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☆ NASA unveils the four astronauts who will fly on the Artemis 2 mission around the moon in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, center, stands with the crew of the Artemis II mission, from left: Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Monday announced the four astronauts who will fly on the agency's upcoming mission around the moon, currently scheduled for late 2024. Artemis II follows the uncrewed Artemis I mission, which completed a nearly month-long journey around the moon late last year. The Artemis II mission will launch on NASA's Space Launch System rocket, with the Orion capsule carrying the astronauts on a 10-day journey to the moon and back. While Artemis II won't land on the moon, it will make a near pass above the surface and demonstrate the Orion spacecraft's ability to transport people safely.

Multiple experts identified the presence of malware on the Pinduoduo app that exploited vulnerabilities in Android operating systems. Evidence of sophisticated malware in the Pinduoduo app comes amid intense scrutiny of Chinese-developed apps like TikTok over concerns about data security. Pinduoduo has previously rejected “the speculation and accusation that Pinduoduo app is malicious.”CNN has contacted PDD multiple times over email and phone for comment, but has not received a response. Google Play is not available in China, and Android users in the country download their apps from local stores. Engineers also found their access to big data, data sheets and the log system revoked, the source said.

☆ China Opens Cybersecurity Probe of Micron Amid Competition With U.S. Over Technology
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Shen Lu | Asa Fitch | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Chinese authorities announced a cybersecurity investigation into U.S. computer-memory maker Micron Technology Inc., a move that is likely to put global firms operating in China further on edge at a time of escalating U.S.-China tension. The Cyberspace Administration of China said it would review Micron’s products sold in China, citing the need to safeguard the supply chain for critical information infrastructure.

☆ China to conduct cybersecurity review on chipmaker Micron's products
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, March 31 (Reuters) - China's cyberspace regulator will conduct a cybersecurity review on products sold in China by U.S. memory chip manufacturer Micron Technology (MU.O), the regulator said on Friday. The move is aimed at protecting the security of the supply chain for critical information infrastructure, prevent hidden risks and safeguard national security, the Cyberspace Administration of China said in a brief statement. It gave no other details, including what Micron products it was reviewing. Shares in Micron fell 3.3% in pre-market trading after the announcement. Reporting by Ella Cao and Meg Shen Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China to examine US chipmaker Micron's products for cybersecurity risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 31 (Reuters) - China's cyberspace regulator will conduct a cybersecurity review of products sold in the country by U.S. memory chip manufacturer Micron Technology Inc (MU.O), the regulator said on Friday. It gave no other details, including which Micron products it was reviewing. The Netherlands, which makes advanced lithography equipment critical for the manufacture of advanced chips, made a similar announcement earlier this month. Weak consumer demand has roiled the memory chip market, which is dominated by South Korea's Samsung Electronics (005930.KS). The larger chunk of the company's products flowing into China are being purchased by non-Chinese firms for use in products manufactured in the country, according to analysts.

☆ China to crack down on malicious online comments damaging reputation of businesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, March 28 (Reuters) - China plans to clamp down on malicious online comments that damage the reputation of businesses and entrepreneurs, said a Cyberspace Administration official on Tuesday. "False information against enterprises and entrepreneurs, especially private enterprises and private entrepreneurs, appear from time to time, damaging the brand image of enterprises," said Shen Yue, an official with the Cyberspace Administration of China, when answering a question at a news briefing. Shen said it also affects the normal production and operation of enterprises, resulting in economic losses. Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China may prefer TikTok to be banned than fall into US hands
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

TikTok’s algorithms, which keep users glued to the app, are believed to be key to its success. The intended sale of TikTok in 2020 to Oracle and Walmart hit a snag after Beijing added algorithms to its export control list. Under the plans, known as Project Texas, the US government and third-party companies such as Oracle would also have some degree of oversight of TikTok’s data practices. But that hasn’t reassured US officials, likely because no matter what TikTok does internally, China would still theoretically have leverage over TikTok’s Chinese owners. But, he believes Beijing would ultimately prefer for TikTok leave the US market rather than surrender its algorithm.

☆ NASA’s New Artemis Spacesuits Are Designed to Put a Woman on the Moon
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Gareth Vipers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration unveiled its next generation of spacesuits, and this time they have been designed without just men in mind. The prototype suits, which NASA says have been developed by Axiom Space Inc. for moonwalkers on the Artemis III mission currently planned for 2025, takes a major departure from the kit featured on earlier missions.

