Boeing USA - builds assembly plant in Australia, outside the US for the first time

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

米ボーイング、オーストラリアに組み立て工場建設　米国外で初

2021.09.23 Thu posted at 15:25 JST

 （ＣＮＮ Ｂｕｓｉｎｅｓｓ） 米航空機製造大手ボーイングは２２日、米国以外で初めて製品の最終段階の組み立て作業を行う工場をオーストラリアに新設する計画を発表した。

工場はオーストラリアのトゥーンバに建設予定で、民間のジェット機ではなく軍用ドローンの組み立てを行う。

ボーイングにとって防衛・宇宙・安全保障事業は、困難続きだった過去数年間で最も安定した収入源だった。同事業部は２０１８年以来、毎年２６０億ドル（約２兆８０００億円）の収益を計上。これに対して民間航空機の収益は、７３７ＭＡＸ型旅客機の問題や新型コロナウイルスの影響で４１０億ドル（７２％）落ち込んだ。

２０２０年の防衛事業は米国防総省の契約が約８３％を占めていたが、外国の顧客も相当数に上っていた。

オーストラリアで建造するドローン「ロイヤル・ウィングマン」は、ボーイングのオーストラリアチームが設計を手掛けた。同工場によって２０２８年までに３５００人の新規雇用が創出される見通し。現時点で確認されている同ドローンの顧客はオーストラリア空軍のみだが、ボーイングは世界中の軍を顧客として同機を輸出する計画だ。

米国の製造大手はかつて、全てあるいは実質的に全ての製品を米国内で製造していた時代もあったが、今やそれはほぼボーイングのみとなっていた。例えば自動車大手ゼネラル・モーターズ（ＧＭ）やフォードは、米国内での生産台数よりも、中国やメキシコで生産する台数の方が多い。

米国の製造各社が国外で製品を製造する理由は、人件費の削減だけでなく、外国に売り込む場合の納期の短縮や経費の削減にある。

ボーイングのオーストラリア法人の従業員は現在約４０００人。既に米国以外では最も規模が大きく、同地で部品の組み立てを行って米国の工場に輸送している。

Translation

 (CNN Business) Boeing, a major US aircraft manufacturer, announced on the 22nd that it planned to build a new factory in Australia for the first final assembly work of products outside the United States.

The plant would be built in Toowoomba, Australia where it could assemble military drones rather than civilian jets.

For Boeing, defense, space and security businesses had been the most stable source of income in the last few years of difficult times. Since 2018, the division had generated $ 26 billion in revenue each year. In contrast, commercial aircraft revenues fell by $ 41 billion (72%) due to the 737MAX passenger plane problems and the impact of the new coronavirus.

While in the defense business in 2020, the US Department of Defense contracts accounted for about 83%, there were also a considerable number increase in foreign customers.

The drone "Royal Wingman" to be built in Australia was designed by Boeing's Australian team. The factory was expected to create 3,500 new jobs by 2028. The only confirmed customers for the drone at this time are the Royal Australian Air Force, but Boeing planned to export the same craft to military customers around the world.

 There was a time when US manufacturers used to manufacture all or substantially all products in the United States, but now it's almost only Boeing doing this. For example, automobile giants General Motors (GM) and Ford, they produced more in China and Mexico than in the United States.

The reason why US manufacturers manufacture products overseas was not only to reduce labor costs, but also to shorten delivery times and reduce costs when selling to foreign countries.

Boeing's Australian subsidiary currently employed approximately 4,000 people. It was already the largest outside the United States, where parts were assembled and shipped to factories in the United States.

              So, Boeing's Australian subsidiary is going to expand in the future. Compared to France, the US should be a better partner for Australia in many respects and for different reasons. To say the least, they speak the same language.

Taiwan - Formal application to join TPP

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

台湾 TPPへの加入を正式申請

2021年9月22日 23時17分

日本をはじめとする11か国が参加するTPP＝環太平洋パートナーシップ協定に台湾が加入を申請したことが明らかになりました。TPPをめぐっては中国も先週、加入を申請したばかりで、中国側の反発も予想されます。

これは台湾の内閣にあたる行政院の報道官が22日夜、明らかにしました。

それによりますと、台湾は22日午後、日本をはじめとする11か国が参加するTPP＝環太平洋パートナーシップ協定への加入を申請したとしています。

台湾の通信社、中央通信は、閣僚の王美花経済部長が23日、対外的な説明を行うと伝えています。

TPPをめぐっては先週、中国が加入を申請したばかりで、アジア太平洋地域での影響力を高めるねらいとみられています。

中国の加入申請が伝えられた際、王部長は台湾メディアに対し「われわれも参加国と非公式に協議をしており、機が熟せば当然、申請する」と加入に意欲を示していました。

また王部長はかねて、台湾はTPPの高い基準を満たすための法整備などを進めてきたと話していました。

ただ「中国大陸と台湾はともに1つの中国に属する」と主張する中国の反発が予想され、加入に向けた交渉がスムーズに始まるかどうかは不透明です。

外務省幹部「肯定的に受け止め」

外務省幹部はNHKの取材に対し「台湾は市場経済を採用しており、WTO＝世界貿易機関における行動の実績などに照らしてもTPP加入にあたって求められるハイレベルな基準を満たすことが期待できるのではないか。日本と共通の価値観を共有するパートナーである台湾が加入を正式に申請したことを肯定的に受け止めている」と述べました。

政府関係者「歓迎することになると思う」

日本の政府関係者は事実関係を確認中だとしたうえで「台湾は民主主義や法の支配など日本とは普遍的な価値観を共有している。TPPが求める高いレベルの基準を満たすかどうかを見極める必要があるが、基準をクリアできるのであれば、日本政府としては歓迎することになると思う。今後はこれまでの加入申請と同じように参加国と相談することになるだろう」と話しています。

また「台湾には中国のように他国に経済的な威圧をかけるなどの問題はなく、これまでもTPPに関心があるという姿勢を示していた。加入に向けた法整備などの準備もしていると見て取れるので、先週、中国が加入を申請した際の受け止めとは異なるものになるのではないか」と話しています。

そして中国と台湾の関係については「中国は一定の反応を示すと思うので、注視していきたい」と話していました。

Translation

It was revealed that Taiwan had applied for membership in the TPP = Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement in which 11 countries including Japan had participated. China just applied for membership last week for the TPP, and it was expected that there would be a backlash from the Chinese side.

