US Q1 GDP +2.0%, Continue Accelerating from Previous Quarter, But Below Market Expectations

 Recently NHK New on-line reported the following

米国 1～3月期GDP+2.0％ 前期から加速も市場予想は下回る

2026年4月30日21:59

(2026年5月1日0:05更新)

GDP

アメリカのことし1月から3月までのGDP＝国内総生産が発表され、前の3か月と比べた伸び率は年率に換算してプラス2.0％となりました。前の期の0.5％から加速したものの、2.3％程度の伸び率を見込んでいた市場予想は下回りました。

アメリカ商務省は30日、ことし1月から3月までのGDPを発表しました。

前の3か月と比べた実質の伸び率は、年率に換算してプラス2.0％でした。

伸び率は、連邦政府機関の一部が閉鎖した影響でプラス0.5％にとどまった前の期から加速しましたが、プラス2.3％を見込んでいた市場予想は下回りました。

内訳をみると、GDPのおよそ7割を占める個人消費がプラス1.6％で、前の期の1.9％から減速しました。

一方、企業の設備投資はプラス10.4％で前の期の2.4％から伸びが拡大しました。

また、インフレの状況を見極めるための指標としてFRB＝連邦準備制度理事会が重視するPCE＝個人消費支出の物価指数は、ことし3月、前の年の同じ月と比べた上昇率が3.5％となり、2月の2.8％から加速しました。

イラン情勢の影響で原油価格が上昇していることが主な要因で、先行きが見通せないなかアメリカ経済の堅調さを支えてきた個人消費の今後の動向が焦点になります。

Translation

US Q1 GDP +2.0%, Continue Accelerating from Previous Quarter, But Below Market Expectations

April 30, 2026 21:59

(Updated May 1, 2026 0:05)

GDP

The US GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for January-March of this year had been released, showing a growth rate of +2.0% compared to the previous three months when converted to an annual rate. While this was an acceleration from the previous quarter's 0.5%, it fell short of the around 2.3% market expectation.

The US Department of Commerce announced on the 30th the GDP for January-March of this year.

The real growth rate compared to the previous three months was +2.0% when converted to an annual rate.

The growth rate, due to the partial shutdown of federal government agencies, accelerated from the previous quarter's +0.5%, but it fell short of market expectations of +2.3%.

Looking at the breakdown, personal consumption, which accounted for approximately 70% of GDP, increased by 1.6%, a slowdown from 1.9% in the previous quarter.

Meanwhile, corporate capital investment increased by 10.4%, a significant improvement from the 2.4% increase in the previous period.

Furthermore, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, which the Federal Reserve (FRB) considered important as an indicator of inflation, rose by 3.5% in March of this year compared to the same month last year, accelerating from 2.8% in February.

The main factor was the rise in crude oil prices due to the situation in Iran. With an uncertain future, the focus would be on the trends of personal consumption ahead, which had been a driving force behind the robustness of the U.S. economy.

So, the US GDP for January-March has fallen short of market expectations. In the coming months, the performance of personal consumption, which is a driving force behind the U.S. economy, will be the focus for economists.

Crabs' "Side walking" Might Have Begun Around 200 million Years Ago: Research by Nagasaki University and Others

Recently NHK news reported up the following:

カニの「横歩き」は約2億年前に始まったか 長崎大など研究

2026年4月29日4:06

サイエンス

カニが「横歩き」を始めたのは、およそ2億年前だった可能性が高いとする研究結果を長崎大学などのグループが発表しました。動物の移動様式がどのように進化してきたのかを理解することにつながる成果だとしています。

長崎大学などの研究グループは自然の環境に近づけた水槽の中で50種のカニの行動を10分間ずつ撮影して観察し、「横歩き」か「前歩き」かを調べました。

この観察データとカニが祖先からどのように枝分かれして進化してきたかを示す最新の「系統樹」を照らし合わせたところ、カニの「横歩き」は、およそ2億年前にもともと「前歩き」をしていた祖先が「横歩き」に進化し、その後、多くの種に受け継がれてきた可能性が高いことがわかったということです。

カニが「横歩き」を始めたとされるおよそ2億年前は大陸の分裂で浅い海が広がり、新しい環境でカニが多様化しやすい条件が整っていたと考えられ、左右どちらにも素早く動くことができ、移動する方向が予測されにくい「横歩き」の利点が生存に有利に働いたのではないかとしています。

長崎大学大学院総合生産科学研究科の河端雄毅 准教授は「『横歩き』はすごくヘンテコな行動で、動物界を見渡してもほかにこの歩き方をする動物はほとんどいない。この革命的な移動様式が生物の繁栄にどう関わってくるのかを理解することにつながる成果だと思う」と話していました。

Translation

Crabs' "Side walking" Might Have Begun Around 200 million Years Ago: Research by Nagasaki University and Others

April 29, 2026, 4:06 AM

Science

A research group from Nagasaki University and other institutions had published findings suggesting that crabs likely began "side walking" approximately 200 million years ago. This finding was expected to contribute to understanding how animal locomotion patterns evolved.

