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 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.

日本放寬武器出口限制，打破二戰後和平主義政策（2/2）

Recently BBC News on-line reported the following:

Japan loosens arms export rules in break from post-WW2 pacifism (2/2)

 BBC - Kurumi Mori,Tokyo correspondent and Koh Ewe

21 Apr. 2026

(continue)

The new arms export rules were announced as Japan's Self-Defence Forces took part in annual war games between the US and the Philippines. Japan is joining the war games as combatants for the first time, instead of mere observers.

China has opposed the drills, claiming that it would deepen divisions in the region. The exercises take place in parts of the Philippines that are near waters and islands claimed by Beijing, including Taiwan.

China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing's control - and has not ruled out the use of force to take the island.

Last year, Takaichi drew Beijing's ire after she suggested in parliament that Japan could respond with its Self-Defence Force if Beijing attacked Taiwan.

South Korea's foreign ministry said Japan's defence policy "should ideally be carried out in a manner that upholds the spirit of the Peace Constitution while contributing to peace and stability in the region".

South Korea was colonised by Japan from 1910 until the end of World War Two. Japanese soldiers forced hundreds of thousands of Koreans to work in its mines and factories. Women were pushed into sexual slavery.

Eight decades of pacifism

Japan's defence posture was written into its post-World War Two constitution in 1947. It renounced war as a way to settle international disputes and stated that Japan will never maintain war potential.

For decades, pacifism has become part of Japan's identity. But that mindset has been shifting gradually.

In 2014, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe relaxed a blanket ban on all military sales, allowing it to jointly develop arms with allies and give its defence industry access to new markets and technology.

In 2023, then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took it a step further to allow exports of finished lethal weapons for the first time since World War Two.

Takaichi has supported revising the pacifist constitution. While she has not specified the proposed changes, many think it will involve amending Article 9, which renounces war.

Takaichi's supporters say Japan needs to face a new reality where old rules no longer apply for a country that sits surrounded by China, Russia, and North Korea.

But critics worry that Japan is becoming a war-capable country. To them, Takaichi's stand on constitutional reform could mean Japan might be drawn into military conflicts.

Translation

日本放寬武器出口限制，打破二戰後和平主義政策（2/2）

（繼續）

日本自衛隊宣佈新的武器出口限制之際，正值日本自衛隊參加美菲年度聯合軍事演習。日本首次以參戰方身分參與此次演習，而非只是觀察員的身份。

中國反對此次演習，聲稱將加深地區分裂。演習地點位於菲律賓部分地區，靠近北京聲稱擁有主權的海域和島嶼，包括台灣。

中國將自治的台灣視為分離省份，最終將置於北京的控制之下，亦不排除使用武力收復台灣。

去年，高市在國會表示，如果北京攻擊台灣，日本可能動用自衛隊回應，此舉激怒了北京。

韓國外交部表示，日本的防衛政策「理想地應秉持和平憲法的精神，同時為區域和平與穩定做出貢獻」。

韓國自1910年起被日本殖民統治，直到二戰結束。日本士兵強迫數十萬韓國人到其礦場和工廠從事苦役。婦女被迫淪為性奴。

八十年的和平主義

日本的防衛立場於1947年寫入二戰後憲法。日本放棄以戰爭解決國際爭端，並聲明日本永遠不會保持戰爭能力。

幾十年來，和平主義已成為日本身份認同的一部分。但這種觀念正逐漸轉變。

2014年，時任首相安倍晉三放寬了對所有軍售的全面禁令，允許日本與盟友聯合研發武器，並使其國防工業能夠進入新的市場並獲得新技術。

2023年，時任首相岸田文雄更進一步，允許自二戰以來首次出口致命武器成品。

高市一直支持修改和平憲法。雖然她沒有具體說明擬議的修改內容，但許多人認為這將涉及修改放棄戰爭的第九條。

高市的支持者認為，日本需要面對新的現實，舊規則不再適用於這個被中國、俄羅斯和北韓包圍的國家。

但批評者擔心日本正在變成一個具備戰爭能力的國家。在他們看來，高市在憲法改革問題上的立場可能意味著日本將被捲入軍事衝突。

So, Japan has relaxed decades-old restrictions on its arms exports. The announcement marks a milestone in Tokyo's shift away from the pacifism that has dominated its post-war defense policy. Apparently, Japan feels that old rules no longer apply for her country that is surrounded by China, Russia, and North Korea. On top of that, the US is asking its partners to beef up their defense capabilities.

