china

China is devouring the televisions market. So much that Panasonic considers abandoning it

by

Samsung is the manufacturer who has been selling the most televisions for 18 years. His imperturbable leadership in such a competitive market is unusual, but This domain is being threatened. And not for its compatriot LG, the company with the one that has dealt with more intensity during most of his reign. TV manufacturers that are growing most in the world market They arrive from China. And they seem willing to snatch Samsung his throne. According to the consultant Counterpoint Research During the third quarter of 2024, Samsung’s fee in the global televisions market was 15%, while Chinese and TCL companies reached 12%. However, it is interesting that we also observe the trend. The Samsung quota was slightly reduced to the second quarter of 2024, while that of Hisense increased by 19% compared to the same quarter of 2023. Panasonic is making a very difficult decision in uncertain times Hisense seems unstoppable. His growth has allowed him to place second only behind Samsung during the third quarter of 2024. In fact, he has surpassed TCL. And these two Chinese brands have beaten by 2% the LG market share during that same quarter. This “photography” helps us identify in what state is the television market today, but we can do something else. We can investigate the always interesting segment of prémonic televisions. If we stick to the high range the Samsung market share fell from 43% of the third quarter of 2023 to 30% during the third quarter of 2024 Again according to Counterpointif we stick to the high range the Samsung market share fell from 43% of the third quarter of 2023 to 30% during the third quarter of 2024. The interesting thing is that in this same period the fees of Hins and TCl experienced A very different evolution than Samsung’s. Hisense went from 14 to 24%, and TCL from 11 to 17%. It is important that we take this into account because it reflects that Chinese brands do not sell only low -price televisions; They also do well with high -end models. At this juncture and without deviating from the Prémona segment, LG has gone from second position in this category with a 20% market share to fourth position, with a fee of 16%. He has Samsung not only; Also to Hisense and TCl. In recent years I have had the opportunity to Analyze several televisions Of these two Chinese brands, and objectively their technology is very competitive. In fact, they are not only intimidating South Korean companies; Japanese brands are also suffering. And a lot. Yuki Kusumi, the president of Panasonic, declared Yesterday that the company that leads is willing to part with its televisions manufacturing division. “We are prepared to sell it if necessary, but we have not yet decided,” Kusumi said. Panasonic has embarked In a deep business restructuring which seeks to increase its medium -term competitiveness and enhance its agility when making decisions to adapt to the market. A last interesting note: for 2024 the Chinese televisions manufacturers with TCL and Hisense at the head managed to get More than 50% of the Japanese market. More information | Forbes | Nikkei Asia In Xataka | Panasonic has ready its two 2025 flagship televisions. And one of them is committed to a spectacular OLED panel

The treasure desired by all nations that China dominates with iron fist can be key in Ukraine: its rare earths