The research group from Nagasaki University and other institutions filmed and observed the behavior of 50 species of crabs for 10 minutes each in a tank simulating their natural environment to determine whether they were "side walking" or "forward walking."

By comparing this observational data with the latest "phylogenetic trees" showing how crabs had branched out and evolved from their ancestors, the researchers found that it was highly likely that crabs' "side walking" evolved approximately 200 million years ago from ancestors that originally "forward walked," and that this behavior was subsequently passed down to many species.

It was believed that around 200 million years ago, when crabs were thought to have begun "sideways walking," the continents split, creating shallow seas and providing ideal conditions for crab diversification in this new environment. The ability to move quickly to either the left or right, and the unpredictable nature of their movement through "sideways walking," might have been advantageous for their survival.

Associate Professor Yuki Kawabata (河端雄毅) of the Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology Nagasaki University commented, "'Sideways walking' is a very unusual behavior; there are hardly any other animals in the animal kingdom that walk this way. I believe this finding will help us understand how this revolutionary mode of locomotion relates to the prosperity of organisms."

So, a research group in Japan suggests that crabs likely began "side walking" approximately 200 million years ago. Apparently, this finding can help us understand how animal locomotion patterns have evolved over time.

UAE to Withdraw from OPEC, State News Reports; A blow to the cooperative system?

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

UAEがOPECから脱退へ 国営通信報じる 協調体制に打撃か

2026年4月28日21:42

(2026年4月29日5:10更新)

UAE＝アラブ首長国連邦

UAE＝アラブ首長国連邦が、主要な産油国で作るOPEC＝石油輸出国機構から脱退すると、UAEの国営通信が報じました。欧米のメディアは原油の生産方針などでほかの加盟国との対立が生じ、脱退につながったという見方を伝えています。

UAEの国営通信は28日、UAEが来月5月1日から、主要な産油国で作るOPECと、非加盟の産油国も加わったOPECプラスから脱退すると報じました。

イラン情勢を受けてホルムズ海峡からの原油の輸送が滞っていますが、国営通信によりますと、UAEは今後、生産量を段階的に増やすとしていて、脱退の決定は市場の需要に対応する能力を高めることにつながるなどと説明しています。

欧米のメディアは、サウジアラビアが主導するOPECの原油の生産方針や湾岸諸国のイラン情勢への対応をめぐり、UAEとほかの加盟国との対立が生じ、脱退につながったという見方を伝えています。

OPECは、原油相場を支えるため、生産方針などで足並みをそろえてきましたが、有数の産油国のひとつであるUAEの脱退で、協調体制が打撃を受ける可能性も指摘されています。

UAEエネルギー相 “安定した世界市場を支える”

UAE＝アラブ首長国連邦が主要な産油国で作るOPEC＝石油輸出国機構から脱退することをめぐり、UAEのマズルーイ エネルギー相は28日、「今後もエネルギーの安全保障に力を尽くし、安定した世界市場を支えていく」などとSNSに投稿しました。

決定について、マズルーイ エネルギー相は政策に基づくもので、長期的な市場の動向を踏まえているとしています。

OPECとOPECプラスとは

OPECは、メジャーと呼ばれる欧米の大手石油会社に対抗し、産油国側の利益を守ることなどを目的に1960年に設立されました。

当初の加盟国はイランやイラク、サウジアラビアなどの5か国で、現在はUAEを含めて12か国が加盟しています。

また、産油国の石油価格に対する影響力の維持を目指して、OPECの加盟国に加えて非加盟のロシアやメキシコなどがOPECプラスという枠組みで生産調整などを行っています。

アメリカとイスラエルによるイランへの軍事作戦が始まった後もOPECプラスの産油国は会合を開いています。

このうち4月5日にはサウジアラビアやロシア、それにUAEなど主な産油国8か国がオンラインで会合を開き、来月5月の原油の生産量を1日あたり20万6000バレル増やすと明らかにしました。

事実上の封鎖が続くホルムズ海峡が開放され、原油の輸送が本格的に再開した場合に備えた決定とみられます。

Translation

UAE to Withdraw from OPEC, State News Reports; A blow to the cooperative system?

April 28, 2026, 21:42

(Updated April 29, 2026, 5:10)

UAE = United Arab Emirates

The UAE (United Arab Emirates) would withdraw from OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), a group comprised of major oil-producing countries, according to the UAE's state news agency. Western media outlets were reporting that the withdrawal was due to conflicts with other member countries over crude oil production policies.

