Foreign
Chinese robot industry strides toward high-quality development

By Wang Zheng, Liu Wenxin, People’s Daily
The 2024 World Robot Conference was recently held in Beijing. Nearly 170 Chinese and foreign robot enterprises joined the 2024 World Robot Expo, part of the World Robot Conference, unveiling more than 600 innovative products, including 27 humanoid robots.
In recent years, the Chinese robot industry has experienced rapidgrowth, integrating deeply into people’s daily work and life. China has become the world’s largest market and producer of robots.
Recently, humanoid robot Walker S Lite developed by UBTECH Robotics Corp., Ltd., a leading robotics firm based in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, completed training at the 5Gsmart factory of Chinese electric vehicle brand Zeekr in Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang province, after working three weeks alongside its human counterparts. With a maximum load of 15 kilograms, it can assist workers in carrying work bins.
According to Zhao Chunlin, head of the 5G smart factory, Walker S Lite has become the first humanoid robot in China to perform the entire process of moving cargo boxes, showcasing exceptional task completion and difficulty levels that ranked at the forefront of the industry.
To meet the growing individualized demands, the Chinese manufacturing industry is transitioning from high automation to comprehensive intelligentization.
“Humanoid robots enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) possess multimodal perception and autonomous decision-making capabilities. They have a competitive advantage when facing complex and changing work environments, showing great potential and broad prospects in intelligent manufacturing,” Zhao noted.
According to the latest statistics from China’sMinistry of Industry and Information Technology, the country’s newly added robot installations accounted for more than half of the global market over the past three years, and the number of robots per 10,000 workers in China’s manufacturing sector reached 470, surging 19 fold in the past decade.
Service robots have been widely applied in areas such as family services and medical care, while specialized robots play a crucial role in areas such as air and sea exploration and emergency rescue.
Apart from the growing size, China’s robot industry has seen a continuous increase in technological capabilities, marked by constant breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies such as multi-sensor fusion perception and natural human-machine interaction, increasingly sophisticated key components like reducers, controllers, and servo systems, and enhanced performance and safety levels of industrial robots engaged in welding and spraying and service robots for surgery and logistics. As of July 2024, China boasted over 190,000 effective robot-related patents, accounting for about two-thirds of the global total.
At the same time, governance and regulation of China’s robot industry are becoming increasingly comprehensive. The Chinese government has implemented effective policies and measures, such as a development plan for the robotics industry, a”Robot +”action plan, and industry norms for industrial robots.
China has participated in the revision of 26 international robot standards, established the World Robot Cooperation Organization, issued the Shanghai Declaration on Global AI Governance, and promoted international cooperation in robot ethics research, regulation and governance.
At the opening ceremony of the 2024 World Robot Conference, the upgraded TianGong 1.2MAX humanoid robot was unveiled by the Beijing Embodied Artificial Intelligence Robotics Innovation Center, China’s first innovation center focused on core technologies, product development and application ecosystems for humanoid robots.
Standing 173 centimeters tall and weighing 60 kilograms, the robot featured 42 degrees of freedom. It carried the emblem of the conference and placed it precisely on a launch pad in the center of the stage. This marked the first time that a humanoid robot demonstrated long-range task capabilities.
“TianGong 1.2MAX is equipped with multiple visual perception sensors, six-dimensional force sensors, an inertial measurement unit, and 3D vision sensors, which allow it to perform 550 trillion calculations per second,” said Xiong Youjun, the center’s general manager.
Twenty-seven humanoid robots made their debut at the 2024 World Robot Conference, attracting considerable attention. When will these products be available for mass production?
“The humanoid robot G1, launched in May this year with a starting price of 99,000 yuan ($13,922), is close to completing the design modifications for mass production, and is expected to be mass-produced by the end of the year,” said Wang Xingxing, founder, chief executive officer, and chief financial officer of Unitree Robotics, a Hangzhou-based robotics startup.
The application of large language models and multimodal models is accelerating the evolution of humanoid robots, but a general-purpose large model is necessary for these robots to be integrated into industrial and services sectors, Wang explained. “I am optimistic and believe that this time frame will not exceed 5 years.”
“If we follow the order of development, the primary areas where humanoid robots may be first deployed are production lines and special positions such as inspection and maintenance, followed by household chores, elderly care, and other services scenarios,” said Ren Lei, co-founder of a Chinese humanoid robot developer and a professor at Jilin University.
Wang He, assistant professor in the Center on Frontiers of Computing Studies (CFCS) at Peking University (PKU) and headof PKU-Galbot Joint Lab of Embodied AI, predicted that the ability of humanoid robots to grasp, position, and move can be utilized in multiple scenarios such as factories, retail, and services sector, with the potential to achieve rapid growth from hundreds to thousands of units in the next two years. “In the next 15 years, humanoid robots will definitely grow into a trillion-yuan market,” he said.
Foreign
Trump begins mass layoffs at Voice of America