This was revealed on the night of the 22nd by a spokesman for the Executive Yuan, the cabinet of Taiwan.

According to a report, on the afternoon of the 22nd Taiwan applied for membership for the TPP = Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement in which 11 countries including Japan participated.

Taiwanese news agency the Central News Agency (中央通訊社) said that Wang Mei-hua (王美花), the Minister of Economics, would give an external explanation on the 23rd.

China just applied for membership in the TPP last week and was expected to increase its influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

When China's application for membership was announced, Minister Wang had told the Taiwanese media that, "We are also in informal discussions with participating countries, and of course, when the time is ripe, we will apply."

Minister Wang also had already said that Taiwan was working on legislation to meet the high standards of the TPP.

However, it was unclear whether negotiations for joining could start smoothly, as China's opposition in claiming that "Mainland China and Taiwan belong to one China" was expected.

Foreign Ministry executive: "to accept definitely"

An executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told NHK that "Taiwan has adopted a market economy, and can be expected to meet the high-level standards required for joining the TPP in light of its track record of operation following the WTO = World Trade Organization, isn't it? We are positive in accepting Taiwan when it officially applied for membership as a partner that shares common values ​​with Japan. "

Government official: "I think it will be welcomed"

A Japanese government official said after the facts were being confirmed that "Taiwan shares universal values ​​with Japan, such as democracy and the rule of law. Does it meet the high-level standards required by TPP? It is necessary to determine whether or not, but if the standards can be met, the Japanese government will welcome it. In the future, we will consult with the participating countries in the same way as the previous applications for membership.”

Also, he said, "Taiwan has no problems such as imposing economic intimidation on other countries like China, and has shown an attitude of being interested in TPP. It is also preparing for legislation for joining. It may be different from the occasion in receiving application for membership from China last week. "

Regarding the relationship between China and Taiwan, he said, "I think China will show certain reaction, so I would like to keep an eye on it."

              So, China will flex its muscle again in joining TPP. TPP members will have a difficult task in dealing with the membership applications simultaneously from China and Taiwan.

廢棄工廠展示中國電動汽車熱潮如何超出合理的限度 (2 of 2)

Recently Yahoo New on-line reported the following:

Deserted Factories Show How China Electric Car Boom Went Too Far (2 of 2)

Bloomberg News

(continue)

‘Idle Capacity’

Things started to look up this year, when Byton signed a strategic cooperation deal with iPhone maker Foxconn Technology Group in January (aided by the Nanjing Economic and Technological Development Zone) to start mass production of the Byton M-Byte SUV by the first quarter of 2022. But Foxconn has been withdrawing staff from the Nanjing plant after one of the carmaker’s biggest creditors started taking management control, Bloomberg reported in July, and last week, the Nikkei newspaper said the collaboration had been put on hold due to Byton’s worsening financial situation.

A representative for Byton declined to comment for this story.

Jiangsu province, where Nanjing is located, strove to become an EV hub, luring $32 billion of auto-industry investment in the six years through 2020. Now, it’s home to more than 30 car manufacturers. But it became the focus of a Beijing-ordered probe earlier this year, which found some local authorities had been doling out tax breaks and land incentives to attract carmakers that were beyond the scope of government guidelines. This resulted in “salient problems of low production capacity utilization rates and idle capacity,” Jiangsu provincial officials said in a statement in February, without elaborating.

“Local governments had high expectations for the development of new-energy vehicle companies, hoping to tap the opportunities of the sector and drive local economic expansion,” Cui Dongshu, secretary general of China Passenger Car Association, said in an interview. “Investors also saw huge profit potential. This has resulted in surplus capacity.”

Yinlong New Energy Co.’s Nanjing factory broke ground in 2017 with a total planned investment of 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion). Output was set at 30,000 new-energy commercial vehicles, mainly electric buses, and there were EV battery making plans too. Production was due to start in 2018 but today the plant is all but abandoned. Trash has piled up along its walls and roads connecting buildings inside are deserted, its entrances barricaded.

The company’s biggest shareholder, Gree Electric Appliances Inc., said there’s still scope for collaboration, either in bolstering the carmaker’s capacity utilization and competitiveness, or in pushing its battery technology.

Some of China’s established automakers are watching all of this with a sense of inevitability. Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., one of the nation’s biggest privately owned carmakers with a range of brands spanning mass-market vehicles to ultra-luxury racing cars made by Lotus -- which it controls -- sees a natural cycle playing out, and one that will involve some casualties.

“Some people rush to build one, two, three, five factories, even though their first car isn’t yet on the market,” Group Lotus Plc Chief Executive Officer Feng Qingfeng said.

“When everybody thinks it’s easy to make cars, people dive into car making. When they realize the car business isn’t that easy, they stop investing,” he said. “It’s the invisible hand of the market economy commanding order.”

Translation

（繼續）

“間置產能”

今年情況開始好轉，今年 1 月拜騰 (Byton)與 iPhone 製造商富士康科技集團(Foxconn)簽署戰略合作協議（在南京經濟技術開發區的幫助下），將於2022年第一季度開始大量生產拜騰 M-Byte SUV。 彭博社在 7 月報導, 但當汽車製造商最大的債權人之一開始接管拜騰管理控制權後，富士康即從南京工廠撤出員工。上週，日經新聞稱，由於拜騰的財務狀況惡化，合作已被擱置.

