Nigeria Times

By Shi Yu, People’s Daily

Fuzhou in southeast China’s Fujian province, located on China’s southeastern coast, where the Minjiang River flows into the East China Sea, is a city of lush greenery. With a history spanning more than 2,200 years, the renowned historical and cultural city has preserved a rich cultural legacy while bearing the marks of its maritime openness.

In recent years, Fuzhou has prioritized conservation, preserving historic buildings, passing down traditional crafts, and keeping the city’s memories alive. These efforts reflect the Fuzhou spirit of openness and inclusiveness.

Sanfang Qixiang, or “the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys,” is a renowned cultural attraction in the city. It dates back to the Jin Dynasty (266-420), took shape during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and flourished during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. It is often known as “a living fossil of urban planning” and “an architectural museum of styles of the Ming and Qing dynasties.”

Adhering to the principle of “repairing the old as the old,” Fuzhou has adopted a gradual, small-scale, and continuous approach to restoring Sanfang Qixiang, carefully repairing its historic buildings while preserving their original appearance.

Sanfang Qixiang has introduced various exhibitions showcasing Fuzhou’s intangible cultural heritage, helping preserve its historical legacy, traditional streetscape, and collective memory.

South Korean historian Yu Hoin has long been involved in translating and reviewing introductions to Fuzhou’s historical and cultural attractions. In his view, Fuzhou has preserved the history of Sanfang Qixiang without allowing it to become frozen in time.

“Sanfang Qixiang has given me a vivid sense that history is not something distant or inaccessible. It exists in real places where people can walk and explore. People still live here, and while Sanfang Qixiang preserves its historic layout, architecture, and cultural character, it also welcomes new cultural businesses and activities,” he said.

Creating cartoon self-portraits using lacquer, exploring hand-painted glass art, decorating men’s hats with cork paintings, and cutting original designs using traditional paper-cutting techniques — these are among the ways Italian artist Francesco Gomboli has incorporated Fuzhou’s intangible cultural heritage into contemporary art. Having lived in Fuzhou for 15 years, he began exploring these traditional crafts in his artwork over the past two years.

With support from local cultural and artistic platforms, Gomboli has held two solo exhibitions. “After visiting my exhibitions, many local viewers sent me messages on social media sharing their impressions of my paintings,” he said. Their warm responses moved him to tears of joy.

Gomboli is far from alone in exploring new ways of incorporating Fuzhou’s intangible cultural heritage into contemporary art.

Through training programs, dedicated spaces for preserving traditional skills and streets showcasing intangible cultural heritage, Fuzhou is bringing these intangible cultural heritage to wider audiences in new and diverse ways. These ancient skills are moving beyond exhibition halls to become part of hands-on cultural experiences and creative practices, integrating into modern life.

“I have been deeply impressed by the efforts local institutions have made over the years to showcase and protect these cultural treasures,” Gomboli said. “Fuzhou is my home and also a great teacher, guiding me in exploring and appreciating the beauty of Chinese culture.”

On Harvard University’s official website, the first entry under the honors section of Michael A. Szonyi’s profile — a professor of Chinese history and former director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies — notes that he was named an honorary villager of Yongtai county, Fuzhou, by the county government in 2024.

Yongtai’s fortified manors date back to the Tang Dynasty and flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties. More than 2,000 once stood in the area, of which 152 remain relatively well preserved today. As residents moved away, many of these historic structures were left deserted.

In September 2015, Yongtai began restoring major fortified manors in stages. In 2016, Fujian historians conducting architectural surveys in the county’s fortified manors discovered a trove of historical documents. Dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, these records were scattered across local villages and cover a wide range of subjects, including contracts, genealogies, account books, property division records, legal petitions, receipts, tax bills, ritual manuals, and inscriptions.

In 2017, a research team led by Zheng Zhenman, director of the Center for Research on Local Historical Documents at Xiamen University, traveled to Yongtai to collect and study the documents. Szonyi was invited to join the team.

