IN FOCUS: It’s the halfway mark of China’s roadmap to lead the world in AI by 2030. How is it faring?

From text-to-video tools to chatbots, China has come up with homegrown artificial intelligence (AI) tools rivalling those from the West. While the world's No 2 economy is banking big on AI and its potentially game-changing impact, analysts warn that geopolitical tensions could scupper plans.