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CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
China unveils childcare subsidies in push to boost fertility
Red flags flutter in the wind near the Chinese national emblem in Beijing, Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) China rolled out on Monday an annual childcare subsidy of 3,600 yuan (about US$500) until age three, as authorities look to spur a flagging birth rate with fewer young people choosing to have children. The high cost of childcare and education as well as job uncertainty and a slowing economy are among the concerns that have discouraged many young Chinese from getting married and starting a family. Subsidies will start from this year, with partial subsidies for children under three born prior to 2025, in a policy expected to benefit more than 20 million families of toddlers and infants, the official Xinhua news agency said. The plan is an 'important national livelihood policy' and direct cash subsidies would help 'reduce the cost of family childbirth and parenting,' the National Health Commission said. Demographers and economists said while the move was positive, the amount was likely to small to incentivise people to have children. China's population fell for a third consecutive year in 2024, with experts warning of a worsening downturn, after decades of falling birth rates following a one-child policy adopted from 1980 to 2015, coupled with rapid urbanization. In the past two years provinces nationwide have started handing out childcare subsidies in amounts that vary considerably, from 1,000 yuan a child to up to 100,000 yuan, including housing subsidies. The central government will fund the new national policy instead of local authorities, Xinhua said. Authorities are expected to announce more details on Wednesday. Zichun Huang, China Economist at Capital Economics, said the sums involved were too small to have a near-term impact on the birth rate or consumption. 'But the policy does mark a major milestone in terms of direct handouts to households and could lay the groundwork for more fiscal transfers in future.' Citi Research estimates a total lump-sum payout of 117 billion yuan in the second half of this year through the plan, saying the scheme is more meaningful as a consumption policy than as a population policy. 'As a population policy, it remains to be seen whether the national program can move the needle on fertility rate,' the research house said in a note. Authorities in China unfurled a series of 'fertility friendly' measures in 2024 to tackle the coming decade's challenge of the entry into retirement of roughly 300 million people, equivalent to almost the entire U.S. population. A nationwide scheme may offer some coordination and signal greater central commitment, said demographer Emma Zang, a professor at Yale University, but called for greater efforts. 'Without sustained structural investment in areas like affordable childcare, parental leave, and job protections for women, the effect on fertility is likely to remain minimal,' she added. (Reporting by Farah Master and the Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Toby Chopra, Ros Russell and Lincoln Feast)
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Climate
- Irish Examiner
Dozens dead after flooding and landslides near Beijing
Heavy rain has caused flooding and landslides that washed away cars, forced evacuations and knocked out power around the Chinese capital, killing at least 38 people. The flood risk for parts of Beijing, Hebei province and neighbouring Tianjin city remained high until Tuesday evening. State media broadcast footage of muddy waters rising into homes in rural areas and rescuers carrying an injured person on a stretcher and searching on a damaged road. Premier Li Qiang said the heavy rain and flooding in the hard-hit Beijing district of Miyun caused 'serious casualties' and called for rescue efforts, according to the Xinhua News Agency. Soldiers talk to villagers on a road damaged by floods (Andy Wong/AP) The storm knocked out power in more than 130 villages in Beijing, destroyed communication lines and damaged more than 30 sections of road. More than 16cm (6in) of rain fell on average in Beijing by midnight, with two towns in Miyun recording 54cm (21in), the city said. Heavy flooding washed away cars and downed power poles in Miyun, an outlying district that borders Hebei's Luanping county. More than 80,000 people have been relocated in Beijing, including about 17,000 in Miyun, a Beijing city statement said. The city government said 28 people died in Miyun and two others in Yanqing district on Monday. Four more people in neighbouring Hebei province were discovered dead on Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV reported, after eight people were said to be missing after a landslide in a rural part of Luanping county in the province. Authorities had found four of the dead on Monday. Emergency rescue teams said more landslides occurred in the same region on Tuesday although they did not report any further casualties. Uprooted trees lay in piles in the town of Taishitun, about 60 mile north east of central Beijing. Streets were covered with water, with mud left higher up on the walls of buildings.
