中國農村學生在全球數學競賽中擊敗數學精英引發驚嘆和懷疑 (1/2)

 Recently CNN News on-lines reported the following:

Rural Chinese student sparks awe and suspicion after beating math elites in global contest (1/2)

Joyce Jiang, CNN

Mon, July 8, 2024 at 2:24 a.m. PDT·6 min read

A fashion major from a vocational high school in rural China has amazed the nation by outshining elite students in a global math contest – but the teenager’s underdog story has now been mired by controversy.

Jiang Ping, born in a poor village in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, ranked 12th out of 802 shortlisted competitors – mostly from prestigious institutions such as Harvard, Oxford, and MIT – in first-round results released on June 13 by DAMO Academy, the organizer of the Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition.

Launched in 2018 by Chinese e-commerce behemoth Alibaba, the free online contest is open to math enthusiasts worldwide, though Chinese math majors typically dominate the top places. This year’s top 85 finishers will win prizes from $2,000 to $30,000.

Jiang’s high placement – in the first of the contest’s two rounds – was a remarkable achievement for a student from one of the country’s vocational schools, which suffer deep-seated social prejudices and whose graduates occupy the lowest rungs of China’s educational hierarchy.

Her success initially garnered nationwide acclaim, with multiple Chinese state media outlets jumping on the story and a deluge of online commentary buoyed by seeing a vocational student do so well in an international math competition.

But doubts about the 17-year-old’s math skills have gained momentum online since the end of last month, ahead of the release next month of results from the much more challenging second round. The organizing committee has yet to address them.

Suspicions cast

Jiang’s gift for math came to the fore in junior high, where her scores far outstripped those of her peers, state-run news agency Xinhua reported. She was later trained by math teacher Wang Runqiu at Lianshu Secondary Vocational School, where she studies fashion design.

Wang, a three-time finalist in the contest, helped Jiang to teach herself advanced math over the past two years, according to Xinhua.

Since Jiang’s top-20 finish in the first round was announced, a related hashtag topped searches on X-like platform Weibo, amassing more than 650 million views so far. In her hometown, her image beamed from television screens at local malls.

Jiang finished the final round on June 22, and the results will be released in August.

However, just a day after the final, Richard Xu from Harvard Business School, who placed 190th in the first round, announced on China’s Quora-type site Zhihu that he, along with 38 other contestants, had filed a joint letter to the organizing committee asking for an independent investigation into Jiang and Wang’s answer sheets from the qualifying round.

The letter cites “evidence” of alleged fraud, including a theory of “collaborative cheating” headed by Wang, who came 125th.

Four days before the final round, Yin Wotao, a member of the organizing committee, had defended Jiang in a soon-deleted response to a skeptic on X.

“Some math amateurs have indeed placed well in the qualifying rounds in past years,” given the moderate difficulty and generous 48-hour time limit, Yin argued.

Blocked from accessing Yin’s short-lived comments by Chinese internet restrictions, users posted on the Lianshui county government’s website, demanding an official investigation into Jiang and Wang.

On June 27, the local government confirmed what until that point had been an online rumor that Jiang scored only 83 out of 150 in a school math exam held after the qualifying round. The next day, it provided a formulaic response to further related queries, saying “the investigation is underway.”

Soon after, all the posts relating to Jiang were taken down and there’s been no update since.

In response to CNN’s inquiries on June 28, organizing committee member Yin declined to comment without the green light from DAMO Academy, his employer.

CNN has reached out to the academy for comment and could not reach Jiang and her teacher Wang.

(to be continued)

Translation 

中國農村一所職業高中的時尚專業學生在全球數學競賽中超越精英學生，震驚全國，但這位弱勢年青人的故事現在陷入了爭議。

阿里巴巴全球數學競賽主辦單位的主辦單位達摩院 於6月13日公佈首輪成績，出生於中國東部江蘇省的一個貧困村莊的 Jiang Ping 在802名入圍選手中排名第12位，競賽選手大多來自哈佛、牛津、麻省理工等著名學府。

這項免費線上競賽由中國電子商務巨頭阿里巴巴於 2018 年推出，向全球數學愛好者開放，但中國數學專業畢業者通常佔據前列位置。今年的前 85 名選手將贏得 2,000 至 30,000 美元的獎金。

Jing 在兩輪比賽的第一輪比賽中獲得高分，對於來自中國一所職業學校的學生來說是一項了不起的成就，這些學校遭受根深蒂固的社會偏見，其畢業生處於中國教育體系的最底層。

她的成功最初贏得了全國性的讚譽，多家中國官方媒體都對這個故事進行了報道，看到一名職業學生在國際數學競賽中取得如此出色的成績，也引發了大量網上評論。

但自上月底以來，在更具挑戰性的第二輪比賽結果將於下個月發布之前，網路上對這位 17 歲選手數學技能的質疑聲不斷升溫。組委會尚未對應這些質疑。

 引發出疑點

根據官方通訊社新華社報道，Jiang 的數學天賦在國中時就凸顯出來，她的成績遠遠超過了同齡人。後來，她在 Lianshu 職業中學裡學習服裝設計, 並接受數學老師 Wang Runqiu 的培訓，。

據新華社報道，Wang 曾三度是比賽決賽入圍者，在過去的兩年裡幫助 Jiang 自學高等數學。

自從 Jiang 在第一輪比賽中進入前20名的消息公佈以來，一個相關的標籤在類似 X 的微博平台上搜尋量名列最高，迄今為止的瀏覽量已超過 6.5 億次。在她的家鄉，她的圖像出現在當地商場的電視螢幕上。

Jiang 於6月22日完成了最後一輪比賽，成績將於8月公佈。

然而，就在決賽後一天，首輪排名第190位的哈佛商學院 Richard Xu 在中國的一個叫“知乎” (Zhihu) 的問答網站上宣布，他與其他38名參賽者已向組委會提交了一封聯名信要求對 Jiang 、Wang 預選賽答案卷進行獨立調查。

這封信引用了涉嫌詐欺的 “證據” ， 其中包括以排名第125位的 wang 先生為首的 “協同作弊” 理論。

在決賽前四天，委員會成員 Yin Wotao 在一篇針對《X》懷疑論者的回應中為 Jiang 辯護，但該回應很快被刪除。

Yin 認為，因為適中的難度和充裕的 48 小時時間限制，「過去幾年，一些數學業餘愛好者確實在資格賽中取得了不錯的成績」。

 由於中國網路限制，網路用戶無法接入 Yin 的曾短暫出現的評論，他們在 Lianshui 縣政府網站上發帖，要求對 Jiang 和 Wang 進行正式調查。

6月27日，當地政府證實了網路上流傳的謠言，Jiang 在預選賽後舉行的學校數學考試中只得到了83分（滿分150分）。第二天，當地政府對進一步的相關詢問做出了公式化的回應，聲稱「調查正在進行中」。

不久之後，所有與 Jiang 有關的貼文都被刪除，此後再也沒有任何更新。

6月28日，委員會成員Yin 在回應 CNN 詢問時，以沒有獲得其雇主達摩院 批准, 拒絕發表評論。

CNN 已聯繫該學院尋求評論，亦無法聯繫到 Jiang 和她的 Wang 老師 。

（待續）

Note:

Zhihu (Chinese: 知乎; pinyin: Zhīhū) is a Quora-type question and answer site and news aggregator. Originally based in Chengdu and with creators from Sichuan, China, the website launched on January 26, 2011. The number of registered users on Zhihu exceeded 10 million by the end of 2013, and reached 17 million as of May 2015, with 250 million monthly page views. (Wikipedia)

北京「巨無霸船」- 世界最大海警船在南海停泊

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Beijing's 'monster ship,' the world's largest coastguard vessel, dropped anchor in the South China Sea

Business Insider - Cameron Manley

Sun, July 7, 2024 at 6:50 a.m. PDT·3 min read

The world's largest coastguard ship dropped anchor in Manila's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea earlier this week, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

Jay Tarriela, a spokesperson for the PCG, wrote on X that the authority had successfully tracked the movements of the China Coast Guard's (CCG) "165-meter monster ship" by "using Canada's Dark Vessel Detection technology."

