[news] China Unveils Supercomputer

[Dam Son <son@fermi.phys.washington.edu>]

China Unveils Supercomputer

BEIJING (AP) -- China unveiled a state-of-the-art supercomputer developed
by the military Thursday amid questions over whether U.S.-made
supercomputers had aided Chinese weapons programs. 

The Yinhe-3, capable of performing 13 billion calculations per second, was
heralded by state-run media as a breakthrough for China's defense and
computer industry. 

China Central Television devoted the top story on its national evening
news broadcast to the black, refrigerator-size computer. Vice Premier Zou
Jiahua, on behalf of Chinese leaders, personally congratulated the
researchers at the computer institute of the National Defense Science and
Technology University. 

Supercomputers can help in weather forecasting but also may be used to
test nuclear weapons, build more accurate missiles and develop
code-breaking technology. 

Last week, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told Congress that
investigators were checking whether supercomputers sold to private Chinese
companies may have been used for nuclear weapons testing. China has 46
American supercomputers according to one senator's estimate. 

The Justice Department was looking into one sale, to the Chinese Academy
of Sciences, the nation's top research institute, that may have violated
U.S. export rules. Licences are required for military-related sales of
computers capable of at least 2 billion calculations per second. 

China has denied any misuse of U.S. supercomputers, saying they have been
used for civilian purposes such as weather forecasting. 

The Yinhe-3's "overall functions, efficiency and powerful network design
are up to the world advanced level," the Xinhua News Agency said, citing
an appraisal committee of scholars from the Chinese Academy of Sciences
and other institutions. 

"They believe such a breakthrough in the hi-tech field will greatly
promote the country's economic development, defense building and science
and technology progress," Xinhua said. 

The National Defense Science and Technology University has also developed
software for the computer for weather forecasting, earthquake research and
other scientific study, Xinhua said.