China has halted rare earth exports, can Australia step up?

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six days before
James Chater

BBC News

Reporting fromSydney
Getty Images A wide shot of a Pilbara Minerals lithium facility in Port Hedland, Western Australia.Getty Images

In the midst of rising trade tensions, Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has pledged to invest A$ 1.2 billion ( £580 million ) in a strategic reserve for crucial minerals.

The news came after China imposed trade restrictions on seven rare earth elements, which are essential to the development of cutting-edge solutions like computers, fighter jets, and electric cars.

China’s restrictions apply to all nations, but they were commonly accepted as retribution for US President Donald Trump’s taxes.

Albanese stated that Australia had give priority to vitamins that are essential to both its safety and that of its companions, including rare earths. But had his strategy concern China’s dominance?

What are unique universe minerals and why are they significant?

A group of 17 components is known as “rare” when they are extremely challenging to harvest and enhance.

Rare earths, such as samarium and terbium, are crucial to the development of cutting-edge technology that will shape the world in the upcoming years, such as electric vehicles and highly developed weapons systems.

Rare planets as well as other crucial minerals, of which Australia is a leading producer, like potassium and chrome, are included in Albanese’s proposed stockpile.

Rare universe resources exist in both China and Australia. However, China has a significant amount of control over source, making 90 % of rare earth processing, which makes them useful in technology.

And European institutions have been spooked by this.

Why is China limiting the import of unusual world materials?

Beijing asserted that its restrictions on unique earths were in response to Trump’s extensive taxes, which are currently 14 % on Chinese exports to the US.

However, according to analysts, Washington’s inability to stable the supply of rare earths has grown to be one of the Trump administration’s main worries, especially as Beijing’s political tensions have gotten worse.

According to the US Geological Survey, between 2019 and 2022, about 75 % of US imports of rare earths came from China.

The US and EU “dropped the game,” according to Philip Kirchlechner, chairman of Iron Ore Research in Perth, Western Australia, as China quickly gained a monopoly over elegance.

He continued,” China has its base on the body vein of the US and European defense methods.”

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, claimed this week that China’s decision to stop exporting rare earths used in innovative magnets was having an impact on the company’s ability to create humanoid robots, an early example of the problems Beijing has the power to impose on US businesses.

Getty Images People look at a human-like Tesla robot at a technology fair in Shanghai, China.Getty Images

Was Australia’s plan alter the game?

According to Albanese’s proposal, minerals in the reserve may be accessible to both “domestic business and international partners,” with a good research to allies like the US and EU.

However, Kirchlechner continued, saying that the proposal is” never going to solve the problem,” despite praising the move as “long overdue.”

The basic problem is that China will continue to be generally in charge of the refining process of rare earths, yet if Australia stocks more crucial materials.

An excellent example of sodium is certainly a rare world, but it is a crucial metal in the production of solar panels and batteries for electric vehicles. Only a small portion of the country’s sodium is refined and exported, accounting for 33 % of it. The International Energy Agency claims that China refines 57 % of the world’s lithium while mining only 23 % of it.

As part of its Potential Made in Australia initiative, Australia has been making an investment in rare earths to use the nation’s vast mineral deposits to promote the development of a green economy.

The second mixed plant and plant for rare planets in the world was founded last year by Arafura Rare Earths, headquartered in Perth, Western Australia, with funding from A$ 840 million coming in last year. Australia’s second rare earths processing facility, owned by Lynas Rare Earths, opened in Western Australia in November.

However, the nation is anticipated to rely on China for refining until at least 2026, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which has its headquarters in Washington.

Getty Images Trucks work in a vast rare-earth mine in Inner Mongolia, China.Getty Images

What did China and the US do?

China has been attempting to capitalize on Trump’s uncertainty.

China’s adviser to Canberra criticized Washington’s strategy to global trade in a number of articles in American newspapers, which Albanese swiftly rejected.

In its discussions with Trump, Australia has praised its reference sector. He imposed a 10 % tax on the importation of the majority of Australia’s items on some crucial vitamins.

However, according to analysts, Albanese’s proposal is primarily intended to shield Australia and its companions from corporate adversaries like China.

Natixis ‘ chief economist for Asia-Pacific, Alicia Garca-Herrero, told the BBC that Albanese’s plan was “more advanced” than previous ideas because it allowed for the sale of Australia’s resources in times of economic pressure.

She added that Australia might start selling more of its nutrient reserves to support lower prices on world markets and release China’s influence over setting prices.

She did point out that Australia is still unable to fully remove China.

There are areas where China could have a strong foothold, and refining is the most crucial step if Australia’s goal is to serve the West, becoming more critical to the West, particularly the US.

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HDB resale price growth eases to 1.6% in Q1 2025, transactions up 2.6%

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Prices of non-landmarked properties increased by 0.8 % in the Core Central Region in the first quarter of 2025, up from the 2.6 % increase in the previous quarter.

Pricing increased by 1.7 per share in Q1 2025 for the Rest of Central Region, compared to the 3.0 per cent increase in the previous quarter.