"On July 1st, the ship departed from Hainan and entered the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on the following day," he wrote.

The 12,000-ton CCG 5901 was later "radio challenged" by the PCG, which asked it to confirm its intentions and to remind it that it was operating within the EEZ, he added.

An exclusive economic zone is an area of the ocean "beyond a nation's territorial sea, within which a coastal nation has jurisdiction over both living and nonliving resources."

Tarriela wrote on Friday that the Chinese ship had been anchored at Escoda Shoal "for over two consecutive days" while "maintaining a close proximity" to a PCG vessel. He added that the distance between the ships was "less than 800 yards."

 Tarriela later told a news forum that the Chinese vessel's moves were "an intimidation on the part of the China Coast Guard."

"We're not going to pull out and we're not going to be intimidated," he added.

Maritime run-ins between China and the Philippines are on the rise

China and the Philippines have had frequent confrontations around the Second Thomas Shoal, an atoll located within the exclusive economic zone.

China claims sovereignty over the reef and most of the South China Sea, but an international tribunal ruled in 2016 that China's claims to waters within its "nine-dash line" had no legal basis.

The Philippines grounded a ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, on the reef in 1999 to state its own claims over the area.

But the Shoal remains what the Brussels-based think tank the International Crisis Group (ICG) has called a "dangerous flashpoint," as Chinese boats continually try to prevent efforts to resupply the grounded ship.

Earlier this month, the China Coast Guard blocked a resupply mission using "dangerous and deliberate use of water cannons, ramming, and blocking maneuvers," according to a statement provided to US Naval Institute News by a spokesperson for the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Officials from China and the Philippines met on Tuesday and said they aimed to "rebuild confidence" to help manage maritime disputes.

But the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs stressed that it would be "relentless in protecting its interests and upholding its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction" in the South China Sea.

The ICG noted in May that "relations between the two countries in the maritime domain have never been as volatile as during the last seven months."

Translation

菲律賓海岸防衛隊（PCG）表示，世界上最大的海岸防衛隊船隻本週稍早在南海的馬尼拉專屬經濟區（EEZ）落錨。

PCG 發言人Jay Tarriela 在X上寫道，當局通過 “使用加拿大的暗船探測技術” ， 成功追踪了中國海警(CCG)的 “165米巨輪” 的動向。

他寫道: 「7月1日，該船從海南出發，並於第二天進入菲律賓專屬經濟區（EEZ）」。

他補充說，12,000 噸的CCG 5901後來受到PCG的 “無線電挑戰” ，PCG要求其確認其意圖並提醒其在專屬經濟區內作業。

專屬經濟區是「一個國家領海以外的海洋區域，沿海國家對其中的生物和非生物資源擁有管轄權」。

Tarriela 週五寫道，這艘中國船隻已「連續兩天」停泊在埃斯科達淺灘，同時與一艘 PCG 船隻「保持近距離」。他補充說，兩艘船之間的距離「不到800碼」。

Tarriela後來在新聞論壇上表示，中國船隻的舉動是「中國海警發出的恐嚇」。

他補充道: 「我們不會撤軍，我們也不會被嚇倒」。

中國與菲律賓之間的海上衝突不斷升級

中國和菲律賓圍繞著位於專屬經濟區內的仁愛礁發生了頻繁的對抗。

中國聲稱對該島礁和南海大部分海域擁有主權，但國際法庭於 2016 年裁定，中國對其「九段線」之內海域的主張沒有法律依據。

1999 年，菲律賓將一艘名為 BRP Sierra Madre 的船隻擱淺在礁石上，以表明自己對該地區的主權主張。

但該淺灘仍然被總部位於布魯塞爾的智庫國際危機組織（ICG）稱為“危險的爆發點”，因為中國船隻不斷試圖阻止為這擱淺船隻的補給努力。

美國國防部長辦公室發言人向美國海軍學院新聞提供的一份聲明稱，本月早些時候，中國海警隊用「危險且蓄意動用水砲、撞擊和攔截的方式」阻止了一次補給任務。

中國和菲律賓官員週二會面，表示他們的目的是 “重建信心” ，以幫助解決海上爭端。

但菲律賓外交部強調，它將在南海「堅定不移地保護其利益，維護其主權、行使主權的權利和管轄權」。

ICG 在 5 月指出， “兩國在海洋領域的關係從未像過去七個月那樣動盪。”

              So, China claims sovereignty over the reef and most of the South China Sea, but an international tribunal ruled in 2016 that China's claims to waters within its "nine-dash line" had no legal basis. The Philippines stresses that it will be "relentless in protecting its interests and upholding its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction". In view of the above, I think that conflicts between the two countries will continue for some time unless they can put aside their difference temporarily. In a similar territorial right dispute happened in recent years, China and India have successfully put aside their differences over the border that have caused clashes among their soldiers.

177 "Career bureaucrats" retire within 10 years in 2022, the highest number ever

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

10年未満で退職の「キャリア官僚」2022年度は177人 過去最多

2024年7月6日 8時49分

いわゆる「キャリア官僚」として採用後、10年未満で退職した国家公務員は、2022年度は177人と今の試験制度による採用が始まってから最も多くなりました。2年連続で過去最多を更新していて、人事院は働き方を改善して人材確保を図る方針です。

人事院によりますと、いわゆる「キャリア官僚」として採用後、10年未満で退職した国家公務員の「総合職」は、記録が残っている2013年度では76人でした。

その後、増える傾向にあって、2018年度は116人と初めて100人を超え、今月公表された2022年度は177人と今の試験制度による採用が始まった2013年度以降、最も多くなり、2年連続で過去最多を更新しました。

2022年度に退職した職員のうち、在職年数が5年未満は81人、3年未満は31人となっています。

人事院は「慢性的な長時間労働や民間企業との待遇の差など、勤務環境に対する不満などが背景にあるのではないか」と分析していて、来月の人事院勧告で、働き方の改善や職員の役割や能力に応じた報酬の設定などを政府に求め、人材の確保を図る方針です。

Translation

The number of national civil servants, the so-called "career bureaucrats" who resigned within 10 years after being hired had reached 177 people in 2022, the highest number since the current hiring system began. This was the second consecutive year that the number had reached a record high, and the National Personnel Authority planned to improve the working system to secure human resources.

