china

If China invades you will be an eternal conflict

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Just a month ago a kind of Leave Vú On the island of Taiwan: it had dawned with a Fleet from China in front of its coasts, again. Beijing repeated the strategy once again, and the enclave then made a decision: Activate a plan B Making the greatest simulation of its history, an invasion disguised as maneuver that lasted 14 days to see how far their defenses would go. The island has now decided to adopt another strategy by looking at Ukraine. Survival and resistance. I told this week in Exclusive the Wall Street Journal. The Taiwan government has initiated an urgent and deep transformation of its armed forces in the face of the growing concern that China can launch an invasion before 2027. The main change in the strategy lies in the fact that the objective is not to defeat Beijing in a direct confrontation, but to resist sufficient time to intervene, for example, the United States. PUELCOESPIN. To do this, Taipéi leaves his traditional preparation for conventional war and adopts An asymmetric strategy Known, according to the newspaper, as a “porcupine strategy”, designed to inflict such a high cost to the invader that a attack dissucted or at least stops it. This involves deploying multiple coastal layers, reorienting its navy towards coastal operations, reorganizing its army, increasing its anti -men and anti -aircraft missile arsenals and multiplying the acquisition of drones, with the intention of Replicate the Ukrainian model in front of Russia. Plus: has founded a Specialized Academy in training with drones and modernized the formation of their troops to operate sophisticated weapons systems in real combat conditions. Inspiration in Ukraine. As we said, the example of Ukraine has served Taiwan to learn fundamental lessons, such as the speed with which ammunition reserves are exhausted in a prolonged war. However, the insular geography of the enclave would make extremely difficult to receive external supplies in case of blocking. Therefore, their authorities insist that Increase missile reserves It is a priority. This change of doctrine, however, faces other obstacles. The Minister of Defense, Wellington Koo (one of the few civilians to hold the position), must break a military mentality centered for decades in the conventional war. There is more, since it adds Trump’s pressurewhich has required Taiwan to raise his military spending until 10% of GDPa difficult goal to achieve for a country that for years has maintained spending around 2%. President Lai Ching-you has committed to increase it to 3% Before the end of the year, although it faces a parliamentary opposition that prefers a more conciliatory policy with Beijing. Finally, there is a political paradox: the small and cheap weapons typical of an asymmetric war (such as drones and missiles portable) are less visible as Commitment sample Budget, despite its greatest efficiency. The “military” vs. society. He WSJ added Another “but” very important to the new strategy. Beyond the doctrine and weapons, the biggest Achilles heel of the Taiwanese defense is its personnel scarcity. With a goal of 215,000 troops, the army had only covered 78% of its places At the end of last year. Demography It does not help: Taiwan has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, and its youth (educated in decades of economic growth and pacification) shows little interest in the military career. The “mili.” The authorities have extended the mandatory service four to twelve monthssalaries have risen up to $ 400 a month and have modernized military accommodations. At the same time, recruitment campaigns that appeal to patriotism and youth idealism have been launched. It is also reversing to improve the mobilization of reserves, a key component to face a prolonged conflict. The formation of the conscripts has changed radically: now Soldiers are trained In the use of drones, Stinger missiles and defense maneuvers in realistic scenarios, abandoning the old training routine in contact without contact with advanced armament. The importance of the strategic alliance. Although the Taiwanese plan presupposes that the United States will go to its defense, that support is not insured. After seeing how Trump reduced the support to Ukraine, Taipéi seeks convince Washington that your defensive effort justifies an eventual intervention. Bilateral military cooperation is still under development and, According to analystsa lot is missing for both forces to execute real joint operations. Hence the agreement that We count a few months ago And that Taiwanese officials admit that they have no experience in modern war and need to learn from those who do, that is, from American army. However, the Pentagon has not made public comments on the degree of joint preparation. In that sense, the island seeks not only to equip yourself, but also coordinate doctrinal and operationally With Washington, aware that his survival could depend on both his own advances and on the political will of the United States to intervene the time. Between urgency and reality. In short, the success or failure of the new Taiwanese defense strategy will depend not only on available time and military muscle, but also on internal support and political will both local and foreign. Taiwan is trying to reinvent its defensive capacity with unprecedented speed, in a context of growing regional pressure, low war experience, demographic challenges and political polarization. Ultimately, its objective is not (it has never been at all) to win a war against China, but to make it expensive enough, slow and painful so that, in essence, it never begins. Image | 總統府 In Xataka | Taiwan prepares for the worst and is already making the greatest simulation in its history: a 14 -day Chinese invasion In Xataka | A fleet of Chinese ships Roda Taiwan right now. A document explains the US plan if the situation goes to greater