Prices in the Outside Central Region increased by 0.3 % in the first quarter of this year, up from the previous quarter’s 3.3 % increase.

The performance in Q1 2025″ suggests that demand in the secret resale segment continues to be resilient despite economic headwinds,” says Mr. Sandrasegeran.

The figures, in general, “underline a continued recuperation and interest in the resale market, especially from buyers looking for move-in available homes in the face of limited fresh launch supply.”

RENTALS

In terms of the public housing market, HDB reported that the number of uses for renting out apartments increased by 12.3 % in the first quarter of 2025, increasing from 8, 603 situations in the previous quarter to 9, 662.

This represents a 2.8 % increase compared to the same period last year, according to HDB. A total of 59, 567 HDB flats were rented out as of the end of Q1 2025, up 0.9 % from 59, 043 products in the fourth quarter of that year.

According to URA, rent of private home qualities increased by 0.4 % in Q1 2025 after remaining intact in the previous quarter. &nbsp,

Rentals of landed properties increased by 0.3 % in the first quarter of 2025, compared to the 1.8 % decrease in the previous quarter.

Rent for non-landed qualities increased by 0.5 % in Q1 2025, compared to the 0.2 % boost in Q4 2024.

In light of the questionable economic outlook, which may have an impact on the personal rental market, Ms. Christine Sun, chief scientist and planner at OrangeTee Group, claimed that some businesses may slow down their getting of foreigners.

” The declining supply of finished homes, along with the lowering of interest levels, which helps reduce business financing expenses, does mitigate a substantial rental price correction,” she said. &nbsp,

Rentals of non-landed properties&nbsp increased by 0.4 % in the Core Central Region in Q1 2025, compared to the 0.9 % increase in the prior quarter.

Rentals in the Rest of Central Region increased by 0.4 % in Q1 2025 from the previous quarter, when they were 0.3 % higher.

Rentals for properties located outside the Central Region increased by 0.7 % in Q1 2025, compared to the 0.8 % decrease in the previous quarter.

Mr. Hutton claimed that these financial risks have improved the standing of Singapore as a safe shelter.

” Ultra-high-net-worth individuals may choose to travel to Singapore and hire out luxurious houses in the Core Central Region,” he said.

” The Core Central Region may experience a very small supply of finished homes in the next two years.” In the upcoming times, he added, tenants may see better rent growth.

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Trump knows exactly what his China trade war means – Asia Times

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The official start of massive global tariffs was announced on Donald Trump’s” Liberation Day” on April 2, 2025, cappiling the start of escalating disclosures since his election as president. Amplifying the financial patriotism of his first term, it marks the climax of Trump’s decades-old campaigning for raising taxes and reviving British market.

His most recent press builds on more than 20 years of earlier political attempts to reform trade in a much more aggressive way. Influenced by Project 2025’s section on fair business by longtime adviser Peter Navarro, it calls for quick, uncompromising business action to reduce deficits, lower bill and reshore production.

Similar to how Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has framed taxes as part of a larger financial rebalancing to recover US industrial and economic supremacy.

Though often stated explicitly, Trump aims to crack the supremacy of China’s export-led financial model, with the understanding that there will be some effects for the US economy.

Although his strategy builds on previous attempts to restructure industry, the public’s understanding of Trump’s agenda and perception of how it is carried out are only moderately supported domestically. The bargain carries the dangers of global financial instability, backlash from allies and handing China even more energy on the international stage.

Protectionism, free industry, and renewed skepticism are all at odds with one another.

From 1798 to 1913, tariffs covered 50 % to 90 % of income and shielded American industry from foreign competitors. Nevertheless, the US sought to restore allied markets and ward off communism by opening its buyer, professional, and capital markets following World War II. Trade imbalances emerged by the 1970s, but abandoning the gold standard in 1971 let the US printing money more quickly and support the imbalance.

The US was convinced that it could continue to control worldwide industry on its own terms after the Cold War’s close in the first 1990s. It pushed for global tariff cuts and free trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ), while US corporations helped build up foreign manufacturing, particularly in China, which benefited from preferential trade terms under its most-favored-nation trade status. While corporate profits rose and global overproduction was absorbed by American consumers, many American workers were becoming significantly indebted.

These policies added to the anti-globalization movements of the late 1990s, most visibly at the 1999 World Trade Organization ( WTO ) summit in Seattle, prompting a rethink of trade policy. Domesticated companies like steel were crashing out as a result of cheap imports, and former US President George W. Bush reintroduced steel tariffs quickly in 2002 before the WTO ratified them.

The 2008 global financial crisis brought republican calling for economic reform, with the Obama administration pledging to reshore manufacturing work. Obama later distanced himself from the Trans-Pacific Partnership ( TPP ), a free trade agreement, in a move that Hillary Clinton repeated in her 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump’s first-term business plan broke from the previous prudence. He withdrew from the TPP in 2017 and fought with the WTO, favoring punitive motion, and renegotiated NAFTA. He therefore imposed tariffs on important business partners, especially China. The cost of outsourcing had already gotten clear by that time.

