Weekly Roundup of What’s Happening in China: Astronauts,Troops and Nvidia
Here’s a weekly roundup of the latest developments in China:
Chinese astronauts returned to Earth with flies
On April 30, China’s Shenzhou-19 crewed spacecraft successfully landed in the north of the country. The spacecraft and its three crew were sent into space in October last year to work on China’s “Tiangong” permanently inhabited space station. But this time, not only three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth, but some fruit flies returned too.
The experiment began on November 15, 2024, when the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft delivered fruit flies to orbit. The research aims to explore how microgravity and other space conditions affect growth, behaviour, and gene expression in living organisms.
Chinese astronauts successfully bred three generations of fruit flies during the month-long experiment. This marks a key milestone in confirming that fruit flies are capable of reproduction in space. These findings lay important scientific groundwork for safeguarding human health on future long-duration space missions.
Why did Chinese scientists choose fruit flies? Because they reproduce quickly, have a small number of chromosomes, and are well-suited for genetic research. In recent years, scientists have found that about 75% of known human disease-causing genes have counterparts in fruit flies. Studying them has greatly deepened our understanding of human biology. Over a hundred years ago, a single fruit fly with a mutation that turned its eyes from red to white helped Thomas Morgan confirm that genes are located on chromosomes. This discovery laid the groundwork for modern genetics and remains one of the most important milestones in biology. Morgan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1933 for this work and related research. Since then, fruit flies have contributed to at least six Nobel Prizes in fields like development, immunity, neuroscience, and circadian rhythms. In 2023, Australian researchers used fruit flies to uncover a previously mysterious link between Alzheimer’s disease and a genetic mutation, showing that it leads to neuron death. What new discoveries will Chinese scientists make from these tiny space travelers? Let’s keep watching.
China sends troops to Moscow
On May 6, Chinese state media reported that the People’s Liberation Army will participate in Victory Day military parades to be held on May 9 in both Moscow and Minsk, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War.
According to Sputnik, over 20 heads of state have been invited to attend the Moscow parade, including leaders from China, Venezuela, Brazil, Serbia, and Slovakia.
Russia played a pivotal role in the European Theater of the Second World War, the Red Army liberated Berlin after sacrificing over 80,000 soldiers—a fact seemingly lost on Donald Trump. On May 1, Trump posted on social media that he intends to officially rename May 8 and November 11 as “Victory Days,” claiming the United States contributed more to the outcome of WWII than any other country.
Just a day later, on May 2, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly announced that the Trump administration plans to hold a military parade in Washington, D.C. on June 14 to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. American media were quick to point out that June 14 also happens to be Trump’s 79th birthday.
Nvidia condemns US-made rumours about China
On May 3, Nvidia publicly rebuked fellow U.S. AI company Anthropic for promoting stricter chip export controls on China. A spokesperson for Nvidia warned that given the depth of China’s AI talent—“highly capable experts at every layer of the AI stack”—the U.S. won’t win the global AI competition by “manipulating regulators.”
Nvidia reminded U.S. AI firms that they should focus on innovation and rise to the challenge, rather than “tell tall tales”.
The remarks came after Anthropic released a blog post claiming that China is smuggling advanced AI chips by hiding them inside prosthetic baby bumps and live lobsters. The post was intended to support the Commerce Department’s “Framework for Artificial Intelligence Diffusion,” which is used to establish export controls targeting China’s AI capabilities.
As a leading global supplier of advanced chips, Nvidia has made its choice in the ongoing U.S.-China AI race. On April 17, CEO Jensen Huang met with Ren Hongbin, Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, in Beijing. During the meeting, Huang acknowledged that U.S. export restrictions have already had a significant impact on Nvidia’s business but reaffirmed the company’s long-term commitment to the Chinese market.
Donald Trump once called Huang “my friend Jensen,” applauding Nvidia’s pledge to invest $500 billion in AI infrastructure in the U.S. over the next five years. However, since he launched the tariff war, Nvidia’s shares have been down more than 20% this year. On April 30, Huang said at a tech conference in Washington that China is “not behind” in AI —and that the gap between China and the U.S. is “very close.” He noted that “50% of the world’s AI researchers are Chinese”— a fact he urged U.S. policymakers to weigh carefully when shaping the future of the AI race.
Tourism Surge During the Labor Day Holiday
According to statistics from China State Railway Group, on May 1, the national railway system carried 23.119 million passenger trips, including 15.671 million trips on bullet trains. Both figures marked year-on-year increases of 11.7% and 16.1% respectively, setting new historical records. On May 5, China’s five-day Labor Day holiday came to a close. According to China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the holiday saw 314 million domestic trips—a 6.4% year-on-year increase—with total tourism spending reaching $25 billion, up 8% from last year.
This year, cities across China ramped up efforts to diversify tourism offerings and enhance visitor experiences. On the night of May 1, for instance, tourists in Chongqing were treated to a dazzling drone show featuring 5,000 drones lighting up the sky. Nearby, a creative night market allowed visitors to sip coffee, listen to live music and take part in traditional Chinese crafts.
China’s push to boost nighttime tourism also showed results. Official data show that cultural and tourism consumption zones recorded a combined 75.95 million nighttime visits over the five-day period, marking a 5.2% year-on-year rise.
The holiday also drew a significant number of foreign tourists. According to state media, inbound travellers from countries like Myanmar, South Korea, Malaysia, and Australia accounted for 57.4% of all foreign arrivals during the break.
Editor: Zhiyu Wang
