China's economy maintained static growths in the first two months, supported by strong performances in the industrial and service sectors.
The country has also announced a slew of measures to boost domestic consumption as the country moves to make a domestic demand the main engine and anchor of economic growth.
Meanwhile, central authorities have identified key figures of Taiwan's cyberattacks.
Welcome to World Today, a news program with a different perspective.
I am Goh -An -Nah in Beijing.
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China's economy maintained a static rise in the first two months of the year, supported by strong performances in industrial and service sectors.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, value -added industrial output increased by 5 .9 percent year -on -year, while the service sector posted a 5 .6 percent annual growth.
The private sector expanded by more than six percent.
Fue Ling Hue is the spokesperson for the National Stats Bureau.
On the demand side, with expansion of the trade -in policy and consumption during the Spring Festival, the market saw a recovery in sales and service consumption.
The retail sales of consumer goods climbed 4 percent year -on -year in the first two months of 2025, which has half a percentage faster than the growth rate of 2024.
Domestic tourist trips during the Spring Festival increased by 5 .9 percent year -on -year.
The transaction volume of tourism service platforms increased by more than 20 percent in January and February.
In the 2024 -2025 snow and ice season, the cumulative number of wizards received by ski resorts nationwide increased by 22 .8 percent year -on -year.
Chinese animated films have broken several box office records.
For more on this, joining us on the line is Professor Liu Baocheng, Director of the Center for International Business Ethics, University of International Business and Economics.
Thanks for joining us, Professor.
Hi there, it's a pleasure.
China's industrial output accelerated in the first two months of 2025 with notable growth in equipment manufacturing and high -tech manufacturing.
The National Bureau of Statistics reported that value -added industrial output of enterprises above a designated size rose by 5 .9 % a year on year exceeding analysts' expectation in a writer's poll, which is 5 .3%.
What economic signals do you think this data reviews?
Well, the almost 6 % year -on -year growth does beat the market expectation, but it is underpain by a number of positive reasons.
One is that China is on a steady pass of economic recovery, and many sectors are really accelerating their technological content and the conception is there to give more of the positive signal to the supply side where investors are beginning to step up their speed.
We can see also in the first two months the PMI, which is a strong indicator of the confidence of the production side is moving marginally above the benchmark of 50%, so which is a very good sign.
And our service sector has registered consecutively 26 months of positive operation above the benchmark.
So the Chinese economic resilience is still very strong, and it's there to be reflected affected by many industrial sectors, particularly in the equipment manufacturing and also the trade in by upgrading or the assembly lines and also by giving better job opportunities for employees.
So all of which is something that's related to the Chinese government policy which is there to stimulate both the industrial upgrading and also conception.
So it is something that deserves quite some sort of relief, if not congratulations.
Professor, about equipment manufacturing we saw a remarkable 10 .6 % year -on -year growth in this sector with the high -tech manufacturing also performing strongly, From the perspective of industrial restructuring and upgrading, what long -term impact could this rapid growth in equipment manufacturing and high -tech manufacturing have on China's overall industrial landscape?
Ideologically, all participants in the Chinese market now embrace the idea of new -quality productive force and also high -quality development.
So more of the concerted efforts are gathering momentum in bringing up the upgradation of the Chinese industrial manufacturing, so the sustained investment in the high -tech sector will definitely elevate Chinese industrial ecological system.
More of the opening measures towards foreign investment is also there to build more synergy between Chinese companies versus the foreign investors within China.
And then the innovation in those technological areas, particularly in the semiconductor area related with big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence are already experiencing are spillover effect by boosting not only industrial output but also the revitalization of the Chinese rural development.
And it also serves more to the household utility by providing more convenience to the individuals and also gave more of the robust support to the community management so all of this is there to gave more of the positive signal for China to move you know definitely along the path of modernization and further rural further the urbanization and industrialization will definitely upgrade also the Chinese demand which in turn will boost the supply side the innovation.