China prepares its next technological assault. Huawei and Ubtech have just allying to bring humanoid robots to homes

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Humanoid robotics is ceasing to be a laboratory experiment. Bank of America Global Research CREE that its mass adoption could begin in 2028, with an industry that, if the forecasts were met, will move billions annually. Actually, the change is already underway: in 2025 about 18,000 units should be delivered and it is expected that by 2030 the million annual shipments will be reached, with a view to exceeding 10 million around 2035. While Tesla, Boston Dynamics and Figure AI develop their own humanoids in the US, in China a strategic alliance with global ambitions has been forged. As Sina points outHuawei, one of the country’s largest technological ones, and Ubtech Robotics, one of the most consolidated developers in the sector, have signed an agreement to collaborate in the development of humanoid robots for factories and homes. China steps on the accelerator in the humanoid robots sector The announcement was made in Shenzhen, a city where both companies are headded and considered by one of the main technological centers in southern China. As explained, the objective is to accelerate the transition of humanoid robotics “of laboratory innovation to the Large -scale adoption in industrial, domestic environments and other scenarios. ”Huawei will contribute its Ascend processors and Kunpengas well as cloud computing capabilities and generative AI models. The Alliance also contemplates the creation of an innovation center dedicated to the so -called “incarnate intelligence”: an approach that seeks to integrate cognitive functions into robotic bodies, which requires advanced coordination between algorithms, sensors, movement control and decision -making in real time. According to Leaderobot consultancythe Chinese domestic market of humanoid robotics could double this year and reach 5.3 billion yuan (about 665 million euros). Several of the country’s main manufacturers have already announced plans to overcome 1,000 units produced in 2025. Ubtech is one of them. Its president, Zhou Jian, confirmed it in March. Tien Kung Xingzhe, one of Ubtech’s robots This movement is part of a broader national strategy. As the New York Times detailsthe Chinese government is betting on industrial automation as part of its response to several challenges: commercial challenges, the fall in the birth and aging of the population. In factories such as Zeekr in NOBO, robots already perform tasks that previously required specialized labor. The objective is to maintain low costs and reinforce global competitiveness. And there is more. With the aim of encouraging the adoption of humanoid robots in the automobile industry, the Chinese authorities asked manufacturers to rent units, record videos in real environments and send them to the government. Even in the symbolic field there are blunt gestures: in April, Beijing organized a half marathon with 12,000 human runners and 20 humanoid robots. Only six crossed the goal, but the message was clear. Bank of America Global Research expect this sector evolve in three stages: first in factories and logistics (2025-2027), then in commercial and educational services (2028-2034), And finally in homeswith care and domestic applications from 2035. If the forecasts are met, in 2060 there could be 3,000 million humanoid robots in use worldwide. The challenge is not less. There are still technological bottlenecks, high production costs and dependence on tools and chips manufactured outside China. But with alliances such as Huawei and Ubtech, the Asian giant seems to be taking another determined step not to be left behind. What is clear is that the career to develop more advanced humanoid robots is underway. Images | Rubaitul Azad | Ubtech Robotics In Xataka | Klarna presumed that AI did the work of 700 people. Its quality is so low that it is rectuming humans

In the center of Africa a race for minerals that moves the world is fought. And China is winning it

