China's Growing 'Robotaxi' Fleet Sparks Concern, Wonder on Streets

The photo taken on August 1, 2024 shows a driverless robotaxi autonomous vehicle, developed as part of tech giant Baidu's Apollo Go self-driving project driving along next to a taxi on a street in Wuhan, in central China's Hubei province. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)
The photo taken on August 1, 2024 shows a driverless robotaxi autonomous vehicle, developed as part of tech giant Baidu's Apollo Go self-driving project driving along next to a taxi on a street in Wuhan, in central China's Hubei province. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)
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China's Growing 'Robotaxi' Fleet Sparks Concern, Wonder on Streets

The photo taken on August 1, 2024 shows a driverless robotaxi autonomous vehicle, developed as part of tech giant Baidu's Apollo Go self-driving project driving along next to a taxi on a street in Wuhan, in central China's Hubei province. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)
The photo taken on August 1, 2024 shows a driverless robotaxi autonomous vehicle, developed as part of tech giant Baidu's Apollo Go self-driving project driving along next to a taxi on a street in Wuhan, in central China's Hubei province. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP)

Turning heads as they cruise past office buildings and malls, driverless taxis are slowly spreading through Chinese cities, prompting both wariness and wonder.

China's tech companies and automakers have poured billions of dollars into self-driving technology in recent years in an effort to catch industry leaders in the United States.

Now the central city of Wuhan boasts one of the world's largest networks of self-driving cars, home to a fleet of over 500 taxis that can be hailed on an app just like regular rides.

At one intersection in an industrial area of Wuhan, AFP reporters saw at least five robotaxis passing each other as they navigated regular traffic.

"It looks kind of magical, like a sci-fi movie," a local surnamed Yang told AFP.

But not everyone shares Yang's awe.

Debate around safety was sparked in April when a Huawei-backed Aito car was involved in a fatal accident, with the company saying its automatic braking system failed.

A minor collision between a jaywalker and a Wuhan robotaxi last month re-ignited concerns.

Taxi drivers and workers in traditional ride-hailing companies have also raised fears of being replaced by artificial intelligence -- although the technology is far from fully developed.

- Five to 500 -

Wuhan's driverless cabs are part of tech giant Baidu's Apollo Go project, which first received licenses to operate in the city in 2022.

Initially only five robocars ferried passengers around 13 square kilometers (five square miles) of the city of around 14 million.

Baidu says the taxis now operate in a 3,000 square kilometer patch -- more than a third of the total land area of Wuhan, including a small part of the city center.

In comparison, US leader Waymo says the largest area it covers is 816 square kilometers, in Arizona.

When a car reaches its pickup point, riders scan a QR code with their phones to unlock the vehicle -- with the front seats blocked off over safety concerns.

The fares are currently heavily discounted, with a thirty-minute ride taken by AFP costing just 39 yuan ($5.43) compared with 64 yuan in a normal taxi.

"They are stealing our rice bowls, so of course we don't like them," Wuhan taxi driver Deng Haibing told AFP, using a popular Chinese term for livelihoods.

Deng said he fears robotaxi companies will push traditional drivers out of business with subsidized fares, before raising prices once they achieve domination -- similar to the strategy employed by ride-hailing apps in the 2010s.

"Currently the impact isn't too big because robotaxis aren't fully popularized and can't drive everywhere yet," Deng said.

- 'Simply not ready' -

The robotaxi fleet is a tiny fraction of the tens of thousands of taxis and ride-hailing cars in Wuhan.

More and more Chinese cities are rolling out policies to promote self-driving services though, part of a national push for tech supremacy.

Baidu and domestic rival Pony.ai have for years tested models of varying autonomy levels in industrial parks around the country.

Shanghai issued its first batch of provisional permits for fully driverless cars last month, and the capital Beijing has approved fully autonomous robotaxis in suburban areas.

The southwest city of Chongqing and southern tech hub of Shenzhen also have pilot projects underway.

Technology wise, there's still a long way to go before self-driving taxis become ubiquitous though, according to Tom Nunlist, tech policy analyst at Trivium China.