日本放寬武器出口限制，打破二戰後和平主義政策（1/2）

Recently BBC on-line reported the following:

Japan loosens arms export rules in break from post-WW2 pacifism (1/2)

 BBC - Kurumi Mori,Tokyo correspondent and Koh Ewe

21 Apr. 2026

Japan has relaxed decades-old restrictions on its arms exports, clearing the way for it to sell weapons to more than a dozen countries.

The announcement on Tuesday marks a milestone in Tokyo's shift away from the pacifism that has characterised its post-war defence policy. It also comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region.

Restrictions that limit arms exports to just five categories - rescue, transport, warning, surveillance and minesweeping - will be lifted.

This means Japan can now sell lethal weapons to the 17 countries with which it has defence agreements, including the US and the UK.

A ban on arms sales to countries involved in conflict will stay, although it does not cover those that have defence pacts with Japan. Authorities in Tokyo say they will allow for exceptions "in special circumstances".

"In an increasingly severe security environment, no single country can now protect its own peace and security alone," Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wrote on X on Tuesday.

However, she also said there was "absolutely no change in our commitment to upholding the path and fundamental principles we have followed as a peace-loving nation for over 80 years since the war".

"Under the new system, we will strategically promote equipment transfers while making even more rigorous and cautious judgments on whether transfers are permissible," she wrote.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said in a press briefing that the move was "intended to safeguard Japan's security and further contribute to the peace and stability of the region".

China has said it is "seriously concerned" about what it described as Japan's "reckless militarisation".

"China will remain highly vigilant and resolutely opposed [to the move]," Beijing's foreign ministry said in a routine media briefing on Tuesday.

(to be continued)

Translation

日本放寬武器出口限制，打破二戰後和平主義政策（1/2）

日本放寬了實施數十年的武器出口限制，為其向十幾個國家出售武器掃清了障礙物。

週二的這項宣布標誌著東京在擺脫其戰後國防政策中所奉行的和平主義方面邁出了重要一步。此外，這宣佈也正值該地區局勢高度緊張之際。

先前將武器出口限制在五類 - 即救援、運輸、預警、監視和掃雷 - 將被取消。

這意味著日本現在可以向與其簽訂了國防條約的17個國家出售致命性武器，其中包括美國和英國。

禁止向捲入衝突的國家出售武器的禁令仍然有效，但禁令不適用於與日本簽訂了國防條約的國家。東京當局表示，他們將在「特別情況下」允許例外出售。

日本首相高市早苗週二在X網站上撰文指出:「在日益嚴峻的安全環境下，任何國家都無法獨自維護自身的和平與安全」。

然而，她也表示，“我們作為80多年來始終承諾堅持愛好和平的國家的道路和基本原則絕對沒有改變。”

她寫道：“在新體制下，我們將戰略性地推進裝備轉讓，同時對轉讓是否合法做出更加嚴格謹慎的判斷。”

內閣官房長官木原稔(Minoru Kihara) 在記者會上表示，此舉「旨在維護日本的安全，並進一步為該地區的和平與穩定作出貢獻」。

中國對日本的决定稱之為「魯莽軍事化」並表示深表「關切」。

北京外交部週二在例行記者會上表示，“中方將保持高度警惕，堅決反對（這一舉動）。”

（待續）

美國制裁中國「茶壺」煉油廠，原因是它購買伊朗石油

Recently Aljazeera.com reported the following:

US sanctions China’s ‘teapot’ refinery for buying Iranian oil

The Hengli refinery, China’s second-largest, has generated hundreds of millions of dollars for Iran’s military, the US Treasury says.

By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters

Published On 25 Apr 2026

25 Apr 2026

The United States has sanctioned a Chinese oil refinery for buying hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Iranian oil.

Ahead of potential new talks on ending the US-Israeli war on Iran, the US Treasury Department on Friday said that it was targeting Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery, China’s second-largest “teapot” or independent refinery.

Hengli is “one of Tehran’s most valued customers” and has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the Iranian military through crude oil purchases, the Treasury added.

It also imposed new sanctions on about 40 shipping firms and vessels alleged to be operating as part of Iran’s shadow fleet.

The Chinese embassy in Washington, DC pushed back against the move.

“We call ‌on the US to stop politicising trade and sci-tech issues and using them as a weapon and a tool and stop abusing various kinds of sanction to hit Chinese companies,” a spokesperson said.

China gets more than half of its oil from the Middle East, and last year purchased more than 80 percent of Iran’s shipped oil, according to analytics firm Kpler.

