Moon race on a deadline

A Long March-2F rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft and a crew of three astronauts, lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert, northwest China. — TNS

“If you really want to beat the Chinese, give Nasa the funding and stabi­lity it needs. You’re not going to win if every week there’s a new direction, a new budget, a new administrator.” -by  G. Scott,Hubbard

EARLY in his first term, US President Donald Trump held a modest ceremony directing Nasa to return humans to the moon for the first time in half a century – a lofty goal with no clear road map.Veterans of the space community were torn between excitement and concern.Was Trump offering a windfall to aerospace contractors or charting a genuine strategic vision to reclaim American ­leadership in space?The idea wasn’t new.

President George W. Bush had proposed a similar plan in 2004, only for Barack Obama to abandon it six years later.

For decades, Nasa wrestled with the question of whether to return to the moon or leap straight to Mars – each path promi­sing scientific glory but demanding vast, steady funding from a fickle Congress.

Eight years on, that debate is over.

Trump’s revived lunar policy has igni­ted a new space race – this time with China – and the countdown is already on.

Both nations are targeting manned lunar landings by 2029, a symbolic year marking the end of Trump’s presidency and the 80th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

But unlike the Cold War’s first space race, this contest is not about planting flags. It’s about who gets to stay.

Washington’s Artemis programme aims to establish a permanent base to test life beyond Earth.

Beijing has similar ambitions – and ­ both are zeroing in on the same spot: the moon’s South Pole, where peaks of eternal sunlight border deep, shadowed craters believed to contain frozen water.

Whichever nation establishes a foothold first could claim the region – and the resources – for itself.

“The bottom line is, yes, it’s doable,” said G. Scott Hubbard, a veteran of human space exploration and Nasa’s first “Mars czar”.

“But it’ll take intense effort and proper funding. It’s not inconceivable – but it’s a stretch.”

Nasa officials fear that funding cuts and private-sector delays could hand China an early lead.

The Trump administration has proposed slashing the agency’s research budget by nearly half, fuelling uncertainty within Nasa at a critical moment.

“There’s too much uncertainty,” said one official. “Inside headquarters, everyone’s walking on eggshells.”

In the 1960s, the US government poured 4.4% of GDP into Nasa to win the space race.

Today, the share is less than 0.5%.

White House officials insist Trump is committed to making “American leadership in space great again”.

Acting Nasa administrator and Trans­portation Secretary Sean Duffy said: “Being first and beating China matters because it sets the rules of the road. Those who lead in space lead on Earth.”

Beijing, meanwhile, is steadily ticking off milestones. It recently launched its Lanyue lander – built to carry two taiko­nauts (China’s term for astronauts) – validating its take-off and landing systems, according to state media.

Two tests of its new Long March 10 super-heavy rocket were declared “complete successes” by the China Manned Space Agency.

“They’re progressing on every key piece they’ll need,” said Dean Cheng, a China expert at the US Institute of Peace. “They’ve built a new rocket, a lunar lander and they’re moving faster than anyone expected.”

China has accelerated its timeline from 2035 to 2029 and plans to start building a joint lunar research base with Russia by 2030, most likely at the South Pole.

“There’s room for two powers – but not without coordination,” warned Thomas Gonzalez Roberts, a space policy scholar at Georgia Tech. “Competition for the same landing sites could turn risky.”

China’s goal, experts say, is to arrive first and establish broad control – securing access routes, communications, dig sites and even a nuclear reactor to power its base.

Nasa’s own plans depend on Elon Musk’s Starship rocket – a giant, reusable launcher built by SpaceX and central to Trump’s Artemis vision.

But repeated test failures have put the schedule in jeopardy.

“Starship has yet to reach orbit,” Hubbard said. “And once it does, it’ll need to prove it can transfer cryogenic fuel in space – something never done before. Doing all that within two years is a real stretch.”

Delays have already pushed Artemis III, the first planned lunar landing, towards the end of Trump’s term.

Artemis II – a manned orbit around the moon – is expected early next year after design flaws in Lockheed Martin’s Orion capsule were fixed.

Trump’s aides fear Beijing could deploy a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2029, allowing it to declare a “keep-out zone” and block American operations nearby.

Duffy has ordered Nasa to prepare a competing US reactor mission by the same year.

Yet, uncertainty persists.

Trump has not nominated a permanent Nasa administrator and the White House declined to identify who is overseeing the lunar effort.

Even Trump’s broader space agenda is shaky.