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Lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper and, above all, Rare earth. These are some of the minerals and metals that dominate the world today because they are key to current and future industries. Revolutions such as renewable energies or that of the electric cars They go hand in hand with these materials, but they are also key to medical, aerospace and military industries. China It has advantage because Master the extraction and processing of key raw materials, but also for its enormous influence on the great world mine: Africa. Treasury search. We are talking about a key territory not only as a business opportunity, but as fountain of critical strategic minerals for the development of technologies that move the world and, also, the future of industries such as that of renewable energies or the electric cars. This is something that has encouraged several countries to want to invest in Africa, since ensuring certain resources is to cement that future. What countries are key? Congo Democratic Republic – It’s about the great world mine when we talk about copper, gold or cobalt. It is estimated that 70% of the world cobalt is extracted only in this country, but it is also crucial for coltan, tungsten, lithium or bauxite. The technology industry cannot work without them. Gabon – Another prominent territory when we talk about gold, but it is also an important source of manganese, iron and other essential minerals. China strategy. China and Western countries are very interested In those two countries in particular, but there are others, such as Zambia, of which they extract more lithium, metals of the platinum or nickel group. But China’s strategy is something that attracts attention throughout this panorama. The Asian giant has been doing years investments Of more than 10,000 million dollars to exploit the mines, extract the materials, process them and send them to China. They control the entire supply chain of these key minerals and esteem that import about 4,000 million dollars in minerals and metals every month. Central Africa is a priority area for China’s supply, but that is also an opportunity for the African countries involved. Investments and opportunity. Within China’s strategy, there is something that is very important: politics. Summits and bilateral agreements are held to ensure access to resources by China, but African countries also remain with their part. Within that interested investment in China, we see that ports, roads and railway lines are being developed. Jobs are also created, joint laboratories and training centers are created to strengthen scientific and technological cooperation. Geopolitics and debt. But, as is usually the case, there is a dark side in this story. On the one hand, competition between China and other global actors. That growing influence of the Asian country in central Africa is not something that makes the United States or European countries. It is something that generates more tension between them, but can also contribute to the tense political and economic stability of the African regions involved. There is studies that point in lack of transparency in contracts and the possible cooperation with authoritarian regimes to extract those resources. And they have also observed some risks of over -indebtedness by African countries. Arms. In all that geopolitical, commercial and collaboration context, and taking into account that we talk about territories with political instability and several armed groups, we cannot overlook another lucrative business for China: the sale of weapons. As we read in South China Morning Posta report by the Rand Corporation prepared in 2023 placed China as the main arms supplier for sub -Saharan Africa. Between 2019 and 2023, at least 21 African countries received great deliveries from Chinese weapons that includes weapons, ammunition, artillery, rockets, drones, missiles, armored and electronic warfare systems. It is also estimated that 70% of African armies use Chinese armored armored extended Its presence in countries such as Senegal, Ivory or Mali coast with new offices. This goes far beyond armament, since China also exports military and private security forces to protect the country’s mining interests. And this occurs because Chinese military exports are usually cheaper and with lower political conditions than Western alternatives, which is very sweet to those African states with a geopolitical context that is not stable. An asymmetric relationship. It must be added that China promised an investment of 50,000 million dollars in three years in the region and that it has pledged to train police and military in the area, but as already pointsall this investment in Africa is generating is an asymmetric relationship between countries. It seems that Africa is receiving much more than China because the former let them exploit their mines and the latter invest in infrastructure, employment, safety and sell manufactured products, but in the end what is achieved is that Chinese influence is huge in Africa. This rapid expansion in recent years causes sovereignty to be questioned and reinforce the idea of ​​what will happen in the area when strategic minerals have been extracted, since many depend on those Chinese investments, seeing how their local economic and political autonomy can stagger. And it must also be said that what we now see with China is something that, traditionally, have carried out other countries in those same territories, and it is something that they are in competing With its great adversary right now: the United States. Images | Hansueli Krapf, Africraigs, Steve Jurvetson In Xataka | In its particular underground war with Europe, China has found a new weapon: to monopolize copper

China is immersed in a nuclear revolution and needs industrial amounts of Uranium. His solution: “fish” in the sea