The US Navy has blockaded Iranian ports since April 13, in what President Donald Trump claims is a bid to further choke Iran’s proceeds from oil and gas exports.

Teapots under pressure

China’s “teapot” refineries are small, privately owned refineries, mostly based in Shandong province and nicknamed for their teapot-like shape.

They play a key role in beefing up China’s oil supplies by importing and stockpiling discounted Iranian and Russian oil – while allowing state-owned enterprises to remain more insulated from politically risky oil trading.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pledged Friday to continue targeting the “network of vessels, intermediaries, and buyers Iran relies on to move its oil to global markets”.

“Any person or vessel facilitating these flows – through covert trade and finance – risks exposure to US sanctions,” he said.

Aside from the prospect of sanctions, the US-Israel war on Iran has increased financial pressures for teapot refineries, which are facing “high replacement prices in a market already strained by global tensions”, Brussels-based economic think tank Bruegel reported last month.

Even before the war began, the Trump administration was targeting China’s independent refineries.

Last year, the Treasury sanctioned Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group, Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical and Shandong Shengxing Chemical.

Translation

美國制裁中國「茶壺」煉油廠，原因是它購買伊朗石油

美國財政部稱，中國第二大煉油廠恆力煉油廠已為伊朗軍方創造了數億美元的收入

美國已對一家中國煉油廠實施制裁，因為其購買了價值數億美元的伊朗石油。

在美國-以色列以可能就結束對伊朗的戰爭舉行新一輪談判之前，美國財政部週五表示，將制裁目標鎖定在中國第二大「茶壺」或獨立煉油廠 - 恆力石化（大連）煉油廠。

財政部補充說，恆力是“德黑蘭最重要的客戶之一”，並透過購買原油為伊朗軍方創造了數億美元的收入。

美國也對約40家航運公司和船隻實施了新的製裁，這些公司和船隻被指控隸屬於伊朗的「影子艦隊」。

中國駐華盛頓大使館反對這項舉措。

中國一位發言人表示：“我們呼籲美國停止將貿易和科技問題政治化，停止將其作為武器和工具，停止濫用各種制裁手段打擊中國企業。”

根據分析公司Kpler的數據顯示，中國超過一半的石油來自中東，去年購買了伊朗石油出口量的80%以上。

自4月13日起，美國海軍封鎖了伊朗港口。美國總統特朗普聲稱，此舉旨在進一步切斷伊朗的石油和天然氣出口收入。

「茶壺煉油廠」面臨壓力

中國的「茶壺煉油廠」是指規模較小、私營的煉油廠，大多位於山東省，因其外形酷似茶壺而得名。

它們在增強中國石油供應方面發揮關鍵作用，透過進口和囤積價格低廉的伊朗和俄羅斯石油，使國有企業能夠更好地免受到有政治風險的石油交易的影響。

美國財政部長貝森特週五承諾，將繼續打擊「伊朗賴以將其石油運往全球市場的船隻、中間商人和買家的網絡」。

他表示：“任何透過秘密貿易和融資促成這些石油流動的人或船隻，都將面臨美國制裁的風險。”

除了制裁的可能性之外，美以對伊朗的戰爭也加劇了小型煉油廠的財務壓力。總部位於布魯塞爾的經濟智庫Bruegel研究所上個月報告稱，這些煉油廠正面對「高昂的替代價格，而全球局勢已經令市場緊繃」。

甚至在戰爭爆發之前，特朗普政府就已經開始將目標對準中國的獨立煉油廠。

去年，財政部對河北新海化工集團、山東壽光魯清石化和山東盛興化工進行了制裁。

              So, ahead of potential new talks in ending the US-Israeli war on Iran, the US says that it is targeting Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery, China’s second-largest “teapot” refinery, accusing that it generates hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the Iranian military through crude oil purchases. Apparently, this may be one of the topics of discussion when President Trump visits China this month.

兩種藥物為致命胰臟癌的治療帶來希望 (2/2)

Recently the New York Times reported the following:

Two Drugs Stir Hope for Treatment of Deadly Pancreatic Cancer (2/2)

In separate small clinical trials, two treatments showed promise that they could help patients with one of the most dire diagnoses in oncology.

The NYT - By Rebecca Robbins and Gina Kolata

April 21, 2026

(continue)

Revolution, based near San Francisco, said that it was planning to seek regulatory approval soon for the treatment, which the Food and Drug Administration has already designated for a fast-track review.