His administration has proposed ­cancelling funding for Nasa’s Mars Sample Return mission, a cornerstone of planetary science, despite evidence that the Red Planet once supported life.

Setbacks are part of the space game, but China’s pace has turned them into a liabi­lity.

If Beijing lands first, it would not just be a symbolic victory – it could reshape power dynamics on Earth.

“I’ve been on the inside,” Hubbard said. “You waste enormous time fighting budget battles.

“If you really want to beat the Chinese, give Nasa the funding and stabi­lity it needs. You’re not going to win if every week there’s a new direction, a new budget, a new administrator.”

Then he paused. “And China may still win,” he said. “That would be another claim that they’re the dominant power in the world.” — Los Angeles Times/TNS

Relates posts:

Do not misread China, Victor Gao on How the US Misunderstands China

 

Of AI, calculators and learning maths

 

WHILE teaching mathematics in two countries, Malaysia and China, I have noticed that the way students master this subject is deeply influenced by their own educational culture and assessment systems.

Scientific calculators and artificial intelligence (AI) are now part and parcel of the learning process. However, the students’ approaches to using these tools are still firmly rooted in the foundational values shaped by their respective systems.

In Malaysia, the use of scientific calculators is a standard practice among students at the upper secondary level.

Students are allowed to use them for mathematics and additional mathematics papers in the SPM exams, especially for questions involving trigonometry, logarithms or statistical calculations.

They do speed up calculations and minimise errors, but overly relying on them can sometimes lead to weaker mastery of basic computational skills and reduced understanding of the core mathematical concepts.

Teaching foundation students at Xi’an International University in China under the Universiti Malaya (UM) offshore programme revealed a very different learning system.

Many students there had never used scientific calculators before.

As they were preparing to pursue their undergraduate studies at UM, I made them use the calculators during lectures and assessments.

They were hesitant at first, but I could see their excitement when they tried to use the device.

Nevertheless, most of them continued to solve problems, such as multiplication, square roots and trigonometric expressions, manually and did so with remarkable speed and precision.

This comfort with manual computation stemmed from their early training and a system that actively reinforces such skills.

One of the main reasons for this is China’s national university entrance exam, Gaokao. Known for its intensity and competitiveness, Gaokao strictly prohibits the use of calculators in the mathematics paper. This policy is intentional; it aims to assess a student’s genuine computational skills, ensure fairness across all regions and backgrounds, and encourage deep mastery of mathematical principles without relying on technology. As a result, Chinese students are trained from young to memorise formulas and solve problems manually.

The outcome is a generation of students who possess strong fundamental skills and a high level of confidence when tackling complex problems using logical and structured steps.

Despite these systemic differences, global developments continue to impact both countries. Students in Malaysia and China are now turning to Ai-powered apps such as CHATGPT, Deepseek, Symbolab, and Photomath, and are becoming increasingly dependent on Ai-generated solutions without fully engaging with the problem-solving process.

To address this, I apply a simple yet effective approach in my classroom. Students are required to answer the questions using their own reasoning first before they are allowed to check or verify their answers using AI.

This approach trains them to think critically, assess their own solutions, and compare them with the output provided by AI tools. It also builds confidence in their conceptual understanding.

What I find most encouraging is how students respond when their answers differ from the Ai-generated ones. On several occasions, I have heard them say confidently, “I think my answer is correct. The AI is wrong.” To me, this is a clear indicator of authentic learning.

These students are not simply replicating solutions; they have internalised the logic, are able to explain their reasoning, and are not afraid to challenge the authority of a machine when they believe in their own understanding.

I fully support the integration of AI as a learning tool, but I also believe that solving problems manually and conceptual mastery of the subject – in this case mathematics – must remain the foundation of education.

Technology should enhance students’ learning but not replace their ability to think.

FATIN NABILA ABD LATIFF Senior lecturer Mathematics Division Centre for Foundation Studies in Science Universiti Malaya

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The more open the country, the more it will drive our progress: Ren Zhengfei speaks to People’s Daily

 

Ren Zhengfei photo

Recently, reporters from People's Daily (PD) engaged in face-to-face communication with Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei (Ren) on various hot topics of public interest at the company's headquarters in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province.

From this interaction, we genuinely felt the confidence of an entrepreneur who "unswervingly manages own affairs well."

'Moving forward step by step'

PD: Facing external blockades and suppression, with many difficulties, what goes through your mind?
Ren: I haven't thought about them; thinking is useless. Don't dwell on difficulties, just take action and move forward step by step.

