China’s Xi Attacks Calls for Technology Blockades

Women take a selfie with a communist party's logo on display at Tiananmen Square to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing on Monday, July 5, 2021. (AP)
Women take a selfie with a communist party's logo on display at Tiananmen Square to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing on Monday, July 5, 2021. (AP)
TT

China’s Xi Attacks Calls for Technology Blockades

Women take a selfie with a communist party's logo on display at Tiananmen Square to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing on Monday, July 5, 2021. (AP)
Women take a selfie with a communist party's logo on display at Tiananmen Square to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing on Monday, July 5, 2021. (AP)

Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday attacked calls from some in the US and its allies to limit their dependency on Chinese suppliers and block the sharing of technologies.

In a speech to representatives of leftist political parties in more than 100 countries, Xi said China’s ruling Communist Party has succeeded in raising the country from poverty and created a new model of development.

Such experiences should be shared and no country should “obstruct the development of other countries and harm their people’s lives through political manipulation,” Xi said.

“We must jointly oppose anyone engaging in technological blockades, technological division and decoupling of development,” Xi said.

Decoupling has become a byword from some in the US and elsewhere for ending dependency on Chinese supply lines, especially for high-tech products such as smart phones and computers.

Xi’s speech, carried live online, comes days after he delivered a defiant address marking the Communist Party’s centenary, saying China will not be bullied and will punish anyone who tries.

Xi tends to alter his tone depending on whether he’s speaking to a domestic or international audience, according to analysts.

“Xi is a risk taker but he is not reckless,” said Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.



Elon Musk's X Lifts Price for Premium-plus Tier to Pay Creators

Elon Musk acknowledged his bid to buy Twitter may fail, but said he has a "plan B" - Copyright POOL/AFP/File Britta Pedersen
Elon Musk acknowledged his bid to buy Twitter may fail, but said he has a "plan B" - Copyright POOL/AFP/File Britta Pedersen
TT

Elon Musk's X Lifts Price for Premium-plus Tier to Pay Creators

Elon Musk acknowledged his bid to buy Twitter may fail, but said he has a "plan B" - Copyright POOL/AFP/File Britta Pedersen
Elon Musk acknowledged his bid to buy Twitter may fail, but said he has a "plan B" - Copyright POOL/AFP/File Britta Pedersen

Elon Musk-owned X raised the price of its premium-plus plan in several markets from Dec. 21 as the social media company looks to boost payment for creators on its platform.

The top-tier plan is now priced at $22 a month in the US, up from $16 earlier, according to a blog post. Prices for the basic tier and premium subscriptions remain unchanged at $3 and $8, respectively, Reuters reported.

X changed its revenue-sharing practices in October to ensure subscription fees would more directly contribute to creator payouts and that they are compensated on content quality and engagement rather than ad views alone.

The updated pricing applies to new subscribers, while existing members will retain their current rates until Jan. 20.

X offers premium-plus subscribers ad-free browsing and features such as expanded access to the Grok AI chatbot and Radar, which offers real-time analytics on emerging trends through keyword tracking.

Subscriptions are a key part of Musk's strategy to drive revenue growth at X, the platform which was known as Twitter before the billionaire purchased it and had long relied on advertising dollars.