The UAE's state news agency reported on the 28th that the UAE would withdraw from OPEC, comprised of major oil-producing countries, and OPEC+, which included non-member oil-producing countries, effective from May 1st.

While crude oil transport from the Strait of Hormuz had been disrupted due to the situation in Iran, the state news agency said that the UAE planned to gradually increase production, explaining that the decision to withdraw could enhance its ability to meet market demand.

Western media outlets were reporting that the UAE's withdrawal stemmed from conflicts between the UAE and other member states over Saudi Arabia's leadership in OPEC's crude oil production policies and the Gulf states' responses to the situation in Iran.

OPEC had been working together on production policies and other matters to support crude oil prices, but the withdrawal of the UAE, one of the leading oil-producing countries, could potentially damage this cooperative system.

UAE Energy Minister: “Supporting a Stable Global Market”

Regarding the UAE's withdrawal from OPEC, a group of major oil-producing countries, UAE Energy Minister Mazroui posted on social media on the 28th, stating that the country “will continue to dedicate itself to energy security and support a stable global market.”

Regarding the decision, Energy Minister Mazroui stated that it was based on policy and took into account long-term market trends.

About OPEC and OPEC+

OPEC was established in 1960 with the aim of protecting the interests of oil-producing countries and countering the major Western oil companies.

The initial member states were five countries, including Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Currently, 12 countries, including the UAE, were members.

Furthermore, in order to maintain the influence of oil-producing countries on oil prices, in addition to OPEC members, non-member countries such as Russia and Mexico operated under the framework of OPEC+, implementing production adjustments and other measures.

Even after the start of military operations against Iran by the United States and Israel, OPEC+ oil-producing countries had continued to hold meetings.

Among them, on April 5th, eight major oil-producing countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the UAE, held an online meeting and announced that they would increase crude oil production by 206,000 barrels per day in May.

This decision was seen as preparation for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which remained effectively blocked, and the resumption of crude oil transport in full force.

So, the UAE will withdraw from OPEC. UAE's withdrawal is probably stemmed from conflicts between the UAE and other member states over Saudi Arabia's leadership in OPEC's crude oil production policies and the Gulf states' responses to the situation in Iran. Apparently, the current US-Iran conflict will cause changes to the political equilibrium in the region.

中國下令撤銷Meta對人工智能新創公司的收購

Recently the New York Times reported the following:

China Orders the Unwinding of Meta’s Acquisition of an A.I. Start-Up

The impact of the ruling was not immediately clear, but it could send a chilling signal to Chinese tech founders seeking to team up with foreign companies.

NYT - By Meaghan Tobin - Reporting from Taipei, Taiwan

April 27, 2026

Updated 10:08 a.m. ET

The Chinese government said on Monday that it would require the unwinding of Meta’s acquisition of Manus, a Singapore-based artificial intelligence company with Chinese founders, in a move that could chill other Chinese entrepreneurs from seeking tie-ups with foreign partners.

Chinese officials had said in January that they were investigating whether Meta’s acquisition of Manus in December violated the country’s rules on foreign investment. They were also assessing whether the deal violated China’s requirements that companies obtain approval for the export of certain technologies.

The National Development and Reform Commission, a high-level ministry that oversees economic planning and plays a central role in setting China’s A.I. policy, said on Monday that it had decided to prohibit foreign investment in Manus, and instructed the parties involved to withdraw the acquisition.

It is not clear how such a transaction would be unwound. Meta has described the two teams as “deeply integrated.” Members of the Manus team have been working alongside Meta colleagues at the company’s office in Singapore, according to two people familiar with the operation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk publicly.

In a statement, Meta said the transaction fully complied with law, adding “We anticipate an appropriate resolution to the inquiry.”

The Chinese government issued its decision just a few weeks before a planned meeting between President Trump and China’s leader, Xi Jinping.

The New York Times reported last month that officials from the Chinese agency had called in Meta and Manus executives to express concerns about the deal, and that Manus executives had been restricted from departing China, as part of an apparent effort to discourage Chinese A.I. executives from moving businesses offshore.

As companies in China and the United States race to develop cutting-edge artificial intelligence, the scrutiny could make it harder for other Chinese firms to attract funding from foreign investors. It could also signal to Chinese researchers not to follow the path Manus took, in which Chinese executives register companies outside China to sidestep regulations from both Washington and Beijing.

Manus is based in Singapore but was founded by Chinese engineers and had a Chinese parent company. The company was incorporated offshore and set up in China as a foreign-owned entity; it has affiliated offices in Beijing and Wuhan, China.

Many Chinese tech founders hope to attract Silicon Valley investors. But in recent years, they have increasingly found themselves needing to choose between targeting the Chinese market or moving their headquarters outside China to court foreign investors.