拜騰的一位代表拒絕對這個報導發表評論。

南京所在的江蘇省力爭成為電動汽車樞紐，到 2020 年的 6 年內吸引了 320 億美元的汽車行業投資。 現在，它擁有 30 多家汽車製造商。但它成為今年早些時候北京下令進行的一項調查的焦點，該調查發現一些地方當局一直在發放超出政府指導方針範圍的稅收減免和土地激勵措施, 以吸引汽車製造商。江蘇省官員在 2 月份的一份聲明中表示，這導致了 “產能利用率低、產能閒置的突出問題” ，但沒有說明詳細内容。

中國乘用車協會秘書長崔東樹 (Cui Dongshu) 在接受采訪時表示:“地方政府對新能源汽車企業的發展寄予厚望，希望抓住行業機遇，帶動地方經濟擴張”。又 表示: “投資者也看到了巨大的盈利潛, 這導致產能過剩。”

銀隆新能源有限公司 (Yinlong New Energy Co.) 的南京工廠於 2017 年破土動工，計劃總投資為 100 億元人民幣（16 億美元）。新能源商用車的產量定為3萬輛，主要是電動客車，也有電動汽車電池製造計劃。生產原定於 2018 年開始，但今天該工廠幾乎被棄置。垃圾沿著牆壁堆積起來，部建築物內的連接道路空無一人，入口設置了路障。

該公司的最大股東格力電器 (Gree Electric Appliances Inc)表示，雙方仍有合作空間，無論是在提高汽車製造商的產能利用率和競爭力方面，還有在推動電池技術方面。

一些中國老牌汽車製造商正在以一種不可避免的感覺關注這一切。浙江吉利控股集團有限公司 (Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co.) 是全國最大的私營汽車製造商之一，旗下擁有一系列品牌，涵蓋由大眾化汽車到蓮花製造的超豪華賽車 - 全由它控制著 - 看到了一個自然循環，一個這將涉及損傷的循環。

蓮花集團 (Group Lotus Plc)首席執行官馮慶峰 (Feng Qingfeng) 說“有些人搶著建一、二、三、五座工廠，即使他們的第一輛車還沒有上市”。

他說:“當每個人都認為製造汽車很容易時，人們就會投入到汽車製造中來。當他們意識到汽車業務並不那麼容易時，他們就會停止投資”; “這是市場經濟指揮秩序的無形之手。”

              So, alarmed by irrational investment in the sector in EV car production -- and the bankruptcies and zombified factories that come with it -- Beijing is applying the brakes. EV car production becomes the focus of a Beijing-ordered probe which found some local authorities had been giving out tax and land incentives to attract carmakers that were beyond the scope of government guidelines. I would see this as a down side of a planned economy. When the central government sets a goal in doing something, local government of course will do its best to achieve that goal, regardless the reality on the ground. Chinese people are paying the “learning fee” for that.

廢棄工廠顯示中國電動汽車熱潮如何超出合理的限度 (1 of 2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Deserted Factories Show How China Electric Car Boom Went Too Far (1 of 2)

Bloomberg News

Mon., September 20, 2021, 2:00 p.m.

(Bloomberg) -- Visitors to Byton Ltd.’s website are greeted with color-saturated images of shiny electric cars gliding along manicured streets. Those paying a visit to the automaker’s factory in Nanjing, eastern China may be less impressed. The plant is modern and huge, gleaming under the hot summer sun. But there’s total silence. Production has been suspended since the pandemic began and there’s no one around except for a lone security guard.

It’s a similar situation across town at Bordrin Motors. Weeds dot the factory’s perimeter and there’s a court notice pasted to the main gate announcing the electric carmaker’s bankruptcy.

Bordrin and Byton represent the flip side of China’s EV success. While home-grown stars like Nio Inc. and Xpeng Inc. have gone on to raise billions of dollars and are now selling cars in numbers that rival Tesla Inc., scores more have fallen by the wayside, unable to raise the crazy amounts of capital needed to make automobiles at scale.

In many cases, they were lured into existence by provincial governments dangling cash and other incentives to make Beijing’s dream of turning China into an EV powerhouse a reality. Local authorities helped manufacturers set up factories that promised jobs and development -- if they succeeded. But the tide began to turn in November, when regulators asked regional governments to review and report back on the scale of their support for the auto industry.

Alarmed by unbridled investment in the sector -- and the bankruptcies and zombified factories that came with it -- Beijing is applying the brakes.

“We have too many EV firms,” Xiao Yaqing, China’s minister for industry and information technology, told reporters Sept. 13. Mergers and acquisitions will be encouraged as the market needs to be further concentrated, he said. The government is also looking at setting production limits for the EV sector, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News this month, with provinces unable to green-light new projects until surplus capacity comes online. Resources will also be channeled into a few select EV hubs.

The moves are a potential warning sign for investors who have poured money into electric carmakers and the technologies that support them over the past year.

Chinese EV Maker Once Worth More Than Ford Wipes Out $80 Billion

There are some 846 registered automobile manufacturers in China, and more than 300 of them churn out new-energy cars, loosely defined as electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids. The vast majority are names unrecognizable elsewhere. In 2020 alone, the country added new production capacity of around 5 million units, about four times the actual number of EVs sold in China that year. According to regulators, almost half that capacity wasn’t in use.

Bordrin, founded by former Ford executive Huang Ximing in 2016, was targeting annual output of 700,000 cars across three factories. But it ran out of money and folded before making even one. Huang didn’t reply to messages seeking comment sent via WeChat.

China doesn’t have a public dossier of bankruptcies, but since last year, at least a dozen EV makers are known to have gone under or have had to be restructured to avoid insolvency.

