Amid concerns that US retailers may raise prices due to tariffs, American shoppers are flocking to Chinese e-commerce apps in search of affordable handbags and yoga pants, pushing apps such as Chinese e-commerce apps DHgate and Taobao into the top three free apps in Apple's US APP store, according to a ranking seen by the Global Times as of Thursday.
DHgate, a Beijing-based online platform for cross-border commerce, became the second-most popular app on Apple's App Store in the US on Wednesday, followed by ChatGPT, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Wednesday.
The surge in DHgate's popularity was driven by viral TikTok videos posted by Chinese influencers purportedly explaining the inner workings of global supply chains, the WSJ said.
Along with DHgate, known as "Dunhuang" in Chinese and dubbed the "Little Yellow App" by some shoppers, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.'s Taobao, and Shein were among the most downloaded shopping apps in the US App Store, Bloomberg said.
Chinese suppliers and manufacturers are taking to TikTok to share videos aimed at showing foreigners the "source of good goods," Bloomberg said.
Many of the videos, which claim that handbags and clothes of high-end European brands are actually all sourced from Chinese manufacturers, provide links to websites and contact details, leading viewers to place orders directly with these vendors, according to Bloomberg.
DHgate's sudden popularity was spurred by TikTok videos from Chinese manufacturers claiming to supply global luxury brands, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) said.
One widely circulated video, initially posted by user "bagbestie1", suggested that over 80 percent of luxury handbags were produced in China before being repackaged and sold overseas, the SCMP said.
"There's nothing a Chinese factory can't make," TikTok user "lunasourcingchina" was quoted as saying in the media report.
One of her videos showed factories in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, that allegedly supplied brands like Brooks Brothers, Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss. The video garnered over 3.5 million views in three days, the SCMP said.
The DHgate app was downloaded 35,400 times across the App Store and Google Play on April 12, a 56 percent increase from its 30-day average, American global online news outlet Tech Crunch said. The US accounted for 17,300 of those installs, a jump of 98 percent over the 30-day average, according to Tech Crunch.
On April 13, those installs increased to 117,500 on iOS, up 732 percent from the 30-day average. The US accounted for 65,100 of those downloads, up 940 percent, (Android download data for Sunday isn't available yet), Tech Crunch said.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang held a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday, CCTV News reported.
Li said that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the China-EU diplomatic ties. President Xi Jinping had a phone call with President of the European Council Antonio Costa at the beginning of the year, which set the tone and pointed out the direction for deepening China-EU relations. China is willing to enhance political mutual trust with the EU, expand practical cooperation, and resolve mutual concerns through dialogue and consultations, thereby driving China-EU relations forward, according to CCTV News.
China and the EU should strengthen communication and coordination, expand mutual openness, and safeguard a free and open trade and investment environment, injecting more stability and certainty into both sides and the global economy, Li told von der Leyen, per CCTV.
Li pointed out that the US recently imposed tariffs on all its trading partners, including China and the EU, under various pretexts. This is a typical act of unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying. China's firm countermeasures are not only aimed at safeguarding its own sovereignty, security, and development interests, but also at upholding international trade rules and fairness and justice in the global arena. Humanity shares the same global village—no country can thrive in isolation. Protectionism leads nowhere; openness and cooperation are the right path forward, Li said, Xinhua reported.
The Chinese premier said that this year, China's macroeconomic policies have fully taken into account various uncertainties, and the country has ample policy tools in reserve. China is fully capable of offsetting external negative impacts and is confident in sustaining sound and steady economic growth. China will continue to firmly expand its openness and strengthen cooperation with countries around the world, including the EU, to share development opportunities, Li said, according to Xinhua.
In the CCTV News report, von der Leyen emphasized that it is crucial for EU-China relations to maintain continuity and stability. The US tariff hikes have severely impacted international trade. Both the EU and China are committed to safeguarding the multilateral trading system, which aligns with the common interests of both sides and the world, the European Commission leader noted.
China will raise additional tariffs for imported goods originating in the US to 84 percent from 34 percent from April 10, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced Wednesday.
On April 8, the US further increased the so-called "reciprocal tariffs" on Chinese products exported to the US to 84 percent from 34 percent. The US escalation of tariffs against China is a mistake on top of a mistake; it seriously infringes upon China's legitimate rights and interests and gravely undermines the rules‑based multilateral trading system, said the commission.
China urges the US to immediately correct its wrong practices, cancel all unilateral tariff measures against China, and properly resolve differences with China through equal dialogue on the basis of mutual respect.
As scientists are striving to develop AI products and solutions to enhance various industries and daily life, this booming technology is also serving as a "lab assistant," contributing to scientific progress in turn.
In China, AI has been increasingly integrated into diverse research fields, particularly in life sciences, drug discovery and environmental studies. It shows substantial potential to boost efficiency, transform approaches and expedite breakthroughs.
OFFERING EARLY DISEASE DETECTION
Researchers from Shanghai-based Fudan University have made a technological breakthrough in early disease detection. With the assistance of AI, this advancement enables doctors to diagnose and predict diseases simply through a blood test.
Targeted at Alzheimer's disease, the research team used big data and an AI algorithm to screen 1,500 plasma proteins and identified 11 that are capable of predicting dementia risks.