With US multinational support, China had gained investment and technology skills to become the “world’s factory”. Beijing became the world’s top exporter and creditor in 2024 thanks to low-tariff access to the US market, which resulted in a$ 300 billion surplus over America in 2024.

President Biden struck a less aggressive develop upon assuming office in January 2021, but he also raised taxes on China. He aimed to address the issue of his trade deficits with the US, which the EU and Japan did, but the US’s commitment to global unity and its role in global affairs attenuated condemnation. Despite lowering tariffs on Europe, Biden yet passed the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act, both criticized by the EU as mercantilist.

Trump’s second-term target has once more targeted allies, but the focus is still on China, with increased tariffs on Beijing and personal tariffs halted on April 9.

Apart from direct exports, Washington also seeks to target China’s role in global business. The limitations of decoupling were exposed by Biden’s force to “nearshore” manufacturing in nations like Mexico, where Chinese companies immediately established themselves in brand-new Latino industrial parks.

Many goods shipped to the US from different countries also contain Chinese elements, meaning Trump’s 10 cent “baseline” tax hike on all imports is meant to counter additional countries serving as conduits for Chinese goods.

In Project 2025, Peter Navarro emphasized the impact of non-tariff barriers like stringent safety standards, customs delays, and local content requirements on US exports. The US uses these, too, and in early February 2025, Trump cited fentanyl smuggling as justification for raising tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada.

Trump’s tariff increases and the resulting supply chain rerouting may prove challenging to reverse even if a more conventional president comes along. Critics question whether this transition can be fast, affordable or effective, but the Covid-19 pandemic proved supply chains can reorient under pressure relatively quickly, just as China showed its agility by setting up operations in Mexico during the 2020s.

Internal dangers

A tariff war will nonetheless raise prices for consumers and businesses, ending the era of cheap global goods that the US economy has depended on for decades.

Countries kept close ties to protect consumer access to the market and invested US dollars in American stocks, bonds, and real estate. Uncertainty over Trump’s policies saw a fake tweet about tariffs on April 7 trigger multi-trillion-dollar swings. Pensions, household wealth, and corporate valuations would be impacted by continued stock volatility or declines.

Some argue that if the stock markets crash, money could flow into and lower the price of US treasuries, reducing their prices and allowing the government to refinance long-term bonds with cheaper debt.

However, many traditional US debt holders may want concessions before continuing to finance it. Treasury yields have already risen, making new debt more expensive, and China, the second-largest holder of US debt, is suspected of shedding bonds to help do so.

China has also retaliated by enforcing its own tariffs and recently halting exports of some rare earths and essential minerals that are essential to modern technologies. Its state-backed firms can flood global markets with cheap goods and advanced tech, squeezing out competitors.

Beijing, which is increasingly present in international organizations and trade blocs, could become a more influential force in shaping global economic norms if these organizations and agreements become more fluid and the US steps back.

Trump also wants to devalue the dollar to make US exports more competitive, but insists on keeping the dollar as the world’s reserve currency, which eases access to cheap debt. Even if no obvious alternative has been found yet, his strategy is undermining global confidence in the dollar.

Trump’s pressure on a resistant Federal Reserve to cut interest rates further reflects limited borrowing options and coordination in US financial policy as he embarks on major economic upheaval.

Democrats have largely avoided serious opposition to Trump’s policies because they believe it may be a losing political strategy. Still, some top members like Chuck Schumer and Gavin Newsom have marked early opposition, along with seven GOP senators who recently voted against Trump’s Trade Review Act.

The US business class, which once viewed China as a promising market but now views it as a rival, has some backing for Trump’s policies. No longer limited to cheap goods, Chinese companies like Temu, Shein, and BYD increasingly threaten giants like Amazon and Tesla.

Any success in restoring manufacturing will largely come from automation rather than high-paying positions, which will benefit major US corporations. Still, decades of cooperation with China means that these businesses remain exposed, with major corporate figures expressing public concern and Elon Musk publicly criticizing Peter Navarro’s role in the tariff push.

Trump has since framed tariffs as a source of revenue to offset other taxes in addition to serving as leverage over trading partners. His 2024 campaign called for cutting the corporate tax rate to 15 %, down from 21 %, already lowered from 35 % during his first term.

However, the anticipated economic boom did not materialize before Covid-19 arrived, and his suggestion that personal income tax be replaced with tariff income is unlikely to produce enough money, even in the most optimistic scenario.

And while the US needs to expand production for both domestic use and exports, current capacity falls far short. While tariffs may encourage new habits in businesses and consumers, blanket protection without government initiatives in infrastructure development, skills training, and research and development risks doing more harm than good, leaving the private sector with little guidance.

Compared to Trump’s unpredictable approach, China and the EU have positioned themselves as stable anchors of the global economy. Due to tariffs and strained ties, US demands to coordinate with major economic allies like the EU and Japan to stifle trade with China, including limiting Chinese imports and preventing its companies from establishing themselves risk falling on deaf ears.

Global risks

A major pillar of global economic stability is also at risk as a result of restricting access to US consumers. The US accounted for roughly 13 % of global import consumption in 2023, acting as a safety valve for global overproduction by absorbing excess goods.