“This is kind of the classic capitalist competitive shakeout,” said Gary Dvorchak, a Beijing-based managing director at investment advisory Blueshirt Group LLC. “You get a zillion companies and then you have an oversupply situation. The process of failing is typically a lot slower in China because companies get government support. But eventually, some have to die and the pain inflicted to get those deaths to happen can be high.”

Byton at least still exists. The carmaker, co-founded by former BMW AG and Nissan Motor Co. executives, suspended all domestic operations and furloughed staff in July last year as the pandemic made it tougher to get its business off the ground. Even before Covid, the company had encountered difficulties meeting announced deadlines on producing and delivering its first model, although its website still accepts reservations for cars.

(to be continued)

Translation

（彭博社）— 登入拜騰有限公司(Byton Ltd.) 網站的訪問者會看到豐富色彩的圖像，閃亮的電動汽車沿著修剪整齊的街道滑動。那些參觀過這家汽車製造商在中國東部南京工廠的人可能沒有那麼好的印象。該廠房現代而巨大，在炎熱的夏日陽光下閃閃發光。但全場一片寂靜。自病毒大流行開始以來，生產一直暫停，除了一名孤獨的保安外，沒有人在場。

鎮上在另一邊的博骏公司(Bordrin Motors)情況也類似。工廠周圍雜草叢生，大門上貼著一張法庭通知，宣布這家電動汽車製造商破產。

Bordrin 和 Byton 代表了中國電動汽車成功的反面。雖然 Nio Inc. 和 Xpeng Inc. 等本土成功的公司已經籌集了數十億美元，並且現在銷售的汽車數量可與特斯拉公司相媲美，但幾十個有公司卻半途而廢，無法籌集到需要大規模製造汽車的荒謬及不太可能的資金額。

在許多情況下，它們是被省級政府吊著現金和其他激勵措施引誘而成立的，目的是讓北京將中國變成電動汽車強國的夢想成為現實。地方當局幫助製造商建立會帶來就業和發展的工廠- 如果他們成功的話。但這一趨勢在 11 月開始轉變，當時監管機構要求地方政府審查並報告他們對汽車行業的支持規模。

北京對該行業肆無忌憚的投資 - 以及隨之而來的破產和殭屍化工廠感到震驚 -正在剎車。

中國工業和信息化部部長肖亞慶 (Xiao Yaqing ) 9 月 13 日告訴記者說,“我們有太多的電動汽車公司”。又說由於市場需要進一步集中，將鼓勵併購。知情人士本月告訴彭博新聞社，政府也在考慮為電動汽車行業設定生產限制，在過剩產能上線之前，各省無法批准新項目。資源也將被引導到幾個選定的電動汽車中心。

對於過去一年向電動汽車製造商及其支持技術投入大量資金的投資者而言，這些舉措是一個潛在的警告信號。

價值曾經超過福特的中國電動汽車製造商蒸發了 800 億美元

中國約有 846 家註冊汽車製造商，其中有 300 多家生產新能源汽車，大致定義為電動汽車或插電式混合動力汽車。絕大多數的名字是其他地方無法辨認出。僅2020年，中國新增產能約500萬輛，約為當年中國電動汽車實際銷量的四倍。據監管機構稱，幾乎有一半的產能沒有被使用。

 博骏公司由前福特高管黃錫明 (Huang Ximing) 於 2016 年創立，目標是在三間工廠年產 70 萬輛汽車。但它用完了錢，甚至在賺到錢之前就倒閉了。黃沒有回覆通過微信發送的尋求評論的訊息。

中國沒有公開的破產檔案，但自去年以來，已知至少有十幾家電動汽車製造商破產或不得不進行重組以避免破產。

投資諮詢公司 Blueshirt Group LLC 駐北京的董事總經理Gary Dvorchak表示, “這是一種典型的資本主義競爭性洗牌”。 “你擁有數以萬計的公司，然後就會出現供過於求的情況。在中國，失敗的過程通常要慢得多，因為公司得到了政府的支持。但最終，有些公司不得不倒閉，而讓這些倒閉發生所造成的痛苦可能會很大。”

至少拜騰還存在。這家由前寶馬公司和日產汽車公司高管共同創立的汽車製造商於去年 7 月暫停了所有國內業務，並讓員工休假，因為病毒大流行使其業務更加難以開展。甚至在 Covid 之前，該公司就其宣布死線日期前, 會生產和交付它的第一款車已經遇到了困難，儘管其網站仍接受汽車預訂。

(未完待續)

6G patent: US / Japan - competing with China in patent application with 45% vs. 40% ratio

Recently Nihon Keizai Shimbun Electronic Edition reported the following:

6G特許、米・日と中国で競う　出願シェア45%対40%

2021年9月16日 18:00 [有料会員限定]

次世代高速通信「6G」の規格を巡り、中国と米国・日本が特許で覇権争いをしている。中核技術の特許出願数を分析したところ、中国が全体の4割とリードするが、35%の米国と1割弱の日本を合わせると拮抗する。6Gは自動運転や仮想現実（VR）など活用分野が広がる。4月の首脳会談でも日米は6Gでの連携を打ち出しており、2024年にも本格化する規格統一議論に向けて中国との攻防が激しくなりそうだ。

6Gは5Gの10倍以上の高速通信が可能で、30年ごろの商用化が見込まれている。国際組織などによる、どの技術を標準とするかなどの議論は24年にも始まる見通し。

ルール作りでの発言力にもつながる6Gの関連特許について、調査会社のサイバー創研（東京・品川）の協力を得て調査した。通信技術、量子技術、基地局技術、人工知能（AI）など9分野について、日米欧中韓と国際出願で登録・出願中の約2万件を国・地域別に分析した。

