China's Geely to Launch Hybrids with More Fuel-efficient Engines

FILE PHOTO: The Geely logo is seen at a car dealership in Shanghai, China August 17, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The Geely logo is seen at a car dealership in Shanghai, China August 17, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo
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China's Geely to Launch Hybrids with More Fuel-efficient Engines

FILE PHOTO: The Geely logo is seen at a car dealership in Shanghai, China August 17, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The Geely logo is seen at a car dealership in Shanghai, China August 17, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo

China's Geely Holding Group on Wednesday said it would launch a series of hybrid models in the first half of next year equipped with its next-generation, more fuel-efficient engine.
Geely's engine achieves a thermal efficiency of up to 46.1%, according to a product certificate issued by the government-owned CATARC Huacheng Certification Co.
Geely said this was among the highest in the world, and would reduce fuel consumption and extend driving range, Reuters said.
The new models will be launched for Geely Auto's Galaxy series and its Lynk & Co brand.
Plug-in hybrids are the fastest growing fuel-type sector in China thanks to their affordability, and competition in the sector is intensifying.
BYD on Tuesday launched two hybrid sedans equipped with its new hybrid tech, priced from 99,800 yuan ($13,800).
BYD said the new hybrid tech enables fuel consumption on depleted batteries of 2.9 liters per 100 km under New European Driving Cycle tests, with a thermal efficiency of 46.06%.



China’s Xi Calls for Self-Sufficiency in AI Development amid US Rivalry

 In this photo released by Malaysia's Department of Information, China's President Xi Jinping waves upon his departure to Cambodia at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Malaysia's Department of Information via AP)
In this photo released by Malaysia's Department of Information, China's President Xi Jinping waves upon his departure to Cambodia at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Malaysia's Department of Information via AP)
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China’s Xi Calls for Self-Sufficiency in AI Development amid US Rivalry

 In this photo released by Malaysia's Department of Information, China's President Xi Jinping waves upon his departure to Cambodia at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Malaysia's Department of Information via AP)
In this photo released by Malaysia's Department of Information, China's President Xi Jinping waves upon his departure to Cambodia at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Malaysia's Department of Information via AP)

China's President Xi Jinping pledged "self-reliance and self-strengthening" to develop AI in China, state media reported on Saturday, as the country vies with the US for supremacy in artificial intelligence, a key strategic area.

Speaking at a Politburo meeting study session on Friday, Xi said China should leverage its "new whole national system" to push forward with the development of AI.

"We must recognize the gaps and redouble our efforts to comprehensively advance technological innovation, industrial development, and AI-empowered applications," said Xi, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Xi noted policy support would be provided in areas such as government procurement, intellectual property rights, research and cultivating talent.

Some experts say China has narrowed the AI development gap with the United States over the past year. The Chinese AI startup DeepSeek drew global attention when it launched an AI reasoning model in January that it said was trained with less advanced chips and was cheaper to develop than its Western rivals. China has also made inroads in infrastructure software engineering.

The DeepSeek announcement challenged the assumption that US sanctions were holding back China's AI sector amid a fierce geopolitical tech rivalry, and that China lagged the US after the breakthrough launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT in late 2022.

"We must continue to strengthen basic research, concentrate our efforts on mastering core technologies such as high-end chips and basic software, and build an independent, controllable, and collaborative artificial intelligence basic software and hardware system," Xi said.

He added that AI regulations and laws should be speeded up to build a "risk warning and emergency response system, to ensure that artificial intelligence is safe, reliable, and controllable."

Xi said last year that AI shouldn't be a "game of rich countries and the wealthy," while calling for more international governance and cooperation on AI.