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✈️ Orban in Beijing

✈️ Orban in Beijing

and Open AI blocked in China

July 11, 2024

Hello,

New British PM Sir Keir Starmer has flown to Washington DC for his first NATO summit - urging member countries to boost defense spending.

Meanwhile, Hungarian President Viktor Orban has met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing to discuss ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

All the details below⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣🇺🇸 United Kingdom: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, on his first international trip since taking office, urged NATO countries to boost defense spending during the alliance’s 75th-anniversary summit in Washington. He emphasized the UK's unwavering commitment to NATO and the necessity of increased military funding to address global threats like Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the rise of authoritarian states. Starmer will also meet President Biden to reinforce the strength of the transatlantic relationship and show support for Ukraine amidst escalating tensions.

2️⃣🇺🇸 United States: President Biden announced the deployment of an additional Patriot air defence system to Ukraine during NATO's 75th-anniversary summit in Washington. This move, supported by contributions from four other NATO members, aims to bolster Ukraine’s defenses against Russian bombardments. Biden's announcement underscores NATO's unwavering support for Kyiv, despite political uncertainties and the potential impact of a Trump presidency on US commitments to the alliance.

3️⃣🇫🇷 France: After Sunday’s snap election resulted in a parliament of three roughly equal blocs, political leaders from left to right have ruled out forming a coalition government. The radical-left France Unbowed (LFI) insists on implementing their programme without compromise, while Emmanuel Macron’s centrists seek a broad coalition but exclude LFI. This aversion to coalitions risks early collapse of any new government due to the lack of majority support and unwillingness to form alliances.

4️⃣🇭🇺 Hungary: Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s plan to present Hungary’s EU Council presidency agenda to the European Parliament has been delayed due to scheduling conflicts. Despite long-standing conventions, parliamentary chiefs couldn't accommodate Orbán's speech, pushing the presentation to possibly September. Orbán, recently in Russia and China discussing Ukraine, is set to attend NATO’s 75th anniversary summit in the US.

5️⃣🇷🇺 Russia: Moscow has issued an arrest warrant for Yulia Navalnaya, widow of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, accusing her of participating in an “extremist” group. Living in exile, she faces certain arrest if she returns to Russia. Navalnaya has vowed to continue her husband's fight against President Putin, recently meeting Western leaders and becoming chair of the Human Rights Foundation. She remains vocal, calling Putin a murderer and war criminal.

Major Story

Chinese developers have been jolted by OpenAI's recent decision to block access to its services in China, a move that has sent ripples through the country's burgeoning AI industry. At the recent World AI Conference in Shanghai, SenseTime introduced its new model, SenseNova 5.5, which showcased impressive capabilities comparable to OpenAI’s GPT-4. SenseTime is seizing the moment, offering 50 million free tokens and free migration assistance to attract developers now cut off from OpenAI’s tools.

The announcement by OpenAI, effective from July 9, means Chinese developers can no longer use virtual private networks to access OpenAI's services, a workaround previously used to bypass the government’s firewall. This decision has ignited significant concern within China's AI community, as it further strains the tech landscape amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing. Xiaohu Zhu, founder of the Shanghai-based Centre for Safe AGI, highlighted the broader implications, noting that this move raises questions about equitable access to AI technologies globally.

In response, Chinese AI companies are rapidly stepping in to fill the void. Baidu, Zhipu AI, and Tencent Cloud have all launched aggressive campaigns, offering millions of free tokens and free migration services to former OpenAI users. These companies view OpenAI's exit as a golden opportunity to expand their user base and accelerate their own technological advancements. Despite concerns that this could trigger a price war impacting profitability and innovation, experts like Winston Ma from New York University believe this may ultimately benefit Chinese AI firms by putting their large language models to a real test.

US restrictions on advanced semiconductors are already starting to bite. Kuaishou, a leading online video platform, has had to limit access to its new text-to-video AI model due to a chip shortage. While Chinese commentators and state media have downplayed the impact, framing it as a push for technological self-reliance, the situation remains dynamic. As companies find creative ways to circumvent these sanctions, the long-term effects of OpenAI’s decision will unfold, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape of AI development.

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Other News

1️⃣🇱🇧 Lebanon: Hezbollah has adopted low-tech strategies like using landlines, pagers, and couriers to evade Israeli surveillance, which includes advanced electronic eavesdropping and drones. This shift follows significant losses, including senior commanders, due to Israeli airstrikes. Despite these measures, Hezbollah continues to use drones for surveillance and attacks, aiming to counteract Israel’s technological advantages.

2️⃣🇶🇦 Qatar: Key negotiations to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza war will resume in Doha, with intelligence chiefs from Egypt, the US, and Israel in attendance. Egypt's Abbas Kamel, Israel's David Barnea, and CIA Director William Burns will join the talks, aiming to broker a truce between Hamas and Israel. This diplomatic effort follows recent Israeli assaults and ongoing mediation by Egypt and Qatar to end the nine-month conflict.

3️⃣🇨🇳 China: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing to discuss ending the Russia-Ukraine war. This meeting follows Orbán's visits to Russia and Ukraine, aiming to mediate peace despite lacking EU endorsement. Xi urged major powers to foster dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, while Orbán praised China's peace initiatives. The trip has drawn concern from the US, questioning its effectiveness in resolving the conflict.