Global Pulse

标签： Asia

亚洲

  • China’s commercial space sector logged 50 launches in 2025

    China’s commercial space sector logged 50 launches in 2025

    China’s commercial space industry demonstrated remarkable expansion throughout 2025, achieving a significant milestone by conducting 50 orbital launches according to official data released by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on January 21, 2026. This impressive figure represents 54% of the nation’s total space missions for the year, highlighting the growing dominance of private enterprises in the country’s space ambitions.

    Commercial launch vehicles were responsible for 25 of these missions, while the newly operational Hainan Commercial Spacecraft Launch Site emerged as a crucial infrastructure asset, facilitating nine successful launches from China’s southern island province. The commercial sector’s contribution extended beyond launch services, deploying 311 satellites into orbit—accounting for an overwhelming 84% of all Chinese satellites launched during the period.

    Technological advancements in reusable launch systems progressed substantially throughout the year. The Zhuque-3 reusable carrier rocket completed its inaugural flight, successfully demonstrating critical technologies including second-stage orbital insertion and first-stage re-entry and return capabilities. This achievement marks a substantial step forward in China’s pursuit of cost-effective space access through reusable rocket technology.

  • Scientists discover single-walled carbon nanotubes, graphitic carbon in Chang’e 6 lunar samples

    Scientists discover single-walled carbon nanotubes, graphitic carbon in Chang’e 6 lunar samples

    In a landmark discovery with profound implications for planetary science, Chinese researchers have confirmed the natural formation of single-walled carbon nanotubes and graphitic carbon within lunar samples retrieved by the Chang’e-6 mission. The China National Space Administration officially announced these findings on Tuesday, revealing unprecedented insights into the moon’s geological complexity.

    A scientific team from Jilin University employed advanced microscopic and spectroscopic methodologies to conduct a comprehensive examination of far-side lunar material. Their investigation yielded the first definitive verification of naturally occurring graphite carbon on the lunar surface, simultaneously tracing its probable formation mechanisms and evolutionary trajectory.

    This research achieves dual historical significance: it establishes the first international confirmation that single-walled carbon nanotubes can form through natural processes without anthropogenic intervention, while simultaneously demonstrating the sophisticated high-energy physico-chemical activities occurring on the lunar surface. The evidence points toward more dynamic geological processes on the moon’s far side than previously understood.

    The study proposes that nanotube formation likely resulted from iron-catalyzed reactions driven by multiple extraterrestrial factors throughout lunar history. These include persistent micrometeorite bombardment, ancient volcanic phenomena, and continuous solar wind irradiation—collectively creating extreme conditions that enabled nature’s synthesis of advanced carbon structures.

    Comparative analysis between Chang’e-6’s far-side samples and Chang’e-5’s near-side specimens revealed distinctive structural differences. Carbon formations from the far side exhibited more pronounced defect characteristics, potentially indicating intensified micrometeorite impacts throughout the moon’s geological history. This discrepancy suggests previously unrecognized compositional and evolutionary asymmetries between the lunar hemispheres.

    These groundbreaking findings, recently published in the prestigious journal Nano Letters, fundamentally reshape our understanding of lunar geology and demonstrate how extreme cosmic environments can spontaneously generate advanced nanomaterials through natural processes.

  • Reflections of an unforgettable journey to China

    Reflections of an unforgettable journey to China

    An extraordinary cultural bridge between the United States and China materialized through the artistic expressions of American high school students, now showcased in a compelling exhibition at Cupertino Library. “China in the Eyes of Americans” presents the profound experiences of 21 students who embarked on a transformative two-week immersion across Hubei province during the summers of 2024 and 2025.

    The exhibition, inaugurated on Sunday in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, features a diverse collection of photography, sketches, and personal narratives captured during the students’ journeys through Wuhan, Enshi, Xiaogan, and surrounding regions. Organized by the US-China Culture and Communication Association (UCCA), the display offers unique perspectives on China’s rich cultural heritage through the fresh eyes of young Americans.