☆ Didi to expand services in China after regulators end probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HONG KONG, March 16 (Reuters) - Chinese ride-hailing company Didi Global plans to expand services and offer more subsidies to passengers and drivers, it said on Thursday, looking to shore up its business in China following the end of a regulatory probe. The Chinese company had been a target of Beijing's sweeping crackdown on the tech sector, which began in 2021 and had eased in recent months. Didi was banned by Chinese regulators from taking in new users and its app was removed from app stores from mid-2021 until this January. In January, Didi said in a statement it had been given the green light from domestic regulators to resume new user registrations for its core ride-hailing app. Reporting by Ye Josh and Brenda Goh; Editing by Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

According to CNBC analysis of state media reports, 7.7 million people took the civil service exam in the 2023 application round, vying for more than 200,000 government jobs at the national and provincial level. Qilai Shen | Corbis Historical | Getty ImagesA record number of people in China took the civil service exam this year, as unemployment among young people soared. According to CNBC analysis of state media reports, 7.7 million people took the civil service exam in the 2023 application round, vying for more than 200,000 government jobs at the national and provincial level. China's National Civil Service Administration could not be reached for comment despite multiple attempts by CNBC. However, Xi and other senior leaders did not need to take the civil service exam to gain their current roles.

☆ Biden budget seeks $27.2 billion for NASA, with increases for moon and Mars programs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Vice President Kamala Harris meets with NASA astronauts Shannon Walker and Joe Acaba at Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a tour on Aug. 29, 2022. President Joe Biden is seeking to increase the budget for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to $27.2 billion next year, according to a proposed 2024 budget released Thursday. The request represents a 7% increase from NASA's budget in fiscal year 2023, with more funds allocated for the space agency's Artemis lunar program. In addition to $8.1 billion for Artemis, $500 million above the prior year, the Biden administration aims to earmark $949 million for a mission to return Mars rock and soil samples. The White House request does not represent what NASA's budget will be in 2024, as Congress often adjusts budget amounts during approval.

The usually sleepy Ministry of Science and Technology will be tasked to help lead the country's efforts to reduce dependence on Western suppliers. Meanwhile, creating a National Data Bureau should streamline the myriad of regulations spanning cybersecurity, personal privacy and information transfer. The benefits of upgrading the science, technology and patent ministries are less clear. And despite China being the world's most prolific patent filer, 90% are low-value "trash", estimated one Chinese official in 2019. Other proposals from the State Council include creating a National Data Bureau to coordinate sharing and developing the country's data resources.

HONG KONG, March 8 (Reuters) - China has announced plans for a national data bureau, describing it as part of an effort to coordinate data resources in the country and to achieve a vision of "digital China" conceived by President Xi Jinping. Xi's vision for a "digital China" aims to see the country populated by smart, internet-connected cities and data treated alongside labour and capital as a key factor to drive the economy and help China compete more effectively globally. In December, China's top leadership published an outline of how China should develop basic data systems and utilize the country's data resources. Last week, they unveiled a new plan that aims for the country to lead digital development globally by 2035. Areas to watch include big data infrastructure, data processing, the digitization of government data as well as data encryption, they added.

☆ China to form a national bureau to manage its troves of data
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, March 7 (Reuters) - China will form a national data bureau that will be responsible for coordinating the sharing and development of the country's data resources, according to a plan submitted on Tuesday to parliament. The proposed bureau will be administrated by the state planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the plan said. This has included issuing a series of new laws that require organisations with large user bases undergo assessments and obtain approvals when handling data. Some firms are struggling with a deadline requiring them to seek approval to export user data. "Multinationals will no doubt want to understand how a centralised data regulator will interface with overseas stakeholders."

☆ China aims to launch nearly 13,000 satellites to 'suppress' Elon Musk's Starlink, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Stephen Chen | South China Morning Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Chinese satellites could be equipped with an anti-Starlink payload to carry out various missions, such as conducting "close-range, long-term surveillance of Starlink satellites," they said. "The Starlink satellites may use their orbital manoeuvrability to actively hit and destroy nearby targets in space," the researchers said. China plans to build more powerful radar systems powered by new technology to identify and track Starlink satellites, they said. The Ukrainian military has used Starlink services effectively against Russian forces. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on February 18 that the US government had talked to Musk about the use of Starlink satellite internet in Ukraine, but did not elaborate.

☆ SpaceX Cleared for Space-Station Crew Launch After Delay
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Micah Maidenberg | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Preparing for the launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Wednesday. SpaceX is slated to launch a crew to the International Space Station early Thursday, a makeup date for a mission that the company and NASA scrubbed earlier this week due to a technical issue. The delay was a rare hiccup in SpaceX’s work handling high-profile human space flights for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Elon Musk-led rocket company has conducted six of those missions for NASA since 2020, when it blasted off the first astronauts from the U.S. in close to a decade.

☆ China eases data security deadline pressure for multinational companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, March 1 (Reuters) - Chinese regulators have eased some deadline pressure on multinational companies struggling to comply with new rules requiring them to seek approval to export user data, according to lawyers advising clients on the matter. In theory, global companies operating in China had until Wednesday, March 1 to submit extensive documentation that maps out their users' data flow as well as complete a security review and gain government approval. The rules were introduced in September by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) to strengthen cyber and national security. The issue affects a wide range of global companies that need to share Chinese user data with overseas offices and how strictly data security is enforced in the future will determine how far businesses may have to go in "localising" their data. The CAC on Friday also issued separate data security rules that apply to organisations with smaller user bases.