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China is one of the countries that is most promoting the adoption of renewable energy thanks to Great ‘farms’ and market saturation of solar panels. At the same time, they have approved the Construction of ten new nuclear reactors. It may seem a contradiction, but in the midst of a Strong commercial warit is another step in energy self -sufficiency, and to achieve it they will need tons of uranium. Your solution? Squeeze the uranium of the seas. Marine mine. The country account with 56 nuclear reactors and has between 25 and 29 under construction. This implies that they need a lot of Uranium and the problem is that they do not produce enough. HE esteem That, in 2023, China’s production was only 1,700 tons, 4% worldwide, and although they have strong reserves, they need more. In turn, China imported Some 22,000 tons in 2024 and have begun to put solutions. In 2024 began The construction of the National Project of Uranium Nº1 in Ordos. It will become the largest uranium mine in the country and a few months ago They announced that had discovered another important site, also in Ordos. However, it still is not enough, so they have seen the sea. Uranium fish. Because yes: there is uranium in the oceans. Its concentration is extremely low, about 3 micrograms per liter, but due to oceanic immensity, it is estimated that the total is 4.5 billion tons of uranium. There are a thousand times more uranium in the seas than in known land reserves. Extract Uranium from the sea is not something new and, during the 80s, Japan led the development of marine uranium extraction techniques. The problem is that it is a complex and, above all, inefficient process. That is why researchers focus on active uranium collection methods‘dapando’ different materials to be able to extract more material per liter. It is also a expensive method, about ten times more to extract it from terrestrial sources. Miraculous material. But this is where the Chinese team of the Frontiers Science Center For Rare isotopes of the University of Lanzhou enters. In a study published in NatureThey explain that the key to extracting more efficient marine uranium resides in the MOF, or metal-organic frameworks. It is a crystalline material composed of metal ions that are coordinated with organic elements to form structures of great porosity. It is like an extremely efficient fishing network to catch small particles that, in the case of uranium, allows you to better separate this element from others to which it can be attached. The Chinese team has dopa with Dipniletinelo molecules and claim that this new DAE-MOF material allows an uranium absorption capacity of 588 mg per gram, according to the tests. This involves an efficiency 40 times higher when separating uranium from metals and vanadium and has been tested both in simulated and real sea water. Aim. The idea is now to create test extraction plants this year, with pilot plants on the tons scale for 2035 and with a continuous production by 2050. wait That China’s demand for uranium is more than 40,000 tons in 2040, so land mines in conjunction with these marine alternative sources are essential to achieve the goal. Without a doubt, it is an advance in marine uranium extraction at a time when the rest of the players on this board are also found Looking for ways to get more out of the sea for energy independence at a time when buying to other countries He has put up legs. And the United States, of course, is also in that fight, with the US Department of Energy analyzing The technical, economic and environmental viability of large -scale uranium extraction in its waters. Images | Robordouderio, Robert Taylor from StirlingNature In Xataka | Spanish nuclear have been criticized for their role in the blackout. This was what they did before, during and after collapse