Jianggan Li, chief executive of Momentum Works, a consultancy in Singapore, said scrutiny like the Manus deal was facing “will make it increasingly hard for Chinese A.I. founders who started in China to sit on both sides or switch to the other side.”

“There are already a lot of uncertainties starting an A.I. start-up, and most founders are technologists but not politically savvy,” Mr. Li said.

Meta has been spending billions on A.I. researchers and data centers, and its acquisition of Manus formed a rare direct link between talent from both the United States and China.

In recent years, Chinese companies have made up a large share of Meta’s advertising revenue. Meta said on a call with analysts in 2024 that Chinese-based advertisers accounted for 10 percent of its revenue, almost double the amount two years earlier. China’s start-ups that offer games, short video apps and e-commerce have flooded Facebook and Instagram with ads as they look to establish a presence outside China.

Translation

中國下令撤銷Meta對人工智能新創公司的收購

該裁決的影響尚不明朗，但可能會對尋求與外國公司合作的中國科技創辦人發出寒蟬效應

中國政府週一表示，將要求Meta撤銷對新加坡人工智能公司Manus的收購。 Manus的創始人均為中國人。此舉可能會對其他中國企業家尋求與外國夥伴合作產生負面影響。

中國官員曾在1月表示，他們正在調查Meta去年12月對Manus的收購是否違反了中國的外商投資規定。他們也正在評估該交易是否違反了中國關於企業出口某些技術需獲得批准的規定。

國家發展和改革委員會是負責經濟規劃並在製定中國人工智能政策方面發揮核心作用的高級別部門，該委員會週一表示，已決定禁止外商投資Manus公司，並指示相關各方撤回收購。

目前尚不清楚這筆交易將如何解除。 Meta公司稱兩支團隊「深度融合」。據兩位知情人士透露，Manus團隊成員一直在Meta公司位於新加坡的辦公室與Meta的同事一起工作。這兩位知情人士因未獲授權公開談論此事而要求匿名。

Meta公司在一份聲明中表示，該交易完全符合法律規定，並補充說： “我們期待調查得到妥善解決。”

中國政府做出這項決定時，距離美國總統特朗普與中國國家主席習近平計劃會晤僅幾星期。

《紐約時報》上月報道稱，中國監管機構曾召見Meta和Manus的高層，表達對該交易的擔憂，並限制Manus高層離境，這顯然是為了阻止中國人工智能企業高管將業務轉移到海外。

隨著中美兩國公司競相開發尖端人工智能技術，這種審查可能使其他中國公司更難吸引外國投資者的資金。這也可能向中國研究人員發出警告，告誡他們不要效法Manus的做法 - 即中國高階主管在中國境外註冊公司，以避免華盛頓和北京的監管。

Manus總部位於新加坡，但由中國工程師創立，並有一家中國母公司。該公司在境外註冊成立，並在中國設立了外資企業；其在北京和武漢設有分支機構。

許多中國科技公司創辦人希望吸引矽谷投資者。但近年來，他們越來越需要在瞄準中國市場，或將總部遷至海外以吸引外國投資者之間做出選擇。

新加坡顧問公司 Momentum Works 的執行長Jianggan Li表示，像 Manus 收購案這樣受到的審查「將使在中國起步的人工智能創辦人越來越難以坐在兩邊，或者轉投他方」。

Li先生說： “創辦人工智能新創公司本身就存在諸多不確定性，而且大多數創始人都是技術專家，但不擅長政治。”

Meta 公司一直在人工智能研究人員和資料中心方面投入數十億美元，其對 Manus 的收購在美中兩國人才之間建立了一種罕見的直接聯繫。

近年來，中國公司在 Meta 的廣告收入中佔了很大份額。 Meta 在 2024 年與分析師的電話會議上表示，中國廣告商貢獻了 10% 的收入，幾乎是兩年之前的兩倍。中國的遊戲、短影片應用程式和電商新創公司紛紛在 Facebook 和 Instagram 上投放廣告，以期在中國以外地區拓展業務。

So, China has decided to prohibit foreign investment in Manus. Meta describes its team has “deeply integrated” with Manus. Many China’s start-ups are currently offering games, short video apps and e-commerce that flood Facebook and Instagram with ads as they try to establish a presence outside China. Apparent, this decision to prohibit Meta’s investment could chill other Chinese entrepreneurs from seeking tie-ups with foreign partners.

DeepSeek 的後續是將進一步擴大中國在開源人工智能領域的影響力 (2/2)

Recently the New York Times reported the following:

DeepSeek’s Sequel Set to Extend China’s Reach in Open-Source A.I. (2/2)

Chinese companies have embraced making their most advanced artificial intelligence models available to all.

The NYT - By Meaghan Tobin and Cade Metz - Meaghan Tobin reported from Taipei, Taiwan, and Cade Metz from San Francisco.