According to the National Personnel Authority, the number of "career-track" national civil servants who retired within 10 years after being hired, the so-called "career bureaucrats", had set a record of 76 people in the fiscal year 2013.

Since then, the number had been increasing, reaching 116 in 2018, exceeding 100 for the first time, and the number of 177 people in 2022, announced this month, was the highest number since 2013, when  the current hiring system began, and had reached a record high in two consecutive years.

Of the employees who retired in fiscal year 2022, 81 had been working for less than five years, and 31 had been working for less than three years.

The National Personnel Authority had analyzed that "dissatisfaction with the working environment, such as chronic long working hours and disparity in treatment compared to private companies, may be behind the resignations," and in its recommendation next month it planned to ask the government to improve the way of work and set rewards according to employees' roles and abilities in order to secure human resources.

              So, the number of national civil servants, the so-called "career bureaucrats" who resign within 10 years after being hired has reached a record number. Job dissatisfaction over the working environment, such as chronic long working hours and disparity in treatment compared to private companies could be the reason. I think salary increase may solve part of the problem.

Note:

National career track employees (国家総合職の職員) are candidates for executive positions in central government ministries and agencies, and are involved in work that takes on central administrative roles. They are in a position known as "career bureaucrats," and are involved in tasks such as policy planning and drafting bills in each ministry and agency, explaining these to ministers and lawmakers, and formulating budgets behind the scenes. These positions are considered difficult to get and the application successful rate is usually less then 15%.

National Living Standards Survey: 59.6% "Struggling" - an 8% increase from last year

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

国民生活基礎調査 「苦しい」59.6％ 前年比8ポイント余増

2024年7月5日 17時25分

去年、厚生労働省が行った国民生活基礎調査で生活が「苦しい」と回答した世帯は前年から8ポイント余り増え、59.6％にのぼったことがわかりました。厚生労働省は「物価高の影響などで生活の苦しさが増している可能性がある」としています。

厚生労働省は毎年、国民生活基礎調査を行っていて、去年は所得の状況などについておよそ4700世帯から回答を得ました。

この中で生活状況について聞いたところ「大変苦しい」が26.5％、「やや苦しい」が33.1％で「苦しい」と回答した世帯は前年より8.3ポイント高い全体の59.6％にのぼりました。

このうち18歳未満の子どものいる世帯で「苦しい」と回答した世帯は前年より10.3ポイント高い65.0％となりました。

高齢者世帯で「苦しい」と回答した世帯は前年より10.7ポイント高い59.0％となり、統計を取り始めた1986年以降、最も高くなりました。

一方、全体では「普通」が35.8％、「ややゆとりがある」が3.9％、「大変ゆとりがある」が0.7％でした。

また、おととしの1世帯あたりの平均所得は、高齢世帯や独居世帯の増加などを背景に524万2000円と前年から3.9％減って、1987年以来の低さとなりました。

厚生労働省は「物価高や燃料費の高騰の影響などで生活の苦しさが増している可能性があり、今後の状況に注視していきたい」としています。

Translation

Last year, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare conducted a National Living Standards Survey which showed that 59.6% of households responded that their living conditions were "struggling," up by 8% from the previous year. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said, "The impact of rising prices and other factors may be making life more difficult."

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare conducted a National Living Standards Survey every year, and last year received responses from approximately 4,700 households regarding their income situation.

When asked about their living conditions, 26.5% of households responded that their living conditions were "very difficult," while 33.1% responded that their living conditions were "slightly difficult." As a result, 59.6% of households responded that their living conditions were "struggling," up 8.3 points from the previous year.

In addition, 65.0% of households with children under the age of 18 responded that their living conditions were "struggling," up 10.3 points from the previous year.

The percentage of elderly households that responded that they were "struggling" was 59.0%, up 10.7 points from the previous year, the highest since statistics began being collected in 1986.

Meanwhile, overall living conditions, 35.8% were "so-so," 3.9% were "somewhat comfortable," and 0.7% were "very comfortable."

Also, due to an increase in elderly households and households living alone, the average income per household the year before last was 5,242,000 yen, down 3.9% from the previous year, the lowest since 1987.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare stated, "There is a possibility that living conditions are becoming more difficult due to the effects of rising prices and fuel costs, and we will continue to closely monitor the future situation."

              So, a survey has showed that almost 60 percent of households’ living conditions are "struggling" due to rising prices and fuel costs. I think the cheap yen could be a factor that causes a rising fuel cost in the country.

世界銀行將它升級為“高收入國家”

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

World Bank upgraded it to a 'high-income country'

Business Insider - Huileng Tan

Tue, July 2, 2024 at 9:56 p.m. PDT·2 min read

Russia's economy has defied sanctions in the two years since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022 — so much so that the World Bank is now classifying Russia as a "high-income country."

On Monday, the World Bank announced it has upgraded Russia from an upper-middle-income country to a high-income country, according to a report from the financial institution's economists.

"Economic activity in Russia was influenced by a large increase in military-related activity in 2023," World Bank economists wrote in their report.

Last year, Russians earned $14,250 per person on a gross national income basis.

The World Bank's upgrade confirms reports from Russia that suggest the growth is primarily driven by wartime activities that generate demand for military goods and services, making some sectors winners in Russia's wartime economy.

Russia's trade jumped by nearly 7% last year, while activities in the financial sector and construction grew by 6.6% and 3.6%, respectively.

This boosted Russia's real GDP — which is economic growth adjusted for inflation — by 3.6%.

The development has made some poor Russians better off financially, complicating any calculus over how to end the war.

The World Bank upgraded seven countries, downgraded West Bank and Gaza

Other than Russia, the World Bank also upgraded Bulgaria and Palau from upper-middle-income to high-income countries. Their upgrades came after several years of post-pandemic growth.

Ukraine also moved up from a lower-middle-income country to upper-middle-income country as real GDP grew 5.3% — reversing a steep 28.8% slump in 2022.

"While Ukraine's economy was significantly impaired by Russia's invasion, real growth in 2023 was driven by construction activity (24.6%), reflecting a sizable increase in investment spending (52.9%) supporting Ukraine's reconstruction effort in the wake of ongoing destruction," the World Bank added.

In all, the World Bank upgraded the classification of seven countries this year and downgraded just one country: West Bank and Gaza.

West Bank and Gaza became an upper-middle-income country in 2023, but its economy was significantly impacted by its war with Israel.

"The conflict in the Middle East began in October 2023, and while the impact on West Bank and Gaza was limited to the fourth quarter, its scale was nonetheless sufficient to lead to a 9.2% drop in nominal GDP," the World Bank economists wrote. West Bank and Gaza's GDP declined 5.5% in real terms.