Professor, interesting to see in specific product categories, new energy vehicle production surged by 47 .7%, 3D printing equipment output rose by 30 .2%, and industrial robot production increased by 27%.
What changes in domestic and international demand do you think are driving this surge in emerging product outputs.
Well environmental friendly projection and conception are the trend setters on a global basis.
China definitely is taking the lead in this dimension by injecting more of the innovation power into it.
And also the Chinese competitive market place drives each of those manufacturers to really deliver better quality through continuous improvement.
And also, they now expand their vision to the global marketplace, particularly now with the e -vehicles, with a 3D printing, and now even going for the generation six of communication, etc. So people are also under pressure, because given more of the restrictions by the United States in terms of Chinese export power, and they are devising more of their wisdom and strategy in addressing these issues through diversification of the or export market, and then, you know, with more of the export earnings, they can continually feed into their innovation capacity, and then, you know, to deliver both to
the expectation of consumers at home and also abroad.
Then professor from macroeconomic perspective, how do you see the accelerated growth in industrial output over the first two months supporting China's overall GDP growth target for this years?
We are seeing a sort of divergence in different sectors because the high tech sector is definitely seeing a growing momentum and the green energy products are also experiencing optimization of the global supply chain and whereas the mining sector is also experiencing some difficulties and also the conventional sectors like the brick mortar shops are also experiencing a a lot more difficulties at the moment.
So we have to really face the right reality.
Any sort of technological advancement will mean shifting of the paradigm of competition.
So we believe that the Chinese businesses, particularly the private sector, are very savvy and agile to adapt to the new type of situation.
And some will be squeezed out.
But more will come up with better strengths, and also the better adaptability to such a sort of new environment.
One last question. What key strategies and directions should China adopt to sustain its economic momentum given the complex and uncertain global economic landscape along with rising protectionist tendencies?
Well, we always say that if you do your own homework well, you do not really have to worry a lot about how harsh would be the exam.
So, therefore, we are facing a lot more volatility and uncertainty in the global marketplace.
And given the rising protectionism and even isolation going on with the United States, if China can really unleash its market capacity, where the government works together with the market functionality in a more appropriate approach, so no one can really even dwindle the Chinese economic growth momentum.
And more importantly I think now, particularly after the last month symposium of the top leader, was the business leaders from the private sector.
So the, I think more confidence is there to show up to support the private sector's investment sentiment and also to boost their innovation willingness.
So, and then, you know, those smart manufacturing through the new technology and amplifying its utility around the multiple sectors, so that's something extremely important.
And also the Chinese industrial cluster is also forming more of the competitive advantage by reducing the cost, increasing the quality, and providing better service.
So this is the better landscape we're going to envision, and we believe that it is already at the doorstep of the Chinese modernization.
Thanks, Professor, for your insightful analysis.
That was Professor Lewbao Cheng, director of the Center for International Business Ethics at the University of International Business and Economics.
Coming up, China has announced a slot of measures to boost domestic consumption.
This is World Today, stay with us.
Hi, I'm Einar Tangel, a political and economic analyst and senior fellow at the independent Taiher Institute.
World Today is news without the hype and business commentary that is informed and up -to -date, presenting the facts and asking incisive questions.
So, join us if you are someone who needs to know what is happening in China as it is happening.
China has publicized a plan for special initiatives to boost consumer spending.
The plan aims to generate demand and address prominent constraints affecting consumption.
The plan seeks to promote reasonable wage growth by strengthening employment support and improving the minimum -wage adjustment systems.
China well -pushed the property market to stabilize and reverse its decline and will take measures to stabilize the stock market.
The country will accelerate the development and application of new technologies and products to create new high -growth sectors.
For more on this, my colleague Zhao Yang spoke with Lu Zhiqing, senior fellow with Chang Yang Institute for Financial Studies at Ramy University of China.
So first of all, how does boosting domestic consumption fit into China's broader economic vision, do you think?
I think this policy is very important for China's future.