China has pledged to “vigorously boost domestic consumption,” as per the People’s Daily, to help replace American consumers, as it is facing a property crisis, high youth unemployment, and mounting local government debt.

However, its$ 300 billion trade surplus with the US demonstrates how dependent it is and has less room for retaliation. The EU has signaled it will not tolerate a flood of Chinese goods, as it, like the US, increasingly finds itself competing with China in high-end products.

The US has also experienced tariff increases from the EU and Canada. The Trump administration has tested EU unity by courting globalization-skeptic allies like Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, though tensions are likely to deepen before they ease.

The dangers of deindustrialization are being highlighted by Europe’s struggle to maintain support for Ukraine and Russia, a trend that the US is now trying to reverse systematically. And, by targeting allies with tariffs too, the US ensures that any self-inflicted economic pain is matched abroad, making the cost of reshaping trade a shared burden.

A escalating tariff conflict between Canada and China in 2025 is a surefire sign that China’s export-focused model will likely become even more vulnerable. As the US signals a reduced role in safeguarding global maritime trade, already strained by disruptions like Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and rising piracy, geopolitical tensions could disrupt other key routes. Free trade will have to increase shipping and insurance costs without US assistance.

Trump frequently changed tactics in his first term, mixing threats with negotiations. Voices like Kent Lassman’s in Project 2025, calling for a return to free trade, may gain traction if his tariff strategy falters.

But Trump has been warning of trade imbalances since the 1980s, when Japan and West Germany were his main targets. He seems determined to make China the centerpiece of his legacy by focusing on it this time.

Scrapping the old, in his view, unreformable system and embracing whatever follows is based on the belief that the US is best positioned to shape the new system. Which nations will support or be forced to do so at this point?

Whether a complete globalization teardown occurs or not, he appears ready to push as hard as possible within constraints. Dismantling Beijing’s advantages in global trade will not be simple, as evidenced by the fact that a large portion of MAGA’s products still are produced in China.

John P Ruehl is an Australian-American journalist living in Washington, DC and a world affairs correspondent for the Independent Media Institute.

He contributes to a number of foreign affairs publications, and his book,” Budget Superpower: How Russia Challenges the West With an Economy Smaller Than Texas,” was published in December of 2022.

This article was produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute, and is republished with kind permission.

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China considers exempting some goods from US tariffs: Source

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Beijing is particularly concerned about the economic pain that is roiling as the nation’s two largest economy separate, just like Washington does the exclusions suggest. China has frequently stated it will fight for the conclusion unless the US lifts its taxes, even though Washington has already declared the current statusContinue Reading

China shares rare moon rocks with US despite trade tensions

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In a move that comes as the two nations continue to be at odds with one another over their trade agreements, China will allow scientists from six different nations, including the US, to observe the mountains it collected from the Moon.

The China National Space Administration ( CNSA ) announced on Thursday that two US institutions that are funded by the agency have been granted access to the lunar samples that the Chang ‘e-5 mission will sample in 2020.

According to local media, CNSA key Shan Zhongde described the tests as” a shared treasure for all humanity.”

Due to restrictions placed on the area agency’s cooperation with China by US lawmakers, Chinese researchers were unable to get the space agency’s Moon samples.

In accordance with the 2011 laws, Nasa is prohibited from working with China or any other Chinese-owned companies unless it has been exclusively authorized by Congress.

However, John Logsdon, the former chairman of the George Washington University Space Policy Institute, claimed that the most recent change of Moon rocks has “very little to do with politicians.”

Although there are restrictions on space systems, he claimed that the evaluation of lunar samples had “nothing of military significance.”

It’s global participation in research that is the norm, they say.

Beijing has responded with 125 % tariffs on US goods while Washington has imposed tariffs on Chinese goods that go up to 245 %.

US President Donald Trump recently made an appearance at a de-escalation of the trade conflict, but Beijing has denied that there were any negotiations between the two parties.

Applications for study of Chang ‘e-5 moon samples were made available by the CNSA in 2023.

The Chang ‘e-5 Moon samples appear to be billion years younger than those taken from Apollo missions, according to Dr. Logsdon. It therefore suggests that the sun was more recently active than previously thought.

Apparently, place representatives from the US and China had tried to reach an agreement last year regarding an change of sky tests, but it seems like this did not materialize.

The various winning requests, aside from Brown University and Stony Brook University in the US, came from corporations in France, Germany, Japan, Pakistan, and the UK.

According to Shan from the CNSA, the organization will “maintain an extremely effective and available position” in global room exchange and cooperation, including along the Belt and Road Initiative’s space information corridor.

He said,” I think China’s space friendship network will grow even more.”

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Who will win the race to develop a humanoid robot?

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Ben Morris and Carrie King

ABC News

Images courtesy of Getty Unitree's G1 robot shakes the hand of an attendee at the Mobile World Congress 2025 in Barcelona, Spain, on 5 March, 2025. Images courtesy of Getty

I’m on my way to satisfy a machine in Hanover, Germany, on a beautiful spring day.