Translation

自從莫斯科在 2022 年 2 月入侵烏克蘭以來，俄羅斯經濟在兩年內一直抗衡制裁，以至世界銀行現在將俄羅斯列為「高收入國家」。

根據世界銀行經濟學家的報告，世界銀行週一宣布將俄羅斯從中高收入國家升級為高收入國家。

世界銀行經濟學家在報告中寫道： “2023年，俄羅斯的經濟活動受到軍事相關活動大幅增加的影響。”

去年，以國民總收入計算，俄羅斯人均收入為 14,250 美元。

世界銀行的升級證實了俄羅斯的報告，即成長主要是由戰時活動推動的，這些活動產生了對軍事商品和服務的需求，使某些行業成為俄羅斯戰時經濟的贏家。

去年俄羅斯的貿易成長了近7%，而金融部門和建築業的活動分別成長了6.6%和3.6%。

這使得俄羅斯的實際 GDP（扣除通貨膨脹因素後的經濟成長）增加了 3.6%。

這一事態發展使一些貧窮的俄羅斯人的經濟狀況有所改善，使有關如何結束戰爭的計算變得更加複雜。

世界銀行上調七個國家評級，下調西岸和加沙評級

除俄羅斯外，世界銀行還將保加利亞和帛琉從中高收入國家升級為高收入國家。他們的升級是在疫情後幾年的成長之後到來的。

烏克蘭也從中低收入國家躍升為中高收入國家，實質 GDP 成長 5.3%，扭轉了 2022 年 28.8% 的大幅下滑。

世界銀行銀行補充道: 「雖然烏克蘭的經濟因俄羅斯的入侵而受到嚴重損害，但2023 年的實際增長是由建築活動(24.6%) 推動的，反映出支持烏克蘭在持續破壞後的重建工作的投資支出大幅增加(52.9% )」。

世界銀行今年總共升級了七個國家的評級，僅下調了一個國家的評級：約旦河西岸和加沙。

約旦河西岸和加沙於2023年成為中上收入國家，但其經濟因與以色列的戰爭而受到重大影響。

世界銀行經濟學家寫道：「中東衝突始於2023年10月，雖然對約旦河西岸和加薩地帶的影響僅限於第四季度，但其規模仍足以導致毛額GDP下降9.2%」 。約旦河西岸和加薩的 GDP 實際下降 5.5%。

              So, Russia's economy has defied sanctions in the two years since Moscow invades Ukraine and now is classified as a "high-income country." I am wondering how long this war time economy can sustain itself before the down side on the country is felt.

 

Note:

1. Nominal GDP is GDP in current prices, without adjustment for inflation. Current price estimates of GDP are obtained by expressing values of all goods and services produced in the current reporting period.

聯合國在美國支持下通過中國決議, 縮小獲取人工智能的差距

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

UN adopts Chinese resolution with US support on closing the gap in access to artificial intelligence

Edith M. Lederer

Tue, July 2, 2024 at 8:12 a.m. PDT·4 min read

The Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly adopted a Chinese-sponsored resolution with U.S. support urging wealthy developed nations to close the widening gap with poorer developing countries and ensure that they have equal opportunities to use and benefit from artificial intelligence.

The resolution approved Monday follows the March 21 adoption of the first U.N. resolution on artificial intelligence spearheaded by the United States and co-sponsored by 123 countries including China. It gave global support to the international effort to ensure that AI is “safe, secure and trustworthy” and that all nations can take advantage of it.

Adoption of the two nonbinding resolutions shows that the United States and China, rivals in many areas, are both determined to be key players in shaping the future of the powerful new technology — and have been cooperating on the first important international steps.

The adoption of both resolutions by consensus by the 193-member General Assembly shows widespread global support for their leadership on the issue.

Fu Cong, China’s U.N. ambassador, told reporters Monday that the two resolutions are complementary, with the U.S. measure being “more general” and the just-adopted one focusing on “capacity building.”

He called the Chinese resolution, which had more than 140 sponsors, “great and far-reaching,” and said, “We’re very appreciative of the positive role that the U.S. has played in this whole process.”

Nate Evans, spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the United Nations, said Tuesday that the Chinese-sponsored resolution “was negotiated so it would further the vision and approach the U.S. set out in March.”

“We worked diligently and in good faith with developing and developed countries to strengthen the text, ensuring it reaffirms safe, secure, and trustworthy AI that respects human rights, commits to digital inclusion, and advances sustainable development,” Evans said.

Fu said that AI technology is advancing extremely fast and the issue has been discussed at very senior levels, including by the U.S. and Chinese leaders.

“We do look forward to intensifying our cooperation with the United States and for that matter with all countries in the world on this issue, which … will have far-reaching implications in all dimensions,” he said.

The Chinese ambassador, however, strongly criticized the U.S. Treasury Department’s proposed rule, announced on June 21, that would restrict and monitor U.S. investments in China for artificial intelligence, computer chips and quantum computing.

“We are firmly opposed to these sanctions,” Fu said. China doesn’t believe the rule will be “helpful to the healthy development of the AI technology per se, and will, by extension, divide the world in terms of the standards, and in terms of the rules governing AI.” He called on the U.S. to lift the sanctions.

The Chinese resolution calls on the international community “to provide and promote a fair, open, inclusive and non-discriminatory business environment,” from AI’s design and development to its use. Fu said that China doesn’t think the U.S. actions foster an inclusive business environment.

Both the U.S. and Chinese resolutions focus on the civilian applications of AI, but Fu told reporters the military dimension of AI is also very important.

“We do believe that it is necessary for the international community to take measures to reduce the dangers and the risks posed by the development of AI,” he said.

China is actively participating in negotiations in Geneva on controlling lethal autonomous weapons, Fu said, adding that some countries are considering proposing a U.N. General Assembly resolution this year on the military dimension of AI — “and we are in broad support of that initiative.”

Both the U.S. and Chinese resolutions warned of the dangers of AI while also touting its potential benefits in promoting economic development and the lives of people everywhere.

The U.S. resolution recognizes that “the governance of artificial intelligence systems is an evolving area” that needs further discussions on possible governance approaches. It calls on countries to ensure that personal data is protected, human rights are safeguarded, and AI is monitored for potential risks.

Fu, who headed the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s arms control department from 2018 to 2022, said that Beijing put forward the resolution because of the widening gap in AI technology between the developed North and developing South.

He said China also wanted to highlight the central role the United Nations should play in AI governance as “the most representative and most inclusive international forum.”

The Chinese resolution resolves “to bridge the artificial intelligence and other digital divides between and within countries,” and promote international cooperation, including sharing knowledge and transferring technology to developing countries.

Translation

聯合國（美聯社）— 聯合國大會在美國的支持下通過了一項由中國發起的決議，敦促富裕的已開發國家縮小與較貧窮的發展中國家之間日益擴大的差距，並確保它們有平等的機會使用人工智能並從中受益。

繼3月21日通過由美國牽頭、包括中國在內的123個國家共同提案的第一項聯合國人工智能決議後，週一該決議獲得了通過。它提供國際努力去確保人工智慧「安全、可靠和值得信賴」; 以及 使所有國家都能利用它。

這兩項不具約束力的決議的通過表明，美國和中國這兩個在許多領域競爭的對手都決心成為塑造強大新技術未來的關鍵參與者，並且在重要的國際上合作行出第一步。

由 193 個成員國組成的大會以協商方式一致通過這兩項決議，表明全球廣泛支持它們在這一問題上的領導。

中國駐聯合國大使 Fu Cong 週一對記者表示，這兩項決議是互補的，美國的措施 “更為廣泛”，而剛剛通過的決議側重於 “能力建設”。

他稱這項有多個140國家支持的中國決議 “偉大而深遠” ，並表示 “我們非常讚賞美國在整個過程中發揮的積極作用” 。

美國駐聯合國代表團發言人 Nate Evans 週二表示，中國發起的這項決議「是經過談判達成的，因此它可將進一步推進美國三月提出的願景和做法」。

Evans說： “我們真誠及努力地與發展中國家和發達國家合作，以強化文本，確保安全可靠和值得信賴的人工智能會尊重人權，致力於數字包容，並推動可持續發展。”