Tariffs are ballasting imports from China to EUU and stir a ghost: empty shelves

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Things do not go as planned in the port of Los Angeles, one of The great terminals of US containers trafficking. Its responsible expected the arrival of 80 ships throughout May, but 20%have been canceled, according to He explained this week to the CNN Gene Seroka chain, its executive director. And it is not the only drop in activity that has suffered. “This week we have dropped about 35% compared to the same period last year,” he adds. The collapse really has little mysterious. It comes after him Tariff pulse Between Washington and Beijing and the application of tariffs to many other countries. Of what Start to speak Now in the US it is What will come After that drop in imports and, most importantly, if it will translate into price increases and empty shelves. More tariffs, less reservations. The sector looked to come. The commercial war initiated by Trump and its tariff climbing with Beijing It soon perceived In port operators and shipping companies, especially in those that operate the Transatlantic routesbetween the US and Asia. In April the CEO of Flexport He warned that maritime container reserves from China to the US had collapsed 60% during the three weeks following the entry into force of new fees. And in the ports of southern California (keys in commerce with China) the traffic of cargueros of the Asian giant deflated 29% between the end of April and early May. That was the prelude. The big question was … What would come later? A percentage: 50%. After several weeks and without an agreement between Washington and Beijing that allows the 145% tariff To Chinese exports, a “puncture” in the flow of goods are already found at the US docks. A good part of the ships that arrive on the other side of the Pacific (the first after the climb of the tariffs) do so half empty. It recognizes it for example the executive director of the port of Los Angeles, who Talk about a fall In China imports aboard ships of more than 50%. “And these ships are the first to be affected by the tariffs that were imposed on China and other places last month,” Remember Seroka. “That is why the load volume is so low.” There are importers who have directly canceled orders because US companies are not willing to take care of tariffs and retailers who have chosen to maintain merchandise in Chinese warehouses. The most predictive. The fear of the trade war in fact led not a few companies to advance their imports to avoid tariffs, which explains that the US trade deficit increased 14% in March until it is located in 140.5 billion dollars. In April, container imports also grew (9.1%) for the same reason, but ports of the ports They already warn That this trend, driven by haste to buy before the entry into force of the rates, will disappear in May. In the port of Los Angeles, the great entrance door of Chinese products to the USA, They waited this week That the import load was 35% lower than last year and it is already noted that May maritime traffic can fall by 20%. The reason: ship operators cancel their trips because there is no demand. The National Federation of Retailers in fact provides that imports to the US At least 20% Interannual in the second half of the year, a percentage that for JP Morgan could rise to 75 or 80% if we talk specifically about the merchandise of China. And what will that mean? That is the big question. That tariffs affect load traffic is not relevant only for shipping companies and port directors. After all, they are only intermediaries. “A 60% decrease in containers means 60% less products arrival,” Remember Ryan PetersenExecutive Director of Flexport in the CNN chain. “It’s just a matter of time that the existing stock is exhausted, and then we will see shortage. And it will be when price increases are noticed.” In his opinion, if the trend continues and inventories are exhausted in summer, “empty shelves” in stores could be seen. Supply chain earrings. Petersen is not the only one who shares that concern. At the end of April, just before Trump went down the tone with the Federal Reserve and soften its position with respect to China, Axios revealed That the executive directors of Walmart, Target and Home Depot, three chains with large glue in the US, launched a warning to Trump: over time prices will rise and can reach a scenario of empty shelves. In fact the CNBC It already prevents that the fall of orders to China and the collapse of the reserves on load ships is approaching the supply chain to its critical point. It is not a minor issue. In 2024 US imported merchandise from China for a value of 438.9 billion of dollars and there are sectors in which their weight is fundamental: last year about 37% of clothing and footwear that reached the US market from other countries was “Made in China.” Images | Barrett Ward (UNSPLASH) In Xataka | While the US is obsessed with tariffs, China has a weapon that is going unnoticed: the bureaucracy

Nvidia is tensing her relationship with the US government. His presence in China is at risk

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For Nvidia losing the Chinese market is not an option. During the last fiscal year, which expired on January 26, 2025, China represented approximately 13% of total income of the company led by Jensen Huang with a figure of some 17,000 million dollars. In practice, the country governed by Xi Jinping is the third best client of this company only behind the US and Taiwan. However, the sanctions to China that are deploying the US government threatens Nvidia’s survival in this Asian country. Currently this company cannot sell its chips to its Chinese clients to artificial intelligence (IA) more advanced. And in the middle of last April the US Department of Commerce imposed new export restrictions on China from The H20 GPU of Nvidia. The tuning of a trimmed review of the H20 GPU is underway The reception they have given to the GPU H20 The Chinese clients of Nvidia has been very good despite the fact that the capabilities of this chip are clearly lower than those of the other proposals for the this company. In fact, initially the Department of Commerce allowed its sale in China because this integrated circuit met the restrictions it had imposed. And despite its limitations its sales in China 50% quarter to quarter have grown Since he arrived in this market in mid -2024. The Nvidia Plan requires a cut review of the H20 GPU that satisfies the restrictions imposed by the US Department of Commerce Anyway, this time of bonanza is over. The restrictions of the Department of Commerce in practice prevent Nvidia Deliver the H20 GPU to its Chinese clientsbut this company does not give up. At the beginning of this week We explain to you that several reliable media had collected that His engineers are working on new GPU for AI expressly adapted to the country’s market led by Xi Jinping. Now we know something else. And is that according to Reuters The Nvidia Plan requires tuning a trimmed review of the H20 GPU that satisfies the restrictions imposed by the US Department of Commerce. The surprising thing is that this project seeks to cut a chip that is already a cut version of other NVIDIA GPUs. And it is not clear that with this limited benefits this trimmed GPU H20 is interesting for companies that have bought the original H20 chip from NVIDIA. Among them are no less than three giants from China: Alibaba, Tencent and Bytedance. However, Nvidia faces one more challenge: Huawei’s competition. And this last company is reinforcing its position in China to take advantage of the hole that Nvidia is leaving in the market because of US sanctions. During the second half of 2025 will manufacture the GPU Ascend 920 on a large scalewhich is clearly destined to occupy in the Chinese market the gaps that the GPU H20 is going to leave. And, in addition, it is about to start the chip test phase Ascend 910dwho seeks to overcome the performance of the chip NVIDIA H100. Image | Nvidia More information | Reuters In Xataka | The US gives Huawei a great opportunity: to get its new chip for AI with the Nvidia market in China