    Chloe Xiao, a California sophomore from Valley Christian High School, described how the experience deepened her understanding beyond language to encompass China’s ancient civilization and intangible cultural heritage. “In Enshi, we wore traditional Tujia attire, experiencing first-hand the elegance and profound heritage of Tujia culture,” she recalled, noting the striking silver hair ornaments and complete costumes.

    Jasmine White, a senior at Carlmont High School, focused her photographic lens on Hubei’s architectural marvels, particularly the Yingwuzhou Yangtze River Bridge. “This journey revealed the symbolic significance of bridges in China—they represent connection: linking people, communities, and cultures across generations,” White explained.

    The human connections formed during the trip proved equally impactful. Benjamin Li, a sophomore from Florida, emphasized how friendship made his summer unforgettable: “We laughed, played games, and shared joy together in Enshi.”

    Aiden Wei Tanner from San Jose contrasted his China experience with previous European travels: “European cities feel distinctly foreign. China felt different—I became part of the culture rather than an outsider.”

    UCCA President Song Min initiated the program six years ago driven by what he described as “urgency and necessity” to connect youth from both nations. “When young people listen to their peers and learn from each other, great things happen,” Song stated, emphasizing that American participants become “practitioners of cross-cultural communication” rather than mere observers.

    Cupertino Vice-Mayor Liang-Fang Chao encouraged students to cherish the relationships forged during their journey, highlighting that the true value lies in “the friendships made, memories created, and stories shared.”

  • Fukushima nuclear plant operator to restart reactor at another plant, reviving safety concerns

    Fukushima nuclear plant operator to restart reactor at another plant, reviving safety concerns

    Japan has initiated the restart process for the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear facility, the world’s largest nuclear power plant, marking Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings’ (TEPCO) first return to atomic energy generation since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. The reactor No. 6 commencement represents a pivotal moment for Japan’s energy strategy as the nation confronts escalating electricity demands despite persistent public apprehension.

    The reactivation comes after years of regulatory scrutiny and safety upgrades, with TEPCO investing over 1 trillion yen ($6.33 billion) in protective measures including reinforced seawalls, earthquake-resistant command centers, and advanced filtered venting systems. The utility company remains under intense public scrutiny due to its management of the Fukushima Daiichi catastrophe, where meltdowns rendered surrounding areas uninhabitable and resulted in an estimated 22 trillion yen ($139 billion) cleanup cost.

    Local residents express conflicted sentiments, acknowledging potential economic benefits while voicing substantial concerns regarding evacuation feasibility in the earthquake-prone region. These worries intensified following the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake that caused significant infrastructure damage, demonstrating the potential impracticality of existing evacuation plans for the approximately 418,600 residents within the plant’s emergency zones.

    Japan’s policy reversal on nuclear energy reflects broader strategic calculations, including energy security needs following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, rising fossil fuel costs, and increasing electricity demands from power-intensive AI data centers. The government now aims to nuclear power to constitute 20% of Japan’s energy mix by 2040, more than doubling its current contribution.

    The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reactor will undergo phased activation, reaching 50% capacity within approximately one week before temporary shutdown for comprehensive inspection. Full commercial operation is anticipated by late February, representing a significant milestone in Japan’s reembrace of nuclear technology despite its complex legacy.

  • Commercial, reusable Chinese rocket PALLAS-2 completes engine system test

    Commercial, reusable Chinese rocket PALLAS-2 completes engine system test

    In a significant advancement for China’s commercial space sector, Beijing-based Galactic Energy has successfully completed a comprehensive system test for the engine powering its reusable PALLAS-2 rocket. The breakthrough test, conducted recently, marks a pivotal step toward the development of China’s indigenous reusable launch vehicle technology.

    The CQ-90 liquid oxygen-kerosene engine, an upgraded variant of the company’s earlier CQ-50 model, demonstrated exceptional performance during the rigorous testing phase. According to official reports, the engine achieved smooth ignition, maintained stable operation throughout the test duration with highly visible flame characteristics, and executed a flawless shutdown sequence.