April 24, 2026

Updated 11:47 a.m. ET

(continue)

DeepSeek’s open-source models are central to this strategy. While many Western companies guard their most valuable models, China has embraced open source, and almost all of its top-performing systems are widely available.

Even so, Chinese A.I. firms face major hurdles. Three U.S. administrations have imposed export controls limiting access to advanced chips needed for cutting-edge A.I. systems. And firms in Silicon Valley continue to outspend Chinese rivals in the race for top A.I. talent.

China’s push into open-source A.I. has become a major economic advantage at home, according to a new study by a U.S. congressional advisory body. With few barriers to use, the systems have spread across industries such as robotics, logistics and manufacturing. The study found that these industrial applications generate real-world data that are used to improve A.I. systems.

This approach has allowed Chinese tech firms to capture global influence, as programmers and engineers around the world adopt their systems to build new products.

From Lagos to Kuala Lumpur, developers on tight budgets are turning to Chinese open-source models because they are cheaper to run and therefore easier to experiment with. Last May, Malaysia’s deputy minister of communications said the country’s sovereign A.I. infrastructure would be built on DeepSeek’s technology.

Chinese open-source models accounted for roughly one-third of global A.I. use last year, according to a study by OpenRouter, an A.I. model marketplace. DeepSeek was the most widely used, followed by models from Alibaba, the Chinese internet company.

That reflects a broader strategy. As Chinese companies expand abroad, making their systems open source helps them gain traction with coders by offering cheaper, more accessible tools.

“Open source is the soft power of technology of the future,” said Kevin Xu, the U.S.-based founder of Interconnected Capital, a hedge fund that invests in artificial intelligence technologies. Mr. Xu and his fund do not invest in DeepSeek.

Wei Sun, a principal analyst in A.I. at Counterpoint Research in Beijing, said DeepSeek’s success paved the way for China’s tech giants to release their A.I. systems publicly rather than closely guarding them.

Alibaba has since emerged as a leader. Its Qwen model family has surpassed one billion downloads. ByteDance, parent company of TikTok, has also shared some details of its technology after spending $11 billion on A.I. infrastructure in 2024.

“The A.I. generation of open-source builders from China was arguably the biggest A.I. story in 2025,” Mr. Xu said. “The progress of the models, the pace of the releases and the number of A.I. labs that both compete with each other but also seem to cheer each other on came fast and furious with no signs of slowing down.”

Translation

DeepSeek 的後續是將進一步擴大中國在開源人工智能領域的影響力 (2/2)

中國企業已開始積極向所有人開放其最先進的人工智能模型

（繼續）

DeepSeek 的開源模型是這項策略的核心。許多西方公司對其最有價值的模型嚴加保護，而中國則擁抱開源，幾乎所有性能卓越的系統都已廣泛開放。

即便如此，中國的人工智能公司仍面臨巨大的挑戰。美國三屆政府都實施了出口管制，限制取得尖端人工智能系統所需的高階晶片。此外，矽谷的公司在爭取頂尖人工智能人才方面的持續投入巨大資金，遠超中國競爭對手。

根據美國國會諮詢機構的一項最新研究，中國大力發展開源人工智能已成為其國內的一項重大經濟優勢。由於使用門檻低，這些系統已廣泛應用於機械人、物流和製造業等各個行業。研究發現，這些工業應用能夠產生真實世界的數據，用於改善人工智能系統。

這種模式使中國科技公司得以在全球擴大影響力，世界各地的程式設計師和工程師都在採用他們的系統來開發新產品。

從Lagos到吉隆坡，預算緊拙的開發者紛紛轉向中國開源模型，因為它們運作成本更低，因此也更容易進行實驗。去年五月，馬來西亞通訊部副部長表示，該國的自主人工智能基礎設施將基於DeepSeek的技術建構。

根據人工智能模型市場OpenRouter的一項研究顯示，去年中國開源模型約佔全球人工智能使用量的三分之一。 DeepSeek 的應用最為廣泛，其次是阿里巴巴，一間中國網路公司的模型。

這反映了一種更廣泛的策略。隨著中國公司向海外擴張，開源系統有助於它們透過提供更便宜、更易於使用的工具來吸引程式設計師。

總部位於美國的Interconnected Capital的創始人Kevin Xu表示:「開源是未來科技的軟實力」。Interconnected Capital是一家投資人工智能技術的對沖基金。Xu及其基金並無未投資 DeepSeek。

北京 Counterpoint Research 的人工智能首席分析師Wei Sun表示，DeepSeek 的成功為中國科技巨頭公開其人工智能系統鋪平了道路，而不是將其嚴加保密。

阿里巴巴此後崛起成為領導者，成為業界領導者。其 Qwen 模型系列的下載量已超過 10 億次。 TikTok 的母公司字節跳動在斥資 110 億美元用於人工智能基礎建設後，在 2024 年也分享了其技術的部分細節。

Xu先生表示： “中國的人工智能世代開源開發者可以說是 2025 年人工智能領域最大的故事”; “模型的進步、發佈速度以及人工智能實驗室的數量都絲毫沒有放緩的跡象，這些實驗室既快速又熱烈相互競爭，亦互相鼓勵。”

So, DeepSeek has released a preview of V4 and intends it to be open source. China’s push into open-source A.I. has become a major economic advantage. With few barriers to use, the systems have spread across industries. This approach will allow Chinese tech firms to gain global influence. Apparently, open source will be the soft power of technology in the future. I am wondering how will the US AI companies respond to this open-source challenge.