At the Hannover Messe, one of the largest professional trade shows in the world, I was invited to see the humanoid robot G1, which was created by Chinese company Unitree.

G1, which measures around 4’3″ ( 130cm ), is smaller and more affordable than other humanoid robots on the market and has such a wildly flexible range of motion and dexterity that videos of it performing dance numbers and martial arts have gone viral.

Pedro Zheng, the Unitree selling director, is currently in charge of the G1.

He states that users may configure each G1 to perform independent functions.

Passers-by quit and earnestly try to interact with the G1, which is incomparable to a lot of the different machines being demonstrated in the cramped conference room.

They slam G1 in the face or wave it in the backwards, make quick moves to see if it will answer, and apologize if they bump into it. Amazing as it may be, its human shape has a certain something about it that makes people feel at ease.

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One of the dozens of companies creating computers with a mortal form is Unite, which is just one of many.

The upside is enormous: it promises a workplace that doesn’t need vacations or raises.

It might be the best piece of home equipment as well. After all, who wouldn’t want a microwave that can load and do the housework?

However, some technical issues remain. Although portable computers and robotic arms have been around for a long time, there are still safe working conditions at those locations.

Many more challenging is the case with introducing a human machine to a less predictable setting, such as a household or restaurant.

Humanoid robots would need to be strong to be beneficial, but that also means that falling over at the wrong time could be harmful.

There is a lot of work to be done on the artificial cleverness that do operate such a system.

A Unitree spokesman tells the BBC,” The Artificial simply has not yet reached a milestone time.”

They said today’s robot AI presents a challenge for understanding and carrying out difficult tasks in a reasonable manner.

Their G1 is currently being promoted to research institutions and software companies that can use Unitree’s open source software for growth.

Companies are currently concentrating their efforts on creating human-like computers for factories and warehouses.

Elon Musk is one of those with the highest page. Tesla, his vehicle firm, is working on a human machine called Optimus. He predicted that” some thousand” of Tesla factories will be constructed this year and that they will be performing “useful stuff” in January.

Another automakers are making equivalent mistakes. Humanoid drones were just introduced in a US manufacturer by BMW. Hyundai, a North Korean manufacturer of automobiles, has also placed an order for tens of thousands of computers from Boston Dynamics, the 2021 acquisition.

Thomas Andersson, the leader of the research firm STIQ, tracks 49 businesses that are creating human-like robots that have two arms and legs. He looks at more than 100 companies if you broaden the definition to computers with two wings who can move themselves on tires.

According to Mr. Andersson, Taiwanese businesses are likely to have a business monopoly.

The supply chain and the whole robotics ecosystem are very large in China, and it’s very simple to run developments and conduct R&D. He claims that D is “research and creation.”

Unitree emphasizes that advantage, noting that its G1 is inexpensive ( for a robot ) and has an advertised$ 16,000 ( £12,500 ).

Additionally, according to Mr. Andersson, the funding benefits Asian countries.

In a new report, STIQ points out that about 60 % of all cash for human-robots has been raised in Asia, with the US accounting for the majority of the rest.

Foreign businesses also benefit from the support of the local and federal governments.

For instance, in Shanghai, dozens of human robots are undergoing teaching at a state-backed coaching facility to complete tasks.

Images courtesy of Getty Six humanoid robots walk at a trade fair in China, on March 26, 2025.Images courtesy of Getty

How then can American and European machine manufacturers compete with that?

Bren Pierce, a native of Bristol, has founded three automation businesses, with Kinisi the most recent one, the KR1 machine.

The machine was created and manufactured in the UK, but it will also get produced in Asia.

You have to purchase all these sub-components from China in the first place, which is the issue you have as an American or European organization.

When you could simply put them all together at the cause, which is in Asia, it becomes terrible to buy your motors, capacitors, and circuits halfway around the world to put them up. “

Mr. Pierce keeps expenses down by not opting for the whole human variety, along with making his drones in Asia.

The KR1 is made for businesses and stores, but it lacks legs.

” All of these sites have flat floors,” they say. Why would you want to pay more for a pretty sophisticated design? when could it be simply installed on a portable center? “” he inquires.

His KR1’s tires are the same as those on an electric scooter, with the exception of the mass-produced parts.

Get as many things off the table as you can, according to my philosophy. Therefore, he claims that all of our vehicles, chargers, computers, cameras, and other mass-produced pieces are commercially available.

Mr. Pierce claims that the true” key sauce” is the software that enables the machine to interact with people, like his rivals at Unitree.

Many businesses release quite high-tech computers, but after that, you have to have a PhD in automation to actually install and use them.

Your typical warehouse or factory worker does really pick up the machine in a couple of hours, according to Mr. Pierce.

He claims that a man has performed a work on the KR1 after performing it 20 or 30 days.

This time, aircraft customers will receive the KR1.

Kinisi Bren Pierce with the KR1 robotKinisi

Will computers always enter homes from factories? Yet Mr. Pierce, who is positive, claims that things are still far away.

