than a Multiple patterning more aggressive and sophisticated than the one used to manufacture the soc Kirin 9000s of 7 nm and other chips. A report published by the Taiwanese media Economic Daily News ensures that SMIC will start the manufacture of 3 Nm semiconductors equipped with GAA transistors (Gate-alall-around) For Huawei in 2026. However, this is not all. This article also maintains that this last company has already completed laboratory tests that pursue the manufacture of integrated circuits using carbon nanotubes. Huawei’s plan presumably is to give this innovation to SMIC to adapt it to large -scale production. Image | SMIC More information | SCMP In Xataka | The US has declared the total war on Huawei: he does not want him to sell his chips for the most advanced outside of China

The US pursues the AGI as if it were the Holy Grail. In China they are more pragmatic and are applying AI to plant tomatoes

The long AI career continues its course, and although it seemed that the United States had taken the lead, China has managed to recover the lost terrain and stand up to the Big Tech. The funny thing is that The approaches of these two countries are totally differentand that makes great losers and winners here. In short and long term. US for the AGI. The North American country has a very different strategy from that of China in regards to artificial intelligence. Large technology companies are investing billions of dollars in search of that holy grail called AGI (General artificial intelligence). China, more pragmatic. On the other, China, which has adopted a different and much more pagmatic strategy. Rather pursue great objectives that a priori are far from being achieved, the Chinese government, led by Xi Jinping, is prioritizing The development of AI practical applications that are above all efficient and have limited implementation and, if it can be, low. Promises, promises. The difference between both visions is huge but highlights the mentality with which both countries face their efforts. The US companies that work in the US believe that the AGI is close despite Some experts They are clear that The generative AI is not the way. The Manhattan Project of the IA. That seems to give equal to visionary theorists looking for that AGI, because according to them, this mile military advantage that can suppose. For certain sectors politicians in the US the development of an AGI It is comparable What the Manhattan project was and the construction of the atomic bomb during World War II. But as they explain Some expertsthat project was not the three years of work, but rather supported studies and research that had been running for three decades in an US that at that time looked in the long term. China wants to be useful today. That way of contemplating the career of AI contrasts with that of China. Its leader, Xi Jinping, has not shown special interest in AGI, and its approach is much more pragmatic: he seeks to focus AI on applications for practical purposes. That has led to the Models of the AI ​​developed in China are already taking advantage of everyday tasks. Practical applications. For example, they point out In The Wall Street Journalhttps: //www.wsj.com/tech/ai/china-hasthe qualification of access exams to high school, the improvement of weather forecasts, or assistance to agriculture with methods to optimize crop rotation. It should be noted that the US also uses AI in these areas, at least in the form of projects such as Google Weather Lab either Alphafold 3 For the development of medications with AI. Chinese government support. Although there are efforts by both countries for that practical approach, the difference here is that in China there is a very fortune government support. Beijing is investing significantly in that vision with a Investment fund of 8,400 million dollars To support new startups, and both local governments and Chinese state banks have launched their own investment programs. And open models. Another of the key points that differentiate both strategies is that of the closed and owner of the models of the large US companies and Open and open source vision of Chinese models. These open models allow to be downloaded and freely modified, and also reduce the cost of implementing this technology for companies that want to adapt it to their needs. The trade war conditions everything. It is also true that commercial restrictions imposed by the US condition the Chips development and AI software in China. That has caused the Asian giant to have adopted a curious tactic: to let the US assume the enormous costs of exploring new paths to develop AI, and then follow its steps as quickly as possible but without having to face those strong economic investments. Risk aversion. Although Xi Jinping may raise a strategy that the AGI pursues, experts say it will only do it when I see that you have enough guarantees of succeeding. Kendra Schaefer, from the trivium Chinese consultant, explained How the Communist Party does not want to be threatened by an AGI that condition its future. According to her, the Chinese government is “one of the most reluctant governments to the planet’s risk.” Outstanding image | Xataka with Midjourney In Xataka | China has declared the war on private school: why he predicted the prolific “tutorials”

In 2015, the US revealed the meeting of two fighters with an “unknown object”. China has just presented it to the world