As we know China's development in the past years always closely related with three driving forces, for instance the investment and exporting and consumption.
But the actual consumption side is always stayed at quite a low level.
That's why the central government has always tried to push and stimulate the consumption power in China in order to make more contribution to China's economic growth.
I think this decision is very important strategically because this is a decisive fashion or decisive decision, that in order to upgrade our economic quality and also our modernization.
Because without the modernized and high -quality consumption, our final goal could be harder to be realized.
Yes. And among the 30 points plan, it has put increasing the income of urban and rural residents as the first part is emphasized in promoting the reasonable growth of wage income and employment support for the key areas.
So what specific measures do you think will be the most effective way in achieving this?
This proposal has come to the first point of this 30 point plan is quite interesting because during the last week, two sessions, many delegates and representatives have discussed warmly about this point.
They put the greater importance to raise the wages and income of the residents as the first driving force to stimulate the consumption.
So this is why this document has emphasized this the wage income increase as the first point, I think they have several measures could be taken first, all these industrial sections, especially for the service industry, they can increase all the salaries and incomes of this staffs regularly because every year we should have twice a time and chances and opportunity to make this wages income to increase and secondly also to reduce the costs of the service industry and other industries because by reducing the cost it is another way to increase our this income.
The third is quite important for the tax office that to further have a tax friendly policy to support this action because only by lowering the income tax and other tax -related that shows that the income could be really in reality that could be really increased and strengthened.
And the plan also pledged investment fiscal and credit support from government to boost the consumption, it will push for the property market to stabilize and reverse its decline and also take multiple measures to stabilize the stock market.
So why are this so important to boost the domestic consumption?
You know, these two parts are the most important, but also, in my opinion, are the most sensitive and difficult parts to boost the economy, because in the past few years we see that some influences and chaos happened in the stock market and also property market.
So property market at the moment has met some difficulties and headwinds especially the enthusiasm of the consumers are still waiting for better policy that will support in the new housing curve buy -in.
So in this way, we can see that these touch sections will play into all, even in poll in the future, as before.
So that's why the central government has always reiterated the importance of more policies to support the property stabilization and also stock market booming.
So some more patience measures should be followed for instance for the financial support to the property market and also to have more state -owned companies invested in the stock market.
Of course, we should also open this market to the investors from outside.
In this week we can have a multiple sources that that will support this two sections because only when the stock market is booming, and the property market is developing well.
I think our economic, a generous situation will be very stabilized.
And also a childcare allowance system is on the cars and also those increased support for education, healthcare and low -income populations.
So how do you view all of these efforts?
We know all these points have been also discussed hardly and warmly during the two sessions because these things are really closely to the livelihood of the people.
When we are talking about the quality of the people's life we have to take great attention to this point.
For instance the child care and the allowance of system and the health and education all these are very closely concerned by the population.
If we want to have more birth rate in the future or have a high quality first.
I think the child care, allowing a system is now on the agenda.
Very important. And on the other side, we are coming to the Asian society.
So in this way, healthcare is becoming more important and sensitive to the people.
So in this way, all these points will be very key for further development.
Because the first point is that all these point could be met that demand will stabilize the social conditions.
In this way, we can have more opportunities and more efforts to spend and to have more investment in other areas, but these are the basic lifeline for the people.
And other policies include further expanding the trading programs for use the cars and household appliances.
The government is strengthening the support for it.
And during the two sessions, the government work report says there will be ultra -long treasury bonds of $300 billion to support all this.
So how effective is this program in stimulating the demand for new products?
As well as the trading program has been in practice already over one year.
From the situation, First, in conclusion, we see that it has great efficiency and a positive influence on the economic development, especially also meet the demands of the people that will increase and ought to improve the quality of their life.
So treating program is really a very, very good, other very people -oriented policy.
That's why it's warmly welcomed by the public.
So, in this way, we see that government really made a great decision to have more investments, for such subsidies for such a trading program for the old cars and old home appliances, in order to promote the new manufacturing and production capacity.