The other promising treatment involved a personalized vaccine using mRNA technology. Unlike vaccines for infectious diseases, which aim to prevent people from contracting an illness, there is hope that vaccines could be used to treat cancer that has already been diagnosed, though the approach is not widely used for most cancers.

In San Diego this week, researchers reported that in a small safety study, seven of eight patients whose immune systems responded to the treatment were alive up to six years after receiving the last treatment, compared with just two of out [sic] eight of those whose immune systems did not respond.

Phase 1 studies like this one are not designed to assess whether a treatment is effective, only whether it is safe. The treatment is being developed by BioNTech and Roche’s Genentech unit.

The technology used in the vaccine, known as messenger RNA, or mRNA, is best known for its use in Covid vaccines. It instructs the body to produce a fragment of a virus that then sets off an immune response.

Under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Trump administration has made a series of funding and policy changes that are hostile to the technology.

Patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer fare far worse than people with other cancers, like some of the blood or breast. In those other forms of cancer, significant treatment advances in recent years have turned once devastating diagnoses into manageable chronic illnesses for large numbers of patients.

Pancreatic cancer is different from many other cancers. It is often caught very late, when the disease has already spread widely, because it often presents no early symptoms. Patients often realize something is wrong only when they suddenly lose weight and become jaundiced. And treatment approaches like immunotherapy that have transformed the outlook for other cancers have not worked for that of the pancreas.

Translation

兩種藥物為致命胰臟癌的治療帶來希望 (2/2)

在兩項獨立的小型臨床試驗中，兩種療法展現出治療胰臟癌的潛力，這種癌症是腫瘤學中最致命的疾病之一

（繼續）

總部位於舊金山附近的Revolution公司表示，他們計劃很快向監管機構申請批准該療法。美國食品藥物管理局（FDA）已將它列入快速審批通道。

另一種有前景的療法是一種利用mRNA技術的個人化疫苗。它與旨在預防疾病的傳染病疫苗不同，人們希望這種疫苗能夠用於治療已確診的癌症，儘管這種方法目前尚未廣泛應用於大多數癌症的治療。

本週在聖地牙哥，研究人員報告稱，在一項小型安全性研究中，8名免疫系統對治療有反應的患者中有7名在接受最後一次治療後存活長達6年，而8名免疫系統無反應的患者中只有2名存活。

像這樣的一期研究並非旨在評估治療的有效性，而僅評估其安全性。此療法由BioNTech和羅氏旗下的Genentech單位共同研發。

此疫苗採用的技術稱為信使RNA（mRNA），最廣為人知的應用是新冠疫苗。它能引導人體產生病毒片段，進而引發免疫反應。

在 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 擔任衛生部長期間，特朗普政府對這項技術進行了一系列不利的資金和政策調整。

胰臟癌患者的處境遠差於其他癌症患者，例如某些血液癌症或乳癌患者。在其他類型的癌症中，近年來治療技術的顯著進步已將曾經令人絕望的大量患者被診斷為可控制的慢性疾病。

胰臟癌與其他許多癌症不同。由於胰臟癌早期通常沒有症狀，因此往往發現時已是晚期，癌細胞已廣泛擴散。患者往往只有在突然體重下降和出現黃疸時才意識到身體出了問題。類似免疫療法等現已改變其他癌症的治療前景，但對胰臟癌卻仍然無效。

So, two separated test treatments that are carried out in clinical trials are raising hopes for patients with pancreatic cancer. Currently, patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer fare far worse than people with other cancers. In those other forms of cancer, significant treatment advances in recent years have turned once devastating diagnoses into manageable chronic illnesses. Apparently,  new drugs are offering new hope to many patients. This is good news to everyone.

兩種藥物為致命胰臟癌的治療帶來希望（1/2）

Recently the New York Times reported the following:

(Source: The NYT)

Two Drugs Stir Hope for Treatment of Deadly Pancreatic Cancer (1/2)

In separate small clinical trials, two treatments showed promise that they could help patients with one of the most dire diagnoses in oncology.

The NYT - By Rebecca Robbins and Gina Kolata

April 21, 2026

Two treatments being tested in clinical trials are raising hopes for patients with pancreatic cancer, which has long been one of the most dire diagnoses in oncology.

Researchers presented the promising data this week at a cancer conference in San Diego. The data was collected from a small number of patients and has not yet been published in a medical journal or reviewed by regulators. Neither drug has been approved for use.