China sanctions are opening the door for Huawei to define the new global standards

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For Nvidia losing the Chinese market would be “a huge loss.” We do not say it; Jensen Huang assures itthe general director of this American company. The future of this company in China is objectively uncertain. US sanctions They do not stop hardeningand little by little they are cutting the range of products that Nvidia can deliver to their Chinese customers despite the attempts of the latter To get out of prohibitions. There is a lot of money at stake. During the last fiscal year, which expired on January 26, 2025, China represented approximately 13% of NVIDIA’s total income with a figure of about 17,000 million dollars. In practice, the country led by Xi Jinping is the third best client of this company only behind the US and Taiwan. However, there is only money at stake; On the table there is also the possibility that Huawei manages to define global standards to the detriment of Nvidia technologies. CUDA domain is in danger “We are at a turning point. The United States must decide whether it will continue leading the development and global implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) or if it is going to go back and retreat (…) America cannot lead to slow down. If we go back others will occupy the space. And the global ecosystem of the AI ​​will fragment technologically, economically and ideologically, has declared Jensen Huang before US legislators. For Nvidia it is a problem not being able to sell its GPUs to its Chinese clients, but it is an even greater problem that CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) end up losing your current domain In the AI ​​industry. And this technology has an essential role in the Nvidia business. Most artificial intelligence projects that are currently being developed are implemented on CUDA. Underestimating Huawei’s ability to correct Cann’s deficiencies would be a serious mistake This technology brings together the compiler and development tools used by programmers to develop their software for NVIDIA GPUs, and replace it with another option in the projects that are already underway it is a problem. Huawei, who aspires to an important portion From this market in China, it has Cann (Compute Architecture for Neural Networks), which is its alternative to CUDA, but for the moment the latter dominates the market. Cann has received criticism because, apparently, it is to use it, and also because its performance is unstable, documentation is insufficient and has reliability problems. However, underestimate Huawei’s ability When correcting these shortcomings it would be a serious mistake. In fact, this Chinese company has admitted the existence of these problems And he has confirmed that he is working to solve them. However, not only Huawei threatens Nvidia’s leadership position. Cann is not the only country’s asset governed by Xi Jinping. Moore Threads It is one of the Chinese companies that are dedicated to the production of hardware for which companies aligned with the interests of the US and its allies cannot sell software or advanced equipment. Although it is very young (it was founded in 2020) it has something very important in its favor: its founder is Zhang Jianzhong, former general manager of the Nvidia subsidiary in China, so it is evident that he knows well what he has in hand. Moore Threads has developed several GPU for AI applications that, on paper, rival some of the advanced solutions that have placed in the Nvidia, AMD or Huawei market. However, this company has something else: a software package with which it pursues Finally break the domain of CUDA. He calls it MUSEis compatible with the range of MTT cards and incorporates a compiler, execution libraries, specialized libraries and code purification tools. On paper its most attractive capacity for China is that it allows to reuse the code written in CUDA, transferring it so that it can be executed on the cards for Moore Threads. Image | Nvidia | Huawei More information | Tom’s hardware In Xataka | AI is the best thing that is happening to nuclear fusion. It is already accelerating the construction of Iter