So by doing so, we can see the more investment and the more opportunity for manufacturing insurance section, for service in sections, and also for consumption.
The three areas will be, together, combined, to be promoted.
And the policymakers also link the consumption to lifestyle improvements.
For example, the measures include expanding consumption in culture, sports and tourism.
So what opportunities do you see in all these sectors, and how can they actually contribute to the overall economic growth?
Actually in the past year, or past seven weeks, we can see the combination of culture, sports, tourism, and other points could have really greater input of the economic growth because all these factors are closely linked to manufacturing, to high technology development, and to smart technology, even to AI.
That's why it's really a good booster of an engine to develop all kinds of industry, not only in the culture in the sport, in the tourism, but also closely related.
Other actors could be also influenced.
So in this way we can see that more opportunities for manufacturing and production line, even for the new engineers.
Engineers take more chances and opportunity to produce, to design new products, advancement of equipment.
So in this regard, they can have a fully high efficient supply chain in order to meet the amount of the market.
So the market for culture, tourism and sport are really, in China, I think in my opinion, is only from the beginning, still have a long way to go because we have a bigger space and the room to spend more money and the time.
So, well, it also emphasized the need to accelerate the development of new consumption models.
So, with the development or advancements in technology, in AI.
What kind of new consumption model do you think are emerging in China and how do you see the outlook of AI -related spending?
Actually in China the AI spending or AI -related spending is just at the very beginning because we know that there are many opportunities and a big picture for such market consumption.
Especially for those young people in the professional field, in the manufacturing industry, in the scholars, researchers, and academic research in this field.
All these scientifically researched, they are interested in AI technology.
But of course, in the environment production, green development also closely related to the rescue for the relief efforts.
Also, the AI products, AI technology could be widely implicated.
So in this way, we consider many chances of channels to have more consumption in the AI.
But especially for those young, still young generation, they can take the AI robust and other machinery -related AI technologies to improve the quality of the jobs and also to improve the quality efficiency of the profession.
So we can see a lot of things, especially in the medical care, especially in the first aid services.
So we see the AI are mainly more important for the service industry, especially for education, education for Asian people and medical care in all this field that we have different kinds of a colorful consumption for AI -related technologies." That was low -ju -jin -scener, followed with the Chungyang Institute for Financial Studies at The Ruby University of China.
Where to come, China's central authorities have identified key figures of Taiwan's cyber attacks.
The United States has launched large -scale airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
You're all listening to Road to Date, we'll be back after a short break.
Welcome back to Road Today with Mika Anna in Beijing.
China's central security authorities say they will crackdown on separatist and cyber -espionage activities by Taiwan's Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command.
The central authorities have identified foreign figures involved in hacking and scep touch.
Beijing warned them that independence is a dead end and vowed to punish all separatist forces.
Earlier, Zhao Lijike, the chair of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, had called for firm action against Taiwan's secessionist activities and external interference in the region.
He also urged efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity to protect to the shared homeland of the Chinese nation at a symposium in Beijing, marking the 20th anniversary of the enforcement of the anti -secession law.
To delve into the topic, let's have Liu Kwangyu, researcher at Institute of Taiwan Studies at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Thanks for joining us.
Hi, this is Kwangyu.
Kwangyu, let's start with the most fundamental point.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi earlier stated on the sideline of the recently concluded annual session of the national legislature that Taiwan has never been a country and will not become one in the future?
Could you help us understand the significance of this statement and the message it conveys?
For Mr. Wang, his statement is the solemn declaration of China's sovereignty and a stern warning to the separate forces for Taiwan independence on the island that goes to the forces of the external interference.
We know that Taiwan has never been a country those so this simple and clear statement has told historical and legal fact that Taiwan belongs to China and is part of China and also he said Taiwan has never been a country and that is would never be a country that is to emphasize China's determination, confidence and ability to defend our sovereignty and push for reunification.