    Performance data confirmed all parameters met or exceeded design specifications, with combustion efficiency reaching an impressive 96 percent threshold. The CQ-90 engine features advanced capabilities including bidirectional swing functionality of up to 6 degrees, multiple ignition capacity, and wide-range thrust variability – essential characteristics for reusable rocket operations.

    The PALLAS-2 rocket, measuring 4.5 meters in diameter, will be available in two configurations. The baseline version will possess a lift-off mass of 757 tonnes, generating 910 tonnes of thrust with capacity to deliver 20 tonnes to low Earth orbit. An enhanced strap-on booster configuration will substantially increase capabilities to 1,950 tonnes lift-off mass, 2,730 tonnes of thrust, and 58 tonnes to low Earth orbit.

    This technological achievement positions Galactic Energy as a competitive player in the global commercial space market and demonstrates China’s growing capabilities in reusable launch vehicle development, potentially reducing space access costs and increasing launch frequency capabilities.

  • IS group claims attack on Kabul restaurant, killing 7

    IS group claims attack on Kabul restaurant, killing 7

    In a devastating security breach, the Islamic State militant group has officially claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that ripped through a restaurant in Kabul’s high-security Shahr-e-Naw district on Monday. The attack resulted in seven fatalities, including one Chinese national, and left multiple others wounded.

    The explosion occurred in an area renowned for housing diplomatic missions, commercial offices, and shopping complexes—previously considered among the capital’s safest neighborhoods. Afghan police spokesman Khalid Zadran confirmed the blast originated near the restaurant’s kitchen, claiming the lives of six Afghan citizens and a Chinese individual identified only as Ayub. Among the injured were five Chinese nationals.

    China’s Foreign Ministry responded forcefully on Tuesday, with spokesman Guo Jiakun announcing that Beijing has lodged urgent diplomatic representations with Afghan authorities. The Chinese government demanded comprehensive medical care for the wounded, a thorough investigation into the incident, and punishment for those responsible. “China strongly condemns and firmly opposes terrorism in any form,” Guo stated, adding that Beijing supports regional cooperation against terrorist violence.

    The ministry issued renewed travel advisories, explicitly warning Chinese citizens against non-essential travel to Afghanistan and urging Chinese entities already in the country to enhance security measures and evacuate from high-risk areas promptly.

    Humanitarian organizations reported receiving numerous casualties, with Dejan Panic, Afghanistan director of a relief group, confirming his hospital treated 20 victims, including seven dead on arrival. The wounded included four women and a child.

    This attack underscores the persistent security challenges facing Afghanistan since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover, despite their promises to restore stability. The local Islamic State branch remains the primary source of ongoing bomb attacks targeting both civilians and international presence in the region.

  • University to aid training for disasters

    University to aid training for disasters

    China has inaugurated its first specialized institution for emergency management education, the University of Emergency Management, marking a significant advancement in the nation’s disaster response capabilities. The establishment ceremony in Langfang, Hebei Province, featured Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing emphasizing the institution’s crucial role in modernizing China’s emergency management systems through specialized talent development.

    The university emerges from the strategic merger of the North China Institute of Science and Technology and the Institute of Disaster Prevention, both with established backgrounds in safety training and seismic monitoring. This consolidation creates a comprehensive educational institution featuring 15 specialized schools covering critical areas including emergency technology, mine safety, chemical safety, and emergency equipment management.

    Vice-Premier Zhang outlined the university’s mandate to develop innovative ’emergency management plus’ training models that integrate cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and equipment engineering into practical disaster response scenarios. The curriculum will emphasize hands-on operational readiness through realistic drills and simulations, addressing a identified gap in traditional emergency management programs.

