The Sunday Mail
Manyika Kangai
China concludes military exercises around Taiwan
The Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) concluded combat readiness patrol and military exercises carried out from April 8 to 10 around the island of Taiwan. The operations comprehensively tested the integrated joint combat capability of the PLA’s multiple services and arms under actual combat conditions. Following the order to launch the operations, multiple task forces of the command, involving the army, navy, air and rocket forces, were quickly mobilised, and assembled to the designated areas for combat deployment, creating an omni-directional deterrence situation around the island. Zhang Benming, an PLA Air Force senior colonel of the Eastern Theatre Command, said the troops are ready and able to fight at any time to resolutely crush any form of attempt to seek “Taiwan independence” and external interference, and they have the courage to fight and the mettle to win.
China’s foreign trade returns to growth
China’s total goods imports and exports expanded 4,8 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023, reversing a decline of 0,8 percent in the first two months of the year, according to official data released by the General Administration of Customs (GAC).
After dropping 7 percent year-on-year in January due to the Spring Festival holiday, it recovered to an expansion of 8 percent in February, before surging 15,5 percent in March. In the first three months, exports grew 8,4 percent year-on-year to 5,65 trillion yuan (about US$823 billion), while imports rose 0,2 percent to 4,24 trillion yuan (about US$618 billion), bringing the total trade to 9,9 trillion yuan (about US$1,44 trillion). During this period, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remained China’s largest trade partner, growing 16,1 percent year-on-year. China saw a 66,9 percent increase in the exports of solar batteries, lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles, which contributed 2 percentage points to the overall export growth in the first quarter.
China’s NEV sales up
China’s New Energy Vehicle (NEV) sales expanded 34,8 percent year-on-year to about 653 000 units in March, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers released on Tuesday. NEV sales in the first quarter totalled nearly 1,59 million units, increasing by 26,2 percent from a year ago. In the first three months, the market share of NEVs in China’s auto market reached 26,1 percent. In February, China pledged to roll out policies to support the purchase of NEVs, saying that measures will be taken to improve the NEV user experience from charging to licence plate registration. The output of NEVs in the country reached 674 000 units last month, up 44,8 percent year-on-year.
Alibaba unveils AI product
Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd unveiled its artificial intelligence-powered large language model, Tongyi Qianwen, joining the chat-bot race with a potential rival to ChatGPT. Alibaba began researching large language models in 2019. The new product will initially be deployed on DingTalk, the company’s workplace messaging app, to summarise meeting notes, create poetry, write emails, and draft business proposals. Alibaba’s unveiling came one day after Chinese AI pioneer SenseTime launched its latest set of large AI models “SenseNova”, which cover key capabilities including computer vision, natural language processing and AI-generated content.
China’s Special Health Zone visitors increase
A special medical zone in southern China’s island province of Hainan, which provides world-class medical tourism services to domestic and international patients, has experienced an increase in visitors. In the first two months of 2023, the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, China’s first and currently only special medical zone, received more than 34 000 visitors, up over 37 percent year-on-year. Established in 2013, the zone has set up an independent regulatory system to optimise the approval, customs clearance, use and supervision of imported medical devices and drugs, and introduced its own insurance system to fill the gap in insurance for imported medicines.
*Manyika Kangai has over 15 years of experience facilitating and advising on China-Africa trade and investment deals. He is dedicated to helping African businesses and governments realise the full potential of the vast opportunities China presents.