PD: Huawei's Ascend chip has been "warned" about usage risks. What impact does this have on Huawei?
Ren: There are many companies in China making chips, and many are doing well; Huawei is just one of them. The US has exaggerated Huawei's achievements — the company isn't that powerful yet. We need to work hard to live up to their evaluation. Our single chips still lag behind the US by a generation. We use mathematics to compensate for physics, non-Moore's Law approaches to complement Moore's Law, and group computing to make up for single-chip limitations, which can also achieve practical results.

PD: If there are difficulties, what are the main ones?
Ren: When have there ever not been difficulties? Wasn't it difficult during the era of slash-and-burn farming? Wasn't it difficult in the Stone Age? When humans used stone tools, could they have imagined high-speed trains? China has opportunities in low- and mid-range chips, with dozens or even hundreds of chip companies working hard. 

The opportunities are even greater for compound semiconductors. For silicon-based chips, we use mathematics to compensate for physics, non-Moore's Law approaches to complement Moore's Law, and leverage cluster computing principles to meet our current needs. 

Software cannot be choked — it's built on mathematical graphic symbols, code, and advanced operators and algorithms, with no barriers. The difficulties lie in our education and building a talent pipeline. In the future, China will have hundreds or thousands of operating systems, supporting progress in Chinese industry, agriculture, healthcare, and more.

PD: There are many voices praising Huawei now, and the recognition of Huawei is very high.
Ren: When people say we're good, it puts a lot of pressure on us. A bit of criticism keeps us more clear-headed. We make products, and it's normal for people to criticize them when they use them. We allow criticism. As long as it's truthful, even if it's critical, we support it. Don't pay too much attention to either praise or criticism; focus on whether we can do our job well. If we do our job well, there's no problem.

PD: From your attitude toward difficulties and criticism, we sense you have a strong inner resolve, remaining unconcerned with praise or criticism and instead focusing on doing your own work well. This must be a key reason why Huawei has come this far.
Ren: There's still too much praise directed at us. People should pay more attention to understanding those engaged in theoretical research. Their work is profound and often underappreciated by the public, with contributions that may only be recognized after decades or even centuries. Baselessly criticizing them is detrimental to the country's long-term development. We must understand and support those doing theoretical work. We need to appreciate their vision; their great, quiet dedication is the hope of our nation. We shouldn't elevate one group while diminishing another; those engaged in theoretical research are the hope for our country's future.

'We must understand theoretical scientists with strategic patience'

PD: How to view basic theoretical research?
Ren: When our country has a certain economic strength, we must attach importance to theoretical research, especially basic theoretical research. Basic research takes more than five to 10 years; it generally requires 10 years, 20 years, or even longer. If we do not engage in basic research, it is akin to having no roots. Even if the leaves are lush and thriving, they will fall when the wind blows. Purchasing foreign products is expensive because the price includes their investment in basic research. Therefore, whether China engages in basic research or not, it will have to pay costs. The question is whether we can pay our own researchers engaged in basic research.

PD: Regarding basic research, people may not understand it and ask, "What is the purpose of this research? What benefits can it generate?" 
Ren: Scientific breakthroughs are understood by few people in the world. Those who do not understand should not evaluate them. Einstein's discovery that light rays can bend was confirmed a hundred years later. In Southwest China's Guizhou Province, there was an agronomist named Luo Dengyi. In the 1940s, when analyzing the nutritional components of fruits and vegetables, he discovered a wild fruit called thorn pear with extremely high vitamin content. At that time, China was still in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and the social education level was very low, so few people understood his research. Later, he wrote a paper stating that thorn pear was the "king of vitamin C." Nearly a hundred years later, Guizhou developed it into a natural vitamin-rich thorn pear beverage, a luxury in the vitamin beverage market, priced at nearly 100 yuan per bottle and highly sought after. The thorn pear industry has become a channel for farmers to lift out of poverty and become prosperous. Only then did people truly recognize Luo, who had been working at a broken desk amid the flames of war.

PD: Many research achievements seem insignificant at first, but they often prove extremely useful in the end. 
Ren: Theoretical scientists are lonely. We need to have strategic patience and understand them. Tu Youyou's work on artemisinin is a case in point. So is Huang Danian, who upheld the spirit of "exploration, innovation, and sincere dedication to the country." The symbols, formulas, and thoughts in their minds can only be communicated with by a few people in the world. We must respect theoretical scientists because we may not understand their field of expertise. Society should be tolerant, and the state should support them.