At the end of 2017 the New York Times launched One of that news that is remembered for what it could mean. A secret program of the Pentagon was revealed that was dedicated to investigating the threats raised by possible UFOs. And among all the information, the star news: the encounter of an unidentified object with two combat fighters (with video included). The origin of those strangers in the sky has never been confirmed. Until China has announced something. The echo of the “gimbal”. As we said, that object video called as “gimbal”, captured by A F/A-18 From the US Navy, he unleashed a global debate on inexplicable aerial phenomena and technologies beyond known military capacities. Today, almost a decade later, China, through the Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics, has presented A tracing of what we saw in those images, an experimental take -off and vertical landing drone (Vtol) whose design, surprisingly, reminds that of that mysterious artifact: a fuselage With elliptical wing in closed ring -shaped, reinforced by vertical stabilizers and four rotors located at the binding points. One of the Chinese Experimental Drones in Test Flight in Zhengzhou, Henan Province The Chinese revolution in Vtol. At first glance it seems A flying spindle more than a conventional aircraft or quadcopter. However, in that unorthodox form an engineering is hidden that combines the best of multi -reliable and fixed -wing systems: maneuvering capacity and vertical support to operate from ships, irregular land or even aquatic surfaces, and at the same time aerodynamic efficiency in horizontal flight, thanks to a wing whose slope of support curve overcomes In more than 100% to that of a straight wing. Radical aerodynamics. Beijing researchers have that the annular wing channels high pressure flows and delays the loss, which allows stable to fly At low speeds or high attack angles, key conditions for military recognition missions in complex environments. The horizontal stabilizer mounted at the ends avoids internal turbulence and improves control. Plus: Tunnel tests and test flights confirmed that the device maintains the adhered flow even in extreme conditionsvalidating computational models that predicted a leap in benefits. A close look at DRON VTOL Chino Purposes. Its robust modular structure allows, on paper, integrate Optical sensors, thermal cameras, rescue equipment or supply capsules, which makes it a multipurpose platform for both military missions (battlefield supervision, maritime surveillance) and For civil applications (Environmental analysis, rescue in difficult access areas, light emergency transport). Limitations and margin of improvement. The great challenge is still The aerodynamic draginherent to the geometry of the closed wing. In that sense, researchers They have underlined that work to refine the profile to reduce pressure resistance and optimize the support/resistance ratio. Plus: They seek to perfect control algorithms to minimize unnecessary corrections that generate induced drag, and also study “more stylized variants designed to operate from war ships”, which would multiply its strategic value in naval operations. Of speculation to the battlefield. Thus, what for much of the world was A ufological unknowns A decade ago, China has now translated it into a tangible system, the result of the convergence of academic research and, of course, military pressure to reach the next generation of drones. If in the cold war the boldest experiments were on paper, today engineering (and China goes in the top positions) manages to validate designs that were just a few years ago as pure fantasy. The similarity with the “gimbal” is casual or intentional, but the truth is that the drone opens a different aerodynamic languageone in which the borders between science fiction and military development are blurred. Image | Handout, Pentagon, Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics In Xataka | The Pentagon confirms the truth and shows for the first time three “secret” videos of alleged UFOs that had leaked In Xataka | The Pentagon has just published the study on the material found in 1947 from an alleged “extraterrestrial” ship

The US has found a new way to torpedo China. The problem is that it takes ahead to South Korea