中国企業の特許は全体の40.3%に達した。2位の米国勢は35.2%、3位の日本勢は9.9%。欧州8.9%、韓国4.2%と続いた。AIを含めるなど特許の範囲が違い単純比較はできないが、5Gの標準必須特許（SEP）のシェアと比べると中国は35%から一段と比率が高まった。米国は5Gでは15%だったが、ソフト系中心に20ポイント高まった。日本は5G、6Gとも1割程度で、米日合算では中国に比肩する。

分野別でみると中国は基地局や人工衛星などインフラ系に強く、米国はソフト系に強い。基礎となる無線インターネット技術ではインフラ大手の国家電網や航空宇宙技術の中国航天科技など上位20社のうち半数超の11社を中国企業が占めた。

基地局の技術では米クアルコムやスウェーデンのエリクソン、中国の華為技術（ファーウェイ）が、AIや仮想現実（VR）などのソフト技術では米マイクロソフトや米インテルが上位に並ぶ。日本勢はアンテナ制御や電波の照射技術に強くNTT、ソニーグループ、パナソニック、三菱電機が基地局技術の上位20社に入った。

関連特許を多く持つほど今後のルール整備で優位に立つ可能性は大きい。ファーウェイの任正非最高経営責任者（CEO）は「特許を持っていなければ他人から（使うことを）強制されてしまう」と8月の社内会合で発言し、6G特許の取得を指示したことが15日に公開した議事録で明らかになった。

世界の通信規格は3G以降、複数の技術が併存することを避けるため、国際組織が協調して業界全体での規格や標準作りをしてきた。5Gでは国連の専門機関で世界の大手企業が参画する国際電気通信連合（ITU）などを舞台に、基地局と端末の特許を多く持っていたファーウェイが規格作りを主導した経緯があった。

データの抜き取りリスクなど米国の危機感は強く、ファーウェイ制裁などを通じ6Gの国際的な規格づくりでは中国の存在感を薄めたい考えだ。ただコロナ下でオンライン開催となっているITUの無線分野には米制裁後もファーウェイの技術者が数多く参加している。ただ、国際組織で「中国だけを排除して議論するのは難しい」（ITU幹部）との声もある。

中国を除いた連携は進んでいる。21年4月の日米首脳会談では6Gの研究開発に両国で今後45億ドル（約4900億円）を投じる方針を確認。異なるメーカーの基地局製品を組み合わせて使う「オープンRAN」の推進も盛り込んだ。

日本は、回線から端末までの通信に電気信号ではなく光を使うNTTの「アイオン」構想の技術を6Gの標準としたい考え。通信網の消費電力を100分の1にでき、ソニーやインテルも賛同している。採用されれば半導体や通信機器で巻き返すきっかけとなる。

欧州はエリクソンやフィンランドのオウル大学が技術概要を公表し、欧州電気通信標準化機構（ETSI）も研究グループを立ち上げた。韓国はサムスンやLG電子が6Gの開発センターを設け、政府も補助金を投じている。

Translation

China was fighting with the United States-Japan for supremacy over patents regarding the next-generation high-speed communication "6G" standard. An analysis on the number of patent applications for core technologies showed that while China was in the lead with 40% of the global total, in competition with the United States that had 35% together with Japan that had slight less than 10%. 6G could be used in a wide range of fields such as autonomous driving and virtual reality (VR). At the summit meeting in April, Japan and the United States had announced cooperation in 6G, and the offense and defense with China was likely to intensify toward the standardization debate that would begin in earnest in 2024.

6G would be capable of 10 times faster communication than 5G, and was expected to be commercialized around 2030. Discussions on which technology should be used as the standard by international organizations were expected to begin in 2024.

With the cooperation of the research company Cyber ​​Soken (Shinagawa, Tokyo), we investigated 6G-related patents, which would also lead to a voice in rule making. Approximately 20,000 registered and pending international patent applications from Japan, the United States, Europe, China and South Korea were analyzed by country / region in nine fields such as communication technology, quantum technology, base station technology, and artificial intelligence (AI).

The patents of Chinese companies reached 40.3% of the total. The US in the 2nd place was 35.2%, and the Japanese in 3rd place at 9.9%. This was followed by Europe with 8.9% and South Korea with 4.2%. As the scope of patents was different, including AI etc., it was not possible to make a simple comparison, but compared to the share of 5G standard essential patents (SEP), the ratio in China further go up from 35%. For the US, it was 15% in 5G, but increased by 20 points focusing on software. Japan had about 10% in both 5G and 6G, when calculating the US-Japan total, it was comparable to China.

By field, China was strong in infrastructure such as base stations and artificial satellites, while the United States was strong in software. In terms of basic wireless Internet technology, of the top 20 companies, 11 were Chinese companies which accounted for more than half, including the State Grid of China, which was a major infrastructure company, and China Aerospace Science and Technology, which was an aerospace technology company.

In base station technology, Qualcomm in the US, Ericsson in Sweden, and Huawei in China were ranked high, in software technologies such as AI and virtual reality (VR), and Microsoft and Intel in the US ranked at the top. The Japanese were strong in antenna control and radio wave irradiation technology;  NTT, Sony Group, Panasonic, and Mitsubishi Electric were among the top 20 companies in base station technology.

The more related patents you had, the more likely you were to have an advantage in future rule development. Huawei's Ren Zhengfei (任正非) CEO said at an internal meeting in August that he would be forced by others (to use a system) if he did not have a patent, and ordered the acquisition of a 6G patent as was revealed in the meeting minutes released on the 15th.

Since 3G, the world's communication standards had been collaborated by international organizations to create standards for the entire industry in order to avoid the coexistence of multiple technologies. In 5G, Huawei, which had many patents for base stations and terminals, had the history of leading the development of standards in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which was a specialized agency of the United Nations and in which major companies from around the world participated.