DeepSeek的後續是將進一步擴大中國在開源人工智能領域的影響力（1/2）

Recently the New York Times reported the following:

DeepSeek’s Sequel Set to Extend China’s Reach in Open-Source A.I. (1/2)

Chinese companies have embraced making their most advanced artificial intelligence models available to all.

The NYT - By Meaghan Tobin and Cade Metz - Meaghan Tobin reported from Taipei, Taiwan, and Cade Metz from San Francisco.

April 24, 2026

Updated 11:47 a.m. ET

When the Chinese start-up DeepSeek published details about one of its artificial intelligence models last year, it sent shock waves through the tech industry.

The company said it had built its system by spending far less on computer chips than American rivals like OpenAI and Anthropic. It marked the start of what became known as China’s “DeepSeek moment,” shorthand for the belief that Chinese A.I. companies were ready to showcase their technical capabilities to the world.

The DeepSeek moment reflected a shift in the global A.I. landscape. The change was about not only lower costs but also openness in how the technology is shared.

DeepSeek released its models as open source, which means others can freely use and modify them. By contrast, OpenAI and Anthropic kept their leading models proprietary. The episode demonstrated that an open-source system could perform almost as well as closed versions. In the months that followed, Chinese firms released dozens of other open-source models. By the end of 2025, these models made up a significant share of global A.I. use.

On Friday, DeepSeek released a preview of V4, its long-awaited follow-up model, which it intends to open source. The new model excels at writing computer code, an increasingly important skill for leading A.I. systems. It significantly outperformed every other open-source system at generating code, according to tests from Vals AI, a company that tracks the performance of A.I. technologies. China’s push into open-source A.I. has become a major economic advantage at home, according to a new study by a U.S. congressional advisory body. With few barriers to use, the systems have spread across industries such as robotics, logistics and manufacturing. The study found that these industrial applications generate real-world data that are used to improve A.I. systems. This approach has allowed Chinese tech firms to capture global influence, as programmers and engineers around the world adopt their systems to build new products.

DeepSeek released its new model just days after Moonshot AI, another Chinese start-up, introduced its latest open-source model, Kimi 2.6. While these systems trail the coding capabilities of the leading U.S. models from Anthropic and OpenAI, the gap is narrowing.

The implications are meaningful. Using A.I. to write code is faster and frees up human programmers to focus on bigger issues. It also means people can use DeepSeek’s latest release to power A.I. agents, which are personal digital assistants that can use other software applications on behalf of office workers, including spreadsheets, online calendars and email services.

As A.I. systems improve at writing computer code, they are also getting better at finding security vulnerabilities in software — a skill that is fundamentally changing cybersecurity. That means tools like DeepSeek’s can be used to both attack and defend computer networks.

Across tasks, DeepSeek V4 is on a par with Moonshot’s latest model. “They are basically neck and neck,” said Rayan Krishnan, the chief executive of Vals AI.

In the months leading up to DeepSeek’s latest release, foreign rivals moved to pre-empt another round of glowing headlines. Silicon Valley’s A.I. giants, Anthropic and OpenAI, said DeepSeek had unfairly piggybacked on their technology through distillation, a process in which engineers mimic a rival model by querying it millions of times and copying its behavior.

The competition to build the best-performing A.I. systems has transformed into a geopolitical power struggle. While Silicon Valley leaders at Anthropic and OpenAI warn that their technology would be dangerous in the hands of autocratic countries, China has invested billions to become an A.I. superpower, viewing the technology as a critical engine of economic growth.