Cancer of the pancreas, the gland buried deep in the abdomen that is involved in digestion and regulates blood sugar, kills more than 50,000 Americans each year, accounting for about 8 percent of cancer deaths in the United States. Many patients die within a year of diagnosis, and only 13 percent of people live for five years after being diagnosed.

There are few treatment options, and those that are available often do little to help, which is why the new drugs are generating so much excitement.

“We are having to tell ourselves that this is in fact unprecedented,” said Dr. Robert Vonderheide, director of the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the new research.

One of the experimental drugs, daraxonrasib, doubled diagnosed patients’ life expectancy, giving them over 13 months, compared to less than seven months for those who received chemotherapy in a late-stage clinical trial, according to Revolution Medicines, the company developing the drug.

A gain of six months of life is virtually unheard-of in the field. The company also said the drug’s side effects were “manageable.”

“The statistic that caught everyone’s eye was a doubling of overall survival,” said Dr. Vonderheide, who is also president-elect of the American Association for Cancer Research, the group of oncologists and scientists that is hosting the meeting in San Diego this week. “This is a patient population that has very limited options. To see that effect with a side-effect profile that is manageable unleashed a lot of excitement in the field.”

Researchers plan to present the data next month at a cancer conference in Chicago. In San Diego this week, researchers presented data from earlier stage testing of the drug that involved a few dozen patients. Many patients reported side effects like rash, diarrhea, fatigue and nausea. No patients died because of the treatment.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, former Senator Ben Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska, who late last year disclosed his terminal pancreatic cancer diagnosis, said he had been receiving that drug in a clinical trial.

He said he had been told in December that he had three or four months to live, but that the drug had shrunk his tumors and allowed him to reduce his reliance on pain medication. He had a rash on his face that he attributed to a side effect from the drug.

(to be continued)

Translation

兩種藥物為致命胰臟癌的治療帶來希望（1/2）

在兩項獨立的小型臨床試驗中，兩種療法展現出治療胰臟癌的潛力，這種癌症是腫瘤學中最致命的疾病之一。

兩種正在進行臨床試驗的療法為胰臟癌患者帶來了希望，胰臟癌長期以來都是腫瘤學中最致命的疾病之一。

研究人員本週在聖地牙哥舉行的癌症會議上公佈了這些令人鼓舞的數據。這些數據來自少量患者，尚未在醫學期刊上發表，也未經監管機構審查。這兩種藥物均未獲準使用。

胰臟癌是位於腹部深處的一個腺體，負責消化和調節血糖。每年，胰臟癌導致超過5萬美國人死亡，約佔美國癌症死亡人數的8%。許多患者在確診後一年內死亡，僅有13%的患者在確診後能存活五年。

治療選擇寥寥無幾，現有的治療手段往往收效甚微，因此，這些新藥的出現令人振奮。

未參與這項新研究的賓州大學艾布拉姆森癌症中心主任Robert Vonderheide博士說道:「我們不得不承認，這確實是前所未有的」。

根據研發該藥物的Revolution Medicines公司稱，其中一種名為daraxonrasib的實驗性藥物，使確診患者的預期壽命延長了一倍，超過13個月，而相較之下，在後期臨床試驗中接受化療的患者，其存活期不到七個月。

在癌症治療領域，延長六個月的生命幾乎是聞所未聞。該公司還表示，該藥物的副作用「可控」。

Vonderheide博士說: 「最引人注目的數據是總生存期翻了一番」。他同時也是美國癌症研究協會的候任主席，該協會由腫瘤學家和科學家組成，本週在聖地牙哥舉辦了這場會議。 「這類患者的治療選擇非常有限。這種藥物在副作用可控的情況下還能取得如此顯著的療效，在業內引起了極大的鼓舞。”

研究人員計劃下個月在芝加哥舉行的癌症會議上公佈這些數據。本週在聖地牙哥，研究人員展示了該藥物早期階段試驗的數據，該試驗涉及數十名患者。許多患者報告了皮疹、腹瀉、疲勞和噁心等副作用。沒有患者因治療而死亡。

內布拉斯加州共和黨前參議員Ben Sasse在最近接受《紐約時報》採訪時表示，他曾參與一項臨床試驗，並接受過該藥物的治療。Sasse於去年年底公開了他被診斷出患有晚期胰腺癌。

他說，去年12月醫生告訴他，他只有三、四個月的壽命了，但這種藥縮小了他的腫瘤，讓他減少了對止痛藥的依賴。他臉上長了皮疹，他認為這是藥物的副作用。

（待續）