There was a strong sense of crisis in the United States, such as the risk of data extraction, and it would like to belittle China's presence in the creation of international 6G standards through Huawei sanctions and other measures. However, even after the US sanctions, many Huawei engineers had participated in the ITU radio field, which was held online during the Corona pandemic. However, some international organizations had said that it would be difficult to exclude China alone from discussions (ITU executives).

Cooperation was progressing without China. At the Japan-US summit meeting in April 2021, it was confirmed that both countries would invest 4.5 billion dollars (about 490 billion yen) in 6G research and development. It also included the promotion of "open RAN," which used a combination of base station products from different manufacturers.

Japan wanted to use NTT's "Aion" concept technology, which used light instead of electrical signals for communication from lines to terminals, as the standard for 6G. The power consumption of the communication network could be reduced to 1/100, and Sony and Intel had agreed to that. If adopted, it would be an opportunity for the coming back of semiconductors and communication equipment.

In Europe, Ericsson and the University of Oulu in Finland had published technical outlines, and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) also set up a research group. In South Korea, Samsung and LG Electronics set up 6G development centers, and the government was also subsidizing it.

              So, 6G is capable of 10 times faster communication than 5G, and is expected to be commercialized around 2030. Discussions on which technology should be used as the standard by international organizations are expected to begin in 2024. Clearly there will be a fierce discussion on what the 6G standard should be. Let's wait and see.

歐盟尋求與美國聯盟 - 篩選投資者以對抗中國

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

EU Seeks U.S. Alliance on Investor Screening to Confront China

Alberto Nardelli

Tue., September 14, 2021, 2:40 a.m.

(Bloomberg) -- The European Union will aim to agree on a framework for working with the U.S. to screen potentially hostile foreign investments when officials meet in Pittsburgh later this month, according to a person familiar with the preparations for the talks.

The two sides are working toward a statement of principles that would see them share information and data relating to foreign takeovers and cooperate on assessing investments in strategic assets, the person said. The inaugural Trade and Technology Council on Sept. 29 will also aim to deliver similar statements to shape cooperation on export controls, artificial intelligence and critical supply chains of goods like semiconductors, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive matters.

A press officer for the European Commission declined to comment. The meeting comes at a moment when China, like other countries, has been shopping around for technology firms and is boosting subsidies and research spending. Beijing has declared its intention of becoming the world leader in industries from cutting-edge chips to AI.

The U.S. and the EU have also accused Beijing of human rights abuses, cyber espionage and flooding global markets with artificially cheap goods to undermine competitors. Managers at an Italian military-drone company were reported to prosecutors recently after it was alleged they had sold a majority stake to state-owned companies in China.

But as the U.S. and the EU look to combine their regulatory muscle to set global standards driven by common values, the Europeans are trying to avoid being drawn too closely into Washington’s sphere of influence. There is some concern in Brussels to ensure that any tools that might eventually result from the technology and trade council can’t be used by the U.S. to harm European companies, the person said.

The bloc is still stinging from the Biden administration’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan with little consideration for allies’ concerns and is conscious of its reliance on the U.S. for digital technologies.

In a policy paper due to be released this week, the European Commission will set out a technology and digital strategy for the next decade that seeks to ease the EU’s dependence on countries including the U.S. A draft of the paper seen by Bloomberg notes that 90% of EU data is managed by U.S. companies and key parts of critical supply chains are under U.S. proprietary control.

The EU needs to increase investment by about 125 billion euros ($150 billion) to upgrade its digital economy and compete with the U.S. and China, the paper says. That includes 42 billion euros for communication networks, 17 billion euros for semiconductors and 11 billion euros for cloud computing.

The paper sets out the challenges for the EU in reaching its goal of 20% global market share of cutting-edge semiconductors by 2030, warning that it is significantly outspent by both the U.S. and China, and both nations are investing to keep key technologies within their own shores.

The EU will push for stronger foreign investment tools to help keep hold of intellectual property in areas such as semiconductors, according to the program document. Although the paper doesn’t mention China directly, that move is aimed mostly at Beijing.

As they prepare for the Pittsburgh talks, the EU and the U.S. have a shared interest in setting and influencing global standards that can help them shape a common approach to China, the person added. While the text of any agreement is unlikely to name China, Beijing is the obvious target for the measures.

Semiconductors will feature prominently on the agenda for the meeting, said the person, cutting across several items, including work on supply chains, screening and export controls.

The EU will also be looking to establish digital partnership agreements with Japan, South Korea and Singapore as part of an Indo-Pacific strategy the bloc is launching this week.

Translation

【彭博】-- 據知情人士透露，歐盟將在本月晚些時候, 當與美國官員在匹茲堡會面時, 就合作的框架達成一致，以篩選潛在的敵對外國投資。

這位知情人士說，雙方正在努力達成一項原則聲明，讓他們共享與外國收購有關的信息和數據，並在評估戰略資產投資方面進行合作。這位不願透露姓名的人士表示，將於9 月 29 日成立的貿易和技術委員會也將發表類似聲明，以促進出口管制、及在人工智能和半導體等關鍵商品供應鏈方面的合作。

歐盟委員會的一名新聞官員拒絕置評。召開此次會議面對的是中國, 與其他國家一樣，一直在尋找科技公司，並正在增加國家補貼和研究支出。北京已宣布有意成為從尖端芯片到人工智能等行業的世界領先者。

美國和歐盟還指責北京侵犯人權、進行網絡間諜活動，並用人為的廉價商品充斥全球市場以削弱競爭對手。一家意大利軍用無人機公司的管理人員最近被舉報到檢察官，因為他們被指控將多數股權出售給了中國的國有企業。

但隨著美國和歐盟尋求聯合他們的監管力量來製定由共同價值觀驅動的全球標準，歐洲人亦正試圖避免被過於緊密地拉入華盛頓的勢力範圍。這位知情人士說，布魯塞爾要確保技術和貿易委員會最終可能產生的任何手段不能被美國用來傷害歐洲公司。

