Digest

Several leaders in robotics research and development launched their latest technologies and products at the five-day China International Industry Fair in Shanghai that opened Nov 4.

Human-robot collaboration and interaction feature in a number of the newly developed models on display.

German manufacturer KUKA brought the LBR "intelligent industrial work assistant" lightweight robotic arm to China for the first time. The arm can be used in proximity to people, as its built-in sensors detect their presence and enable the arm to avoid hitting them, improving both efficiency and safety.

Swiss firm ABB's Yumi, a dual-arm assembly robot, also made its Chinese debut at the fair. The arms are equipped with sensors that detect workers' movements and allow the robot to interact with them.

China's advanced industrial processes require high levels of precision and durability, and market experts say human-robot interaction is a natural trend at the top end of manufacturing.

Intellectual propertycourts set to open

China's top court has accelerated the process of setting up intellectual property rights courts to handle disputes in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong province before the end of the year.

The Supreme People's Court has carried out extensive research and held discussions with many legal experts on the issue.

In August the top legislature selected Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong as the first places to where the courts would be set up.

The court in Beijing will start to operate before Nov 10, said Wang Chuang, deputy chief judge of the intellectual property tribunal under the Supreme People's Court.

The capital's intellectual property court in Haidian district, home to many technology giants and colleges, appointed 25 judges last month, the Beijing Times reported.

The courts in Shanghai and Guangdong have also been taking shape, Wang said, adding that all three will hear cases before the end of the year.

Aviation trainingon the up and up

China's national civil aviation authority says the country will need to train about 500,000 civilian pilots by 2035, giving hope to would-be fliers chasing dreams of landing lucrative jobs with new air service operators.

The aviation boom comes as China, seeking to boost its transport infrastructure, prepares to allow private aircraft to fly below 1,000 meters without military approval, rules that come into force next year. Commercial airlines will not be affected, but more than 200 new companies have applied for general-aviation operating licenses, and many of China's wealthy are eager for permits to fly in their own aircraft.

The civil aviation authority's training unit can only handle up to 100 students a year. With the rest of China's 12 or so existing pilot schools bursting at the seams, foreign players are joining local firms in laying the groundwork for new courses, which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per trainee.

Foreign TV showswill need permits

China's TV watchdog has published details of tougher regulations for foreign TV shows available on online streaming sites, raising concerns among Chinese viewers and the online video industry.

Under the regulations, details of which were issued by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, all foreign TV shows and movies must have permits and be reviewed by the authorities before being made available for viewing online, which means Chinese audiences will have to wait to watch the shows and will be unable to follow them simultaneously with viewers overseas.

Although all mainstream online video sites declined to comment publicly, confusion and concerns were raised among experts who spoke anonymously.

"It raises concerns about copyright, which may lead to a loss of users," said an insider from a popular online streaming site who talked on condition of anonymity, adding that concerns were raised at a recent hearing with the administration.

However, the insider said the regulation will not affect the site because foreign TV shows account for less than 5 percent of its shows.

Oversight on trackfor app stores

The development and operation of mobile networks should have a discrete legal framework, says China's Internet watchdog amid concerns about protecting users and keeping smartphone app stores safe.

Smartphones are used by many Chinese to look at the Internet and have been the driving force for the country's economic growth, the Cyberspace Administration of China said.

At a seminar on Nov 2 that included Chinese mobile-network companies and specialists, an official of the administration said it is time to make laws and rules to regulate the industry and combat the illegal use of apps.

The official, who requested anonymity, said the authority is speeding up its work to issue guidelines on applications and micro-blogging services, adding that the laws involving issues including protection of personal information protecting the young have also been put on the agenda.

Reform favored over stimulus, hints Li

The economy will not be given massive government stimulus in the face of slowing growth, Premier Li Keqiang signaled at a symposium in Beijing on Nov 4.

Instead, he said he is pinning his hopes on a quicker pace of reform.

During the meeting with economists and business leaders, Li said more efforts should be made to "boost the quality and efficiency of the economy and the improvement of people's lives".

More support should be given to new technologies and sectors to make them new "engines" of China's economy, while traditional industries like agriculture, manufacturing and services should strengthen their competitiveness, Li said.

Zuo Xiaolei, chief economist of China Galaxy Securities, said future policies should not rely on boosting the slowing real estate market but on "shaping new, reasonable industrial structures".

China Daily

(China Daily European Weekly 11/07/2014 page3)