China's homegrown BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) has emerged as a vital lifeline for fishermen along the country's southeastern coast, ensuring maritime safety through real-time monitoring of typhoons and vessel positions.
For Lin Xiaokeng, a veteran fisherman from Lianjiang County of east China's Fujian Province, the BDS technology has been a game-changer, marking a stark contrast to the perilous fishing days of the past.
"I graduated from a fishery high school in 1970. Since graduating, I've been working in fishery production. In the past, everything depended on the captain's judgment. Back then, we'd just go out onto the vast sea as if we were birds," said Lin.
The county's expansive 3,112-square-kilometer sea area, combined with the treacherous conditions in the Taiwan Strait, posed significant threats, with up to seven typhoons striking the region annually, along with the added challenges of the northeast monsoon and cold fronts.
Fisherman Lin Xiaokeng said during those days, the families of the fishermen were filled with worry as they spend their days at sea.
Now, BDS provides an invaluable safety net.
"Now, with the help of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, we'll timely make plans against typhoons based on the vessels' locations before the arrival of typhoon," said Lin Xiaoli, director of Emergency Command Center of Lianjiang Department of Ocean and Fisheries.
The platform displays all registered fishing vessels and township vessels on a single map, providing a comprehensive overview of maritime activity, according to the director.
"There's a lot of equipment installed on the ships now, such as satellite and anti-collision positioning devices as well as ocean broadband. At any time, the equipment can observe if the pilot is on duty or if he's dozing off. So, for fishermen there's now a better guarantee of safety at sea. Safety makes everything easier," said fishermen Lin Xiaokeng.
Lianjiang County boasts over 500 varieties of seafood and is renowned for abalone and kelp production. In recent years, approximately 135 fishing boats have been upgraded, supported by over 300 million yuan (about 41 million U.S. dollars) in government subsidies. These improvements have significantly transformed the outdated and dilapidated fleet, ensuring better conditions for local fishermen.
The investment, coupled with the enhanced safety provided by BDS, is contributing to a more prosperous and sustainable future for the local fishing industry.
China's BeiDou technology helps keep fishermen safe
A 25 percent import tariff on all foreign-built vehicles entering the United States has raised serious concerns for manufacturers in South Africa.
Automotive giants like Mercedes and BMW have long used South Africa as a base for global exports -- but those plans may be shifting into reverse gear after the U.S. announced the punitive measures.
"If you take, for example, BMW, 97 percent of the X3 that we are producing in Rosslyn is exported out of the country. We only sell 3 percent in South Africa, and there's a huge number of those vehicles that also go into the U.S. So there are companies in South Africa that are purely here not because they are selling vehicles in South Africa; they are here to produce vehicles for the global market, and it's important for them to remain globally competitive," said Mike Mabasa, CEO of the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa.
U.S. automaker Ford, which has deep roots in South Africa, is also in the crosshairs.
The company recently invested over 300 million U.S. dollars to upgrade its Silverton plant in Pretoria, South Africa, for the production of the world's only plug-in hybrid Ranger, which has just entered production but could face delays or restrictions.
"If an American citizen wants to buy specifically a Ford Ranger that is a plug-in hybrid, they can only place an order in South Africa, nowhere else in the world. So, that means, obviously, the capacity of Ford to be able to produce those vehicles in big volumes is going to be constrained, because Americans are going be looking at another Ford that is produced in another country, or even in the United States," said Mabasa.
South Africa has long enjoyed duty-free automotive exports to the U.S. under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, but that relationship now hangs in the balance.
A sharp shift in U.S. foreign policy threatens to derail an industry that employs thousands and contributes around 5 percent to the country's economy.
"We produce less than 1 percent of global automotive vehicles, so to say. So, in reality, the impact on us is likely to be more disproportionate than those of our peers that produce at the same level. And the risk is actually created -- a concentration risk -- in countries that have greater capacity and are building more; in those countries will be able to absorb some of this," said Parks Tau, South Africa's minister of trade and industry.
Amid growing concerns about overreliance on the U.S. market, Amith Singh, national manager for manufacturing at Nedbank Commercial Bank, emphasized the importance of tapping into regional trade opportunities.
"I think we need to make better use of some of our local agreements, our African continental agreements. How do we leverage that? How do we partner with the government and private sector to start benefiting the countries and the economies aside from the United States? So, those could be the catalyst to drive our localization projects; it could be what we need to drive the African economy as opposed to being completely reliant on the States (United States)," he said.
South Africa is for now standing firm in its decision not to retaliate against steep U.S. import tariffs, set to take effect in just a few days.
Officials in Pretoria acknowledge the challenges posed by the current U.S. administration but are pursuing a diplomatic approach in hopes of maintaining stable relations and preserving the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
US tariffs rock South Africa’s auto industry