China has rescued Santana from his sunset

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As is Lamborghinithe story of Santana is that of a agricultural manufacturer evolved to car producer. A giant who lived his golden age in collaboration with brands such as Land Rover and Suzuki, and who ended up closing in 2011. But Chinese conglomerates have a plan for Spanish brands. Chery He resurrected Ebro. And Zhengzhou Nissan Automobile, along with Anhui Coronet, will be responsible for returning to life to Santana. Made in Jaen. Santana Motors has closed an alliance with Zhengzhou Nissan Automobile, Joint Venture formed by Dongfeng Motor and Nissan, and Anhui Coronet. On the names we will deepen soon, but the key in the resurgence of Santana is in the return to its origins: Jaén. The new cars of Santana will be manufactured in the Andalusian city, with an initial investment of five million euros and the promise of creating up to 200 jobs. Chinese manufacturers begin to see in Spain a good destination in which to establish themselves to avoid tariffs on vehicle imports, and the strategy of rescuing traditional brands begins to be a trend. A BRIEF HISTORICAL REVIEW. Santana was born in 1956 as Metallurgical Santa Ana, initially focused on manufacturing tractors and agricultural machinery. Years later, in 1961, he closed an important alliance with Land Rover to produce vehicles under his license, giving rise to the mythical Land Rover Santana. After his foray into the automobile world, Santana changes his name to Santana Motor, and begins to make own vehicles derived from Land Rover. Entering the 80s, they close a new alliance with Suzuki, to produce models as popular as the samurai and create own models such as Santana 3000, with the base of the classic Suzuki Vitara. After the decline of Land Rover in 2000, the end of the alliance with Suzuki in 2009 and the lack of commercial success in its own vehicles, Santana ended up declaring bankruptcy in 2011. The dance of Chinese names. In 1993, Nissan Motor (the classic Nissan you know) and the Chinese companies Zhengzhou Light Vehicle Co. and Citic Group created a joint company: Zhengzhou Nissan Automobile Co., Ltd. (ZNA). Nissan needed a local alliance to manufacture, sell and expand through China, and ended up finding it. In 2017, another Chinese giant, Dongfeng (one of the great manufacturers in China with Byd, Saic Motor and Chery), acquired majority participation in ZNA. The summary of this name dance is that Nissan has a way to manufacture and launch product in China thanks to the support of Chinese groups, with electric such as Your recent N7. What will Santana manufacture. Although it is in new hands, Santana will maintain its essence. One in which the 4×4 robust vehicle was its main pilar. Jaén will produce plug -in hybrid cars (PHEV) and diesel versions, without transcending more concrete details about possible models. The Santana Motors, Zhengzhou Nissan Automobile and Anhui Coronet teams will resurface the Spanish whole-all, with the aim of selling it in Europe, Africa and America. Following the steps of Ebro. The resurgence of Santana remembers, and much, that of the Spanish manufacturer Ebro. Chery Motor has returned to life a company that will manufacture in the plants that Nissan will leave in Barcelona. One that was born in 1954, had its golden age in the 70s, and ended up breaking in the late 80s. China pressed that Spain does not support the tariff punishment to China by Europeand the country is beginning to reward by bringing part of its local production to our territory. Image | Jwvein In Xataka | Ebro S700, first impressions: Ebro reborn with a simple (and Chinese) car full of equipment to fight for price

The commercial war between China and the US has had an unexpected injury: Starbucks