"Through blood tests, we identified that these proteins exhibited consistent changes. With the help of AI-based calculations for disease markers, we were able to detect Alzheimer's disease at least 15 years before diagnosis," lead researcher Yu Jintai said.
"These changes are not caused by genetic modifications but rather due to differences in protein expression," Yu explained. "Much like how a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly."
The study soon garnered attention within the global medical community after being featured in the journal Nature in late 2024. Rather than resting on their laurels, the research team continued their experimental efforts, endeavoring to uncover more relationships between diseases and proteins with the AI tool.
Following an analysis of over 50,000 blood samples and health data collected during a 14-year follow-up study, the team created the world's first atlas of plasma proteins in health and disease states, which can help forecast diabetes and heart disease risks a decade in advance.
Researchers are currently developing a low-cost detection kit, priced under 100 yuan (14 U.S. dollars) to make protein testing as routine as glucose checks.
SLASHING DRUG DEVELOPMENT TIMELINES
At Hangzhou-based Liangzhu Laboratory, a research team has invented an AI algorithm to reduce the development process of a drug for treating progeria, a rare pediatric disease.
The traditional large-scale screening method for small-molecule drug development takes 15 to 20 years, with a high failure rate. However, the AI algorithm can reduce the cycle to approximately 3 to 5 years, accelerating preclinical trials that previously consumed 90 percent of the research time, according to Shen Ning, a researcher in the lab and a member of the program.
Under Zhejiang University, the laboratory in 2021 established a multidisciplinary research team of experts in clinical medicine, bioscience, mathematics, computing and statistics. They have developed several advanced AI algorithms specifically designed for the precise diagnosis of genetic and rare diseases.
China's National Health Commission and other departments jointly issued the guidelines for 84 AI application scenarios in the health sector, including drug research and development.
For decades, the pharmaceutical industry has been confronted with a "double-10" challenge: it usually requires 10 years and an investment of 1 billion U.S. dollars to develop a new drug. Many people believe that AI will be the most promising solution to overcome the long-standing dilemma.
"AI has the potential to impact the entire chain of drug development," said Academician Chen Kaixian of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
While no AI-assisted drug development has reached markets yet, multiple candidates are advancing through clinical trials in China.
DECODING CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
In March, CAS researchers and tech company Alibaba Cloud collaboratively unveiled "Luoshu," an AI model that can precisely trace water origins and predict runoff volumes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which is known as the Asian Water Tower, home to headwaters of over 10 major Asian rivers.
Warming at twice the global average over the past 50 years, the plateau is experiencing an imbalance in its water systems among glaciers, lakes and rivers. This imbalance is expected to exacerbate uncertainties in water supply, energy supply and demand, as well as food production, according to Xia Cuihui, a participant and an associate researcher at the CAS's Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research.
Hydropower generation capacity in glacier regions has declined globally in recent years. Although the reasons remain unclear, it is most likely associated with climate change, the researcher told Xinhua.
The new AI model can help predict water flow for hydropower plants by tracking where the water comes from -- like rain, melting glaciers, or underground water. "If something unusual happens, such as glaciers melting too fast or a bad drought, it will automatically update the water supply predictions," Xia explained.
Compared with conventional approaches, the AI model enhances prediction accuracy by 20 percent and can monitor real-time source contributions. It can alert power grids to prepare for short-term emergencies while providing scientific support for long-term decision-making in clean energy generation.
"Luoshu" is one of the numerous AI models recently launched by the CAS. Several institutes within the country's highest natural sciences academic organization have launched AI tools based on Alibaba's reasoning model, covering applications from astronomical observation to coral species identification.
For researchers like Xia, who holds a Ph.D. in geography, AI has already become an essential tool in the lab, but it is not just about efficiency.
"It unlocks research once deemed impossible," the female scientist added, noting that many research ideas previously limited by traditional methods can now be realized with AI support, promoting greater innovation.
As a close neighbor and important partner, China is willing to work with South Korea to deepen bilateral cooperation and strengthen the strategic cooperative partnership, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun at a press conference on Wednesday.
When responding to questions about the potential impact of the upcoming ruling by South Korea's constitutional court on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol on bilateral relations, as well as the informal APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting scheduled for this autumn amid South Korea's ongoing domestic political turbulence, Guo said, "We have taken note of relevant reports. As we have emphasized repeatedly, China adheres to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and does not comment on the domestic affairs of other countries. We believe the South Korean people have the wisdom and capability to properly address their domestic issues."
Given the South Korea's constitutional court is scheduled to announce its ruling on the impeachment case of President Yoon on Friday, large-scale political rallies and protests will be held across the country during and after the ruling. There is also a possibility of extreme incidents occurring,said the Chinese Embassy in South Korea in its official WeChat account on Tuesday.
The embassy reminds Chinese citizens in South Korea and Chinese tourists visiting South Korea to closely monitor the local situation and security conditions, and to effectively enhance their risk awareness. They should maintain a distance from local political gatherings, refrain from participating, lingering, or observing, and avoid publicly expressing or sharing political opinions, said the embassy, adding that it is also advisable to minimize verbal or physical conflicts with local residents.
Additionally, the embassy said that Chinese citizens and tourists should pay attention to police announcements regarding security alerts and traffic control information, plan their travel itineraries reasonably, and avoid going to or approaching sensitive areas and crowded places.
