Chinese drones carry 180 tonnes of steel and concrete up mountain in pioneering feat | South China Morning Post
In an unprecedented show of China’s advanced civilian drone technology, a swarm of heavy-lift unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has carried 180 tonnes of construction materials up a remote mountain in the country’s southwest, according to state media.
State broadcaster CCTV reported last Thursday that the aerial operation had taken place in May at a solar power project in Xichou county in Yunnan province, where rugged karst terrain and cliffs made traditional transport difficult.
The feat drew widespread attention online after news reports noted the labour-saving benefits of unmanned aerial systems, with headlines declaring that workers had moved the materials “while reclining in lounge chairs”.
Miao Yanliang: myth-busting the dollar hegemony, stablecoins, & multipolar monetary system (eastisread.com)
Former SAFE Chief Economist and current CICC Chief Strategist unpacks myths and realities of the U.S. dollar’s reserve currency status and the rise of alternative systems.
Miao Yanliang joined China International Capital Corporation Limited (CICC) ,a leading investment bank, in March 2023 as Chief Strategist and Executive Head of the Research Department. Before that, he served for 10 years at the China State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), part of the People’s Bank of China, including as its Chief Economist since May 2018. He joined SAFE in 2013 as Senior Advisor to the Administrator and then Head of Research. Before SAFE, he was an economist with the IMF for five years. He holds a Ph.D., an M.A., and an M.P.A. from Princeton University.
China massively overbuilt high-speed rail, says leading economic geographer (pekingnology.com)
Lu Dadao of the Chinese Academy of Sciences warns that oversized, underused HSR infrastructure has ignored basic economic logic, weakened public finances, and derailed regional planning.
International Museum Day: how China is aiming for cultural superpower status | South China Morning Post
n a small city in northwest China, visitors to an ancient Buddhist temple can interact with a shimmering princess from a historical ethnic group, thanks to a combination of advanced 3D scanning, artificial intelligence and virtual reality technologies.
The digital Tangut princess Yun Zhuo in Zhangye, a fifth-tier city in Gansu province, is part of a nationwide push to bring China’s ancient history to life and engage new generations through the use of technology.
In elaborate Tangut attire that glimmers with digital silk, the princess interacts with visitors via a touch screen at Dafo Temple, home to China’s largest indoor reclining Buddha statue, dating back to the Western Xia dynasty of 1038-1227.
China student tricked into Myanmar scam released when gang realises he has ‘bright future’ | South China Morning Post
A student from northwestern China who was tricked into a scam in Myanmar was unexpectedly released after the gang learned he had a “bright future”.
Peng Yuxuan, 19, from Hanzhong City in Shaanxi province, had just retaken China’s national college entrance exam known as the gaokao in June. His scores and intended university have not been disclosed.
The Beijing News reported that Peng hoped to make some money over the summer holiday and went to Xi’an City with 800 yuan (US$110) from his family.
He met a woman on a job-hunting app who claimed she was recruiting live-stream hosts.
After telling Peng he was good-looking and could earn a lot, she offered to cover his travel expenses and flew him to Yunnan province in southwestern China.
China approving innovative drugs at record pace as discovery momentum shifts from West | South China Morning Post
China is making inroads in the race for innovative pharmaceuticals, with a record number of drug approvals this year amid growing appeals for multinational giants to run onshore research entities.
Authorities approved 43 innovative drugs in the first half of 2025, marking a 59 per cent year-on-year increase and nearly matching the total of 48 approvals for all of last year, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday, citing data from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA).
Many of the 43 innovative drugs approved for market launch are for serious conditions such as cancer, metabolic disorders and immune diseases, the report said.
The talent gambit: how the US’ brain drain is China’s brain gain | South China Morning Post
This year, Beijing’s Tsinghua University is up two spots to be just outside the top 10.
Peking University and Zhejiang University have also moved up the list, climbing to 25th and 45th respectively.
The rankings are the latest list of the Best Global Universities compiled by American media company US News and World Report, which looks at 2,250 top institutions from 105 countries.
China shores up status as top shipbuilder with Shanghai port expansion | South China Morning Post
Already the world’s busiest shipping port, China’s financial centre Shanghai is now positioning itself as a world-class shipbuilding hub, with an eye on high-value models such as those designed to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) and containers.
The Shanghai municipal government has unveiled plans to augment its shipyards on Changxing Island, situated across the southern mouth of the Yangtze River and near the Yangshan Deep-Water Port. The Yangshan facility, a component of the Port of Shanghai, holds sea trials for large vessels.
Hi-tech ships such as LNG carriers and dual-fuel container ships are set to make up 80 per cent of the industrial base’s output, according to a document released on Wednesday.
This weekly newsletter is put together by DeLisle Worrell, President of the ABCF. Visit us at Association for Barbados China Friendship | (abcf-bb.com).
Thanks to everyone who sent contributions for this week’s Update. Please send items of interest to me via the contact page at ABCF-BB.com or to info@DeLisleWorrell.com
The ABCF mission is to build a deeper understanding between the Chinese people and Barbadians and Caribbean people from all walks of life. The association’s focus is on personal experiences, people-to-people contact, cultural exchanges and exchanges of ideas, and the facilitation of travel, business and study. From the outset we aim to learn from and build on the experiences of the Caribbean and China, and to develop mutual understandings and support that will be to the benefit of both sides.
