China

Visiting the National Library of China in Beijing — the largest library in Asia and one of the largest libraries in the world — to understand why so many people come here to study.

Through a night visit and a real-time tour, I look beyond the architecture to focus on the people inside: what they are studying, how long they study for, and why libraries in China play such an important role in everyday life.

Chinese engineers build nuclear reactors far faster, and at far lower costs than the United States, France, and Japan.

The Chinese nuclear industry is building half of the plants now under construction, and exports new reactors to their closest trading partners.

The countries in the BRICS+ bloc, and in the countries involved in China's Belt and Road Initiative, are resource-rich in uranium, and in key mining and enrichment industries for nuclear fuel.

The BRI countries now enjoy an end-to-end value chain of uranium, nuclear power plants, and energy transmission completely outside Western systems.

Closing scene, Dali University, Yunnan

Archive.ph links are currently broken! A preview of the article can be found below:

Chinese scientists have developed a plant-inspired method to convert carbon dioxide and water into valuable chemicals, such as the building blocks for petrol, by using solar energy.

The process – inspired by photosynthesis, where plants harness sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to generate energy – could help produce a sustainable source of fuel, the researchers said.

The team, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said they had developed a material able to store small amounts of electrical energy to help efficiently drive chemical reactions.

When paired with catalysts that converted carbon dioxide into various chemicals, it enabled the solar-driven production of carbon monoxide.

This could be further converted into fuel, offering a possible alternative for hard-to-electrify sectors such as aviation and shipping.

“This work establishes a bioinspired charge reservoir strategy for efficient carbon dioxide photoreduction, providing a universal approach to solar fuel production,” the team wrote in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications last week.

The rest of the article is paywalled.

Video link -> https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/2019953989773848578/pu/vid/avc1/1280x720/nEEG21o1h_Xjegp8.mp4

Source -> https://xcancel.com/JustCherry__/status/2019955227487793235#m

cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/10636596

Archive link: https://archive.ph/bgODC

Chinese researchers have revealed progress on a weapon concept that could compress hypersonic performance into a form small enough for conventional artillery.

The team is developing an ultra-small, smart hypersonic glide missile that can be fired from an 80mm anti-aircraft gun

If deployed, the system could blur the line between traditional gunfire and missile-based air defense.

According to the research, the projectile exits the gun barrel at speeds approaching Mach 6. That velocity far exceeds conventional anti-aircraft shells.

It also gives the weapon extended reach. Simulations suggest it can engage fighter jets or drones more than 20 km, or 12 miles, away.

Targets flying at altitudes around 10,000 meters, or 32,800 feet, would also fall within range.

The concept relies on speed, scale, and cost. The projectile’s small size and hypersonic flight profile sharply reduce warning time for enemy aircraft.

That compression of reaction windows could alter air combat dynamics.

As reported by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the missile’s designers argue that detection would come dangerously late for defending aircraft.

At such extreme speed, onboard warning systems may only spot the projectile when it is about 2 miles away.

That distance leaves only seconds to respond.

Even at that point, the missile would still travel at roughly Mach 3.6. Computer simulations show it can adapt aggressively.

If a target executes a near-90-degree turn, the missile can still correct its trajectory.

The models indicate a kill probability of 99 percent.

Rate of fire adds to the threat. A standard anti-aircraft gun can fire roughly once per second.

That enables repeated launches without relying on expensive interceptor missiles.

Researchers suggest the low cost and high availability of such projectiles could challenge medium- and short-range air defense systems.

Two-stage guidance system

Extreme speed also introduces control challenges. Hypersonic projectiles face intense aerodynamic forces during sharp maneuvers.

Traditional guidance methods may fail under such conditions, increasing the risk of misses.

To overcome this, Wang Xugang’s team designed a two-stage guidance architecture.

The first stage manages the mid-course flight. It plans an efficient trajectory that preserves speed and energy.

The second stage governs the terminal phase. It focuses on fine adjustments during the final seconds before impact.

The researchers used a mathematical approach called “multi-objective optimisation” to balance speed retention with smooth maneuvering.

This approach reduces stress on the projectile while maintaining accuracy.

In the terminal phase, the missile switches to an advanced “sliding-mode variable-structure guidance” law.

This method allows the projectile to anticipate target movement and closely track even highly agile aircraft.

Simulations show the guidance method reduces maneuver load by more than 90 percent compared with conventional approaches.

Shifting air combat models

The researchers argue the technology could reshape future air warfare. “Hypersonic guided projectiles represent a new generation of precision-strike weapons,” the team wrote.

“With advantages such as rapid strike, precision guidance and high lethality, they are profoundly reshaping traditional firepower combat models and have broad application prospects in future air warfare.”

The findings appear in a peer-reviewed paper published last month in the Journal of Naval Aviation University.

While the system remains at the simulation stage, the work highlights China’s growing interest in compact hypersonic weapons designed for scalable deployment.

If proven viable, such systems could complicate air operations and force changes in aircraft defense strategies.

My wife and I moved out of the US and now live in Latin America. Our long-term goal is China, and some other areas of SE Asia if that path is proven to be unfeasible. While I realize and am clear that emigrating to China is not simple (is it ever in any place?) and for some, potentially impossible, we're confident in our capabilities to make something work.

The information I've found online is scant, contradictory, or largely unreliable. The official Chinese immigration website is elucidating to an extent, but as I've personally experienced, many states are not entirely comprehensive and oftentimes there are other paths that are not explicitly articulated on official sources. But, assuming this is the case, the primary method for me personally would be by studying in China, while my wife has a Master's and could potentially be considered high-talent.

I would like to study and learn Mandarin, if that would enable me and my wife to stay at-length. Would anyone here have experience, first or at most second-hand, of Universities that would be worth looking into? And any general advice for those who have successfully emigrated to China in general would be profoundly helpful.

BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- China has recorded a reduction in the urban-rural income disparity in recent years amid efforts to increase farmers' income, official data showed.

The urban-rural income ratio narrowed to 2.31:1 in 2025, down from 2.56:1 in 2020, Han Wenxiu, head of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, told a press conference on Wednesday.

In 2025, the per capita disposable income of farmers reached 24,456 yuan (about 3,517 U.S. dollars), marking a year-on-year growth of 6 percent, he noted, adding that farmers' basic living conditions have seen consistent improvements.

The remarks came after China released its annual "No. 1 central document" on Tuesday, which outlined key tasks for advancing agricultural and rural modernization and promoting all-around rural revitalization in 2026.

Zhu Weidong, deputy head of the office, emphasized that steady income growth for farmers remains a top priority. The country will promote county-level industries, stabilize migrant workers' employment, and revitalize rural resources to diversify farmers' income sources, he noted.