Fu 說，人工智能技術發展極為迅速，這個問題已經在非常高層討論過，包括美國和中國領導人。

他說： “我們確實期待在這個問題上加強與美國以及世界所有國家的合作，這……將在各個方面產生深遠的影響。”

然而，中國大使強烈批評美國財政部6月21日宣布的倡議規則，該規則將限制和監控美國在中國的人工智能、電腦晶片和量子計算領域上的投資。

Fu 說: 「我們堅決反對這些制裁」。中國不認為該規則「有助於人工智能技術本身的健康發展，並推而廣之, 規則會進一步分化世界的人工智能的標準及其治理」。他呼籲美國取消制裁。

中國的決議呼籲國際社會從人工智能的設計、開發到使用，「提供和促進公平、開放、包容和非歧視的商業環境」。Fu 表示，中方認為美國的行為沒有營造包容性的商業環境。

美國和中國的決議都專注於人工智能的民用應用，但 Fu 告訴記者，人工智能的軍事層面也非常重要。

他說: 「我們確實認為，國際社會有必要採取措施減少人工智能發展帶來的危險和風險」。

Fu 說，中國正在積極參與在日內瓦舉行的有關控制致命自主武器的談判，並補充說，一些國家正在考慮今年就人工智能的軍事層面提出一項聯合國大會決議， “我們廣泛支持這項倡議。”

美國和中國的決議都警告了人工智能的危險，同時也宣揚了在促進經濟發展和世界各地人民生活方面的潛在好處。

美國的決議承認 “人工智能系統的治理是一個不斷發展的領域” ，需要進一步討論可能的治理方法。它呼籲各國確保個人資料受到保護，人權得到保障，並監控人工智能的潛在風險。

曾於2018年至2022年期間擔任中國外交部軍控司司長的 Fu 表示，北京提出這項決議是因為已開發北國家與發展中南國家之間在人工智能技術方面的差距不斷擴大。

他表示，中國也希望強調聯合國作為「最具代表性和最具包容性的國際論壇」在人工智能治理中應發揮的核心作用。

中國的決議決心 “彌合國家之間和國家內部的人工智能和其他數字鴻溝” ，並促進國際互聯互通, 包括向發展中國家分享知識和轉移技術。

So, the U.N. adopted a Chinese-sponsored resolution with U.S. support urging wealthy developed nations to close the widening gap with poorer developing countries and ensure that they have equal opportunities to use, and benefit from artificial intelligence. It is obvious that in some areas these super powers can co-operate to do something for the benefit of human kind.

令人驚訝的小行星樣本顯示Bennu可能起源於海洋世界 (2/2)

Recently CNN news reported the following:

Surprising asteroid sample reveals Bennu may have originated from an ocean world (2/2)

By Ashley Strickland, CNN

 4 minute read

Updated 3:45 PM EDT, Thu June 27, 2024

(continue)

Cosmic time capsules

The rocks collected from Bennu represent a time capsule from the early days of the solar system dating back more than 4.5 billion years.

“The sample we returned is the largest reservoir of unaltered asteroid material on Earth right now,” Lauretta said.

Astronomers believe that space rocks such as asteroids and comets may have served as ancient messengers in our solar system.

“This means asteroids such as this may have played a key role in delivering water and the building blocks of life to Earth,” said study coauthor Nick Timms, OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis team member and associate professor in Curtin University’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, in a statement.

If these smaller rocky bodies were carrying water, minerals and other elements and crashed into Earth as it was forming billions of years ago, they could have helped set the stage for life to begin on our planet.

“These findings underscore the importance of collecting and studying material from asteroids like Bennu — especially low-density material that would typically burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere,” Lauretta said. “This material holds the key to unraveling the intricate processes of solar system formation and the prebiotic chemistry that could have contributed to life emerging on Earth.”

The wealth of material collected from the asteroid means that more labs around the world will receive their own pieces of the sample to study.

“The Bennu samples are tantalizingly beautiful extraterrestrial rocks,” said co-lead study author Harold Connolly Jr., OSIRIS-REx mission sample scientist and chair of the department of geology at Rowan University’s School of Earth & Envrionment in Glassboro, New Jersey, in a statement. “Each week, analysis by the OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team provides new and sometimes surprising findings that are helping place important constraints on the origin and evolution of Earth-like planets.”

Translation

（繼續）

宇宙時間囊

從 Bennu 收集的岩石代表了太陽系早期的時間囊，其歷史可以追溯到 45 億年前。

Lauretta 說: 「我們收回來的樣本是目前地球上最大的,未改變的小行星物質庫」。

天文學家認為，小行星和彗星等太空岩石可能是我們太陽系中的古代使者。

研究合著者、OSIRIS-Rex 的樣本分析小組成員、Curtin 大學地球與行星學院副教授 Nick Timms在一聲明中說: 「這意味著像這樣的小行星, 可能在向地球輸送水和生命的組成部分方面發揮了關鍵作用」。

如果這些較小的岩石體攜帶著水、礦物質和其他元素，並在數十億年前當地球形成時撞擊它，這可能有助於為我們星球上生命的開始奠定基礎。

Lauretta說： “這些發現強調了收集和研究 Bennu 這樣的小行星物質的重要性 - 尤其是低密度物質，這些物質通常會在進入地球大氣層時燃燒”; “這種材料掌握著關鍵去解開太陽系形成的複雜過程, 和可能有助於地球上出現生命的益生元化學。”

從小行星收集到的豐富材料, 意味著世界各地更多的實驗室將收到給自己的樣本碎片進行研究。

該研究的聯合主要作者、OSIRIS-REx 任務樣本科學家、新澤西州 Glassboro 的 Rowan大學地球與環境學院地質系主任 Harold Connolly Jr. 說: 「Bennu 樣本是極其美麗的地外岩石」。 「每週，OSIRIS-REx 樣本分析小組的分析都會提供新的、有時令人驚訝的發現，這些發現有助於對類似地球行星的起源和演化設定出重要的條件限制」。

So, an early analysis of a sample collected from the asteroid Bennu suggests that the space rock has an unexpectedly water-rich past — and it may have even splintered off from an ancient ocean world. Probably, the US will share the material collected from this asteroid with labs around the world for studying so as to shed light on the origin of evolution of the Earth. Previously, a  similar mission has been done by Japan to collect sample from the asteroid Ryugu and send back the sample to to Earth in December 2020.

令人驚訝的小行星樣本顯示Bennu可能起源於海洋世界 (1/2)

Recently CNN news on-line reported the following:

Surprising asteroid sample reveals Bennu may have originated from an ocean world (1/2)

By Ashley Strickland, CNN

 4 minute read

Updated 3:45 PM EDT, Thu June 27, 2024

CNN— An early analysis of a sample collected from the asteroid Bennu suggests that the space rock had an unexpectedly water-rich past — and it may have even splintered off from an ancient ocean world.