The truce is over. The US does not want integrated circuit manufacturing equipment that resort to US technologies and innovations They arrive in China. Not even chips factories that They do not belong to Chinese companies. In 2022 the US Department of Commerce granted a temporary exemption to several manufacturers of foreign semicondators who have plants in China so that they could equip their facilities with the machines they needed. But this permissive period has expired. From now on any chips manufacturer who has plants in China will have to request a license from the US Commerce Department to be able to install in its factories machines with US components or technologies. Intel has sold Your Dalian plant (China), so this measure no longer affects it. However, there are two South Korean companies of enormous relevance in the semiconductor industry whose business can be deeply conditioned by the restrictions imposed by the US: Samsung and SK Hynix. The Department of Commerce is not reassuring These two South Korean companies need to send new manufacturing machines of integrated circuits to their China plants to protect their competitiveness, and without the approval of the US administration they cannot do so. Lithography equipment that manufactures asml They incorporate American technologies (The ultraviolet light source of UVE and UVP machines is produced by the company of Californian origin Cymer, which is now integrated into ASML). And presumably the lithographic equipment of Tokyo Electron, Nikon and Canon also, which gives the US the power to control which countries can use this technology. The Commerce Department has noticed that it will not grant licenses that pursue expand the production capacity in China or update the existing technology The Department of Commerce has anticipated which will deliver the necessary licenses so that foreign chip manufacturers can continue to operate their China plants. The restrictions will begin in 120 days, so these companies They still have some margin to react. However, in its statement the Department of Commerce He has also warned that will not grant licenses that pursue expand production capacity in China or update existing technology. For Samsung and SK Hynix this limitation represents a serious problem. Samsung produces Nand Flash chips in Xian, and SK Hynix manufactures DRAM integrated circuits in Wuxi and Nand Flash in Dalian. Equipating these plants with avant -garde equipment can make a difference in your business. What the US Government pursues with this measure is to minimize the risk that the vanguard wafer lithography and wafering equipment that manufactures ASML, Apply Materials or Tokyo Electron Caigan in the hands of China. In addition, these restrictions make it difficult for the avant -garde chips to produce Samsung and SK Hynix They arrive at China’s distribution chain. A spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce of China has declared that “Beijing opposes this US measure and will take the necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of companies.” On the other hand, the South Korean government is negotiating with its American counterpart to protect the business of its companies in China. Image | ASML More information | Reuters | Nikkei Asia In Xataka | China is very clear about what you should do to win the Chips War to the US: resort to their technology geniuses

He was deported to China after co -founding NASA’s JPL. Now China has made one of his ideas come true: flying wind turbines

In the mid -twentieth century, the United States made a decision that later A high position of the Navy described as “the most stupid thing that this country has ever done.” Qian Xesenan indisputable genius of aeronautical engineering, co -founder of the prestigious JPL laboratory of NASA, and a key figure in the development of American coheteria, was deported to China in 1955 accused of communist sympathies in full witch hunt. Qian, welcomed as a hero in his homeland, became the father of the space program and the development of Balistic missiles in China. Decades later, a new generation of Chinese engineers, heirs of the scientific ecosystem that helped build, has broken a world record with a technology that pursues an old ambition of Qian Xesen: wind turbines that fly like zepelins to harvest the energy of great altitude winds. A Zepelin anchored to ground to generate electricity On October 10, in the heavens of Jingmen, province of Hubei, a 23 -meter long aerostate with a leadable appearance rose to 500 meters high. It was not a transport or surveillance vehicle, but The S500, a floating wind energy system That, at that altitude, began to generate more than 50 kilowatts of power. With this flight, China not only launched an innovative project, but sprayed two world records that until now He held an American MIT research team: The one with the highest flight altitude for such a turbine (the previous one was 297 meters) and the one with the highest power generated (compared to the previous 30). The concept, developed by the Sawes company In collaboration with the University of Tsinghua and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, it is as elegant as complex. The system uses A member of helium filling to raise a wind turbine to altitudes where the wind is much stronger and more constant than on the surface. The electricity that generates is transmitted to a station on land through the same high strength cable that anchors the structure. The advantage of this design is clear: the energy that can be extracted from the wind is proportional to the cube of its speed; already hundreds of meters high, Winds are not only faster, but also more stablesignificantly reducing the intermittency that it lills to the terrestrial wind farms. According to developer calculations, wind resources in the stratosphere on a region like Hami, in Xinjiang, are 40 times higher than those of the surface. Of emergency situations to the generation at network scale The S500 and its successor, the S1000 of 100 kW Proven for the first time in Januarywere developed for emergency rescues, urban security and places of difficult topography. In case of earthquake or flood, the system can be deployed rapidly to provide energy and communications in the disaster area. But Sawes’s ambitions go much further. The company He just finished assembly The following model on its road map: the S1500, designed to operate 1,500 meters of altituderepresents a jumping of the capacity in capacity, with a power of generation of 1 megavatio. It is proof that technology not only looks for niches such as emergency response, but aspires to become a renewable energy source at an electricity scale. To achieve this power, the S1500 integrates a complex system of 12 generators that operate simultaneously inside its central duct. The key for such a powerful system to fly is material engineering: generators are manufactured in carbon fiber To minimize the weight, maintaining the complete structure below a ton. Like his little brother, energy becomes electricity in the airship itself and low to land through an anchor -integrated cable. With this design, Sawes has attracted the support of important investment funds and contracts that already exceed 500 million yuan (about 64 million euros). The company has opened an assembly plant In Yueyang. The story of Qian Xesen is one of the greatest anecdotes about the unforeseen consequences of fear policy. As you tell Los Angeles Timesthe man who interrogated Wernher Von Braun and laid the basis of the JPL was separated and returned to a country that, at that time, had a much lower scientific development. He took care of changing that, and now his heirs are materializing some of his ideas in his native country. Images | Sawes In Xataka | How China became a nuclear and spatial power in the most unexpected way: with a student of the mit expelled by the US