by

Trump has had to get there An unexpected negotiating element In the war in Ukraine. Moscow and Kyiv have been waiting for the new administration with respect to the conflict for weeks. The answer, unexpected for the majority, is about to see if it is as it seems. If affirmative, the United States would enter fully into the contest to help Ukraine, although in exchange for very precious minerals with incalculable geopolitical value. Rare lands in exchange for support. Donald Trump’s recent statement on a possible agreement with Ukraine, in which The United States would receive rare minerals in exchange for military assistancehas shaken the geopolitical panorama and generated international mixed reactions. The proposal, presented by Trump himself in the Oval office, seeks to condition Kyiv aid, linking it with strategic resources such as lithium, uranium and titanium, fundamental to the technological and military industry. This strategy, which reflects its transactional approach in foreign policy, represents a significant change regarding the unconditional military assistance that the American nation has provided so far, where it was practically reduced to money and weapons. A turn in the relationship. Since Trump’s re -election, uncertainty about American commitment to Ukraine has been a matter of concern for Kyiv. Everything changes, a priori (and being real), with this offer, since Ukraine could ensure Washington’s support when a “strategic interest” In his future. In fact, the answer has not been expected, and Ukrainian officials have explained that The administration of Volodymyr Zelensky would be willing to sign joint agreements with the United States To guarantee the collaboration in the exploitation of these resources, in an attempt to consolidate military support in the middle of the wear of the conflict with Russia. Moreover, Zelensky has warned that Without American intervention, these resources could end up in the hands of adversaries As Iran or North Korea, in case of a Russian victory. Geopolitical impact As we said, the international reaction to Trump’s words has not been waiting. In Europe, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz harshly criticized the proposaldescribing it as selfish and stressing that minerals should be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine instead of being exchanged for weapons. A European diplomat expressed doubts about the viability of the plansuggesting that it is not yet clear if it is a negotiation strategy or a firm demand. In addition, he stressed that European countries have already considered more transactional approaches with the United States, although without compromising essential resources of Ukraine. And from Russia? From Moscow, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov interpreted Trump’s proposal as a sign that the United States will no longer deliver free helpwhat Russia sees as an opportunity to weaken Western support to Kyiv. This perspective coincides with Russian military advances in eastern Ukraine, where many of the rare mineral reserves are found. The minerals. It We have counted before. In the case at hand, the elements of rare earths that Donald Trump seeks to ensure through an agreement with Ukraine in exchange for military aid They are essential strategic metals for key industriesfrom advanced technology to defense. Despite its name, these 17 elements are not particularly scarce, since There are large deposits in China, Brazil, Vietnam and Russia. However, its extraction implies highly polluting and expensive processes, which has limited its production outside of Chinawho dominates the global market thanks to massive investments in refinement and more lax environmental regulation. The importance of rare earths. These metals They are practically irreplaceable in many industrial applications. Neodimium and Disposio, for example, allow to manufacture ultra -policy magnets essential for wind turbines and electric motors, while the Europium is crucial for television screens and the hill is used in oil refining. Besides, They play a key role in the development of modern armamentincluding in the equation guided missiles. Since production is concentrated in China (and therefore, The dependence of most countries), we have the best of the clues for which United States and EU seek to reduce its dependencepromoting new sources of supply and recycling of materials. Trump’s interest. Linking with the above, Trump possibly sees in Ukrainian deposits An opportunity to strengthen US supply and reduce that Chinese influence In the sector, more convulsed than ever with The war of tariffs imposed. In this sense, one of the greatest attractions of the agreement for Washington is Access to lithium deposits of Ukraine, essential for the manufacture of microchips and batteries for electric vehiclesstrategic sectors where the United States competes directly with China. Within the framework of its transactional policy, the tycoon proposes that Ukraine guarantees access to these resources in exchange for military support, An idea previously suggested by Volodymyr Zelensky. The geopolitics of these materials, therefore, is key, since a greater dependence on China could represent strategic risks, as happened in 2010 when Beijing blocked exports to Japan in a territorial conflict. Difference with other critical minerals. Rare earths are just a part of The so -called critical mineralsa broader category that includes tungsten, tellurium and Indian, essential for clean energy and advanced technologies. In fact, China has already imposed export controls of some of these materials In response to American tariffs, reinforcing the need to diversify the global supply. Paradigm change. Be that as it may, Trump’s interest in convert military assistance into an agreement based on resources It represents a fundamental change in the way in which the United States could handle its relationship with Ukraine (or other nations in conflict). While Kyiv sees this as an opportunity to maintain American support, the proposal It has also generated tensions with Europe and criticism about ethics to condition aid to an exchange of strategic goods. On the other hand, and at least publicly, Russia does not see it either bad, but as a chance. In a context of prolonged war and with Moscow gaining ground, this new approach could define the future of the conflict and remodel geopolitical balance in the coming years. Of course, it is about to see if Trumop’s … Read more

Russia, China and North Korea have hypersonic weapons. The US has decided to defend itself with its own iron dome

