A roundup of some of the stories you might have missed in China this week.
China’s space station forms new ‘T-shape’
The rotation of the Mengtian laboratory module has been completed to form the basic T-shaped structure of the Chinese space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The space station is formed from the central module Tianhe and the laboratory modules Wentian and Mengtian. Mengtian’s lab is mainly used for scientific research on space life.
The hydroelectric plant completes its last test
Unit 11 of China’s Baihetan hydropower plant began commercial operations on Wednesday after completing a 72-hour test. It is the 14th 100 million kilowatt unit to go into operation and the site will become the second largest hydroelectric power station in the world when completed, capable of generating enough electricity for 75 million people.
Inaugural flight of a “monster” four-engine drone
In a world first, a four-engine drone made its maiden flight in the Chinese province of Sichuan. Called Scorpion-D, it was developed by Sichuan Tengden Sci-Tech Innovation and has an impressive wingspan of 20 meters. The goal is to use it for cargo delivery, as it has a payload capacity of 1.5 tons.
China announces latest VR industry plan
China aims to export at least 25 million virtual reality (VR) devices by 2026, according to an action plan released on Tuesday.
The scale of China’s virtual reality industry, including hardware, software and applications, will exceed 350 billion yuan ($48.1 billion) by 2026 and will include augmented reality devices and mixed reality, as well as a determination to make breakthroughs in key technologies and applications.
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Experts flew in to treat Panda in Taiwan
Two veterinary experts from the Chinese mainland flew to Taiwan to help treat Tuan Tuan, a giant panda from the Taipei Zoo diagnosed with a brain tumor. Tuan Tuan, along with Yuan Yuan, arrived at the Taipei Zoo in 2008 as gifts from the mainland. Their names were announced at the Spring Festival Gala in Beijing in 2006, chosen from many suggestions sent in by Chinese people.
Huawei’s new affordable Pocket-S
Chinese phone maker Huawei launched its latest foldable smartphone named “Pocket S” on Wednesday. With a clamshell design similar to previous models and a friendlier price, the Pocket S features a core chip not made by Huawei’s HiSilicon but by US chip giant Qualcomm.
The 128 gigabyte version of the phone retails for 5,988 yuan, or about $830. The price is lower than the foldable phones made by almost all of its competitors, whose basic models usually cost around $1,000.