China already has one of the most advanced observatories on the planet to hunt the most elusive particle that exists

Neutrinos are The most elusive particles of nature. They were first described from a theoretical point of view in 1930 by Austrian physicist Wolfgang Ernst Pauli, one of the parents of Quantum physics (We owe, among other contributions, known as exclusion principle). However, its experimental discovery took place two and a half decades later, in 1956. We owe it to American physicists Frederick Reines and Clyde Cowan. There is a forceful reason that explains why these particles are so difficult to detect: They barely interact with ordinary matter. In addition, its mass is very tiny, its electric charge is neutral and are not influenced by strong nuclear interaction or electromagnetic force, although due to gravity and weak nuclear interaction. There is no doubt that they are very special particles. Scientists often illustrate how difficult it is to capture a neutrino explaining that every second trillion of these particles go through both the earth and us without colliding with any other particle. You can also illustrate how elusive that they are using quantum mechanics, which ensures that it would be necessary to manufacture a lead plate with a light year thickness to ensure that half of the neutrinos that go through it collide with the particles of the lead block. The Jiangmen Observatory is ready to hunt neutrinos Despite how elusive neutrinos are, we have several observatories that are able to detect them. One of them is The Japanese Super-Kamiokande. This installation is located in Hida, a city located in the central area of ​​Honshu, the largest island in the Japanese archipelago. It is built in a mine, 1 km deep, and measures 40 meters high and another 40 meters wide, which gives a volume similar to that of a fifteen floors building. However, the authentic protagonist of this article is the Underground Observatory of Neutrinos of Jiangmen, which is housed in the Chinese province of Guangdong. Like the Super-Kamiokande Japanese, Juno, which is how this Chinese observatory is known for its English denomination (Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory), It is a real monster. His heart is a cylindrical pool 44 meters deep that is housed in an underground chamber with granite walls. The neutrin detector consists of a 41.1 meters in diameter stainless steel mesh that supports an acrylic sphere of 35.4 meters in diameter The neutrin detector consists of a 41.1 meters in diameter stainless steel mesh that supports an acrylic sphere of 35.4 meters in diameter. This container is full of a very exotic liquid expressly designed to interact with neutrinos and produce a light of light that can be detected. Juno contains no less than 20,000 tons of this liquid, which allows him to erect himself as the largest neutrin detector on the planet. The composition of this fluid seeks to maximize the amount of light generated by the interaction of each neutrino. Its three fundamental components are linear alkyl benzene, which acts as a solvent; 2,5-difeniloxazole, which is the molecule that is excited when a neutrino interacts with herwhich causes the emission of a flash of light; And, finally, 1.4-bis (2-methylstiril) benzene, which absorbs the ultraviolet light that emits 2.5-difeniloxazole and re-enters it with a longer wavelength that is easier to detect. The flashes of light are collected by 45,000 photomultiplier tubes that cover the inner surface of the sphere. By measuring the intensity, position and duration of these flashes, scientists can reconstruct the trajectory and energy of each neutrino. And all this for what? Wang Yifang explains it to usJuno spokesman: “This observatory will allow scientists to address fundamental questions about the nature of matter and the universe.” Neither more nor less. Image | Generated by Xataka with Google Gemini More information | Digital Diario In Xataka | The future circular collider of CERN will cost 20,000 million euros. Can leave us cheap

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