” For the past 20 years, my long-awaited desire has been to create the entire machine. This is what I was doing my PhD in, and I do believe that is the end aim, but it’s a very challenging job, says Mr. Pierce.

Although I also believe they did exist someday, I believe that will take at least ten to fifteen years. “

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World Bank 2d try at ranking economies for investors also lacking – Asia Times

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The World Bank discontinued one of its key initiatives in 2021: the Doing Business Index, a world rating system that evaluated the ease of starting and operating a business in 190 nations.

That came after an impartial investigation revealed that World Bank authorities had manipulated the rankings to favour wealthy nations like Saudi Arabia and China. Concerns were raised over the use of international benchmarks to influence growth policy following the scandal.

The lender is then retrying. It released its most recent premier record, Business Ready, in October 2024. The World Bank’s and its sister organisation, the International Monetary Fund, will hold their annual meeting in spring 2025, marking the first time the statement will be officially presented to delegates as part of the institution’s high-level plan.

The document, which is referred to as B-READY, aims to analyze business surroundings through more accurate data. The monthly examination aims to assess social addition, environmental conservation, and public service delivery in a wider sense this time.

We have taken a closer look at B-READY because we are experts on global organizations, laws, and growth. We appreciate that a comprehensive analysis of the economic health of nations can be done through the participation of secret stakeholders, but we worry that the most recent work from the World Bank could turn around many of the issues that plagued its father.

From conducting firm to carrying out what?

It’s worthwhile to recall what the Doing Business score measured in order to know what’s at stake. The premier report was used by administrations, investors, and World Bank officials to determine any given nation’s organization atmosphere between 2003 and 2021. It ranked nations based on how simple it was to launch and operate a company in each of the 190 nations.

In order to prioritize those measures, the index frequently praised reforms that eliminated business taxes, environmental protections, and work protections in order to improve the “efficiency” of common laws versus civil law jurisdictions.

According to scholar Joseph E. Stiglitz in 2021, the Doing Business score embodied the values of the so-called Washington Consensus, a growth model rooted in restructuring, liberalization, and market reform.

Critics have long argued that the Doing Business score promoted a worldwide “race to the bottom.” Countries competed to rise in the ranks, frequently by adopting implausible constitutional changes.

In some cases, the World Bank’s domestic data manipulation penalized governments that didn’t appear to be properly business-friendly. In the end, these structural imperfections and the political forces that drove them eventually led to the site’s fate in 2021.

Describe B-READY.

The World Bank’s strategy is to restore its standing following the Doing Business incident. In recent years, there has been both internal and external pressure to develop a son, and B-READY answers to that desire while working to address the scientific shortcomings.

B-READY attempts to understand how regulations engage with facilities, services, and equity considerations, while maintaining a focus on the business environment in theory.

B-READY, which initially includes a number of 50 nations, does not assign a solitary report to the countries it ranks. Instead, it provides more reliable information on 10 topics divided into three columns: the regulatory framework, the public services, and administrative efficiency. Additionally, the report includes fresh themes like gender equity, environmental conservation, and modern access.

B-READY publishes its entire technique and makes its statistics publicly accessible, unlike the Doing Business score.

This appears to be improvement at first glance. However, B-READY is criticized for providing only a more disjointed ranking system, one that is more difficult to interpret and also influenced by the same investor-driven economic assumptions.

The platform, in our opinion, continues to represent a narrow definition of what constitutes a prosperous legal and economic system, not just for investors but also for society as a whole.

Flexibility in terms of manpower right

How B-READY covers labour standards is a major issue. Expert sessions and firm-level surveys are the key main data sources for the report.

The World Bank consults attorneys with national skills to evaluate labor and social security laws. However, the report relies on research that ask businesses whether labour costs, departure privileges, and public services are “burdens” when it comes to how these rules actually work.

This approach captures the employer’s view, but it disregards the actual effects labour rights have on the workers ‘ lives. The grading system occasionally also rewards weaker safeguards. For instance, nations are encouraged to include a minimum-wage rules on the books but penalized if the salary is” to great” in relation to the gross domestic product per person. This causes people to feel pressure to keep income low in order to appear more aggressive. And while that may be beneficial for international businesses looking to lower their labor costs, it won’t actually benefit a nation’s monetary well-being or the local workforce.

This technique, according to the International Trade Union Confederation, runs the risk of promoting metaphorical changes without significantly enhancing worker protection. Georgia, for instance, comes close to the top of the B-READY workers assessment despite having no updated its minimum wage since 1999 and placing it below the poverty level.

Judges that function for whom?

Another disturbing place for us as quantitative law specialists is how B-READY analyzes legal issues. It measures how fast business courts resolve issues, but it disregards the rule of law’s freedom. In consequence, nations like Hungary and Georgia, which have received a lot of negative feedback for their political underperformance and their disregard for the rule of law, come out remarkably higher. Not coincidentally, both administrations have already used these values for political gain and advertising.

This reflects a bigger issue, in our opinion. B-READY does not use the legal system as a platform for common responsibilities, but rather as a means of attracting investment. It assumes that everyone will benefit from making things easier for companies. However, that notion runs the risk of discrediting the people who are most impacted by these laws and institutions: staff, communities, and civil society organizations.