by

In the Reagan era, the United States proposed one of those defense plans that would give for an uncertain genre. The project was from such a draft that The media called him “Star Wars Initiative” for its similarities to what seemed like a shield in the full -fledged space. Now that Trump has come to power, the country somehow revives that rimbombante idea, although perhaps more earthly. A copy of Israel. What is known at this time is that Donald Trump has signed an executive order to develop an antimile defense system Similar to Iron Dome (iron dome) from Israelarguing that Ballistic threats represent the greatest danger For the National Security of the United States. In his own way, of course. So, just like With the “new” Gulf of Americathe project would be done Under the name of “Iron Dome for America”an order that instructs the Pentagon to present in 60 days a detailed plan that includes the accelerated development of hypersonic missiles and the deployment of space interceptors. The problem? Many experts question the viability of the proposal pointing out that The geography and size of the nation make a system like the Israelidesigned for a significantly smaller territory and short -range threats. Dusting Star Wars. In addition, and as we said at the beginning, Trump’s plan also seems to resume Ronald Reagan’s vision with his strategic defense initiative, The known as “Star Wars”which failed after having cost billions of dollars without concrete results. Its objective was to intercept enemy missiles before they achieved their goal, eliminating the need for nuclear retaliation. However, the program was canceled in the 90s due to its technical unfeasibility and its high costs. Despite this, some of their ideas have endured in the current defense systems, Like the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD)although its success rate remains limited. In this regard, critics like Sidharth Kaoushal warned in the New York Times That an antimile shield at national scale could be economically unsustainable, while Marion Messmer underlines The technical difficulties of intercepting missiles released from multiple directions and platformsincluding submarines. Again, the United States is not Israel. Space and new technologies in the equation. Trump’s plan emphasizes the use of spatial interceptors and sensors, Defense systems before launch (Left-Of-Launch) and energy weapons directed as lasers. There are already names on the table with Companies like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and RTX, which have shown interest in the project highlighting recent advances in lasers defense for cruise missiles. Threats and strategic challenges. Although the order does not specify which countries are considered threats, It is assumed by all that we talk about old acquaintances. Namely: Russia, China, Iran and, possibly, North Korea (it remains to be seen with Trump in power), all nations that They have developed increasingly sophisticated arsenalsincluding hypersonic missiles capable of evading current defenses. In Washington, the idea of ​​strengthening antimisile defense has some support, and experts like Robert Soofer argue that the current approach is insufficient Given the growing offensive capacity of these countries. In any case, the objective is clear: hypersonic weapons, with irregular trajectories and extreme speeds, They represent a significant challenge for traditional defensive systems. In addition, the Great Nuclear Arsenal of Russia, with around 1,700 eyes deployed (And the growing of China), they could overcome any anti -mile shield. Guam as an initial test. While the United States antimisile defense remains in a planning phase, The territory of Guam, a strategic enclave In the Pacific, he has advanced in the implementation of a multicapa defense system. We have counted it before. The island, which houses key military bases, It is less than 3,000 km from China and North Koreacountries that have been indicated as a objective in military exercises and threats. As we explained in December, the US army successfully performed the first interception of a ballistic missile from the islandusing the Aegis Guam Systema land -based system that has proven effective in ships of the Navy. Besides, THE THAAD SYSTEM (HIGH ALTIVITY TERMINE AREA DEFENSE) and the Patriot batteries They will be integrated to form a defensive shield of 360 degrees, capable of facing ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles. This system, although advanced, will take at least a decade to complete, reflecting the difficulty of building a similar shield at the national level. The great uncertainty. No doubt, at this time, lack of details in the executive order, the possibility that the Trump administration opts for a gradual deployment is left open, increasing investment in existing programs instead of developing a completely new system. In any case, the debate on the feasibility and costs of such a project are on the table, with warning that a plan of this magnitude could be economically unfeasible without offering an effective solution to the growing threat of long -range missiles. That without counting on The size of the United States to display an iron dome to use. Image | Israel Ministry In Xataka | Israel has an effective defense weapon in the iron dome. Except if all your enemies attack at the same time In Xataka | The United States fears that China’s long -range missiles will reach Guam. So he just launched one himself

China has become the greatest added value of the planet thanks to feedback

by

China wants to stop being the planet’s factory. In fact, you need to stop being. The struggle that holds with the US to get world supremacy It requires that Xi Jinping’s country consolidates as The largest provider of high value services and products. This position would allow him to compete with the country led by Donald Trump on equal terms, something unthinkable just a decade ago. But China is in it. And it’s on the right track. The first stone was placed by the Chinese president in 2015. That year Xi Jinping announced the implementation of a strategy known as Plan “Made in China 2025” whose purpose was to place China as a world leader in 13 strategic technologies. Ten years later he leads in five of them: unmanned aerial vehicles, solar panels, graphene, high -speed trains and electric vehicles/lithium batteries (these last two go hand in hand). And it is competitive in seven others, among which it is worth highlighting semiconductors, Robots either artificial intelligence (AI). This is China’s open secret: industrial and technological overlapping The sanctions that They have deployed USA and its allies During the last three years they have forced China to invest a huge amount of resources with the purpose of becoming their technological industry of foreign countries. Otherwise it would be condemned to stagnation. In this situation it is crucial that we do not overlook that the prohibitions of the US, Netherlands or Japan, among other countries, prevent research institutions and Chinese companies accessing the most advanced lithography equipment and the avant -garde chips. China will take at least five years to have an extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment comparable to those produced by ASML The latter continue to arrive in China Through intermediary companies mostly housed in Malaysia, Singapore or India. However, chips manufacturing machines are another sack. Presumably the country of Xi Jinping It will take at least five years in having a extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment comparable to those currently produced by the Dutch company ASML. However, as we have just seen, if we stick to the Chinese mature integrated circuits it is competitive, but in semiconductors in general it does not lead. The scheme we publish on top of these lines has been prepared by the sociologist and researcher at Princeton University, in New Jersey (USA), Kyle Chan for the highly recommended Newsletter High Capacity. It illustrates very clearly how China has achieved within a relatively brief period of time consolidating itself as a world leader in lithium batteries, electric cars or drones, and being a competitor surpassing in industrial robots, semiconductors or artificial intelligence. The key to the unappealable success of China is, beyond its great economic investment and its human capital, industrial and technological overlapping The key to this unappealable success is, beyond the great economic investment and human capital that this Asian country is investing in these sectors, Industrial and technological overlap. Kyle Chan’s scheme clearly reflects the interdependence that exists between some companies, such as, for example, Xpeng, Nio or Geely electric cars manufacturers, among others, and lithium batteries producers Catl and Byd. This last company also manufactures cars, buses and electric trucks, among other products. As we see in the scheme, China has developed several technological and industrial ecosystems that overlap both if we stick to the companies that are involved in them and the technologies involved. The greatest strength of this country is that it is not strong only in batteries; It is also in electric cars. And on smartphones. And in drones. And in industrial robots. And in many other sectors. Almost all of them are interconnected, well directly, either indirectly. And when one is reinforced by a rupturist innovation all those with whom holds some technological dependence They are also strengthened. Here lies, ultimately, China’s high competitiveness in so many industries of a strategic nature. Image | Alex More information | High Capacity In Xataka | China advances at a dizzying speed in nuclear fusion. It already has something ready that until now only had the Netherlands

