cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/53226463

Automotive Cells Company, the Stellantis-TotalEnergies-Mercedes JV, may drop its planned Termoli gigafactory after 20–25% higher costs at its Douvrin pilot plant. Stellantis now pivots to CATL-backed LFP cell production in Zaragoza.

ACC’s pilot plant in Douvrin, France, which began operations in 2024, has encountered technical and financial obstacles. Scrap rates of 15 to 20 percent have limited production to approximately 15,000–20,000 battery packs in late 2025, while production costs are estimated to be 20 to 25 percent higher than those of leading Asian competitors. These issues, combined with strategic considerations, have led Stellantis to shift its focus toward lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery technology.

Japanese stocks related to tourism and retail fell on Monday after China warned its citizens not to travel to the country as Tokyo and Beijing remain locked in a row over Taiwan.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who has been a vocal critic of China and its military activities in the region, suggested this month Tokyo could take military action if Beijing attacked Taiwan.

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/41958131

China has financed tens of billions of pounds' worth of investment in UK businesses and projects this century, some of which gave it access to military-grade technology, BBC Panorama has learned.

The spending spree - worth £45bn ($59bn) at 2023 prices - was at its height following a 2015 Chinese state directive, aimed at making the country a global leader in high-tech industries.

The UK has been the top destination among G7 nations for these investments, relative to the size of its population and economy, according to US-based research group AidData.

Panorama has investigated how this led to cutting-edge technology and skills being transferred to China. The UK was "far too free in allowing access to strategically important industries", according to a former head of GCHQ.

...

These objectives were laid out by China's communist leaders in a strategic plan 10 years ago, called "Made In China 2025". It set ambitious targets for the country to become the industry leader in 10 high-tech sectors, including aerospace, electric vehicles and robotics.

This was a far-sighted strategy, according to Prof Keyu Jin of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology: "It's the longer-term strategic thinking that China has always had, and I'd argue that many other countries also should have."

...

Imagination Technologies, a Hertfordshire-based firm, was one of the companies Panorama looked at.

It specialises in semiconductor design - in other words, designing the tiny electronic circuits inside chips that power devices such as computers and smartphones.

Exterior view of a modern white building with the Imagination Technologies logo on the wall, featuring a stylized circular and square design above the word ‘Imagination.’ Several bollards line the foreground, and parked cars are visible near the entrance.

...

In 2017, Imagination had recently lost its most important client, Apple, and had seen its share price fall dramatically. It was snapped up for £550m by a private equity firm, Canyon Bridge, based at that time in the US state of California.

The Canyon Bridge fund that bought Imagination had one investor - Yitai Capital, whose largest stakeholder is China Reform. This organisation reports to the State Council, the body responsible for carrying out party policies and laws.

...

In his first interview since leaving Imagination, the company's former CEO, Ron Black, says the UK government vetted the deal, and he was told "unequivocally" by Canyon Bridge that China Reform would be a passive investor, only interested in making money.

However, in 2019, Mr Black says he was summoned to a meeting in Beijing, where he was asked to work directly for China Reform, and oversee the wholesale transfer of Imagination's technology and expertise to China.

"I think [the China Reform representative] said specifically 'from the heads of the British engineers to the Chinese engineers, then lay off the British engineers and you'll make a lot of money'," says Mr Black.

He refused, but he says that several months later, China Reform tried to install four new directors "with no understanding of semiconductors" directly onto the board of Imagination Technologies.

...

Fearful about the possible transfer of military-grade technology, Mr Black resigned. At that point, he says, the UK government started to take an interest, and China Reform halted its attempt to install new directors.

...

In 2017, the UK had fewer powers to stop the sale of a company such as Imagination to Chinese owners. Two years earlier, China's leader, Xi Jinping, had been welcomed on a state visit, with David Cameron's Conservative government hailing the start of a "golden era" in China-UK relations.