And that attempts for so -called Taiwan independence will be crushed amidst the mammoth momentum accumulated by 1 .4 billion people and thousands of years China's history pursuing re -innification and that no matter whether it is for example Lai Chingde or external and innovationist forces, there will never be a need for any illusions on that question.
So this something that China has said and will certainly do.
And I think that's what foreign minister Wang Yi was trying to tell the DPP authority and the whole world.
Now let's delve into the highly concerning issue of the cyber attacks and infiltration activities against the mainland conducted by the Taiwan's Information Communications and Electronic Force Command.
Since the establishment, this force not only engages in such malicious activities, like infiltrating critical information infrastructure, sending phishing emails, and stealing account credentials, but also boasts about its so -called achievements.
So, how do you interpret these actions and what does this reveal about the true nature and capabilities of such a force?
I would like to... three words to describe the nature that is maleficent, inefficient, and also deceptive.
We know that since the establishment in 2017 the Cyber Command of Taiwan has served as a tool for Taiwanese opponents employing every possible means to carry out cyberattacks and proliferation activities against China's mainland.
And their actions constitute a special threat to China's sovereignty and political security and also territorial integrity.
However, their operational methods with the closer are actually extremely clumsy, clumsy and the capabilities they demonstrate are ultimately despicable.
They frequently hire social hackers and cybersecurity companies as subcontractors to execute the network combat orders from the DPP authorities, conducting activities such as so -called stealing secrets, division systems and spreading kind of propaganda and commonly use tactics of actually very elementary measures such as distributing fission software or allowing hacker attacks on websites and devices and so on.
Also we found that they persist in boasting and exactating, claiming minor insufficient in websites they happen to control as so -called major achievements and even fabricating non -exist websites to fill the numbers.
So the DPP regime under the presence of so -called developing asymmetric welfare capabilities, they recklessly a squatter Taiwan's competitors hard earned money to build the cyber forces.
However behind the DPP's blind expansion of its cyber army lies widespread chaos and corruption.
We will seek a systematic failure at all levels with rampant power, abuse, falsification and deception, and that is our security department has revealed.
On Thursday, Lai Qingdeo, or also known as Willem Lai, held a so -called high -level national security meeting.
Following this, he delivered a speech in which he once again promoted the divisive and misleading notion that the two sides of the Taiwan Street are not subordinate to each other.
How do you assess such remarks?
And what role do external forces play in fueling these remarks?
I mean, how closely is their involvement tied to such rhetoric?
If we're like professionals rhetoric, actually, it's a political scam.
The first First is trying to distort facts, his so -called mutual non -subordination claims directly denies the one China principle using very vague and absurd language to mask Taiwan independence.
And second is trying to create so -called fear monitoring.
And despite claiming to avoid conflict, Taiwan has a lot, actually, $23 billion in foreign investment over five years due to political posturing, while infrastructure security means real vulnerability.
And his third intention I think is trying to self -deception.
He publicly advocating piece -while conducting so -called live fire drills across the the straits, review his tugloaf resisting reunification before us.
And as for the external forces I think And we can use an example, latching this so -called mutual non -subordination, which is very closely to the US government's attacks on the 2758 resolution of United Nations in the last couple of years.
And that's very obvious.
That's the US will.
And the US government are trying to give in orders or vices to the latching the administration, to the DPP authorities.
companies. So they know what they can do and how to try to attack the one kind of principle from the so -called theoretical basement.
Also, we know that Marco Rubio, who's the state secretary of the US government today, is one of the most provocative members of that, there organization of so -called IPAC and Rubio once was the founder of this organization that they advocating in the whole world and in Taiwan of the attack on the 2758 resolutions.
So you can see very clearly there is a connection between the U .S., between Europe and Japan and with the launching with the DPP and they are coordinating their activities, their rhetoric, their theoretical logic to attack collectively on the one -China principle.
One last question very briefly.
Despite like and others pushing separatist Taiwan independence activities, the trend of economic and a social integration between the mainland and the Taiwan region continues, right?
key. How would you describe the current state of cross -trade, people to people exchanges today?