The NASA OSIRIS-REx mission scooped up the 4.3-ounce (121.6-gram) pristine sample from the near-Earth asteroid in 2020 and returned it to Earth last September.

Since then, scientists have been analyzing the asteroid’s rocks and dust to see what secrets they may contain about the asteroid’s composition and whether it could have delivered the elements for life to Earth. Asteroids also intrigue scientists because they are the leftover remnants from the formation of the solar system.

An initial review of some of the sample, shared in October, suggested that the asteroid contained a large amount of carbon.

During a new analysis of the sample, the team discovered that Bennu’s dust is rich in carbon, nitrogen and organic compounds, all of which helped form the solar system. These ingredients are also essential to life as we understand it and could help scientists better understand how Earth-like planets evolve.

A study detailing the findings appeared Wednesday in the journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science.

“OSIRIS-REx gave us exactly what we hoped: a large pristine asteroid sample rich in nitrogen and carbon from a formerly wet world,” said study coauthor Jason Dworkin, OSIRIS-REx project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in a statement.

The elements for life

The biggest surprise was finding magnesium-sodium phosphate within the sample, which remote sensing didn’t initially detect when OSIRIS-REx, or the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security — Regolith Explorer mission, was orbiting Bennu.

Magnesium-sodium phosphate is a compound that can be dissolved in water and serves as a component of biochemistry for life.

It’s possible that the asteroid may have broken away from a tiny, primitive ocean world that no longer exists in our solar system, the researchers said.

The asteroid’s sample largely consists of clay minerals, including serpentine, which makes the sample remarkably similar to rocks found at midocean ridges on Earth. These ridges are where material from the mantle, the layer beneath Earth’s surface crust, encounters water.

A similar phosphate was found in a sample from the asteroid Ryugu collected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Hayabusa2 mission and returned to Earth in December 2020. But the compound from the Bennu sample is purer and has larger grains.

“The presence and state of phosphates, along with other elements and compounds on Bennu, suggest a watery past for the asteroid,” said co-lead study author Dante Lauretta, principal investigator for OSIRIS-REx and regents professor at the University of Arizona, Tucson, in a statement. “Bennu potentially could have once been part of a wetter world. Although, this hypothesis requires further investigation.”

(to be continued)

Translation

CNN - 對從小行星 Bennu 收集的樣本進行的早期分析表明，這顆太空岩石的過去出乎意料地含有大量水份 - 它甚至可能是從一個古老的海洋世界分裂出來的。

NASA 的 OSIRIS-REx 任務於 2020 年從接近地球小行星上挖出了 4.3 盎司（121.6 克）的原始樣本，並於去年 9 月將其帶回地球。

從那時起，科學家一直在分析這顆小行星的岩石和塵埃，看看它們可能包含有關小行星成分的秘密，以及它是否可以將生命所需的元素輸送到地球。小行星也引起了科學家的興趣，因為它們是太陽系形成過程中留下的殘餘物。

已在十月分享對一些樣本的初步審查表明，這顆小行星含有大量碳。

在對樣本的新分析中，研究小組發現 Bennu 的塵埃含大量碳、氮和有機化合物，所有這些都有助於形成太陽系。，這些成分對於我們所知的生命也是至關重要的，可以幫助科學家更好地了解像地球的行星是如何演化的。

週三，一項詳細介紹這項發現的研究在《隕石與行星科學》雜誌上發表。

研究合著者 Jason Dworkin 是位於馬利蘭州 Greenbelt 的美國宇航局 Goddard太空飛行中心的 OSIRIS-REx 計劃科學家，他說：「OSIRIS-REx 為我們提供了我們所希望的東西：來自以前潮濕世界的富含氮和碳的大型原始小行星樣本」。

生命的要素

最大的驚喜是在樣本中發現了磷酸鎂鈉，而當 OSIRIS-Rex 即是 Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security — Regolith Explorer 繞著 Bennu 運行時，最初遙感應器並未檢測到這種物質。

磷酸鎂鈉是一種可溶於水的化合物，是生命生物化學的組成部分。

研究人員表示，這顆小行星可能是從太陽系中已經不再存在的微小原始海洋世界中脫離出來。

這顆小行星的樣本主要由黏土礦物組成，包括蛇紋石，這使得樣本與地球上在 “海洋中脊”所發現的岩石非常相似。這些山脊是來自地球地幔 (地殼以下的一層）的物質與水相遇的地方。

類似的磷酸鹽也在日本宇宙航空研究開發機構的 Hayabusa 2 號任中務所收集到, 之後於 2020 年 12 月送返回地球的小行星 Ryugu 樣本中發現。但 Bennu 樣本中的化合物較純淨，顆粒較大。

該研究的共同領導者、OSIRIS-REx 首席研究員、Tucson 亞利桑那大學攝政教授 Dante Lauretta 在一聲明中說: 「Bennu 上的磷酸鹽的存在和狀態，以及其他元素和化合物，表明這顆小行星的過去曾經有過水份」; 「Bennu 可能曾經是一個濕潤世界的一部分。不過，這一假設還需要進一步調查」。

（待續）

Note:

1. An asteroid (小行星) is a minor planet that orbit within the inner Solar System. They are rocky, metallic, or icy bodies with no atmosphere. The size and shape of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from small rubble piles under a kilometer to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter. (Wikipedia)

2. Mid-ocean ridges (海洋中脊) are geologically important because they occur along the kind of plate boundary where new ocean floor is created as the plates spread apart. The mid-ocean ridge is also known as a "spreading center" or a "divergent plate boundary." The plates spread apart at rates of 1 cm to 20 cm per year. (https://www.google.com/search?q=midocean+ridges+on+Earth&rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA985CA985&oq=midocean+ridges+on+Earth&gs)

3. The title Regents Professor serves as recognition of the highest academic merit and is awarded to faculty members who have made a unique contribution to the quality of the University through distinguished accomplishments in teaching scholarship, research, or creative work.

新型碳去除裝置吸收二氧化碳的速度比地球海洋快 99,000 倍

Recently Business Insider reported the following:

A new carbon removal plant will absorb carbon dioxide 99,000 times faster than Earth's oceans

Business Insider - Ellyn Lapointe, Jessica Orwig

Wed, June 26, 2024 at 8:54 a.m. PDT·5 min read

The oceans are our planet's largest carbon sink, naturally absorbing about 25% of the carbon dioxide that humans emit. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) companies like Equatic are trying to harness that natural process to absorb even more.

"We take what the ocean does already and amplify that," Edward Sanders, COO at Equatic, told Business Insider.

 On June 18, Equatic announced it started engineering designs for the world's first commercial-scale, ocean-based CDR plant, Sanders said. The plant could remove carbon dioxide at a rate that's 99,000 times as fast as the oceans.

Equatic is one of about a dozen marine CDR companies that have sprouted in recent years in an effort to accelerate the ocean's natural capacity to absorb more CO2. A report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine estimates that marine CDR could remove billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere.

The technology is still in its infancy and it's unclear what the environmental impacts will be — especially at a large scale. But CDR is a necessary step in mitigating climate change; reducing greenhouse gas emissions is no longer enough to limit global warming to 1.5 °C to 2 °C by the end of the century, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

How Equatic is sucking CO2 from the air

There are a lot of different ways to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Equatic's technology, for example, uses something called seawater electrolysis. It takes seawater and runs an electric current through it, which splits the water into hydrogen, oxygen, and two separate fluids: one acid and a base.