income grows, the iPhone and sales in China fall

by

Apple beats records again. The most valuable company in the world He has just presented the results of the first quarter of 2025 (covered by October, November and December 2024, Here in PDF) and the figures give vertigo. Apple has entered 124.3 billion dollars, 4% more than the same quarter of the previous year. Good news for the company that arrives accompanied by some peculiar data that is worth reviewing. The iPhone falls. A little, at least. He iPhone This quarter has generated 69,138 million dollars, a small reduction with respect to the same quarter of last year, whose sales amounts to 69,702 million. It is a drop of almost 1%. The same happens with the division of wearables, home and accessories, which having generated more income than the Mac or the iPad, has been below the anterior quarter: 11,747 million in the Q1 of 2025 compared to 11,953 million of 2024 The fall is 0.98%. The Apple Intelligence case. According to Tim Cook, “during the quarter of December, we observe that in the markets in which we had implanted Apple Intelligence, the interannual performance of the family iPhone 16 was superior to the markets in which we had not implemented Apple Intelligence“It is a” positive indicator “for future sales of the iPhone in countries where Apple Intelligence is not available, Cook has assured. One of those countries is China (really Apple talks about Greater Chinawhich includes continental China, Hong Kong and Taiwan), where sales have fallen. Total revenues have been 18,513 million dollars, 11% less than the same quarter of the previous year. Apple Intelligence is not available in China or Chinese, although from the firm they have ensured that they plan to launch more languages ​​in April, being the simplified Chinese one of them. iPad Pro (2024 | Image: Xataka Speaking of the Mac and iPad. It has been a great quarter. Both the iPad and the MAC have grown 15%, something that makes sense if we take into account the good performance of the Apple M4 and that in 2023 they did not launch a single iPad model. In that sense, 2024 has been a year of renewal with iPad Air with M2 and the iPad Pro with M4. Only iPad have generated 8,088 million dollars, a figure that increases to 8,987 million in the case of Mac. Subscriptions work. To anyone’s surprise, subscriptions (whose profit margin is high) have been one of the Great growth engines for the company. This division, which includes names such as Apple Music, the App Store, Apple TV+, ICloud or Apple Care, has generated 26,340 million dollars, 14% more than the previous year. Cover image | Xataka In Xataka | If the question is I buy the iPhone 16 already or I wait for the iPhone, the answer is: there is no certainty

China is raising an unprecedented dam where millions of people live. The problem is seismic activity

