China's new information infrastructure development continues to make progress this year, with a supercomputing center coming into operation and the construction of an intelligent computing network accelerating.
The new information infrastructure mainly includes network infrastructure, such as 5G networks and fiber broadband networks; computational infrastructure, such as data centers and general-purpose computing centers; and new technological facilities, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain infrastructure.
With an investment of over two billion yuan (about 275 million U.S. dollars), a Wanka-level green computing center composed of more than 10,000 GPU computing accelerator chips, began operation in northwest China's Qinghai Province at the beginning of the year, marking a breakthrough in the construction of large-scale intelligent computing infrastructure in western China.
Meanwhile, in Hami, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the second phase of an intelligent computing network integrating computing power, video, and broadcasting networks is progressing rapidly.
Expected to be operational by the end of the year, it will provide data backup service for provinces in central and eastern China.
"Our focus is on providing computing services for the autonomous region while also supporting scientific data annotation in other parts of the country," said Li Chao, executive director of Hami's energy-computing power fusion research institute.
Latest data show that the total number of standard racks in use at computing power centers nationwide has exceeded nine million, while the country's total computing power has reached 280 EFLOPS, effectively supporting computing resource allocation and the circulation of data.
EFLOPS is a measurement unit used to determine a computer's speed. A 1 EFLOPS computing system can complete 1 quintillion floating-point operations per second.
China is also making progress in promoting its network infrastructure, with more than 20 provinces and cities having launched pilot projects for next-generation 10-gigabit optical networks.
"The future planning of new information infrastructure will focus on strengthening nationwide coordination, promoting a green and low-carbon development approach, and facilitating coordinated development across regions, networks, and industries," said Chen Luping, director of the Electronic Information Institute at the China Center for Information Industry Development.
In addition, new technology infrastructures such as artificial intelligence and blockchain have been thriving this year. Nearly 200 generative AI models that have completed registration are now available to the public, with over 600 million registered users.
China's new information infrastructure continues to make progress
Iran has surprised its foes with the extent of its military power and resilience in the conflict with Israel and the U.S., Egyptian analysts in Cairo said.
With the conflict in its fourth week, Iran has shown that while it may lack the strong military muscle of the U.S. and Israel, it can strike effectively at Israeli cities and U.S. Gulf allies.
Iran's military capabilities are perhaps proving stronger than previously anticipated.
As soon as Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran on February 28, Tehran responded with barrages of missiles targeting Israel as well as U.S. military facilities in the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Jordan.
As the war began to stretch, Iran has expanded the list of its targets to include a total of 10 countries, and among them is a British base in Cyprus used by the United States.
Last week, a reported Iranian attack on another British military base on Diego Garcia Island in Mauritius signaled Tehran's possible capability to strike targets up to 4,000 kilometers away from its shores, bringing most of Europe within its radius of reach.
Walid Atlam, a researcher at the National Center for Studies, said Iran managed to use its military power to seize the global economic artery, the Strait of Hormuz, to exert pressure on the U.S. and Israel.
"The Iranian tactical strike on southern Israel, including the one near the Dimona nuclear facility or on Arad is the most effective qualitative attack during this war. It is also the deepest hit yet inside Israel. Another success for Iran is the closure of the Strait of Hormuz -- though only a partial one. In doing so, Iran managed to pressure a pillar of the global economy by disrupting energy markets and global supply chains. These effects will be felt even after a ceasefire," he said.
Iran does not match the U.S. and Israel in military might. For Tehran, surviving the war is the ultimate goal. Until then, it aims to inflict maximum damage -- not only militarily but also politically.
Mohamed al Shahawy, former chief of staff of military chemical warfare of the Egyptian Armed Forces, said Iran has surprised its foes with its military capabilities.
"Iran's resilience in fighting into the fourth week is the biggest surprise, so is its ability to target U.S. military bases with new generations of missiles. The U.S.-Israeli objective in this war, including overthrowing the regime in Iran, destroying Iran's ballistic missiles program and its nuclear facilities, and seizing Iran's enriched uranium, has failed," he said.
Atlam said the ongoing conflict seems to be undermining U.S. dominance and straining the close relations with its European allies.
"I think this war has created a kind of doubt about the United States and its foreign policy. The most significant sign is perhaps a clear European desire to reduce its dependence on the U.S., both militarily and economically. This was evident when many European countries refused to get directly involved in this war or join a coalition to secure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," he said.
Iran's strike reveals military power, resilience against US: experts