I think it's very clear that we can see the Chinese Milan is making huge efforts trying to promote both people to people and also social to social communications, whether it's a cultural, educational communications between the youth and between communities, and also economic exchanges.
But we can see that there is huge of momentum.
We believe that this cooperation, this communication can construct what we see as the basement for reunification.
And also we can use it to reduce the so -called economic base for Taiwan independence, because we know that if there is stronger tide between the two sides of the crossblade, two sides of the strait.
There's nothing actually the DPP or this Taiwan separates can do to break these ties to pursue their abstract goal of so -called Taiwan independence.
But of course, lighting denotes that very well too.
So that's why we see that a couple of days ago, he's trying to use so -called 17 measures to cut off all the ties, economic cultural and educational ties between China's mainland and Taiwan.
That is the way he's trying to pay for so -called Taiwanese dependence, and I think that is the most threat to current relations, exchanges, and also peace on the Taiwan Strait." Thanks Gwon for your insightful analysis.
That was Liu Kuan Yu, a researcher at Institute of Taiwan Studies, at The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
This is world today.
The United States has launched large -scale airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, citing the group's attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
The Houthi -run Health Ministry said the strikes killed over 50 people.
The U .S. attacks marked the first large military operation in the Middle East since Donald Trump returned to the White House.
Later, Houthi rebels have claimed attacks on a U .S.
aircraft carrier group twice in 24 hours, the group said the attack targeted the Harry S Truman aircraft carrier and accompanied warships in the Red Sea.
For more on this my colleague Zhao Ying, joining us in the studio.
Thanks for joining us Zhao!
Thank you. Can you walk us through what happened over the past few days and what do you believe are the key motivations behind the U .S.
actions? Well, on Saturday, March the 15th, the U .S.
kicked off major wave airstrikes targeting Houthi control areas in Yemen.
This was a big operation in the U .S.
Fighter jets, air force planes and drones hit sites across places like Sanaa, Sada, Taiz, and beyond.
And Houthi -run Health Ministry says 53 people were killed, including five children and two women with 98 injured.
And residents described it as unlike anything seen before, with explosions shaking neighborhoods, debris everywhere, and are real toll on civilians.
And also the back and forth has heated up very fast.
The Houthi leader has promised to hit US ships in the Red Sea as long as these attacks continue.
And as you said, they already claimed strikes on the US aircraft carrier, USS Harry Truman on Sunday.
They call it retaliation, but the US side said 11 Houthi drones were shot down and they not getting closer to their carrier.
And as for the motivations, the U .S.
says this is all about stopping Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which have been a problem since late 2023 and Trump has caught a decisive and powerful move to protect freedom of navigation.
He's been vocal about using overwhelming lethal force until those attacks stop.
But of course there's more to it.
like national security advisor, Mike Wauss, also framed this as a message to Iran which the US claims is funding and arming the Houthi groups, and Donald Trump is also warning Iran to cut ties with the Houthis or face consequences, and he also tied it to his broader push for a nuclear deal.
As you mentioned, the US national security advisor, Mike Wauss, has threatened to have to run fully accountable for offending the Houthi attacks on global shipping and US Navy ships, how has Iran responded to such an acquisition?
Iran has pushed back hard, Iran's foreign minister for instance took on X on Sunday, saying the US has no authority or business dictating Iranian foreign policy.
And he said the era ended in 1979 with the Islamic Revolution and he caught the US strikes on Yemen, a violation of international law.
He also urged the US to stop supporting what he caught as a really genocide and terrorism in Gaza instead of pointing fingers at Iran.
And on top of that, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard did not any direct involvement with Houthis.
And he said Iran plays no role in setting the national or operational policies of groups like the Houthis or other groups in the region like Hezbollah or Hamas.
And he said these groups are acting on their own, not as Iranian puppets.
He also warned that Iran would deliver a decisive and devastating response to any threats against it.