by

Before finishing 2024 we advanced what was known about China’s last megonstruction. Actually, we could not talk about “another” as if it were something else in a long list, because it is possibly one of the most ambitious projects that are reminded of the nation: a super prey so monumental that would leave The three throats relegated to the background, producing three times more energy than the spectacular structure of more than two kilometers long. Of course, there is some problem. The superpress. It is a reality: China advances with the construction of the Motuo Superpress in Tibetan unprecedented infrastructure project that, if completed, will become the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world taking advantage of an abrupt slope of 2,800 meters, exceeding the capacity of the three throats dam (currently the biggest in the world). Located in The Grand Canyon of Yarlung Tsangpoon the border with India, the dam has aroused environmental, geopolitical and humanitarian concerns, especially due to the lack of transparency of Beijing about its development. Experts warn that the project represents a “water pump” for millions of people in India and Bangladesh. Seismic risks. The Tibet is One of the most seismically active regions on the planetit has been known for a long time because it is located in the collision of the Indian plaque and the Euroasy Plate. In fact, a recent 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Shigatse It caused damage to five hydroelectric dams and the death of 134 people, demonstrating how vulnerable infrastructure in the region is. Although Motuo’s work can be designed to withstand earthquakes, landslides and mud alluds could serve as a fuse and unleash, representing a direct threat to nearby populations. We speak, again, millions of people. This risk is aggravated by the phenomenon of Seismicity induced by reservoirs (RTS)where the weight of accumulated water in large dams can trigger earthquakes. An example is the zipingpu damwhose construction was followed by Sichuan’s devastating earthquake in 2008 which charged 87,000 lives. In addition, sediment retention by the dam could reduce the fertility of the soil downstream, causing erosion in the rivers and coasts of India and Bangladesh. Gran_Cañón Yarlung Tsangpo Environmental impact. The dam too would alter the water and climatic patterns Crucial for agriculture in the region. The Tibet, where Brahmaputra is born, is one of the most biodiverse regions of the world and a key regulator of Asian climate. The construction of the superpress could, for example, alter the monsoon rainfallwith devastating effects for agriculture in India and Bangladesh. In addition, the ecological impact of Chinese megaemblses is already evident in other international rivers, Like the Mekong, where the dams have caused droughts recurring and the intrusion of salt water in agricultural deltas. Impact between the premises and (des) information. It is another leg that must tie the project. The Tibet is under a strong control of the Chinese Communist Party, so the magnitude of the displacement of Tibetans that will require the work is not known. In this regard, Beijing has not revealed details about costs (It is estimated that total investment will exceed 130,000 million euros), The companies involved or the number of people who will be relocated. And if we are guided by other cases in Chinese provinces, protests against hydroelectric projects have been repressedit is suggested that any opposition in the Tibet will be silenced. Geopolitics of a superpress. He Brahmaputrawhich flows to India and Bangladesh, is a vital artery for millions of people. Again, that lack of Chinese transparency has generated distrust in New Delhi and Daca, whose scientists have demanded access to hydrological data to evaluate the risks of the work. India, meanwhile, Fears China use river control as a geopolitical weaponrestricting or diverting the flow in case of conflicts. Thus, and in the face of uncertainty, some Indian officials have proposed an alternative: Build a dam in a Brahmaputra tributary to counteract possible flow reductionsalthough this solution does not seem ideal and could also harm the ecology of the region. Imminent risk. Nikei had this week That the possibility of a catastrophic collapse is not a simple speculation. China has suffered hundreds of dam failures throughout its historyincluding the worst disaster ever registered: The collapse in cascade of the Banqiao dam And another 61 dams in 1975, an event that caused 85,000 direct deaths and displaced 11 million people. Even The three throats dam was on the verge of collapse in 2020endangering 400 million people. Therefore, if a strong earthquake hit the region and cause the rupture of the superpress, Millions of people in the Brahmaputra Valley in India and Bangladesh could be affected by catastrophic floods, aggravating. In addition, geopolitical and humanitarian tensions in the region. If you want also, it is feasible to think that with this mega -Obra, China would not only reinforce its control over the water resources of Asia, but also converting Brahmaputra into a geopolitical weaponincreasing their pressure capacity over their neighbors. Image | Harvey BarrisonNASA In Xataka | China prepares the most expensive megaestructure on the planet: a hydroelectric power plant on the most controversial place possible In Xataka | The three throats dam is so huge that it has caused something unexpected: extending the days of the earth

The AI ​​fires Microsoft’s income at the expense of huge investments. And now China threatens its strategy

by

Microsoft has presented Its quarterly resultsand thanks to them we already know what he won in 2024 thanks to the AI: 13,000 million dollars. Of course, it is also investing 22.6 billion dollars in infrastructure … each quarter. As if that were not enough, you also have to deal with the threat of Chinese innovation. Why is it important. The figures leave a clear reading: the Financial Equation of AI remains very complex. Generating interesting income – the current ones are already, grow 175% year -on -year – requires huge infrastructure investments. And now Chinese innovation threatens to leave a part of that investment obsolete. The context. Microsoft dominates the business market thanks to its early alliance with Openai, but Deepseek’s irruptionwhich has developed more efficient and cheap models, and open source, has caused a small earthquake in the sector. Microsoft is in a race against time: it needs to monetize its great investment in AI as soon as possible, but now it receives increasing competitive pressure from China. The figures: 13,000 million dollars (annualized) in revenue per year. 22.6 billion dollars invested per quarter in infrastructure. 31% Azure growth, below expectations. 24,110 million dollars of quarterly net profit, 10% more interannual. Exceeded expectations. Marking Agenda. The consolidation of Microsoft as a leader in corporate AI is thanks to Copilot, its Microsoft 365 assistantwhich already has more than 160,000 companies using it … and have created more than 400,000 custom agents, according to the figures published by the company. Microsoft is in full transition to a model where AI is integrated into all its business lines: Windows will incorporate AI capacities in 15% of high -end laptops. LinkedIn uses AI to improve its hiring platform. Xbox Cloud Gaming continues to break records with 140 million hours transmitted. Github co -ilot It has more than 150 million active developers. And the AI ​​stars in a striking contrast in the company’s accounts: while Azure’s income, the great winner of the Nadella era, are growing slower than expected, new business lines based on AI are growing explosively: 157%. Deepen. One of the questions that leave these results is whether Microsoft will be able to maintain this level of investment if Chinese efficiency advances force a price war in AI services. Microsoft defends its strategy arguing that the demand for AI will continue to grow exponentially as the costs are reduced, thus compensating the current investments. The question is whether investors share that optimism. Outstanding image | Microsoft In Xataka | I have tried Deepseek on the web and in my Mac. Chatgpt, Claude and Gemini have a problem