PD: Basic research has a long cycle, but enterprises need to focus on efficiency. 
Ren: We invest 180 billion yuan ($25.06 billion) in research and development each year, with approximately 60 billion yuan allocated to basic theoretical research, which is not subject to performance evaluation. About 120 billion yuan is invested in product research and development, which is subject to evaluation. Without theoretical support, there can be no breakthroughs, and we will not be able to catch up with the US.

PD: This reflects a long-term perspective. It is said that Huawei has a "Chaspark." 
Ren: Huang Danian was a great scientist. Our country became aware of him during the Gulf War. The US military had a pod under its helicopter that could detect weapons buried by Saddam in the desert and destroy them accurately at the start of the war. Further investigation revealed that this pod was developed by a Chinese person — Huang's mining survey pod developed during his time at a British university, which was used as a weapon by NATO. He resigned and returned to China to become a teacher at Jilin University. He used his own money to request a 40-square-meter room from the university, opened a "Chaspark," and provided free coffee, advocating "absorbing cosmic energy over a cup of coffee." With the authorization of his family, we established a non-profit online platform called "Chaspark," which provides free access to global scientific and technological information. At the same time, it opens inclusive cooperation mechanism for basic research, collaborating with major universities and colleges. These are all strategic investments that are not subject to performance evaluation. In terms of basic theory, we have established an internal mechanism. We don't know when results will be achieved, and we don't set requirements for scientists.

'Goal of socialism is to develop society'

PD: American economists such as Richard Wolff questioned why the US has failed to develop a modern high-speed rail system like China and argued that the real issue is profitability under capitalism, noting that since high-speed rail is "not profitable," the US doesn't have it. In contrast, Wolff pointed out that while it may also not be profitable in China, the country still built it - "because the government did it." None of these are inherently profitable, but they lay the foundation for a developed society, contributing to the modernization of industry and agriculture. They reflect the social value of state-owned enterprises. For competing products, China implements marketization - allowing market competition to realize their commercial value and generate tax revenue for the society. What's your view on this?

Ren: Why is it that only socialism can take on projects that is not profitable? One of the core purposes of socialism is to advance societal development. The socialist market economy system adopted in China is a remarkable feat. When it comes to infrastructure development, we can only follow the path of the socialist market economy - otherwise, large-scale projects like high-speed railways, expressways, and dams... simply could not be built.

PD: What's your insight for the development prospects of artificial intelligence (AI)?
Ren: AI may be the last technological revolution in human society, though there might also be nuclear fusion in the energy field. The development of AI will span decades and centuries. Don't worry. China also has many advantages.
 
PD: What's your view on these advantages?
Ren: China is home to hundreds of millions of youth, who are the future of the country. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, pointed out that the strength of a country or a nation is always underpinned by cultural prosperity. The critical technical requirement for AI lies in having ample power supply and a well-developed information network. Developing AI requires robust power guarantees. China excels in power generation and grid transmission, boasts the world's most advanced telecommunications network. The "east data, west computing" project is able to be realized.
 
PD: Any other advantages?
Ren: There's actually no need to worry about the chip issue. By leveraging methods such as superposition and clustering, computational results can match the most advanced global standards. In terms of software, thousands upon thousands of open-source software will meet the needs of the entire society in the future.

PD: How do you view China's future?
Ren: Thomas L. Friedman left our company and bought a second-class high-speed rail ticket to experience China. Later, he wrote an article titled, "I Just Saw the Future. It Was Not in America." 
 
PD: We've read that article, where he says "what makes China's manufacturing juggernaut so powerful today is not that it just makes things cheaper; it makes them cheaper, faster, better, smarter and increasingly infused with AI."
Ren: Fundamentally, algorithms are not in the hands of IT experts but in the hands of power experts, infrastructure experts, coal experts, medical experts, and various industry experts. From a practical perspective, Chinese manufacturing is adopting artificial intelligence very quickly, and it will give rise to many Chinese models. 
 
PD: What kind of support does the development of private enterprises need from the country?
Ren: A legalized and market-oriented environment where the government administers in accordance with laws and regulations. Enterprises should focus on value creation, technological breakthroughs, law-abiding operations, and tax compliance. This harmonious development model will gradually unleash economic vitality.
 
PD: How do you view openness and development?
Ren: The more open the country becomes, the more it will drive our progress. Under the leadership of the Party, with unified administration and clear policies, it is possible to gradually form a unified national market. This will surely break through all blockades and achieve great rejuvenation.