"The process stores carbon that was dissolved in the water as a solid, similar to the material that makes up seashells, and creates an alkaline slurry that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere via a cooling tower," Sanders told BI over email.

As an added bonus, the hydrogen can be converted into clean hydrogen fuel, which Equatic can either reuse to power its CDR plants or sell. Companies including Boeing and payment service provider Stripe have signed contracts with Equatic for its hydrogen.

Equatic already has two small pilot plants to validate its technology — one in LA and a second in Singapore.

The company is also building a larger plant scheduled to go online in Singapore later in 2024, which will absorb about 4,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually and lay the groundwork for the company's first commercial-scale plant. That plant will launch in 2026 or 2027 in partnership with Canadian carbon removal project developer Deep Sky.

Researchers estimate that by 2050, it will cost between $230 and $540 to remove one ton of CO2 from the atmosphere. But Equatic offsets the cost of CDR by producing and selling green hydrogen. The company predicts the new plant could achieve CDR at less than $100 per ton by 2030.

Ultimately, Sanders envisions a global fleet of these CDR plants.

"Once we get to that point, we're not talking about a hundred thousand tons, we're not talking about millions of tons, we're talking about hundreds of millions of tons because this technology can be replicated in many countries," Sanders said.

Questions remain about CDR's economic and environmental impact

Since there are no commercial-scale, ocean-based CDR plants online yet, practically nothing is known about their impact on the environment and local economies.

In general, ocean-based CDR techniques manipulate seawater in ways that could potentially disrupt sea life.

"You're going to be pulling in phytoplankton and bugs and other potential living creatures from the ocean and filtering those out can have some environmental impacts," Jessica Cross, an earth scientist with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory who specializes in CDR for the oceans, told BI.

Exactly what those impacts are depends on where a CDR operation is and what organisms are involved.

Sanders told BI that Equatic closely monitors discharge from its CDR plants to ensure they comply with legal pollution standards. Its upcoming plant in Singapore will also filter seawater to remove sea life before water enters the plant.

We can't fully rely on CDR to mitigate climate change

Because CDR is expensive and limited in scale, we can't abandon decarbonization and emissions reduction efforts, Cross said.

The benefits of this technology are "far in the future, whereas the risks of initiating this industry and this infrastructure development are local, short-term, and much more immediate," Cross said.

"Figuring out how to balance, again, this sort of diffuse global benefit with this local risk that happens, it is something that responsible researchers should be grappling with," she said.

Translation

海洋是地球上最大的碳匯，自然地吸收了人類排放的約 25% 的二氧化碳。 Equatic 等二氧化碳移除 (CDR) (Carbon dioxide removal) 公司正在嘗試利用這個自然過程來吸收更多二氧化碳。

Equatic 首席營運長 Edward Sanders 告訴《商業內幕》： “我們借鑒了海洋已經做的事情，並將其放大。”

Sanders 表示，6 月 18 日，Equatic 宣布開始為世界上第一個商業規模的碳移除工廠進行工程設計。該工廠去除二氧化碳的速度是海洋的 99,000 倍。

Equatic 是近年來興起的十幾家海洋 CDR 公司之一，其目的是提高海洋吸收更多二氧化碳的自然能力。美國國家科學、工程和醫學院的報告估計，海洋 CDR 可以消除大氣中數十億噸的二氧化碳。

該技術仍處於起步階段，目前還不清楚會對環境產生什麼影響 - 尤其是大規模的影響。但碳移除是緩解氣候變遷的必要步驟；根據政府間氣候變遷專門委員會，減少溫室氣體排放已不足以到本世紀末將全球暖化限制在 1.5°C 至 2°C 之內。

Equatic 如何從空氣中吸收二氧化碳

從大氣中吸收二氧化碳的方法有很多。例如，Equatic 的技術使用了一種稱為海水電解的技術。它吸收海水並通過電流，將水分解成氫氣、氧氣和兩種不同的液體：一種酸和一種鹼。

Sanders 透過電子郵件告訴 BI： “該過程將溶解在水中的碳以固體形式存儲，類似於構成貝殼的材料，並產生鹼性漿液，通過冷卻塔去除大氣中的二氧化碳。”

作為額外的好處，氫氣可以轉化為清潔的氫燃料，Equatic 可以重新用為它其 CDR 工廠提供動或出售它。包括波音公司以及支付服務提供商 Stripe 在內的公司已與 Equatic 簽署了提供氫氣的合約。

Equatic 已經擁有兩個小型試點工廠來驗證其技術 - 一個位於洛杉磯，另一個位於新加坡。

該公司還正在建造一座更大的工廠，計劃於 2024 年稍後在新加坡投產，每年將吸收約 4,000 噸二氧化碳，並為該公司第一座商業規模工廠奠定基礎。該工廠將與加拿大的碳移除項目開發商 Deep Sky 於2026 年或 2027 年合作啟動。

研究人員估計，到 2050 年，從大氣中去除一噸二氧化碳的成本將在 230 至 540 美元之間。但 Equatic 透過生產和銷售綠氫來抵消 CDR 的成本。該公司預計，到 2030 年，新工廠的碳移除價格將低於每噸 100 美元。

最終，Sanders 設構想了一個由這些碳移除工廠組成的全球隊伍。

Sanders說: 「一旦我們達到這一點，我們講及的不會是十萬噸，我們講及的不會是數百萬噸，我們講及的是數億噸，因為這項技術可以在許多國家複製」。

碳移除的經濟和環境影響仍有疑問

由於目前還沒有商業規模的海上碳移除工廠，因此實際上其對環境和當地經濟的影響一無所知。

一般來說，基於海洋的碳移除技術是去干擾海水, 這方式可能會擾亂海洋生態。

太平洋西北國家實驗室專門研究海洋碳移除的地球科學家 Jessica Cross 對BI表示：「你將從海洋中吸入浮游植物、蟲子和其他潛在的生物，將它們過濾掉可能會對環境產生一些影響」。

這些影響到底是什麼, 取決於碳移除操作的地點以及涉及的生物。

Sanders告訴 BI，Equatic 密切監控其碳移除工廠的排放，以確保它們符合法定污染標準。其即將在新加坡建造的工廠還將過濾海水，在水進入工廠之前濾去海洋生物。

我們不能完全依靠碳移除來緩解氣候變遷

Cross 表示，由於碳移除成本高昂且規模有限，我們不能放棄脫碳及減碳排放的努力。

Cross 說，這項技術的好處 「是在遙遠的未來，而啟動這個產業, 和其基礎設施發展的風險是局部的、短期的、更直接的」。

她說: 「再次弄清楚如何平衡這種分散的全球利益, 相對局部地區風險的發生，是負責任的研究人員應該努力解決的問題」。

              So, the designs for the world's first commercial-scale, ocean-based CDR plant has started. The plant could remove carbon dioxide at a rate that's 99,000 times as fast as the oceans. Researchers estimate that by 2050, it will cost between $230 and $540 to remove one ton of CO2 from the atmosphere, and will be less than $100 per ton by 2030. It seems that we will have another tool to reduce carbon in the air so as to fight against global warming.