Four nations dispute a fruit that smells like rotten eggs. China has made her her gastronomic phenomenon

by

Few things are more representative of the tastes of a nation than The ingredients of a pizza. Therefore, when in November we count that a fruit from Southeast Asia (prohibited in some public spaces due to its penetrating smell) I was driving Chinese consumers crazy To the point of adding it to the pizza, Durián acquired another category in the nation’s gastronomy. The demand for the fruit is such that even Four countries fight to send it. Everyone wants fruit. The Durianknown for its penetrating aroma and its peculiar flavor, has ceased to be simply a fruit in China to become A gastronomic and commercial phenomenon. Despite the slowdown in the spending of the Chinese middle class, the demand for this forbidden fruit in some places has grown without brake, promoting record imports, the development of new culinary trends and a fierce competition Among the countries of Southeast Asia to supply the growing Chinese market. The transformation of Durian. As we said, Durián has transcended his exotic fruit status to become a trend in the restoration sector in China, where The concept of “Everything can lead Durian” has resulted in a proliferation of thematic restaurants. Innovation around this product has led to the creation of unusual dishes like Durián’s hamburgers, Hot Pots of chicken with Durián or even barbecues from Durián, who have gained great popularity on social networks. To get an idea, the Douyin, the Chinese version of TiktokHashtags like “Durian Barbecue” and “Durian Buffet” They have accumulated more than 1.24 billion visualizationsreflecting the enthusiasm of Chinese consumers for new gastronomic experiences focused on the controversial fruit. Moreover, a restaurant in Shenzhen recently went viral offering A buffet of more than 200 Durián de Malaysia plates By 199 yuan ($ 27.39) per person, which demonstrates the rise of these culinary concepts. Exponential growth in China. In the last five years, The demand of the nation for Durián has shotreflecting in an increase of more than double in its imports. In 2023, China imported 1.43 billion kilograms of Duriánwith a value of 6.7 billion dollars, a figure that In 2024 it rose to 1.56 billion kilograms and 7 billion dollars. This growth has been promoted by the opening of the market to new suppliers and the enthusiasm of local consumers, who as we said, have incorporated Durián into a wide variety of gastronomic products. Hence one of the clearest symbols of this fever is Durián’s pizza success with cheese in China’s Pizza Hutturned into your best -selling product. Even Yum China’s CEO, Joey Wat, joked in a global forum in New York that Those who do not enjoy this delicacy should simply “leave” the restaurant. The end of the Thai monopoly: fights four. Historically, Thailand dominated the export of fresh Durián to China, representing up to 95% of the market in 2022. However, with the opening of the Chinese market to Vietnam in 2022 already the Philippines in 2023, Dynamics changed dramatically. In 2024, Thailand only represented 52% of Chinese imports, while Vietnam captured 47.2%. In this regard, Philippines and Malaysia, although with minor participations, have also begun to export fresh Durium to China, taking advantage of regulatory flexibility. Causes? The fall in the Thai market share is due to two key factors: the excessive use of agricultural land, which has decreased production, and extreme heat waves, which have affected the quality of the fruit. In contrast, Vietnam has benefited from its geographical proximity with China, which facilitates land transport and reduces logistics costs. Geopolitics of Durián. In the end, Durian is not only a source of income for Southeast Asia farmers, but also a economic diplomacy tool. In fact, China has used the importation of Durián As part of its commercial agreements with neighboring countries. An example of this was the approval, in June 2023, of the importation of the fresh fruit of Malaysia, within the framework of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. By the end of that year, Malaysia had exported 351 tons of fresh Durián to Chinaconsolidating its presence in a market that previously only accepted its processed or frozen products. Meanwhile, Indonesia, another great producer of Durián, Keep looking for authorization to export fresh fruit directly to China. Currently, you can only sell fruit paste, a lower value product, or send the fruit to Thailand for inspection before exporting it, which reduces its gain margins. Durián “Chino”. And if you wonder why the Chinese nation does not start producing its own fruit if it likes it so much, they have already tried. Given the growth of demand and the high cost of imports, China has tried to grow Durian in its own landspecifically on the tropical island of Hainan. The problem? The results have been discouraging. Recent studies have revealed that Durians grown in Hainan lack some of the essential nutrients present in the native fruits of Southeast Asia, which has generated doubts about its commercial viability. It is the law of nature, the delicate combination of temperature, humidity and soil quality necessary for the cultivation of this fruit seems to be difficult to replicate outside its natural habitat. It is the market, friend. Be that as it may, the unusual Chinese appetite for Durián has transformed the southeast Asian fruit industryconsolidating it as an export product of great value where A hard battle is fought for supplying the giant. A phenomenon that has reconfigured commercial dynamics, weakening the domain of Thailand and opening opportunities for Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia. If you want also, the Durián diplomacy It has proven to be a strategic tool in the commercial relations of the Chinese nation with its neighbors, while attempts to produce it locally face significant challenges. Image | Kalai, مانفی In Xataka | The pizza that triumphs in China does not carry Pepperoni or pineapple: it carries a fruit that smells like rotten eggs and wastewater In Xataka | In addition to Gold and Rare Earth China has an ace … Read more