"Everybody seems to think autonomous driving is inevitable at this point, and frankly, I don't know that it is," he told AFP.

"Presently fully autonomous driving tech is simply not ready for large-scale deployment," he said.

Even in Wuhan's Apollo Go taxis -- which can spot obstacles and wait scrupulously at intersections -- ultimate responsibility for safety still lies with human officers monitoring rides remotely.

During one ride in an Apollo Go car, one manipulated the car's built-in touchscreen to remind AFP reporters to put on their seatbelts.

"Safety personnel provide strong assurances for your ride via remote 5G assistance technology," the Apollo Go app tells users.

Robotaxis are also far from able to replicate the human touch.

"Some customers have disabilities and (driverless cars) definitely wouldn't be able to help them, and some passengers are carrying large items," ride-hailing driver Zhao told AFP.

"Only a human can help."



China Curbs Exports of Key Chipmaking Components to US

The flag of China is placed next to the elements of Gallium and Germanium on a periodic table, in this illustration picture taken on July 6, 2023. (Reuters)
The flag of China is placed next to the elements of Gallium and Germanium on a periodic table, in this illustration picture taken on July 6, 2023. (Reuters)
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China Curbs Exports of Key Chipmaking Components to US

The flag of China is placed next to the elements of Gallium and Germanium on a periodic table, in this illustration picture taken on July 6, 2023. (Reuters)
The flag of China is placed next to the elements of Gallium and Germanium on a periodic table, in this illustration picture taken on July 6, 2023. (Reuters)

Beijing said Tuesday it would restrict exports to the United States of some key components in making semiconductors, after Washington announced curbs targeting China's ability to make advanced chips.

Among the materials banned from export are metals gallium, antimony and germanium, Beijing's commerce ministry said in a statement that cited "national security" concerns.

Exports of graphite, another key component, will also be subject to "stricter reviews of end-users and end-uses", the ministry said.

"To safeguard national security interests and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation, China has decided to strengthen export controls on relevant dual-use items to the United States," Beijing said.

"Any organization or individual in any country or region violating the relevant regulations will be held accountable according to the law," it added.

In its own latest curbs, Washington on Monday announced restrictions on sales, without additional permission, to 140 companies including Chinese chip firms Piotech and SiCarrier.

They also impact Naura Technology Group, which makes chip production equipment, according to the US Commerce Department.

The move expands Washington's efforts to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China, which can be used in advanced weapons systems and artificial intelligence.

The new US rules also include controls on two dozen types of chip-making equipment and three kinds of software tools for developing or producing semiconductors.

Beijing swiftly vowed to defend its interests, saying the United States "abuses export control measures" and has "hindered normal economic and trade exchanges".

- 'Weaponized' trade -

And on Tuesday, China said Washington had "politicized and weaponized economic, trade and technological issues" as it unveiled its own export curbs.

The moves also restrict the exports of "dual-use items to United States military users or for military purposes", Beijing said.

China accounts for 94 percent of the world's production of gallium -- used in integrated circuits, LEDs and photovoltaic panels -- according to a report by the European Union published this year.

For germanium, essential for fiber optics and infrared, China makes up 83 percent of production.

Beijing last year had already tightened restrictions on exporters of the metals, requiring them to provide information on the final recipient and give details about their end use.

But the curbs unveiled Tuesday now ban them outright.

It had also previously restricted curbs on exports of certain types of graphite --also key to making batteries for electric vehicles.

"The move is clearly a retaliatory strike at the US," Dylan Loh, an assistant professor at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, told AFP.

"It drives home an important point which is that China is not completely passive (and) there are some cards it can play and hit the US with as well with regards to chips," Loh added.

These "back and forth curbs" could create supply chain disruption, as well as inflationary pressures, should they affect trade for third parties, said Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor of political science from the National University of Singapore.

But while the metals play critical roles in high-tech industries, they are upstream in the supply chain, which means their immediate impact on production "is limited", Brady Wang, associate director at technology market research firm Counterpoint, told AFP.

"As the US-China trade tensions have persisted for some time, many intermediary manufacturers in the supply chain have been stockpiling these materials," Wang added.