THE Chinese Ambassador to Solomon Islands, Cai Weiming has hailed the Chinese Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry and more specifically the AI powered chatbot ‘DeepSeek,’ saying the world is witnessing a real breakthrough in redefining the present.
He uttered these words at the opening of the Chinese film festival in Honiara at the University of the South Pacific (USP) Campus in East Honiara last Friday. The two-day film festival was the first of its kind in Solomon Islands.
The film festival showcased one of China’s latest top sci-fi movies ‘The Wandering Earth 2’, which is the highest grossing animated film worldwide surpassing 14.3 billion RMB at the box office. The film is prequel to the ‘Wandering Earth 1.’
The film tells the tale of the human existential crisis poised by the expanding sun which threatens to engulf the Earth. To survive, humanity unites to launch an ambitious plan: installing 10,000 planetary engines to propel the Earth from the solar system on a 25-century exodus to a new star system. This mission impossible is called the ‘Wandering Earth Project.’
“The film is quite an entertaining sci-fi adventure. You will be able to see some technological marvels such as the colossal planetary engine, the fascinating space elevator, the moon station, the smart quantum computer as well as the evolving generative AI.
“Just as the Al in the film showcases transformative potential that shape humanity’s future, we’re witnessing real-world breakthrough that are redefining our present. Among these advancements, DeepSeek stands out as a pioneering force in China’s AI landscape.
“This homegrown innovation has rapidly emerged as one of the most influential AI systems globally, exhibiting exceptional proficiency in complex reasoning, creative problem-solving, and cross-domain adaptability,” Ambassador Cai said.
Furthermore, Ambassador Cai said the film is a reflection of ancient Chinese values and wisdom.
“In the film, human beings are always at the center despite all the technological breakthroughs we would have achieved. All the human diligence and ingenuity are utilised to overcome severe challenges like a fractured moon and a rogue AI.
“Sometimes weapons of destruction could be mobilised in a way that contributes to human survival. And sometimes personal sacrifices are unavoidable for the collective human cause.
“More importantly, the film asks the question: When faced with darkness, do we succumb to division and squabble, or do we choose to unite and light a collective torch for our future generations?”
By IAN LADDS OSO
Solomon Star, Honiara