"We thought China was basically a very friendly power and there was lots of money to be made," says Sir Jeremy Hunt. In 2015 he was health secretary, and later held other government posts, including chancellor of the exchequer and foreign secretary. "But under the surface, we were beginning to sense a much more assertive China."

...

Europe as a whole and some US businesses were naive about China in 2017-18, according to John Bolton, former US national security advisor during the first Trump administration.

"There was a reluctance to think we were slipping back into some kind of Cold War," he says.

...

The high point for Chinese overseas investment was during 2016 and 2017, according to Dr Parks. After this point, he says, many countries started strengthening screening mechanisms on national security grounds.

The US, Germany and Italy tightened vetting on foreign investment by 2018. The UK followed suit in 2022.

Sir Jeremy Fleming is cautiously optimistic that lessons have been learned.

"We have a much stronger regime in place," he says. "But would I say the process is watertight? Absolutely not."

In 2024, a Labour government was elected, but it faced the same issue as its Conservative predecessor - namely, that the UK needed economic growth and China could help.

"One big problem in Europe, including the UK, is that there's not enough investment and funding," says Prof Keyu Jin. "China is very happy to finance some of these projects. And there are lots of areas where there's no real threat of national security."

...

But some Labour MPs are concerned the government has not published its China audit, which it carried out as part of an election manifesto commitment.

"I was promised by the foreign secretary that it would be published," says Dame Emily Thornberry MP, the chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. "Then we hear that the China audit has happened but we're not going to be told about it, we're only going to get a few lines."

The Foreign Office has told Panorama it did not publish its full audit because of its security classification.

...

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/41958131

China has financed tens of billions of pounds' worth of investment in UK businesses and projects this century, some of which gave it access to military-grade technology, BBC Panorama has learned.

The spending spree - worth £45bn ($59bn) at 2023 prices - was at its height following a 2015 Chinese state directive, aimed at making the country a global leader in high-tech industries.

The UK has been the top destination among G7 nations for these investments, relative to the size of its population and economy, according to US-based research group AidData.

Panorama has investigated how this led to cutting-edge technology and skills being transferred to China. The UK was "far too free in allowing access to strategically important industries", according to a former head of GCHQ.

...

These objectives were laid out by China's communist leaders in a strategic plan 10 years ago, called "Made In China 2025". It set ambitious targets for the country to become the industry leader in 10 high-tech sectors, including aerospace, electric vehicles and robotics.

This was a far-sighted strategy, according to Prof Keyu Jin of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology: "It's the longer-term strategic thinking that China has always had, and I'd argue that many other countries also should have."

...

Imagination Technologies, a Hertfordshire-based firm, was one of the companies Panorama looked at.

It specialises in semiconductor design - in other words, designing the tiny electronic circuits inside chips that power devices such as computers and smartphones.

Exterior view of a modern white building with the Imagination Technologies logo on the wall, featuring a stylized circular and square design above the word ‘Imagination.’ Several bollards line the foreground, and parked cars are visible near the entrance.

...

In 2017, Imagination had recently lost its most important client, Apple, and had seen its share price fall dramatically. It was snapped up for £550m by a private equity firm, Canyon Bridge, based at that time in the US state of California.

The Canyon Bridge fund that bought Imagination had one investor - Yitai Capital, whose largest stakeholder is China Reform. This organisation reports to the State Council, the body responsible for carrying out party policies and laws.

...

In his first interview since leaving Imagination, the company's former CEO, Ron Black, says the UK government vetted the deal, and he was told "unequivocally" by Canyon Bridge that China Reform would be a passive investor, only interested in making money.

However, in 2019, Mr Black says he was summoned to a meeting in Beijing, where he was asked to work directly for China Reform, and oversee the wholesale transfer of Imagination's technology and expertise to China.

"I think [the China Reform representative] said specifically 'from the heads of the British engineers to the Chinese engineers, then lay off the British engineers and you'll make a lot of money'," says Mr Black.

He refused, but he says that several months later, China Reform tried to install four new directors "with no understanding of semiconductors" directly onto the board of Imagination Technologies.

...