 

Photo: Screenshot from People's Daily
 

The article was originally published on the front page of the People's Daily on June 10, 2025 -By Hu Jian and Chen Jiaxing .

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Can Huawei break the Mac-Windows duopoly?

 

Global ambitions: A man using his mobile phone in front of a billboard in Beijing, China. Huawei says that the first lineup of its PCs has built-in AI features, including DeepSeek-powered apps. — Bloomberg

IN the latest sign that US attempts to choke Huawei Technologies Co are only strengthening it, the Chinese tech giant will next week release its first line of personal computers (PCs) powered by the homegrown HarmonyOS operating system (OS).

The move to challenge the global duopoly overseen by Microsoft Corp’s Windows and Apple Inc’s MacOS was not by choice.

Huawei’s licence to run Windows on PCs expired in March, and America’s blacklisting makes it difficult for US firms to continue to do business with it.

Instead of succumbing to Washington’s squeeze, Huawei has invested heavily in the nearly impossible task of creating an entirely new software ecosystem from scratch.

It will be an uphill battle for HarmonyOS to make a dent, both in China and globally.

The first computers run by Windows or MacOS were released in the 80s and are the foundation – and essentially only options – for most applications and services that PC users rely on.

The diffusion and adoption of a new operating system doesn’t happen overnight.

But if Huawei can succeed in getting developers on board, it has a shot at providing the first real alternative to this two-party standard and offering a Chinese alternative that could eventually erode the long-term influence of Silicon Valley.

The new PCs follow the remarkable gains made by Huawei’s OS for mobile over the past couple of years, unseating Apple’s iOS in domestic market share at a rapid clip.

In early 2023, HarmonyOS’s operating system had just 8% of the mobile market in China, compared to the 72% held by Alphabet Inc’s Google-backed Android and iOS’s 20%, according to Counterpoint Research.

In the last quarter of 2024, however, HarmonyOS commanded 19% – surpassing iOS’s 17% and pushing Android’s share down to 64%.

There are other elements on its side.

Huawei’s homegrown OS aligns with President Xi Jinping’s goal of tech self-sufficiency, meaning it can likely count on government support to boost adoption.

China has a vast domestic market, which means there’s less pressure on Huawei to rely on the United States or foreign consumers as it works out any kinks.

The trade war is pressuring many Chinese to back domestic brands over American alternatives.

Huawei’s hardware empire also gives it a built-in userbase to tap. The company’s strength still largely lies in mobile devices, but it was second only to Lenovo in PC market share in China last year.

Still, headaches were reported with the mobile version, especially related to accessing certain apps that were specifically built for Android or iOS.

Splashy demo videos make the first such PC look like a sleek MacBook, but it’s going to take years for programmers to build out all the applications and products users have grown accustomed to, from Microsoft’s Office suite to Mac’s FaceTime.

By far the biggest challenge, across all devices, remains convincing developers to get on board.

China’s vast pool of engineers gives it an advantage, but Huawei must aggressively incentivise them to build services specifically for HarmonyOS.

It has made some strides. Huawei says that the first lineup of these PCs has built-in artificial intelligence (AI) features, including DeepSeek-powered apps.

State-backed media has reported that they have more than 150 dedicated applications, as well as being compatible with a range of popular Chinese platforms available on mobile.

In its annual report last year, Huawei said that over a billion devices – including phones, tablets and smartwatches – are already running HarmonyOS.

And Huawei has previously signalled global ambitions for its operating system, coinciding with its devices’ increasing popularity across South-East Asia and emerging markets.

A lot of attention has been paid to Huawei’s rise in the hardware sector, and specifically its advances in chipmaking for AI applications.

US efforts to ban advanced semiconductors from China have no doubt slowed AI ambitions. But they have also accelerated Beijing’s development of a domestic and self-sufficient ecosystem.

Most recently, America’s bar on Nvidia Corp’s H20 chips has been criticised for redirecting demand and money toward Huawei’s alternatives. The proliferation of Huawei’s HarmonyOS now makes it clear that we’re seeing a similar scenario play out in China’s software sector.

Washington should assess how its policies have resulted in Huawei growing into the behemoth it is today.

The ramifications extend far beyond potential impacts to US businesses.

In an increasingly bifurcating tech world, Beijing could eventually end up setting the norms and standards that the rest of the world adopts, whether that’s in AI or operating systems. — Bloomberg

Catherine Thorbecke is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asia tech. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.

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