So basically Iran's saying two things.
One, we're not controlling the Houthis, so don't pin this on us.
And two, if you come after us, we'll hit back hard.
So that's basically what Tehran stands right now.
How might this stand off influence US President Donald Trump's goal if negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran?
Well, on the one hand, of course, the US strikes in Yemen are being framed by Donald Trump as a warning shot to Iran.
He made it clear that all options are on the table, saying that Iran could face a whole series of consequences if they do not give up their nuclear ambition.
So Trump is seeing this as a leverage or a way to pressure Iran to the table.
But of course it could backfire, especially if you look at Iran's response, the foreign minister called the U .S.
hypocritical for offering talks while bombing Yemen.
And if Iran sees this as bullying, it might make them even less willing to negotiate, especially since Donald Trump already put out of the 2015 the nuclear deal once, the JCPOA.
The Houthi group has tied its action to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, saying it will keep targeting RAT -C shipping until Israel lifts its blockade of Gaza.
How does this connection shape the bigger picture in the region?
Yes, indeed, they're linking Yemen's conflict directly to what's happening in Gaza.
And that's a big piece of the puzzle.
The Houthis say they're acting in solidarity with Palestinians.
Since October 2023, after the Israel Hamas conflict kicked off, they've hit over a hundred and ninety vessels claiming it's about pressuring Israel and its allies.
And that's forced a lot of shipping companies to detour around Africa.
And that's also having a huge impact on global trade.
And they are kind of seeing this way to pressure Israel over Gaza.
And they actually paused the text in January when Israel and Hamas had a truce, but when When Israel blocked aid to Gaza again in March, the Houthis jumped back in and said they're not stopping until the blockade is gone.
And the Red Sea is kind of a leverage point for them.
Thanks Zhao Ing. That's my colleague Zhao Ing.
Coming up, OpenAI has launched an attack on its fast rising Chinese competitor, DeepSik.
This is Road to Day, stay tuned.
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OpenAI has launched an attack on its fast -rising Chinese competitor DeepSeek in a 15 -page letter to the US government last week.
The American artificial intelligence company caught DeepSeek's latest model, R1, a noteworthy development, one that signals China's growing AI ambitions and underscores the tightening competition between the two countries.
In the latter, OpenAI also criticized DeepSeek, alleging it poses significant risks and urged the U .S.
government to take actions.
So for more on the news, let's have professor Zhu Qiang from Minzyou University of China.
Thanks for joining us, Professor.
Thank you. OpenAI's recent proposal went out is a submission for the Trump Administration's AI Action planning initiative, claiming that Deep Six models, including its R1 reasoning model, are insecure and state controlled, and recommends that the US government consider banning it.
What do you think is OpenAI's underlying motive behind such an accusation, and is there evidence to support these claims?
Well, I think this is just a dirty play.
Basically, they have no, any proof or evidence to show that OpenAI, well, can prove that DeepSeek has all kinds of so -called backdoors or any information leak or security bug towards the government.
Well, I think the underlying motive for OpenAI is mostly come from the market competition because the rise of the DeepSeek actually within three months or two months that directly threaten overwhelmingly threaten open AI dominance in the whole market.
Because our one model of the deep sea, because it's just so outstanding, and to be the shutout of the 0103 model of the open AI so it makes open AI worry that they're far far, far leading championship in this Oh, in this AI, in a marathon is actually be immediately overrun by the deep sea.
And also secondly is because OpenAI hope they can use the force of the Trump administration to bash down the Deep Seek so that they can still secure their dominant position in the whole industry.
I think it's easier to just to connect the Deep Seek and AI champion, come from China, towards the so -called national security related issues, rather than just to do Tristan or I think they probably spend too much of the energy trying to paddletell to the authority, rather than spending the energy or resources to just improve their own model.
Professor In his letter, OpenAI accused Deep club of intellectual property infringement.
Yet companies like Microsoft and Amazon are reportedly using Deep6 models.