    Professor Yang Saini, a disaster reduction expert at Beijing Normal University, explained that contemporary emergency scenarios require interdisciplinary professionals capable of navigating complex, interconnected disaster chains. ‘A single weather event can trigger multiple cascading emergencies—from flash floods to landslides, industrial accidents to infrastructure failures—demanding coordinated response across sectors,’ Yang noted.

    The institution addresses a substantial workforce shortage identified in the 2025 Safety and Emergency Management Blue Paper, which documented a national deficit of approximately 5.5 million professionals despite existing workforce of 10.5 million. The university will focus on developing professionals who combine technical expertise with practical response capabilities, systemic thinking, and cross-departmental coordination skills essential for modern disaster management.

    With China’s earthquake monitoring system already drawing 70-80% of its frontline personnel from the predecessor institutions, the new university represents a strategic investment in national resilience through advanced education and research in emergency preparedness.

  • Medical expert’s concern about AI sparks discussion

    Medical expert’s concern about AI sparks discussion

    A significant debate is unfolding within China’s medical community as the nation accelerates its artificial intelligence integration in healthcare. Dr. Zhang Wenhong, a renowned infectious disease expert from Fudan University who gained national prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, has publicly expressed reservations about incorporating AI into critical medical systems.

    At a Hong Kong forum on January 10, Dr. Zhang stated his firm opposition to implementing AI in hospital medical record systems, emphasizing concerns about how machine-generated outputs might compromise clinical judgment. While acknowledging AI’s potential utility, the prominent physician insisted that human expertise must remain central to medical practice. “I can tell where AI is wrong,” Zhang asserted. “I won’t be misled by it.”

    The expert’s primary concern centers on medical education and training. He warned that if AI-generated conclusions become default “standard answers” in diagnosis and treatment, young physicians might never develop essential critical evaluation skills. “Without systematic training, doctors will lose the ability to judge whether AI’s conclusions are correct,” Zhang explained, advocating that future physicians must master assessing AI reliability and managing complex cases beyond algorithmic capabilities.

    Despite these concerns, AI adoption continues to expand across Chinese hospitals. At Ningbo University’s Affiliated People’s Hospital, an oncology tool called PANDA analyzes CT scans to identify pancreatic cancer risks, having already reviewed over 180,000 scans and detected more than 20 initially overlooked cancer cases. According to Dr. Zhu Kelei, director of hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, “AI entirely saved their lives in these cases.”

    Primary-level hospitals with physician shortages are particularly enthusiastic about AI assistance. At Beijing’s Chuiyangliu Hospital affiliated with Tsinghua University, the Agent Hospital system is undergoing testing to help doctors track medical histories, locate treatments, and receive clinical suggestions more efficiently.

    The global AI healthcare market, valued under $30 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $500 billion by 2033. In China, central and local governments are rolling out “AI+” initiatives, with over 100 medical device projects currently underway nationwide. Implementation typically begins in departments with standardized data, high workloads, and relatively low risks, with medical imaging, electrocardiography, and laboratory testing identified as priority areas.

    However, skepticism persists within the medical establishment. Dr. Gao Wen of Capital Medical University noted, “Not every medical problem requires AI. Some technologies appear advanced but offer limited real benefit to healthcare.” As AI systems penetrate deeper into diagnosis and treatment, regulatory challenges are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore, highlighting the ongoing tension between technological advancement and medical tradition.

  • Hydropower deal boosts grid integration in ASEAN

    Hydropower deal boosts grid integration in ASEAN

    Southeast Asian nations are advancing regional energy integration through a renewed multilateral agreement facilitating hydropower transmission from Laos to Singapore via Thailand and Malaysia. The landmark deal, signed on January 14, represents a strategic step in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) broader initiative to create an interconnected power framework across the region.

    While the initial capacity of 100 megawatts may appear modest, energy experts emphasize the arrangement’s significance lies in establishing a replicable commercial model rather than immediate volume. Christina Ng, Managing Director at the Energy Shift Institute, described the capacity as ‘inconsequential’ but highlighted the framework’s importance: ‘It’s what ASEAN needs right now—a repeatable, bankable commercial framework that markets can scale.’