越南 VinFast 希望透過價格低於 10,000 美元的小型電動車來改變命運 (2/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Vietnam's VinFast looks to tiny EV, priced at less than $10,000, to change its fortunes (2/2)

AP -Aniruddha Ghosal

Tue, June 25, 2024 at 4:08 a.m. PDT·6 min read

(continue)

VinFast aims to sell 20,000 of these cars in Vietnam this year and deliveries will begin in August. It's being sold on the Southeast Asian e-commerce website Shopee, with an initial deposit of about $2,000. The company says more than 27,000 people applied to buy the car in the first three days after orders opened on May 13.

Many, like Dieu Linh, 32, are first-time car buyers. A businesswoman, she and her husband wanted to switch from motorbikes to a car, which is safer and more comfortable during extreme heat or rains.

"The VF3 price is tempting. But I'll wait and see how it performs on the road before I make my deposit,” she said.

VinFast plans to start selling VF3s in the Philippines this year and in Indonesia, Thailand, the U.S., and Europe by next year.

It opened its first showroom in Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, in April and says it has sold about 600 SUVs to Indonesian companies. It has begun construction of a factory in India.

Even in Asian markets, VinFast faces plenty of competition, especially from Chinese EV maker BYD, which has already achieved a big enough scale for cost-efficient manufacturing. Chinese EV makers like BYD and Haima are rapidly expanding in Southeast Asia. But in Vietnam, VinFast's near-monopoly over charging infrastructure — charging stations dot the country, not just in big cities but also in more remote hilly provinces — consumer mistrust of Chinese products and nationalist sentiment may give it an initial edge, said Le Hong Hiep, a visiting fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

BYD plans to launch three models — the Atto 3, Dolphin and Seal — in Vietnam next month.

VinFast must increase its sales to reduce per unit costs for its sprawling factory in northern Vietnam’s Haiphong province, which has the capacity to make around 250,000 EVs a year but is making a fraction of that.

“An idle factory just burns through money,” said Tu Le, the auto consultant.

India, the world's third-largest car market by sales, offers the promise of scale, but only if VinFast builds its own factory there to enable it to benefit from policies that protect local carmakers. High import taxes mean that even at $9,200, the VF3 would be too expensive for Indians, said Ishan Raghav, the managing editor of the Indian car magazine autoX.

The VF3 might appeal to Indian families looking for a compact car with a range suitable for getting around in India’s crowded cities. But newcomers have to set up broad sales and EV charging networks and that will take a few years, he said. “All of these — manufacturing, sales and service and charging networks — are capital intensive and take time," he said.

Vingroup has launched a company called V-Green to build its own charging infrastructure in Vietnam and other key markets. In Thailand, it plans to build its own charging infrastructure, Vu Dang Yen Hang, chief executive officer of VinFast Thailand, told The Associated Press in an interview in March.

VinFast is racing against time.

Despite prioritizing sales in the U.S., bad reviews for its early models in the hypercompetitive market meant that it sold fewer than 1,000 cars in North America last year and only around 35,000 cars globally, below its target of at least 40,000 cars. About two-thirds of VinFast's revenue in 2023 came from sales to a taxi service owned by Vingroup, according to a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

VinFast's main challenge is to improve its financial performance, said Hiep.

“If they cannot sustain it long enough, they may go bankrupt,” he said.

Translation

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VinFast 的目標是今年在越南銷售 20,000 輛此類汽車，交付將於 8 月開始。它在東南亞電商網站 Shopee 上出售，初始押金約為 2,000 美元。該公司表示，5 月 13 日訂單開放後的前三天，就有超過 27,000 人申請購買該車。

許多人，例如 32 歲的 Dieu Linh，都是首次購車。身為一名女商人，她和丈夫想從摩托車換成汽車，這樣在酷熱或下雨時更安全、更舒適。

她說: 「VF3 的價格很吸引。但在我付按金之前，我會先看看它在路上的表現如何」。

VinFast 計劃今年開始在菲律賓銷售 VF3，明年開始在印尼、泰國、美國和歐洲銷售。

該公司於 4 月在印尼首都雅加達開設了第一家陳列室，並表示已向印尼公司出售了約 600 輛 SUV。它已開始在印度建造工廠。

即使在亞洲市場，VinFast 也面臨激烈的競爭，尤其是來自中國電動車製造商比亞迪的競爭，該公司已經實現了足夠大的規模，可以實現高成本效益的製造。比亞迪和海馬等中國電動車製造商正在東南亞迅速擴張。但在越南，VinFast 對充電基礎設施近乎壟斷 - 充電站遍布全國，不僅在大城市，而且在更偏遠的山區省份 - 新加坡ISEAS-Yusof Ishak研究所客座研究員 Le Hong Hiep 表示, 消費者對中國產品的不信任和民族主義情緒可能會給 VinFast 帶來初步優勢。

比亞迪計劃下個月在越南推出三款車型 - Atto 3、Dolphin 和 Seal。

VinFast 必須增加銷量，以降低其位於越南北部海防省的龐大工廠的單位成本，該工廠每年可生產約 25 萬輛電動車，但目前產量僅為其產能的一小部分。

汽車顧問 Tu Le 說: 「閒置的工廠只會燒錢」。

印度作為全球銷售第三大汽車市場，規模上有保証，但前提是 VinFast 在印度建立自己的工廠，使其能夠從保護當地汽車製造商的政策中受益。印度汽車雜誌 autoX 的總編輯 Ishan Raghav 表示，高昂的進口稅意味著即使售價為 9,200 美元，VF3 對於印度人來說也太貴了。

VF3 可能會吸引那些尋求一款適合在印度擁擠的城市出行的小型車的印度家庭。但他表示，新來者必須建立廣泛的銷售和電動車充電網絡，這將需要幾年的時間。他說: 「所有這些 - 製造、銷售、服務以及充電網路 - 都是資本密集的，並且需要時間」。

Vingroup 成立了一家名為 V-Green 的公司，在越南和其他主要市場建立自己的充電基礎設施。 VinFast 泰國公司執行長 Vu Dang Yen Hang 在 3 月接受美聯社採訪時表示，該公司計劃在泰國建立自己的充電基礎設施。

VinFast 正在與時間賽跑。

儘管優先考慮在美國銷售，但其早期車型在競爭激烈的市場中受到的低劣評價使去年該公司在北美的銷量不到1,000 輛，全球銷量僅為35,000 輛左右，低於至少40,000 輛的目標。根據向美國證券交易委員會提交的文件，2023 年 VinFast 約三分之二的收入來自對 Vingroup 旗下計程車公司的銷售。

Hiep 表示，VinFast 的主要挑戰是去提高財務表現。

他說: 「如果他們的財務表現不能維持足夠長的時間，他們可能會破產」。

              So, VinFast is facing the problem of can’t sell enough cars. VinFast’s factory in northern Vietnam has the capacity to make around 250,000 EVs a year but is making a fraction of that. The VF3 is trying to enter the Indian market, but it has to set up broad sales connections and EV charging networks and that will take a few years to achieve. Now, it seems that EV business is not that profitable after all because of keen competition.