Taiwan does not want more problems with China or with its submarine cables. So you have activated an unpublished security plan

by

Earlier this year and after what happened with an underwater cable that affected the only remaining link with the Matsu Islandsincident that occurred just a week after Another cable that connected the island was damagedTaiwan made an unprecedented decision. A call Washington ended with A two -year agreement so that the United States Army would disembark on the island and train the Taiwanese Navy. Actually, this is just part of the plan. Protect cables as priority. Submarine cable infrastructure is the pillar of the global connectivity of most nations, But a little more for an island like Taiwana territory that depends almost in its entirety of these systems to guarantee the communication of its citizens, companies and government institutions. To get an idea, any severe interruption in these links could not only leave the population incommunicado, affecting access to essential services such as mobile applications and digital platforms, but it would also have A critical impact on economic and government operations. The problem is that the fragility of these systems has been evidenced with the growing incident frequency In the cables that connect the enclave with its peripheral islands and with the world, which has raised concerns about the safety and resilience of this key infrastructure. Alarming frequency of failures. Globally, The more than 450 existing underwater cable systems They experience damage in a range of 0.1 to 0.2 incidents (by cable) per year, which is equivalent to 50 and 100 annual failures worldwide. However, the situation in Taiwan is exceptionally critical. The cables that connect Matsu’s peripheral islands with the main island They suffer an average of 5.1 annual interruptions, which represents a frequency up to 50 times higher than the global average. This data underlines the level of vulnerability of communications and the urgent need to implement protection measures. As we count, on January 22, The two submarine cables that connect Matsu with Taiwan were disconnectedwhich left the island is isolated digitally. According to the Taiwan Digital Affairs Ministry (Fashion), the cause was a “natural deterioration.” And it was not an isolated case: just a few weeks before, on January 3, a communications cable north of the main island, operated by Chunghwa Telecom, It was also cut, allegedly by a ship manned by Chinese citizens. The boat in question, Shunxing 39, was registered in Cameroon and Tanzania, which complicates the direct attribution of the attack. Strategies to strengthen security. The result of the situation has been to activate An unprecedented plan, measures to reinforce the safety of their submarine cables. For example, telecommunications operators have deployed maritime patrols with the aim of warning of fishing vessels approaching sensitive areas. Likewise, the Taiwan Coast Guard has intensified surveillance through monitoring systems to trace boats in critical areas. There are more. To improve redundancy in communications, fashion has implemented A subsidies program to encourage the construction of new stations International cable landing and the installation of backup systems. In addition, Taiwan has opted for the diversification of his communication systems through satellites. In this sense, the government has signed Agreements with the European company SES for the deployment of medium orbit satellites (MEO) and with Oneweb for the incorporation of low orbit satellites (Leo). All measures that seek to guarantee the continuity of government and military communications in case of an emergency. Legal challenges to protect cables. One of the main obstacles in the protection of submarine cables is the complexity of international legislation around these infrastructure. According to international maritime laws, if damage occurs within the territorial waters of a country, this may exercise jurisdiction on the incident. The problem? That, if the affectation happens in an exclusive economic zone or in international waters, The responsibility falls to the country where the suspicious boat is registered. This legal framework generates significant barriers for the investigation and persecution of those responsible for deliberate sabotages. From there The problem in the Baltic with The “Ghost Ships”. In response to these challenges, Taiwan has taken legislative measures to penalize intentional attacks against their submarine cables. The sanctions include prison sentences between one and seven years, in addition to fines that can reach 10 million Taiwanese dollars (approximately 300,000 US dollars). And the United States. It We have recently. Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense has announced A two -year agreement with the United States to train the Taiwanese Navy In a context where the island’s Parliament is prepared to vote possible cuts in the budget for military training abroad. The agreement, valued at approximately 50 million Taiwanese dollars (1.5 million US dollars), stipulates that US Navy personnel will be sent to Taiwan to carry out a specialized naval training program. The training sessions, in principle, will be held at the headquarters of the Navy and the Marines of Taiwan, located in the Zuoying district, near the city of Kaohsiung, in the south of the country. It is, therefore, The first time in history that the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense publicly recognizes the presence of US military coaches. Regional Resilience. The numerous cases in recent months They have shown it. The protection of submarine cables, and more in Taiwan, is not only a national problem, but a matter of regional security. Any interruption in these infrastructure can affect their neighboring countries, which reinforces the need to establish strategic alliances for damage prevention and repair. In this regard, Taiwan aims to work closely with its partners in Asia To strengthen cable repair capabilities, improve logistics and develop advanced monitoring technologies. In fact, a few weeks ago researchers from the University of Lisui in China They registered a patent for an anchor device designed to cut underwater cables efficiently. There is no evidence of its use in real attacks, but the simple existence of these technologies suggests that the risks to telecommunications could be intensified in the near future. Image | 總統府 In Xataka | 2025 has started with another cut cable cut. The problem is where and the suspect: in Taiwan and China In Xataka … Read more