Toronto Star
18-07-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
Looking to AI for a financial plan? Take it more as guidance than gospel, experts say
AI chatbots have become another go-to for many young Canadians to set up budgets and map out financial goals. The Icons for the smartphone apps DeepSeek and ChatGPT are seen on a smartphone screen in Beijing, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) AW flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false :
The Star
30-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Berlin data protection authority joins moves against DeepSeek
DeepSeek caused an earthquake in the AI sector after achieving comparable or better results than its Western counterparts at a fraction of the costs. — AP Photo/Andy Wong, File BERLIN: The data protection commissioner for the city-state of Berlin, Meike Kamp, believes that DeepSeek, the Chinese large language model (LLM) artificial intelligence company, is in breach of European law and should be removed from app stores. The Berlin data protection authority has reported the app to Apple and Google for "illegal content" calling on the US giants to check its report and decide whether or not to block DeepSeek. South Korean, Italian, Taiwanese and Australian authorities are already acting on DeepSeek. Kamp accuses DeepSeek of transferring users' personal data to China in contravention of the law, namely Europe's 2016 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). DeepSeek has been unable to show convincingly that German users' data were protected in China to the same level as in the European Union, the Berlin authority believes. "Chinese authorities have far-reaching rights of access to personal data within the area of influence of Chinese companies," it says. Kamp is empowered to act, as DeepSeek does not have a branch in Europe, which would be subject to its local data protection authority. While there is no federal ban in the United States, NASA and the US Defense Department have banned their employees from using the app. States like Texas have banned it on state devices, and there are legislative proposals for a complete ban. DeepSeek caused an earthquake in the AI sector after achieving comparable or better results than its Western counterparts at a fraction of the costs. At the beginning of the year, DeepSeek topped the free apps in the iPhone app store in the US. The implications of the Berlin authority's move for Apple and Google remain unclear. – dpa
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Why Huawei's new laptop is being regarded as evidence of how America's 'China ban' is hurting one of the biggest Chinese company
FILE (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File) Huawei Technologies new MateBook Fold relies on a 7-nanometer chip made by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC), using technology from years ago, indicating that U.S. sanctions continue to hinder China's progress in advanced semiconductor development, Bloomberg reported, citing Canada-based consultancy TechInsights. This chip uses the same 7nm process as Huawei's Mate 60 Pro, which surprised U.S. officials in 2023. In contrast, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is set to mass-produce 2nm chips, three generations ahead, later this year. The foldable notebook-tablet hybrid, launched in May, runs on Huawei's HarmonyOS and reflects Beijing's push for tech self-reliance amid U.S.-led restrictions, Bloomberg noted. However, China struggles to access cutting-edge chipmaking tools, as ASML Holding NV is barred from selling advanced lithography machines to Chinese firms. TechInsights stated, 'This likely means that SMIC has not yet achieved a 5nm-equivalent node that can be produced at scale,' highlighting the impact of U.S. technology controls on SMIC's ability to compete with leading foundries. America's China threat and fear The US sees China as a key rival in the field of artificial intelligence. The rise of DeepSeek earlier this year sending shock waves across US technology companies and wiping billions from their valuation. In addition to efforts to prevent China from securing advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment, Washington is blocking Chinese companies from acquiring Nvidia's high-end AI chips for training, citing national security concerns. Beijing, on its part, is now pinning its hopes on Huawei and SMIC when it comes to advanced chipmaking. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play Chess on Your PC, Free Play Classic Chess Install Now Undo Despite Huawei's 2023 debut of a China-made 7nm chip, progress has stalled, with U.S. export controls limiting Huawei to producing only 200,000 Ascend AI chips in 2025, according to U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler, Bloomberg reported. Washington views China as a rival in AI, especially after DeepSeek's global emergence in 2025, and continues to block access to Nvidia's high-end AI chips. Huawei's founder Ren Zhengfei, in an interview with People's Daily, downplayed U.S. curbs, suggesting techniques like chip stacking could mimic advanced semiconductor results. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