☆ NASA imagery reveals China's Mars rover hasn't moved in months as Chinese scientists scramble to save the mission
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Chris Panella | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NASA imagery from Mars shows that China's rover hasn't moved in months. Chinese scientists are scrambling to make contact, according to the South China Morning Post. China's rover, Zhurong, could be covered in dust and drained of energy, like NASA's InSight lander. Arrows highlight the location of China's Zhurong rover in March 2022, September 2022, and February 2023. A photo showing the back of China's Zhurong rover from its landing spot on Mars' Utopia Planitia following a May 15, 2021 landing.

☆ Reuters reporters' online accounts faked to approach China activists
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( James Pomfret | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] The Chinese flag is seen across the Victoria Harbour during sunset, in Hong Kong, China October 12, 2022. The impersonator or impersonators were seeking information about a group linked to protests the same month against China's strict COVID-19 controls, according to screenshots and several accounts provided to Reuters. An Australia-based Chinese activist and dissident artist known as Badiucao first disclosed the impersonations on Saturday on Twitter. "Hello everyone," an imposter wrote in a Telegram chatroom, according to screenshots seen by Reuters that were provided by Badiucao. Telegram did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on the impersonations of the journalists' accounts on that platform.

☆ SpaceX Mission to International Space Station Postponed
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Micah Maidenberg | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SpaceX and NASA postponed the company’s planned launch of crew to the International Space Station early Monday because of an issue related to an ignition fluid, the agency said. The Elon Musk-led company had been scheduled to send four people to the research laboratory for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at 1.45 a.m. ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

☆ SpaceX Prepares to Launch Crew to International Space Station
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Micah Maidenberg | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft being readied for Monday’s launch at the Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX is set to launch another crew to the International Space Station, the latest human flight the company has handled for NASA since bringing such missions back to the U.S. about three years ago. The Elon Musk-led company is scheduled to blast four people to the research laboratory at 1:45 a.m. ET on Monday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said.

SYDNEY/HONG KONG, Feb 20 (Reuters) - New rules laying out how Chinese companies can list outside mainland China will often mean getting a nod from several domestic government agencies, potentially making for a lengthy approval process, investment bankers say. On one hand, the rules provide clarity after a regulatory crackdown by Beijing since mid-2021 that has slowed U.S. listings by Chinese firms to a trickle. Those hoops, combined with U.S.-Sino tensions over a multitude of issues from suspected spy balloons to trade friction, means a rush of Chinese firms seeking initial public offerings in New York is unlikely. Last year, U.S. listings of Chinese firms were worth less than $230 million, according to Refinitiv data, a massive drop from $12.9 billion in 2021. "I don't think an overseas listing for the start-up would get the Chinese regulatory nod due to data security.

☆ Russian Ship at International Space Station Leaked Coolant, NASA Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Ginger Adams Otis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Progress 82 cargo craft arrived at the space station in October last year. A Russian supply ship docked at the International Space Station has a coolant leak, but the incident poses no danger to the station’s crew, NASA officials said Saturday. Engineers at the Russian Mission Control Center outside Moscow recorded a depressurization in the coolant loop of the unpiloted Roscosmos Progress 82, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said.

The company sold 10 million American depository receipts (ADRs) at $19 apiece, according to its regulatory filings, and shares closed at $21.05. The deal is the biggest from a Chinese company selling shares in New York since LianBio (LIAN.O) raised $334 million in October 2021, according to Refinitiv data. Chinese company listings in the United States ground to a halt in 2021 after the debut of ride hailing giant Didi Global Inc (92Sy.MU) in June of that year. As a result, Chinese listings in the United States dwindled and mainland regulators also moved to draw up new guidelines governing companies selling shares overseas. Chinese companies raised nearly $230 million in U.S. listings in 2022, according to Refinitiv data, representing a massive drop from $12.85 billion a year earlier.

☆ ChatGPT frenzy sweeps China as firms scramble for home-grown options
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] A response in Chinese by ChatGPT, an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI, is seen on its website in this illustration picture taken February 9, 2023. OpenAI or ChatGPT itself is not blocked by Chinese authorities but OpenAI does not allow users in mainland China, Hong Kong, Iran, Russia and parts of Africa to sign up. Dozens of bots rigged to ChatGPT technology have emerged on WeChat, with hobbyists using it to make programmes or automated accounts that can interact with users. ChatGPT supports Chinese language interaction and is highly capable of conversing in Chinese, which has helped drive its unofficial adoption in the country. CENSORSHIPReuters' tests of ChatGPT indicate that the chatbot is not averse to questions that would be sensitive in mainland China.

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