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Just a year ago we talked to Xataka of the delicate moment through Starbucks. A year later, the world’s largest coffee chain deepens the crisis of its business model, now trapped between those structural problems, which came from afar, and a new problem: Trump’s tariffs. The current situation. Starbucks accumulates five consecutive quarters of falls In sales in the United States. Only in the last quarter, transactions fell 4%, although average customer expenditure increased by 3%. It does not matter: that increase is insufficient to compensate for the loss of traffic in coffee shops if customers look for cheaper alternatives like Dunkin ‘or McDonald’s. Why is it important. The company depends on coffee imported from more than 30 countries, and with The new 10% tariffshis commitment not to raise prices in 2025 further complicates the recovery of his margins, which were already down. The context. What for years was an unstoppable growth story, tripling its premises from 2012 to exceed 40,000 in 2024, it has now become a struggle to maintain its profitability. The United States, its main market, is saturated. And China, its great growth commitment, has its own problems. The US market shows clear signs of maturity with a growth of premises that has slowed down. In China, although it has almost doubled its stores in five years, income has stagnated, with flat interannual sales (0% last quarter). The latter has a lot to do with Nationalist consumption That put local alternatives before. The threat. Beyond tariffs, Starbucks has other open fronts around its business model. Between the lines. The new CEO Brian Niccol, signing of Chipotle with music from Fanfarrias, has launched the Plan “Back to Starbucks“To recover the essence that made the company great. However, he recently recognized that “our results of the second quarter are disappointing,” although he also said he “confidence that our plan is the right strategy to turn the business.” The unexpected turn. Despite all these problems, Niccol maintains its commitment to freeze prices in 2025, a brave decision (and we will see if reckless) when their competitors will surely increase them due to the impact of tariffs. It is true that this strategy could give it competitive advantage if it manages to control its margins on other ways, but it is also that these margins are increasingly constrained. In figures. The financial situation explains the deterioration of the business: The actions almost 30% have fallen From the announcement of tariffs. Its adjusted operational margin of the last quarter was 8.2%, quite below the expected 9.5%. The benefits collapsed more than 50% compared to the previous year, to 384 million dollars. The company accumulates 23,000 million net debt, with a indebtedness ratio superior to triple. The latest. Starbucks has already implemented several measures to contain costs: Elimination of extra charges for alternative milks. Reduction of customization options. Product discontinuation. Free recharges offer for those who consume in their establishments. The question now is whether these measures will be enough in the face of an increasingly hostile economic environment, where consumption habits are changing and the experience that previously defined Starbucks no longer seems sufficient to justify their prices. In Xataka | Specialty coffee is expensive and there is something that increases it even more: to remove caffeine Outstanding image | Xataka

While half the world seeks more lithium, some researchers from China have eliminated it from the equation: batteries with bacteria

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The shortage of critical resources such as lithium and cobalt has been being a warningsince they are essential for the manufacture of batteries. However, a group of Chinese engineers have found a solution that does not require mining or polluting processes: it only needs bacteria. The study. Researchers from the Shenzhen Advanced Technology They have developed A battery that works with live bacteria. These microorganisms are electroactive, that is, they produce electricity. So the system uses hydrogels that contain living bacteria To conduct electricity and generate it, in addition within the soft material they are protected. Tangible applications Biobatería has a small size and ability to generate energy autonomously, ideal for integrating into portable devices, especially in the medical field. One of its most promising uses is the precise control of physiological functions such as blood pressure, by directed bioelectric stimulation. In this way, a door opens to new forms of physiotherapy, real -time monitoring and devices that do not require frequent recharge or toxic materials. More technical. Biobatería generates electricity thanks to the activity of bacteria such as Shewanella Oneidensis MR-1, which are contained in a alginate-based gel. The material It can be molded With 3D printers, which allows to design it. Its size of 20 mm in diameter and 3.2 mm high contains: a gel with bacteria that acts as an anode, another gel with a chemical that acts as a cathode, and a special membrane that allows the passage of ions between them. Replaces lithium? Its specific capacity (0.4 mAh/g) and energy density (0.008 WH/L) are lower than those of lithium -ion batteries, this biobatría offers a more sustainable alternative: it does not use critical materials or toxic components. In addition, it maintains a bacterial viability of 70 % during its operation and reaches 97.6 % at the end, which speaks of remarkable stability and efficiency. Forecasts Biobaterías are still far from reaching lithium in capacity or energy density. But what they lose potentially, compensate for it with other virtues: they are recharged alone, they are highly efficient and, above all, biocompatible. These qualities make them especially suitable for very specific uses, such as nerve stimulation, control of physiological functions or the operation of bioportile devices. Image | Unspash and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory – PNNL Xataka | Biological batteries? These bacteria can create a world based on renewable energies

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