Manufacturing

China's homegrown AS700 passenger airship "Xiangyun" has secured an 18-unit purchase contract from Zhejiang Airspace Integration Low-altitude Industry Development Co, the airship's developer told the Global Times on Tuesday, a milestone in the commercialization of China's manned airships and the development of the low-altitude economy.

The deal is the first major order following the announcement by the airship's developer - the Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) on November 9 that the first AS700 in East China had been delivered.

China has launched the world's first mid-infrared solar magnetic-field telescope, the Accurate Infrared Magnetic Field Measurements of the Sun (AIMS), marking a major breakthrough in solar observation and sharpening humanity's ability to study the Sun.

Located atop Mount Saishiteng in Lenghu township, northwest China's Qinghai province at an elevation of over 4,000 meters, the AIMS telescope fills a global gap in mid-infrared magnetic-field observations. Its deployment also establishes a benchmark for building advanced astronomical facilities in high-altitude regions.

The Tesla Model 3 keeps its position as Europe’s safest car, but it too is made in China, and is followed by mostly Chinese cars.

Chinese cars were once notorious for their terrible safety ratings. But things have changed.

Taking a quick glance over the Euro NCAP rankings will bring you to a potentially startling conclusion: most of the safest cars available today in Europe come from Chinese manufacturers. The organization recently posted the results from a fresh batch of testing, which included 23 new cars, and the safest was a compact electric hatchback from China.

Recent data from the China Center for Information Industry Development show that China now accounts for 55 percent of the global market for display panels and 43 percent for display materials, ranking first worldwide in both categories. The total output of China's display industry represents nearly half of the global market.

As a key pillar of advanced manufacturing, China's display industry began to take shape in the late 20th century. Just over a decade ago, however, the country remained heavily reliant on imports of advanced chips and high-end display panels -- the latter ranking as China's fourth-largest import category at the time. Chinese domestic manufacturers faced significant challenges, lacking bargaining power in a sector dominated by a few multinational firms. High costs and supply constraints were common, with local companies often forced to queue for access to critical components.