New computing network infrastructure to empower multitude of industries

China launched its first optoelectronic fusion deterministic new computing network infrastructure in Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province in the east on Friday.

The development of the computing network infrastructure was led by the Future Network Innovation Team of Purple Mountain Laboratory. And it has broken through the bottlenecks of optoelectronic signal separation, high cost, high energy consumption, and low efficiency that all bedeviled the traditional network architecture.

“The first breakthrough was in key theories and algorithms, and the second achievement was that the transformation of these advanced theories and algorithms into a real product can serve the real economy,” said Tao Gaofeng, vice president of Jiangsu Future Network Group.

The project is the first major national scientific and technological infrastructure in China’s communications and information sector and has been included in the national strategic scientific and technological initiatives under the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

It is poised to be applied in fields such as intelligent manufacturing, smart cities, smart energy, and smart governance, offering a robust network ecosystem that enables AI to better serve a wide range of industries.

“We aim to build a network that cheaply, efficiently and securely connects enterprises and data, enabling them to train foundational models. On the other hand, once trained, these foundational models will be used to empower various industries,” said Liu Yunjie, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and leader of the Future Network Innovation Team at Purple Mountain Laboratory.

The first phase of the project has covered nine cities in China, forming a huge pool of computing resources.

New computing network infrastructure to empower multitude of industries

China saw a remarkable 25 percent surge in its cross-border express delivery volume in 2024, encompassing international services and deliveries to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions, as the country continued to expand its diverse cross-border logistics capabilities and international transportation capacity, according to data released by the State Post Bureau on Wednesday.

At the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in east China’s Zhejiang Province, YTO Express, one of China’s leading express firms, is poised to transport a cargo full of garment accessories and textiles to the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka. The journey is expected to take just five hours aboard the company’s cargo plane.

“In 2024, we have successfully operated over 20 domestic routes, extending our services to the Middle East and parts of Europe for the first time. Our flight networks now span across all of Asia and parts of Europe,” said Li Yabin, manager of YTO Airlines’ planning department.

Recent developments include the launch of a new all-cargo “Ezhou-Paris” route at Ezhou Huahu Airport in the city of Ezhou, central China’s Hubei Province.

Operating initially with one weekly flight, the route is expected to generate over 30,000 tons of annual international cargo throughput for the airport, with plans to increase to five flights per week to primarily carry cross-border e-commerce goods.

Alongside the expansion of air routes, China has also accelerated the construction of international postal and courier transshipment centers, overseas ground networks, and overseas warehouses.

Several international distribution hubs, such as Liege in Belgium, have been put into operation, with the postal and courier industry now boasting a total of 297 overseas distribution centers and 333 overseas warehouses.

The data shows that in 2024, China has also opened 16 China-Europe freight train postal routes and 25 sea freight mail routes, establishing self-owned or affiliated service networks in 71 countries and regions.

“We will continue to strengthen the construction of international delivery networks, encouraging postal companies to invest in the development of specialized cargo hubs, comprehensive airports, and large-scale sorting centers for overseas parcels. Our goal is to further optimize the layout of international mail exchange points, enhance overseas warehouse construction, and expand the ‘last mile’ network abroad. We will also support express companies in collaborating with cross-border e-commerce and manufacturing enterprises to provide integrated logistics solutions,” said Hou Yanbo, spokesman for the State Post Bureau.

China’s cross-border express delivery volume surges by 25 pct in 2024