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NEWS IN CHINA 

• Alibaba announces new AI model, claiming it surpasses Deep Seek: The Chinese tech company, Alibaba claimed to have built a new artificial intelligence (AI) model, one that surpasses Deep Seek. This new model is an upgraded version of its Qwen 2.5 AI software. Released on the first day of the Chinese New Year, the company open sourced its visual model, while providing cloud computing support to the live telecasts of the Spring Festival Gala. In an announcement by its cloud unit, Alibaba mentioned that Qwen 2.5-Max outperforms almost all AI across the board from GPT-4o to DeepSeek-V3. This multimodal model is offered in different sizes, from 3 billion to 72 billion parameters. Qwen 2.5-VL- 72B- Instruct, the flagship model is accessible through the Qwen Chat platform and the entire Qwen2.5-VL series is available on open-source platforms like Model Scope and so on.
  
  
• Joint Action pledged by China and Thailand over Myanmar cyber scam gangs and human trafficking: A delegation from China’s Ministry of Public Security, led by assistant minister Liu Zhongyi, is currently on a visit to Thailand. During this trip, both countries have pledged to collaboratively crackdown on the dozens of cyber scam gangs in Myanmar and on the related human trafficking as well. Talks of setting up one coordination centre in Myanmar were held, according to Thai Media reports. Chinese authorities had identified 36 Chinese telecoms scam gangs operating from the Myawaddy region in southeastern Myanmar. The gangs, defrauding mostly Chinese individuals, had over 100,000 people running these scams, informed by Liu in his meeting with the commissioner of Thailand’s Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB). The severity of the scam extends to Chinese citizens being lured or deceived into working for these gangs while also being assaulted and a few losing their lives. Exchange of information about scams, trafficking and Chinese support to Thailand was proposed by CCIB to effectively crackdown on this rampant issue.|
  
  
• Deadly air crash near US capital carried two Chinese citizens: Two Chinese passengers were victims of the midair collision between a US army helicopter and a regional jet, landing into the Potomac River. The Chinese embassy in the US has confirmed the two passengers holding Chinese nationality and expressed their deep condolences to the families. Further the embassy has asked Washington to verify the situation and inform Beijing of their understandings. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSNB), assured that they would “leave no stone unturned” in their investigations. This accounts for the deadliest incident since 2001, leaving no survivors as the American Airlines Bombardier CRJ-700 leaving from Kansas, collided while approaching the runway at Ronald Reagan National Airport. President Trump expressed that this time accounts for a dark time for the nation and the capital in its history, calling it a “tragedy of terrible proportions”.
  
  

• Long-range radar revealed in message to Xi Jinping by China’s aerospace force: On President Xi Jinping’s New Year message to the military a rare close-up footage of China’s long-range radar has been telecasted in a state television report. This radar system is a ground-based phased- array station, with “early warning and monitoring” troops stationed in front of it in the video sent to Xi by the PLA. The video message featured representatives across the military, showing the radar system as a part of the message. The details of the system were not disclosed, analysts mentioned that the advanced radar constituted as a key part of Beijing’s efforts to improve its early warning capabilities against missile threats. The footage of the radar station, aired up close on CCTV shows dozens of antennas positioned in an octagon array in a structure which is at least six storeys high. Speaking in front of the radar, an aerospace representative ensured that they will sincerely and strictly monitor the battlefield situation to ensure no situation is left unanswered.  

   

  SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

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  ‘Scrolling’ wall makes border city go viral:  A commercial eight-story building turns neon-lit and tourist surrounded by night, situated in the town called Yanji, brings to life an amalgamation of Koreana and Chinese cultures. On various social media handles, it has been termed as the “Bullet Comment Wall”, stemming from the bullet subtitles feature on Chinese streaming websites, wherein comments shoot across the screen one after the other. Yanji, positioned at the heart of the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, is part of a growing trend of ‘Waghong’ places across China, where small cities use the power of social media to draw tourists. Yanji situated in northeastern China, bordering the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is home to around 570,000 people, most of the population being ethnic Koreans. Yanji shot at fame started with a bank ad in 2021, when travel influence Fang Qi, now having more than 20 million followers on China’s TikTok, posted a video regarding the city as part of a marketing campaign. Post her viral video, other influencers and her fan following soon flocked to Yanji’s neon-lit wall, turning it into the viral ‘scrolling’ wall it is today. During the 2023 Spring Festival, Yanji’s tourism numbers surged to 563% from the previous year. With this year’s festival celebrations soaring, Yanji braces for an increased footfall, owing to its neon-lit wall and a mix of two neighbouring cultures.   

   

  INDIA WATCH

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  Chinese media reports on India's AI expansion endeavours: Chinese media report discussed concerns in India's tech industry post the launch of Deep Seek. Citing many Indian outlets like the Economic Times and First Post, media sources in China claim that Deep Seek has stirred a cause of concern not just in India but also in global AI circles. Invoking Indian columnists, sources mention that many scholars were questioning where India might be lacking when it comes to AI innovation. The article also highlighted that China's "low-cost, high-output" model offered a promising alternative for developing countries and presented a unique opportunity for India's AI advancement. The article also suggested that Indian analysts suggest that the nation needs significant reforms to keep pace in the global AI race, emphasizing the importance of government support, the creation of an innovation-friendly ecosystem, and a shift towards investing in cutting-edge research. 

Prepared By

Riddhi Deokar

Riddhi Deokar is a Second-year bachelor’s student pursuing Global Affairs with a minor in Public Policy at OP Jindal Global University. She exudes a strong interest in learning and researching about Northeast Asian and Middle Eastern dynamics, specifically learning about China’s equation with the two regions. She endeavours to contribute to solutions addressing gender issues in the political realm. She pursues her linguistic aspirations, learning French and Mandarin. She is also a TEDx speaker, spreading her message about the theory of 'Relative Happiness'. Understanding varied perspectives and keeping an open mind while analysing and researching global issues is an effort she keeps making.