歐盟仍然對拜登政府在幾乎沒有考慮盟友的擔憂的情況下從阿富汗撤軍的決定感到不滿，並且意識到它在數字技術方面依賴美國。

在將於本週發布的政策文件中，歐盟委員會將製定未來十年的技術和數字戰略，旨在減輕歐盟對包括美國在內的國家的依賴。彭博看到的文件草稿指出，90%的歐盟數據由美國公司管理，關鍵供應鏈的主要部分受美國專有控制。

該報稱，歐盟需要增加約 1250 億歐元（1500 億美元）的投資，以升級其數字經濟並與美國和中國展開競爭。其中包括用於通信網絡的 420 億歐元、用於半導體的 170 億歐元和用於雲計算的 110 億歐元。

該文件闡述了歐盟在 2030 年實現其尖端半導體全球市場份額達到 20% 的目標所面臨的挑戰，並警告說，支出都很大地被美國和中國超過，兩國都在投資在把關鍵技術保持在他們自己的境内。

根據該計劃文件，歐盟將推動更強的外國投資工具，以幫助控制半導體等領域的知識產權。儘管該報沒有直接提及中國，但此舉主要針對北京。

這位知情人士補充說，在為匹茲堡會談做準備之際，歐盟和美國在規格上和影響全球標準方面有著共同的利益，這些標準可以幫助他們形成對中國的共同態度。雖然任何協議的文本都不太可能提到中國，但北京顯然是這些措施的目標。

該人士表示，半導體將在會議議程上佔據突出地位，亦涉及多個項目，包括供應鏈、篩选和出口管制方面的工作。

作為歐盟在本週啟動的印太戰略的一部分，歐盟還將尋求與日本、韓國和新加坡建立數字夥伴關係協議。

       So, The European Union aims to reach an agreement with the US on a working framework to screen potentially hostile foreign investments when their officials meet in Pittsburgh. The common goal will be to check China’s overseas investments.

Mammoth revival project started - to genetically engineer elephants, 1.6 billion yen raised

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

マンモス復活プロジェクトが始動、ゾウを遺伝子操作　１６億円の資金獲得

2021.09.14 Tue posted at 16:15 JST

 （ＣＮＮ） 絶滅した生物の復活といえば、これまでＳＦの世界の出来事だった。映画「ジュラシック・パーク」の恐竜を復活させるという物語はその典型だった。

しかし遺伝学の進歩によって、失われた動物の復活は現実の出来事になりつつある。絶滅危惧種のクローン作製や、とうに絶滅した動物の骨や死骸から採取したＤＮＡの配列決定を成功させた研究もある。

ハーバード大学医学校のジョージ・チャーチ教授率いる遺伝学研究チームは１３日、４０００年前に絶滅したマンモスの復活を目指すプロジェクトが１５００万ドル（約１６億５０００万円）の投資を確保したと発表した。氷河期時代の巨大なマンモスをよみがえらせ、自然環境で生息させる未来を描いている。

マンモスを復活させれば、北極圏のツンドラ地帯の生態系を回復させ、気候危機とたたかい、マンモスに近い絶滅危惧種のアジアゾウを保護する助けになると関係者は期待する。ただしこの計画は倫理的問題もはらんでいる。

研究チームの目標は、マンモスのクローン作製ではない。永久凍土の中で凍結されていたマンモスのＤＮＡを抽出することには成功したが、このＤＮＡは断片化や劣化が激しくクローン作製は不可能だった。そこで遺伝子を操作して、外見はマンモスと区別がつかないゾウとマンモスの雑種を作り出すことを目指している。

同プロジェクトを支援する生物科学・遺伝子会社コロッサルをチャーチ氏と共同で設立した起業家のベン・ラム氏は、「４～６年以内に最初の赤ちゃんを誕生させることを目指す」とした。

チャーチ氏は「２０２１年まで、これは一種の棚上げされたプロジェクトだった。だが今、それが実現可能になった」と指摘する。

チャーチ氏は最先端の遺伝学者で、人間への移植に適した臓器をもつブタ作製の実績などで知られる。

人間に臓器を移植できるブタを作製するためには４２の遺伝子改変を必要としたと同氏は説明。「ゾウの場合、目標は違っても改変の数はそれほど変わらない」と話す。

チャーチ氏によると、研究チームはこれまでに２３種のゾウと絶滅したマンモスの遺伝子を解析した。アジアゾウが北極圏で生存・繁殖できる特徴を獲得させるためには、アジアゾウの遺伝情報に「５０あまりの改変」を同時にプログラミングする必要があると推定している。

そうした特徴には、１０センチの断熱脂肪層、最大で長さが１メートルある５種類の体毛、寒さに耐えられる小さな耳などが含まれる。象牙目当ての密猟者に狙われないよう、牙が生えないようにする遺伝子操作も試みる。

そうした特徴を兼ね備えた細胞のプログラミングに成功すれば、人工子宮を使って胚（はい）から胎児へと成長させる計画。ゾウの場合、この過程には２２カ月を要する。ただ、この技術はまだ確立には程遠いとして、生きたゾウを代理母として使う可能性も排除していない。 

「編集は順調にいくと思う。それに関して我々には豊富な経験がある。人工子宮の作製は保証されていない。これは純粋な工学ではなく、科学の要素が多少あり、そのために不確実性が増し、実現までに時間がかかる」とチャーチ氏は話している。

マンモスの進化を専攻するストックホルム古遺伝学センターのロベ・ダレン教授は、この取り組みには科学的な価値があると考える。特に遺伝の病気があったり、近親交配で遺伝の多様性が失われている絶滅危惧種の保全に役立つという。