(to be continued)

Translation

DeepSeek的後續是將進一步擴大中國在開源人工智能領域的影響力（1/2）

中國企業已開始積極向全世界開放其最先進的人工智能模型

去年，中國新創公司DeepSeek公佈了其人工智能模型之一的詳細信息，這在科技行業引起了巨大震動。

該公司表示，其係統在晶片上的投入遠低於OpenAI和Anthropic等美國競爭對手。這標誌著中國「DeepSeek時刻」的開始，這一時刻象徵著中國人工智能公司已準備好向世界展示其技術實力。

“DeepSeek時刻 ” 反映了全球人工智能格局的轉變。這項轉變不僅關乎降低成本，更關乎技術共享方式的開放性。

DeepSeek 將其模型開源，這意味著其他人可以自由使用和修改它們。相較之下，OpenAI 和 Anthropic 則將其領先的模式設為專有模式。這一事件表明，開源系統幾乎可以達到與封閉版本相同的效能。在接下來的幾個月裡，中國公司發布了數十個其他開源模型。到 2025 年底，這些模型在全球人工智能應用中佔據了相當大的份額。

上週五，DeepSeek 發佈了其期待已久的後續模型 V4 的預覽版，並計劃將其開源。新模型在編寫電腦程式碼方面表現出色，這對於領先的人工智能系統而言是一項日益重要的技能。根據追蹤人工智能技術性能的 Vals AI 公司的測試，V4 在程式碼生成方面顯著優於所有其他開源系統。

就在另一家中國新創公司Moonshot AI發佈其最新開源模型Kimi 2.6幾天後，DeepSeek也發佈了其新模型。雖然這些系統的編碼能力與美國領先的Anthropic和OpenAI模型相比仍有落後，但差距正在縮小。

發佈有重大意義。使用人工智能編寫程式碼速度更快，能夠使程式設計師騰出精力專注於更重要的問題。這也意味著人們可以使用DeepSeek的最新版本來驅動人工智能代理，這些代理是個人電子助理，可以代表辦公室員工使用其他軟體應用程序，包括電子表格、線上日曆和電子郵件服務。

隨著人工智能系統編寫程式碼能力的提升，它們在發現軟體安全漏洞方面也越來越出色 - 這項技能正在從根本上改變網路安全。這意味著像DeepSeek這樣的工具既可以用於攻擊電腦網絡，也可以用於防禦電腦網路。

在各項任務中，DeepSeek V4的表現與Moonshot的最新模型平起平坐。 Vals AI 的執行長 Rayan Krishnan 表示: 「他們基本上不分伯仲」。

在 DeepSeek 最新版本發佈前的幾個月裡，外國競爭對手試圖搶先一步，去阻止另一輪的引人注目的報道。矽谷的人工智能巨頭 Anthropic 和 OpenAI 聲稱，DeepSeek 透過「蒸餾」技術不公平地搭了他們的順風車。蒸餾是一種工程師透過數百萬次查詢競爭對手的模型並複製其行為來模擬其運行過程的方法。

建構最佳人工智能系統的競爭已經演變成一場地緣政治權力鬥爭。儘管 Anthropic 和 OpenAI 的矽谷領導人警告說，他們的技術落入專制國家手中將十分危險，但中國已投入數十億美元力圖成為人工智能超級大國，並將這項技術視為經濟成長的關鍵引擎。

（待續）

Note:

1.  Distillation (蒸餾) is basically a process in which engineers mimic a rival model by querying it millions of times and copying its behavior. In AI development, distillation (often called knowledge distillation) is a technique where a smaller AI model learns to imitate a larger, more capable model. The basic idea is that: A large, expensive model (“teacher”) generates outputs, while a smaller model (“student”) trains on those outputs. The student learns patterns, reasoning styles, and behaviors from the teacher. The result is a model that is faster and cheaper to run while keeping much of the teacher’s performance. (ChatGPT)

中國正在海上打造下一個前哨

Recently the New York Times reported the following:

Antelope Reef in South China Sea (Source: The NYT)

How China Is Building Its Next Outpost at Sea

The NYT - By Lily Kuo and Agnes Chang (Tung Ngo and Pei-Lin Wu contributed reporting)

 April 22, 2026

Over the last few months, China has been quietly and quickly building an island in disputed waters off the coast of Vietnam that will help Beijing continue to dominate one of the most crucial waterways in the world. China claims about 90 percent of the South China Sea, including parts that are also claimed by several Southeast Asian countries.

Satellite imagery going back to November shows Chinese dredgers building a crescent-shaped island on Antelope Reef in the Paracels, a cluster of islands and reefs where China, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims.

By April, the edges of the island had been shaped and jetties, a helipad and unpaved roads were visible. It was almost twice the size of New York’s Central Park and appeared to still be under construction.

Analysts say that given its size and the ongoing expansion, Antelope Reef is likely to become one of China’s largest military outposts in the region. Such islands typically have airstrips, radar, electronic warfare facilities and missile bunkers. The bases support China’s Navy and Air Force, helping them operate farther from China’s mainland. China’s Coast Guard and maritime militia, made up of thousands of civilian fishing boats that help assert Beijing’s presence in the waters, use them too.

Analysts tracking China’s island-building activities were surprised to see the new construction because China already had several outposts in contested waters and had largely stopped major construction of such artificial islands.