Become… more effective?

B-READY brings more accountability and public data, which is undoubtedly a step away from its father. However, in our opinion, it also fits the description of a “good” legitimate system: one that might bring efficiency to businesses but not necessarily justice or collateral to society.

B-Ready will determine whether it becomes a tool for effective reform or just another restructuring scorecard, depending on the World Bank’s capacity to fight its persistent biases and hear its critics.

Both Dhaisy Paredes Guzman and Fernanda G. Nicola are American University’s laws professors.

The Conversation has republished this essay under a Creative Commons license. Learn the article’s introduction.

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Seeing AI’s bright side through Reid Hoffman’s eyes: book review – Asia Times

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Anxiety over synthetic knowledge is great. Employers are afraid of their employment. Some researchers are concerned about the individual race.

According to some, businesses are speeding up the development of smart equipment without having however made sure they can hold them firmly rooted in human values. A health researcher lately left a leading AI development company, OpenAI, declaring that he was “pretty terrified” by the pace of development.

Artificial general intelligence ( AI ) that can think and learn the way people do, carry out tasks unprogrammed, and compete with or even surpass humans in terms of creativity, flexibility, and abstract reasoning is a top priority for the AI industry. It’s a theory that is the subject of more than one discussion.

Researchers are divided on whether AGI will ever be reached. Those who predict it will have a different opinion of how quickly. And there is a lot of disagreement regarding whether achieving it would be beneficial. When I consider where I’ll raise a future family or how much to save for retirement, the scholar who just left OpenAI said,” I can’t help but wonder: Will society also make it to that stage”?

Author Reid Hoffman asks us to take a break from watching the Terminator shows and look at the positive aspects while speaking in support of AGI. Hoffman is a heavy in Silicon Valley and a venture capitalist. He co-founded LinkedIn and sits on the boards of more than one Artificial company.

This new book is upbeat about AI and technology generally. (Photo courtesy Simon and Schuster)
Simon and Schuster’s coat is in the picture.

In a recently released text, Hoffman and co-author Greg Beato argue that the potential risks are far greater than the potential benefits, which can be attained through “iterative growth” and democratization. By that, they mean releasing AI advances slowly to a wide range of consumers, enabling understanding, and allowing defects to be discovered and fixed.

Hoffman describes himself as a “techno-humanist.” He disagrees with the Silicon Valley” solutionists,” who view AI as the solution to all problems and favor gung-ho, no-holds-barred development, nor with the “problemists,” who only support technology when it is proven to pose zero risks and favors stringent regulation or even bans.

Hoffman is more concerned with the problemists than the two. His criticism of the “precautionary rule” will appeal to British farmers who have gone through the GMO wars. In his discourse of attitudes toward technology in general, he uses example from a range of fields, including agriculture.

Hoffman doesn’t repeat,” no regulation, always.” He does, however, request that we be aware that development is itself a form of rules, while strict adherence to the precautionary principle you suppress innovations that may increase a technology’s safety.

He cites the first, illegal days of the car to illustrate the idea of innovation as regulation, when automakers introduced several safety features that we take for granted for economical reasons. Up until 1911, when Charles Kettering developed the electric start, many wrists, hands, and jaws were broken by individuals trying to crank-start vehicles.

It was made accessible on Cadillacs the following year, helping to establish the pleasure label’s image. It gradually developed into common products.

Even as the authors respond to AG I’s critics, they continue to make references to all the great things that technology will allow. They observe progress in people’s lives in occupations ranging from agriculture to manufacturing, health care to schooling.

What if every infant on earth had access to a professor who was as intelligent as Big Bird and as wise as Leonardo da Vinci?

Superagency is a well-informed, thought-provoking guide. The authors ‘ idea that gaining the technology into the hands of a sizable amount and of different people is particularly intriguing to me.

Using AI, which I’ve only just begun, has undoubtedly altered my outlook on things. In my research of Italian, AI devices like Gemini and Perplexity are incredibly helpful. My view of AI has changed from being entirely negative to fairly optimistic.

The problem Hoffman and Beato fail to address,” How critical is the risk of a Terminator situation,” is the reason I’m not even more optimistic. What’s the best way to take the risk if it isn’t minor? You have to know if creativity alone could maintain this risk at bay if you accept the innovation-is-regulation premise.

Hoffman does have a compelling response, I believe. I would have liked to know how he had shared it.

In one of the many marketing tidbits for the book, Yuval Noah Harari, the author of the book” Sapiens,” spoke for some.

The book” Superagency” offers society a interesting and insightful perspective on the era of AI. Despite my disagreement with some of its key points, I apologise for my inconsequential opinions. Learn it, and then make your own judgment.

Urban Lehner, a former long-time Asia journalist and director for the Wall Street Journal, is DTN/The Progressive Farmer’s editor emeritus.