ただ、ここで生まれる動物はマンモスではなく、毛の長くて脂肪を蓄えたゾウだとも指摘。マンモスをマンモスたらしめる遺伝子の手がかりはほとんどないと語る。

一方、遺伝子操作した動物を誕生させる目的で、生きているゾウを代理母として使う点に倫理上問題があると指摘する声もある。ダレン氏は、マンモスとアジアゾウは人間とチンパンジーぐらい違うと語る。

また、ロンドン自然史博物館のマンモスの専門家トーリ・ヘリッジ氏は「マンモスを復活させて北極圏に住まわせ、北極圏を炭素の貯蔵庫としてより適した場所にするという考えには多くの問題がある」と指摘する。マンモスなどの草食動物が極北の地で草原を維持し、草を踏みつけ木を倒し、雪を圧縮することで永久凍土を保つという考えには、ダレン氏もヘリッジ氏も根拠がないと考える。ダレン氏は「マンモスをそこに置くことで気候変動に影響を与えられると示すものは何もない」と語る。

結局のところ、これまで述べられたような生態系の設計者としてのマンモス復活の目標は重要ではないかもしれない。多くの人々がマンモスに似た動物を近い距離で見てみたいと望む可能性がある。

ラム氏によると、このプロジェクトでは収益獲得へのプレッシャーはゼロだという。生命工学や医療の分野への応用がきくイノベーションにつながる可能性があり、ラム氏はプロジェクトをアポロ計画になぞらえる。同計画は宇宙探査について人々を心配させたが、結果的にＧＰＳなど多くのすばらしい技術につながったと同氏は語る。

Translation

 (CNN) The resurrection of extinct creatures had been an event in the science fiction world. The story of reviving the dinosaurs in the movie "Jurassic Park" was a typical example.

But with advances in genetics, the resurrection of lost animals was becoming a reality. Studies also succeeded in cloning endangered species, and sequencing DNA from bones and carcasses of already extinct animals.

A genetics research team led by Professor George Church of Harvard Medical School announced on the 13th that a project aimed at reviving a mammoth that was extinct 4000 years ago had secured an investment of 15 million dollars (about 1.65 billion yen). A future in which giant ice-age mammoths would be revived and inhabited in the natural environment was depicted.

Related people said the resurrection of the mammoth might help restore the Arctic Tundra ecosystem, fight the climate crisis, and protect the endangered Asian elephant that was closely related to the mammoth. However, this plan also had ethical issues.

The research team's goal was not to clone mammoths. It succeeded in extracting the DNA of mammoths that had been frozen in permafrost, but this DNA was severely fragmented and deteriorated, making it impossible to clone it. Therefore, it would aim to manipulate genes to create hybrids of elephants and mammoths that were indistinguishable from mammoths in appearance.

"We aim to have our first baby within four to six years," said Ben Lam, an entrepreneur who together with Church, co-founded “Colossal”, a biological science and genetics company that supported the project.

Church said, "Until 2021, this was a kind of shelved project, but now it's feasible."

Mr. Church was a state-of-the-art geneticist and had been known for his track record of producing pigs with organs suitable for transplantation into humans.

He explained that he needed 42 genetic modifications to create a pig that could transplant organs into humans. "In the case of elephants, the number of modifications does not change much, even if the goals are different," he said.

According to Church so far, the research team had analyzed 23 genes of elephants and extinct mammoths. It was estimated that in order for Asian elephants to acquire the characteristics that allowed them to survive and reproduce in the Arctic Circle, it was necessary to simultaneously program "more than 50 modifications" in the genetic information of Asian elephants.

Such features would include a 10 cm insulating fat layer, 5 types of hair up to 1 meter in length, and small ears that could withstand the cold. They would also try genetic engineering to prevent tusks from growing so that they might not be targeted by poachers looking for ivory.

If they succeeded in programming cells that had these characteristics, they planned to use an artificial womb to grow from an embryo to a foetation. For elephants, this process took 22 months. However, this technology was still far from being established, and they did not rule out the possibility of using a living elephant as a surrogate mother.

Church said, "I think the editing will go well. We have a lot of experience in that. The production of artificial wombs is not guaranteed. This is not pure engineering, it has some scientific elements, so there is uncertainty. It will take longer to achieve."

Professor Love Dalén of the Stockholm Paleogenetic Center, who majored in mammoth evolution, considered this effort to be of scientific value. In particular, it was said to be useful for the conservation of endangered species that had genetic diseases or had lost genetic diversity due to inbreeding.

However, he also pointed out that the animals born here would not be mammoths, but long-haired, fat-storing elephants. He said he had few genetic clues on what made a mammoth a mammoth.

On the other hand, some had pointed out that there was an ethical problem in using a living elephant as a surrogate mother for the purpose of giving birth to a genetically engineered animal. Dalén said mammoths and Asian elephants were as different as humans and chimpanzees.

Mammoth expert Tori Herridge of the Natural History Museum in London said, "There are many problems with the idea of ​​reviving the mammoths to live in the Arctic and making the Arctic a better place for carbon storage.” Neither Dalén nor Herridge believed the idea that mammoths and other herbivores could maintain grasslands in the far north, could trample grass, knock down trees, and compress snow to preserve permafrost. Darren said, "There is nothing to show that putting a mammoth there can affect climate change."

After all, the goal of a mammoth revival as an ecosystem designer as described above might not be important. Many people might want to see mammoth-like animals at close range.

According to Ben Lam, there was no pressure to make money on this project. Lam likened the project to the Apollo program, as it could lead to innovations that could be applied to biotechnology and medical fields. The Apollo plan had worried people regarding space exploration, but it resulted in many great technologies such as GPS, he said.

              So, a genetics research team led by Professor George Church of Harvard Medical School has announced a project to create a mammoth like elephant. The research team's goal is not to clone mammoths, but to manipulate genes to create hybrids of elephants and mammoths that look like mammoths in appearance.