“The strategic logic of it is not super obvious,” said Harrison Prétat, deputy director and fellow with the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The sense was they don’t need anything else,” he said.

Between 2013 and 2017, China built or expanded more than 20 military outposts in the South China Sea that are able to house troops. That included three larger military bases across the Spratly Islands — a chain more than 900 miles from the Chinese mainland, but within 300 miles of the Philippine coast — and one in the Paracels. The island-building campaign, which was unprecedented in its scope and speed, prompted international condemnation and damaged China’s ties with its Southeast Asian neighbors as well as the United States.

Mr. Prétat said the latest construction could be a response to Vietnam, which has for the last two years reclaimed land and built military facilities on the islets that it controls in the Spratlys.

More important may be that compared with his predecessors, President Trump appears to be less focused on deterring China’s militarization of the South China Sea. “I think there’s a larger question of: Did they think they could get away with it?” Mr. Prétat said.

Antelope Reef is now one of China’s biggest islands in the region, similar in size to its largest outpost on Mischief Reef in the Spratlys.

Vietnam claims the entirety of the Paracels, which have been under Beijing's control since China seized them in 1974. Hanoi has protested China’s construction at Antelope as “completely illegal and invalid."

But Beijing insists that the Paracels are China’s “inherent territory.” Asked about the buildup at Antelope Reef last month, Lin Jian, a spokesman with China’s foreign ministry, said that any construction was simply aimed at “improving living and working conditions on the islands and growing the local economy.”

Translation

中國正在海上打造下一個前哨

過去幾個月，中國一直在越南沿海爭議水域悄悄快速地建造一座人工島，這將有助於北京繼續主導世界上最重要的水道之一。中國聲稱擁有南海約90%的主權，其中包括一些東南亞國家也聲稱擁有主權的部分海域。

早在去年11月，衛星影像就顯示，中國挖泥船正在西沙群島的羚羊礁上建造一座新月形人工島。西沙群島是島嶼和礁石群，中國、台灣和越南三國都聲稱擁有它的主權的。

今年4月，人工島的邊緣已經成型，防波堤、直升機停機坪和未鋪設的道路也清晰可見。這座人工島的面積幾乎是紐約中央公園的兩倍，而且似乎仍在建設中。

分析師指出，鑑於羚羊礁的規模及其持續擴張，它很可能成為中國在該地區最大的軍事前哨之一。這類島嶼通常配備簡易機場、雷達、電子戰設施和飛彈掩體。這些基地為中國海軍和空軍提供支持，幫助它們在遠離中國大陸的地區進行活動。由數千艘民用漁船組成的中國海警和海上民兵（旨在維護北京在該水域的存在）也使用這些基地。

追蹤中國島礁建設活動的分析人士對羚羊礁的新建工程感到驚訝，因為中國已經在爭議水域擁有多個前哨基地，並且基本上停止了此類人工島礁的大規模建設。

戰略與國際研究中心亞洲海事透明倡議 副主任兼研究員Harrison Prétat表示，“其戰略邏輯並不十分明顯” 。他又表示“感覺上，他們似乎不需要其他任何東西了。”

2013年至2017年間，中國在南海建造或擴建了20多個可駐紮軍隊的軍事基地。其中包括在南沙群島（距中國大陸900多英里，但距菲律賓海岸300英里以內）的三個大型軍事基地，以及在西沙群島的一個基地。這場規模和速度都史無前例的島礁建設行動引發了國際社會的譴責，並損害了中國與其東南亞鄰國以及美國的關係。

Prétat先生表示，最新的建設可能是對越南的回應。過去兩年，越南一直在其控制的南沙群島島礁上填海造陸並建造軍事設施。

更重要的是，特朗普總統與他的前任相比，似乎不太關注遏制中國在南海的軍事化。 Prétat先生說: 「我認為更大的問題是：他們是否認為可以瞞天過海嗎？」

羚羊礁如今已成為中國在該地區最大的島嶼之一，面積與中國在南沙群島美濟礁的最大前哨基地相仿。

越南聲稱對整個西沙群島擁有主權，而西沙群島自1974年被中國佔領以來一直處於北京的控制之下。河內方面抗議中國在羚羊礁的建設並稱其「完全非法無效」。

但北京方面堅稱西沙群島是中國的「固有領土」。上個月，當被問及羚羊礁的建設時，中國外交部官員Lin Jian表示，任何建設都只是為了「改善島上居民的生活和工作條件，促進當地經濟發展」。

So, over the last few months, China has been quietly and quickly building an island in disputed waters off the coast of Vietnam that will help Beijing continue to dominate one of the most crucial waterways in the world. It seems that compared with his predecessors, President Trump appears to be less focused on deterring China’s militarization of the South China Sea. Apparently, Trump is busy in dealing matter in Cuba, Ukraine and Iran.