This post, which was originally published on April 22 by the latter news business and is now being republished by Asia Times with authority, is entitled” Copyright 2025 DTN/The Progressive Farmer.” All trademarks are reserved. Follow&nbsp, Urban Lehner&nbsp, on&nbsp, X @urbanize&nbsp,

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Will Xi Jinping start a war over Trump’s China tariffs? – Asia Times

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What does China, and specifically the Chinese Communist Party, do now that Donald Trump has imposed a 145 % tariff on them? The majority of commentators appear to believe they will negotiate tariffs with the United States, whine violently, and then slowly release feelers to end a bargain. And Trump has suggested, suggested, and now is doing that.

Possibly. If we were Xi Jinping, that is what we would perform. But don’t anticipate Xi’s response to be as American-style. &nbsp,

Any pain that Xi Jinping may cause will be subsided by his own people. And he has been urging them to “eat sorrow” for decades. He has also spent years putting a stop to the Chinese market. He’s never vulnerable either, despite not being there at the moment.

Narrative war and economic reprisal

China has banned exports of certain rare earth, unusual earth, and mineral products, has ordered Chinese companies not to buy andnbsp, Boeing and other aircraft, and has imposed 125 % tariffs on American goods.

Additionally, it has enlisted US proxies, of whom there are no lack, to support the claim that the American state may crumble if Walmart’s daily low prices rise. &nbsp, &nbsp,

Beijing will also use the force from US business to entice the masses.

Xi is not seen caving in to immigrants. His numerous private rivals could actually take him out if he does, in his own words. &nbsp, &nbsp,

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP ) is in a battle to the death with the free world, which is even more fundamental. Only one of the two may survive, according to the CCP’s definition of survival: flexibility poses a threat to communism.

A tactical analysis

But Xi and his successors have spent years getting ready for war. State-linked media has reported on China’s “people’s battle” against the US since at least 2019.

Additionally, at his direction, Xi’s military, the People’s Liberation Army ( PLA ), is now competent enough to spread its wings both inside and outside the first-island chain. If done correctly, the PLA may yet sneeze at Americans. &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp,

Maybe Xi Jinping considers starting a shooting war to be a viable choice? He may be surprised, of course. The Americans don’t believe he did ( or don’t want to think that’s possible ). &nbsp,

With all that involved, it shouldn’t be against the US, but it might be against Taiwan, the Philippines, or both. This may cause a significant shock for the US and everyone else. Trade conflict and a possible nuclear conflict are two distinct items. People will continue to blame President Trump, particularly as Xi claims that “you Americans pushed me into it”…

President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan ( seated right ) and US Senator Pete Ricketts ( standing ) have a meeting at the Presidential Office in Taipei on April 18th. Central News Agency picture

Out come the wolf.

First and foremost, every Democrat on Capitol Hill and many Republican Nationals ( Republicans in Name Only ) will blame Trump. As well as Wall Street’s entire business group and the majority of its counterparts. Remember how many people were upset that Osama bin Laden had been attacked by the US in some way after 9/11?

With Donald Trump and China involved, things will be even simpler. Trump disorder syndrome is similar.

Are the taxes on the PRC, as high as they are, enough to produce waging war seem like a wise choice for Xi? &nbsp, &nbsp,

It may not be as restrictive as the crude and economic restrictions placed on Japanese imperialism in 1941. But, it’s bad enough in its own method for the CCP. Particularly if major or even smaller nations resolve their differences with the US or refuse to accept China’s rising export, which may overtake their own home business.

Want for hard money

Although the Chinese may resist punishment, the Ponzi scheme’s market depends on exports to generate hard currency. Additionally, are imports of British and European systems. &nbsp, &nbsp,

The CCP must match its US dollar-denominated responsibilities even though it doesn’t have half the  international exchange . Or to purchase what it requires, such as Australian iron iron to produce material for PLAN boats. It lacks US systems like the detective balloon that flew over America in 2023, for instance.

And Xi favors keeping citizens employed. In China, 600 million people still live on$ 5 per day, while many others continue to live on less. &nbsp, &nbsp,

It is a tense location. And perhaps Trump is considering rebalancing the deal imbalance and more than tariffs. This could be causing significant decoupling between the Chinese market and the free- and “unfree world” investing alliances.

The Trump administration’s America First Investment Policy, or AFI, was worrying China with its tightened restrictions on inner Chinese investment even before the levies. And just as poor, limiting National investment and technology transfers to the PRC.

dynamic fight

In the 53 decades since Richard Nixon’s visit, the US has not put pressure on China in this way. There has been a lot of talk but not many real pressure, aside from during Trump 1.0, which was only for a few years and never attempted the jugular.

Xi may now anticipate that Americans will lose attention, be placated, strung along, and start to ease up, and all of that.

What if, however, the Americans realized that China and the United States are already at conflict with one another? Although the US didn’t start this conflict, it appears for the first time that it is getting ready to battle.

Even Xi will decide that this is the right time to shoot, or “go dynamic” in modern jargon. A firing conflict might not be how we would listen to taxes. However, we are never Xi Jinping.

Grant Newsham is a former US minister and former US Marine agent. When China Attacks: A Warning to America is his book, which he is the creator of.

This article was previously published by Japan Forward, and it is now republished with authority.

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