What does this apparent contradiction review about the current landscape of the AI industry?
Well, I think these IP infringement things is basically groundless because if they're talking about the IP infringement, probably everybody are doing so.
By the way, it's nonsense because we all know that Google and their team basically developed a current fundamental technology for the AI frameworks, open AI, Kiwi, DeepSeek, uh, you know, uh, all the others, um, or the mid journey, everybody are trying to, you know, develop based on the Google's basic architecture and framework.
So I think that these accusations is basically nonsense.
I think the reason why they're doing that is because currently the AI competition is bloody brutal.
Everybody is trying to Rastin too, dominant, the whole market.
Even though sometimes you find yourself are champions on the whole market, you probably are 10 ,000 miles away leading the whole market than the second place runner.
But immediately, maybe overnight with a step of finger someone else will find some other trick or find some short plot about better technology and then they will be before you.
They're running before you, leading you without noticing you.
So I think of this kind of a phenomena actually frightened OpenAI because they've been leading the whole market for at least two years.
I think this makes the whole thing so complicated.
If I cannot be you in technology, I probably should be you in somewhere else like politics.
It shows that the competition in this area is getting, you know, sports and heating.
But I think there's still some very large space and potential area for them to cooperate with each other because more and more when you try to improve your model, you'll find out, relying on your own resource or your own thinking pattern or your own paths of development is not going to be enough.
I think recently the rise up DeepSeek actually showed the very story because DeepSeek avoided using OpenAI's development pathway.
So they find another way, that's a reason why they can triumph OpenAI.
So I think OpenAI should stay open -minded.
They cooperate with their competitors so they probably can also find their own tricks to overturn the whole, a whole game.
Professor, opening night's attack on Deep -Seek to many people, they believe, we highlights the broader competitive landscape between China and the United States in the high -tech sector, what does it reveal about the dynamics of China -U .S.
competition in artificial intelligence in your opinion and looking ahead, what areas should China's AI industry focus on to maintain is edge in the global market through investment and innovation?
Well, I think the rise up of the D -C or the AI company from China is ultimately a very good thing because we all know the ABC of economics and a market economy is that competition is a good thing.
It's competition brought you a catfish effect, you stir your energy, it makes you and forces you to you know compete with the other say other people you have to think harder you have to work harder, and also for the customers, you will have more of the choices.
Now, things happening with DeepSeek and also between the DeepSeek and OpenAI actually shows that this technology competition actually stirred the whole pond.
Every fish is trying to swim harder.
Now, you see many more computer trying to use DeepSeek.
For example, like in Microsoft, for example, like Meta.
Everybody is trying to put more research into the DeepSeek model.
And then based on that to develop their own architecture.
So now we're facing a new round of revitalization on the new architectures and the new modeling of the AI.
So this is very good.
And also I think secondly, it brings down the cost.
For example, deep sea right now are using a rather low cost to develop large length of model.
I think they're a cost is probably 1 ,12 or 1 ,20 years of what OpenAI used to do because they have a rather a new consideration in a training model.
For example, OpenAI tried to use, you know, one student AI following one teacher AI.
It trained very good teacher AI to monitor what the student AR are doing and this is going to be very, very expensive.
Just think about how much you're going to hire an MIT or Harvard professor to monitor your student.
But for the deep -seek, they considered a new way.
They asked two student to you know double check or cross -check each other.
Maybe they're not going to be 100 % correcting one time but after you're doing that within 1002 or 10 000 times you probably will find that students are good enough to watch to watch each other's answers, so it brings down the cost of exponentially.
And also I think all these trends and all this synergy formed by the new catfish in the pound actually will stir a new round of innovation and that will lead the future directions of the whole industry in the globe and help everybody to find a better and a more correct path leading into a better AI.
Thanks, professor, for your time and insights.
That was Professor Chiu -Chiao from Mingzhou University of China.
That's all the time for this edition of WoW Today.
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I'm Gu 'Anna in Beijing.
Thank you so much for listening.
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