Fearful about the possible transfer of military-grade technology, Mr Black resigned. At that point, he says, the UK government started to take an interest, and China Reform halted its attempt to install new directors.

...

In 2017, the UK had fewer powers to stop the sale of a company such as Imagination to Chinese owners. Two years earlier, China's leader, Xi Jinping, had been welcomed on a state visit, with David Cameron's Conservative government hailing the start of a "golden era" in China-UK relations.

"We thought China was basically a very friendly power and there was lots of money to be made," says Sir Jeremy Hunt. In 2015 he was health secretary, and later held other government posts, including chancellor of the exchequer and foreign secretary. "But under the surface, we were beginning to sense a much more assertive China."

...

Europe as a whole and some US businesses were naive about China in 2017-18, according to John Bolton, former US national security advisor during the first Trump administration.

"There was a reluctance to think we were slipping back into some kind of Cold War," he says.

...

The high point for Chinese overseas investment was during 2016 and 2017, according to Dr Parks. After this point, he says, many countries started strengthening screening mechanisms on national security grounds.

The US, Germany and Italy tightened vetting on foreign investment by 2018. The UK followed suit in 2022.

Sir Jeremy Fleming is cautiously optimistic that lessons have been learned.

"We have a much stronger regime in place," he says. "But would I say the process is watertight? Absolutely not."

In 2024, a Labour government was elected, but it faced the same issue as its Conservative predecessor - namely, that the UK needed economic growth and China could help.

"One big problem in Europe, including the UK, is that there's not enough investment and funding," says Prof Keyu Jin. "China is very happy to finance some of these projects. And there are lots of areas where there's no real threat of national security."

...

But some Labour MPs are concerned the government has not published its China audit, which it carried out as part of an election manifesto commitment.

"I was promised by the foreign secretary that it would be published," says Dame Emily Thornberry MP, the chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. "Then we hear that the China audit has happened but we're not going to be told about it, we're only going to get a few lines."

The Foreign Office has told Panorama it did not publish its full audit because of its security classification.

...

Ecuador's voters have seemingly rejected a proposal to allow the return of foreign military bases with the stated mission of helping the South American nation combat drug cartels.

With 80% of votes counted, just over 60% of voters said "No" to the measure.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/53225495

Unite blamed pressures on automotive parts suppliers from weak demand hitting car manufacturers during the transition away from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/53224971

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/53224802

So that's what Mozilla's doing instead of improving their browser.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/53224602

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/53224539

The way I get along

meduza.io/en/episodes/2025/11/…

When I got banned off from Reddit because of a bot, I feel like I lost part of me in a way, because I was getting my news there, I had friends and suddenly I lost it

Here however I feel like more of myself because I get to post whatever I want without pressure or faking anything

The war took our home, our dreams, and our future — please help my family stand again. ♥️🙏

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5644785

Taiwan and Poland have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on economic cooperation at the 13th bilateral economic and trade consultation conference in Wroclaw, Poland, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said on Saturday.

Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Cynthia Kiang (江文若) and Michal Jaros, secretary of state in Poland’s Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, signed the MOU at the conference on Friday in support of the establishment of special economic zones and industrial parks, the Taiwan's MOEA [Ministry of Economic Affairs] said in a statement.

The two sides discussed cooperation in several fields, including information and communications technologies, semiconductors, renewable energy development, and innovations by small and medium-sized enterprises, the MOEA said.

...

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5644785

Taiwan and Poland have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on economic cooperation at the 13th bilateral economic and trade consultation conference in Wroclaw, Poland, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said on Saturday.

Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Cynthia Kiang (江文若) and Michal Jaros, secretary of state in Poland’s Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, signed the MOU at the conference on Friday in support of the establishment of special economic zones and industrial parks, the Taiwan's MOEA [Ministry of Economic Affairs] said in a statement.

The two sides discussed cooperation in several fields, including information and communications technologies, semiconductors, renewable energy development, and innovations by small and medium-sized enterprises, the MOEA said.

...