The Trump administration has initiated sweeping layoffs at Voice of America (VOA) and other U.S.-funded international broadcasters, effectively dismantling institutions long seen as critical for American influence abroad.
On Sunday, contractors working for VOA received an email notification that their employment would be terminated by the end of March. “You must cease all work immediately and are not permitted to access any agency buildings or systems,” the email read, according to multiple staff members who confirmed the development.
The move, which comes just a day after all employees were placed on administrative leave, disproportionately affects non-English-language services, where contractors make up a significant portion of the workforce. Many of these contractors are not U.S. citizens and may now face visa issues, further complicating their status in the country.
While most full-time staff remain employed for now, they have been told not to work, leaving VOA and its sister organizations in a state of uncertainty. Some services, unable to produce new programming, have resorted to playing music.
VOA, founded during World War II, has been a critical tool for U.S. public diplomacy, broadcasting in 49 languages to audiences in countries where press freedom is restricted. However, President Trump signed an executive order on Friday targeting its parent organization, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), as part of broader federal budget cuts.
The cuts extend beyond VOA, affecting other U.S.-funded media entities such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Radio Farda (which broadcasts in Persian to Iran), and Alhurra, an Arabic-language network launched after the 2003 Iraq invasion. The administration argues that taxpayers should not fund what it calls “radical propaganda,” despite VOA’s longstanding editorial independence.
Liam Scott, a VOA journalist covering press freedom and disinformation, expressed concern over the decision. “I’ve covered press freedom for a long time, and I’ve never seen something like what’s happened in the U.S. over the past couple of months,” he wrote on social media.
The move has drawn international attention, particularly from China and Russia, which have been expanding their own state-funded media efforts. The Chinese state-run *Global Times* reacted with an editorial declaring that “the monopoly of information held by traditional Western media is being shattered.”
Trump’s administration has pursued aggressive cuts across federal agencies, including eliminating most foreign aid and significantly reducing the Department of Education. With input from tech billionaire Elon Musk, Trump has focused on reducing government size to facilitate tax cuts.
As the global media landscape shifts, the dismantling of U.S.-funded broadcasters leaves a vacuum that could be filled by rival state-controlled networks. Whether Congress or legal challenges will intervene remains to be seen, but for now, the future of America’s international broadcasting efforts hangs in the balance.
Foreign
Judge blocks Trump from deporting non-citizens using wartime law

A federal judge has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s attempt to deport migrants allegedly linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua under a wartime law.
US District Judge James Boasberg issued a restraining order preventing the administration from using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expel undocumented migrants accused of gang ties. The order initially protected five individuals challenging the deportation but was later expanded to all affected noncitizens in US custody.
Boasberg also directed that any planes carrying these migrants be returned to the United States. “Any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned,” he ruled. The restraining order will remain in effect for 14 days or until further court action.
The Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act, citing Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization that has “unlawfully infiltrated the United States” and is engaging in hostile actions. However, civil rights groups, including the ACLU, argue that the gang’s activities do not meet the legal definition of an invasion.
The Justice Department has appealed the ruling, while the case continues in court.
Foreign
China’s new chapter in global innovation

By Gu Yekai, Liu Yiqing, People’s Daily
At a smart construction project site managed by China State Construction Engineering Corporation, a quiet technological revolution is underway. Amid cranes and concrete, engineers are deploying advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems that could fundamentally reshape the construction industry.
Li Fengjian, an AI specialistwith Xianyuan Technology, detailed how the company’s latest intelligent system – built on a large model – adapts to complex construction environments.”Engineering machinery equipped with intelligent agents can adjust its operations automatically in response to weather conditions,” Li explained, adding that a spatiotemporal sensing network further enhances the system, providing real-time tracking of both personnel and materials throughout the construction site.
In February this year, Xianyuan Technology rapidly integrated its self-developed model with DeepSeek-R1, effectively blending a general-purpose framework with industry-specific models. This integration, Li noted, has produced a solution capable of delivering expert-level performance in challenging, dynamic environments. The firm is based in the Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center, aburgeoning AI incubator that now hosts over 200 innovative enterprises.
China’s technological transformation extends well beyond the construction sector. Overthe past three decades, the country has evolved from its initial forays into internet connectivity to becoming a key player in global digital innovation.
Here, a steady stream of technological innovations are emerging, from the early days of emails and web browsing to the cutting-edge technologies represented by DeepSeek and the dynamic evolution of social media.
Wu Jianping, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and headof the Zhongguancun Laboratory, pointed out that while China had introduced only one internet standard before 2005, it now contributes to over 200 worldwide. Such strides illustrate the country’s concerted push toward high-level technological self-reliance – a journey marked by both persistence and determination.
Beyond the digital realm, China is makingsignificant inroads in aerospace, new energy, and other high-tech sectors. It has transitioned from being a follower to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with global leaders, and in some areas, even taking the lead. Wu attributed these achievements to a dynamic ecosystem of policy reforms and talent cultivation that encourages creativity and technical expertise at every level.
Amid intensifying international competition, collaborative research and the integration of new technologies with traditional industries are central to China’s high-quality economic development.
Mei Linhai, a researcher at China’s State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Intelligence, remarked that the age of AI calls for continuous exploration. “In this era, everyone is an innovator. Only by persistently pushing the boundaries can we remain at the forefront of both technological and industrial development,” Mei observed.
In the field of general-purpose AI, Mei emphasized that independent innovation is paramount. He advocates for a self-driven industrial ecosystem that leveragesbreakthrough technologies to boost productivity and unlock new possibilities, Mei said.
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