China has placed the largest engineering work projected at 36,000 km from the Earth: its space solar station

by

We are still far from build a dyson spherebut China seems willing to materialize The first great Solar Energy Station in orbit With the Earth, a simpler version of the concept that, even so, NASA scientists discarded in the 70-80 for being economically unfeasible. Times have changed and the world is in full energy transition to renewable sources. China, who has no shame when copying advances from other nations, provided they serve their purposes, work at the same time in Your own Starship: A totally reusable giant rocket called CZ-9. Uniting points, the Chinese Engineering Academy (CAE) wants to take advantage of the future rocket To install a huge solar plant in space, 36,000 km on the earth. 10 years ago, when China announced that it would investigate the space solar energy stations, everyone seemed to be a theoretical study or one more concept proof, such as those that continue to develop Today in NASAthe Jaxa Japanese agency and The European Space Agency (THAT). However, Chinese officials have put An ambitious roadmap on the table that has caught the rest of the countries totally off guard. The first prototype of the Chinese space center, 500 kW of power, is expected by 2030. A fully operational version of 20 MW would be ready in 2035 (while the station in its final form, of 2 GW, is scheduled for 2050. It is not a small thing for a technology that has never been implemented, much less on a large scale. It will presumably require hundreds of launches and the assembly of thousands of solar panels in geostation orbit, 36,000 km altitude, where the profitability of launching tons and tons of load will depend on the fact that the CZ-9 rocket be fully reusable, as the Chinese promise. Long Lehao, a rocket scientist in the fall, did not lack symiles to justify this huge media deployment. “It is a project as important as transferring the prey of the three throats to a geostationary orbit He said during a conference in the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Of course, they will have to put small demonstrators in orbit of what will end up being the Space Solar Station. China has already tested From hot air balloonsand is building a receiving station in Chongqing. By 2026, the Chinese Space Technology Academy (CASC) plans to display its first 10 kW solar panels in space with the aim of demonstrating wireless energy transmission. He hopes to transmit up to 1 kW by laser and up to 4 kW by microwave, both to the receptor station on Earth and a nearby satellite, which suggests a future in which satellite constellations could be combined with the solar station. How will the solar station that China plans to install in space Little is known at the technical level of what the first farm of solar panels will be deploy in geostationary orbitsince no project has been officially selected. But Eureka List three concepts, out of different Chinese laboratories, which have enough ballots: In 2014, the Chinese Space Technology Academy (CASC) proposed a 11.8 km long station with a circular transmission antenna of 1 km in diameter; In 2021, the concept was updated with a modular design, easier to assemble, but with the disadvantage of a rectangular beam That same year, the Xidian University published a study on a spherical station with a diameter of 8 to 10 km and a system that would take advantage of semi -reflective panels to concentrate light on internal photovoltaic cells In 2016, the Shenyang Aerospace University proposed a similar concept that, instead of a spherical design, has a cylindrical design that refracts sunlight towards internal photovoltaic panels, a design that simplifies the monitoring of the sun What these concepts have in common is that they rotate like sunflowers to always point towards the sun, so their huge solar panels capture an inexhaustible flow of solar energy that then transmit to the earth. How do they transmit it? Concentrating a laser or microwave beam towards large antennas in receiving stations on Earth, where it becomes electricity to store in batteries or pour into the electricity grid. The wireless transfer takes advantage of a physical phenomenon known as interference or overlap of waves. It is usually explained by visualizing a pond in which you submerge both hands to form waves that spread at the same time. There are areas where waves are stronger because they advance together (they add up to the phase) and others in which they are canceled (they are out of phase). When waves work together, energy is not lost, but is concentrated in a specific direction. If there are several sources operating in a coordinated manner (all issuing at the same time, in the same phase) the energy can be directed in one direction. But if each source works a little earlier or a little after the others, the direction of the beam can be controlled. As a magnifying glass that concentrates the light at one point, it is possible to adjust the synchronization of these sources to focus energy in an area smaller than the original (such as the antenna on the surface of the earth). This correction can be carried out on the Nanoseconds of Electronics scale, which allows the energy direction to be handled very quickly or assigned to different locations (different antennas). In geostationary orbit, solar panels can be operated all the time and with conversion efficiencies superior to those that the panels achieve on this side of the atmosphere, hence the advantage of a photovoltaic station in space. However, the complexity of its deployment and doubts about the safety and efficiency of wireless transmission make all this technology still without being tested since studying in the 70s and 80s. China aspires to lead the new space solar energy career, as leading the earth’s photovoltaic energy, but will not be alone. Japan became 2015 In the first country that managed to transmit 1,8 kW in microwave wirelessly. … Read more

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.