    The agreement forms part of the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) initiative, first conceptualized through a 2007 memorandum of understanding and implemented in 2009. The Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project, operational since 2018, represents the first multilateral cross-border electricity trade project within ASEAN. The current renewal follows successful pilot operations from 2022 to 2024 where Laos transmitted hydropower to Singapore using existing interconnections, with Thailand and Malaysia serving as transmission intermediaries.

    Energy security experts note that cross-border renewable energy trade offers ASEAN nations a strategic tool to diversify energy risks without increasing dependence on volatile fossil fuels. ‘Energy security today is less about ‘owning fuel’,’ Ng explained. ‘It’s more about managing exposure to concentrated risks’—particularly relevant as geopolitical tensions threaten traditional shipping routes and fuel costs.

    According to Dinita Setyawati, Senior Analyst at global energy policy think tank Ember, the collaboration demonstrates ASEAN countries prioritizing economic growth and decarbonization goals over political differences. The region’s energy ministers reinforced this commitment in October 2025 by signing an enhanced memorandum understanding to strengthen electricity connectivity through multilateral power trade and renewable integration.

    Implementation challenges remain, however. David Broadstock, partner at Singapore-based consultancy The Lantau Group, noted that incomplete power grid infrastructure hinders regional connectivity, while Ng highlighted interoperability issues across eleven nations with differing technical standards. For land-constrained Singapore, which lacks sufficient wind resources, hydropower potential, and space for large-scale solar development, such cross-border arrangements represent essential pathways toward renewable energy adoption and energy security.

  • Energy prices lowered to warm rural consumers

    Energy prices lowered to warm rural consumers

    Multiple cities across northern China have implemented strategic reductions in natural gas pricing alongside targeted subsidies to alleviate financial pressures on rural households during the critical winter heating season. Major urban centers in Hebei province—including Baoding, Langfang, Handan, and Zhangjiakou—have witnessed energy providers slashing prices by approximately 0.2 yuan per cubic meter. ENN Energy’s Baoding division notably reduced rates for rural consumers to 2.98 yuan per cubic meter effective January 15, with simultaneous commitments from other suppliers to maintain affordability and ensure uninterrupted supply chains.

    This policy intervention addresses longstanding concerns within China’s coal-to-gas conversion initiative, launched in 2017 as a cornerstone effort to combat severe air pollution. While successful in improving regional air quality, the transition unexpectedly burdened rural residents with steep energy costs. Compounding these challenges, tiered pricing structures in provinces like Shanxi saw rates escalate beyond 3 yuan per cubic meter at higher consumption levels, rendering winter heating prohibitively expensive for many families.

    Structural complexities underlie these economic pressures. Professor Liu Mengdi of the University of International Business and Economics identifies key factors: “Rural areas present significantly higher operational expenditures for inspection, maintenance, and service due to dispersed housing and low population density.” These geographical realities inflate per-household infrastructure costs compared to urban environments.

    Further complicating the landscape, initial government subsidies that facilitated early adoption have gradually diminished, transferring financial responsibility to agricultural communities. Professor Pang Jun of Renmin University’s School of Ecology and Environment adds that county-level gas companies frequently lack leverage to negotiate favorable wholesale prices.

    Beyond pricing mechanisms, alternative heating solutions are gaining traction. In Yixian county’s mountainous Sanggang village, approximately 60% of households have adopted air-source heat pump technology. Residents Xie Guoqing and Zhao Guosheng reported substantial savings—approximately 2,300 yuan seasonal electricity costs versus previous coal expenditures exceeding 3,000 yuan—following investment in high-efficiency systems and home insulation.

    Experts advocate for this diversified approach to clean heating, emphasizing solutions calibrated to local resources, economic conditions, and living habits rather than uniform natural gas dependency. While natural gas remains a reasonable primary option, the evolving strategy recognizes the necessity of adaptable, region-specific implementations across northern China’s varied rural landscapes.