China transforms education through introduction of AI courses

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly prevalent in primary and secondary school classrooms across China, providing a modern approach to education while fostering scientific thinking and innovative skills among students.

In 2024, China's Ministry of Education issued a major policy promoting AI education in primary and secondary school classrooms. The goal is to achieve full coverage of AI educational courses by 2030.

The requirements are very clear. Primary school students will focus on experiencing AI, while high school students will develop skills that can be applied to AI projects.

The importance of AI education comes as no surprise, and cultivating interest is the first step. From robots to programing courses on AI, experts say a future-oriented education revolution is now unfolding.

At a school in Chengdu, the capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province, when Generation Z encounters an AI humanoid robot, the future of education is redefined. These primary and high school students are full of curiosity about AI and humanoid robots.

"We can now see the future very clearly. For example, 10 or 20 years from now, just like these primary and high school students, they will definitely face the world of artificial intelligence after they start working. The future determines they must learn artificial intelligence from now on," said Feng Zhenyu, CEO of Sichuan Embodied Intelligent Robot Technology.

How to use AI programming to build small robots has become a compulsory course in some primary schools.

"We are earnestly promoting the strategic action of digital education and carrying out a series of application scenarios such as moral education, teaching, sports, aesthetic and scientific education enabled by AI," said Tang Min, deputy director of the Chengdu Education Bureau.

Wang Zhiyong, Communist Party secretary at the Experimental Middle School of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, said he believes China is focused on promoting scientific education, introducing advanced concepts and educational methods from universities into basic education, and better cultivating innovative talents.

"We have opened an elective course called Mathematical Modeling and AI. The course is mainly taught by university teachers. The foundation of artificial intelligence is mathematics. We will introduce the basic projects of the university into the course. We encourage our students to participate in the national mathematical modeling contest for college students, the American mathematical modeling contest for college students, the informatics contest, the robotics contest and so on," Wang said.

Experts say strengthening mathematical knowledge in basic education and future industrial applications, while combining mathematics with AI, will help students face the challenges of the AI era.

China transforms education through introduction of AI courses

China transforms education through introduction of AI courses

China on Thursday sternly warned Japan over its nuclear ambition, calling it "a red line that should never be crossed". Ministry of National Defense spokesman Jiang Bin made the statement at a press briefing.

Jiang described recent remarks by the Japanese defense minister as "extremely provocative and dangerous", saying they had once again exposed Japan's pretense and lies to the international community.

His comments came after the Japanese defense chief said several times that Japan should discuss nuclear-weapon-related policies without taboos, including whether to revise the three non-nuclear principles -- the policy of not possessing, manufacturing, or allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons that Japan has long been adhering to since the end of World War II.

"The remarks from the Japanese defense minister are highly provocative and dangerous, and once again expose Japan's pretense and lies to the international community. I wonder whether the Japanese side is using these remarks to test public opinion tolerance and pave the way for its ill attempts to challenge the bottom line of international justice. It is highly vigilant that Japan, an internationally recognized nuclear-threshold state, has stockpiled approximately 44.4 metric tons of separated plutonium and long maintained the capability for a rapid nuclear breakout," said Jiang.

Japan's attempt to breach the three non-nuclear principles seriously violates its obligations under international law as stipulated in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, severely undermining the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, he said.

"Japan's pursuit of breaking through the 'Three Non-Nuclear Principles' severely violates its international legal obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, undermines the global non-proliferation regime and threatens the post-war international order. Japan's nuclear ambition is a red line that should never be crossed. Otherwise, if the Pandora's box is opened, the consequences would be catastrophic.The international community and the Japanese public must remain highly vigilant and resolutely contain such a tendency," Jiang said.

China says Japan's nuclear ambition is "red line that should never be crossed"