While we need to be concerned about China's growing presence in Britain's electricity generation (Nuclear power: China's move into UK hints at scale of its wider ambitions, July 27), we should be asking searching questions of our government. They seem not to understand (or don't care about) the nature of the companies they are dealing with. Chinese state-owned enterprises are not like EDF or the German, Dutch and French state-owned firms that run our railways. They are dramatically different because China is governed by a Leninist state. Consequently, Chinese state firms are ultimately controlled not by the State Council's State Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, but by the Communist party.

We hear a lot about China as the future giant of AI, but it would be a good idea to put China's level of achievement in perspective. A study published in February of this year by Elsevier helps us to put things into perspective. In this study, we find that the share of scientific publications of Chinese origin increased from 9% over the period 1998-2002 to 24% between 2013 and 2017. This is indeed important, but it is still less than the current 30% of European original items, even if higher than the 17% of the USA alone. However, quantity does not mean quality, and on the impact score of the articles (which measures article citations and their exposure to conferences), Chinese articles are rated between 1.08 and 1.77, when European articles are rated between 1.22 and 2.77, and Americans between 2.45 and 5.84.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Pope Francis "loves China" and the Vatican hopes China has a great future, a Chinese state-run newspaper on Friday cited a visiting Vatican official as saying, in an expression of goodwill despite strained relations between the two.

BEIJING – The United States Geological Service reports a magnitude 5.1 earthquake has struck northeastern China. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The USGS said the quake struck at 1:50 a.m. China's national earthquake administration gave the earthquake's magnitude at 5.7 and said it struck 13 kilometers (8 miles) deep. Media reports said rescue teams responded, but despite heavy shaking that prompted residents to rush from their homes, no word of any injuries or damage had yet been received.

"If the relevant party once more makes trouble out of nothing and causes tensions, then it will only cause China to reach this conclusion: in order to earnestly protect peace in the South China Sea, China must strengthen and speed up the building of its abilities there," it said.