“The documents tell the stories of ordinary people, allowing us to understand history from the bottom up, through the eyes of the people themselves,” Szonyi explained. The records have challenged many long-held assumptions about traditional Chinese rural society among historians worldwide.

After receiving his honorary villager certificate, Szonyi began including the honor in all his biographical profiles, describing it as the most gratifying honor he has ever received. On Jan. 4, 2026, Shengpingzhuang, a fortified manor in Dayang township, Yongtai, presented him with a key engraved with his name, symbolizing that its doors would always be open to him.

“This key symbolizes my bond with Yongtai,” Szonyi said. He plans to devote the rest of his life to studying the documents and maintaining his close ties with Fuzhou.

Fuzhou has kept its millennia-old cultural heritage alive in tangible, accessible ways, preserving Sanfang Qixiang, the artistry of traditional lacquerwork, and the centuries-old documents found in Yongtai’s fortified manors. Drawn to the city, growing numbers of international visitors have settled here, explored its history and traditions, or pursued their artistic endeavors. Stories of cultural exchange and mutual learning continue to unfold in Fuzhou.

By Ouyang Minggao

A global energy revolution is underway, centered on replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy and gasoline and diesel vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs). China is spearheading this shift, and developing a new power system integrating source, grid, load, and storage is an inevitable path forward.

As the stock of new energy vehicles climbs toward the 100-million mark, massive numbers of EVs will transcend their traditional role as transportation tools. They are emerging as a critical component of the next-generation power infrastructure.

China is expected to have 110 million to 160 million EVs on the road by 2030, with the number projected to rise to 300 million to 400 million by 2040. As ultra-fast charging networks expand, the strain of synchronized charging on local grids is becoming increasingly apparent. 

For instance, if 5 million EVs were to charge simultaneously overnight at 10 kW each, the resulting demand — 50 million kW — would far exceed the peak capacity of most municipal grids.

Shifting EV charging from unmanaged, decentralized charging to coordinated, bidirectional energy flow, is therefore crucial. The key lies in enabling vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, which allows EVs to interact dynamically with the power network.

At its core, V2G transforms EVs from passive grid consumers into active, mobile energy storage units. Vehicles can draw power during off-peak hours and feed electricity back into the grid during periods of high demand. 

This not only alleviates grid congestion but also creates new revenue streams for owners who participate in wholesale energy markets. 

With an average 70-kWh battery pack, leveraging surplus cycling capacity for grid services could generate cumulative lifetime returns of 15,000 to 75,000 yuan ($2,240 to $11,198). In effect, EVs are shifting from depreciating consumer products to income-generating assets.

Battery life and safety are among the public’s major concerns. Research shows that properly managed V2G operations do not accelerate battery degradation; on the contrary, they can help extend battery calendar life. 

Current lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries used in EVs can undergo about 3,000 full charge-discharge cycles before their capacity falls to 70 percent. Yet a typical household vehicle consumes only about 500 cycles over 10 to 15 years of use, leaving substantial capacity for additional applications. 

Technologies such as bidirectional pulsing can achieve more uniform lithium distribution, suppress lithium plating, and boost fast-charging and low-temperature performance. Meanwhile, V2G operation keeps batteries mostly at a partial state of charge. This prevents calendar-life degradation caused by long-term storage at full charge. When paired with intelligent risk monitoring, these systems effectively minimize safety incidents.

V2G applications have already taken shape in three typical scenarios. 

The first is the “point” scenario in industrial parks, where vehicle batteries operate in coordination with photovoltaic generation and energy storage facilities. 

The second is the “line” scenario in transportation, where integrated solar-storage-charging systems and batteries used for swapping at heavy-truck stations can supply power to passenger vehicles, reducing the impact on the main power grid. 

The third is the “area” scenario in buildings, where integrated “home-vehicle-grid” systems enable comprehensive management of building energy use and V2G operations.

Looking ahead, V2G is expected to become a major form of distributed short-duration energy storage in China. Given that high-rise buildings dominate China’s urban landscape and that conditions for installing fixed energy storage systems at home are limited, using EVs parked in underground garages for energy storage is a more practical option.

Under China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for the development of the new type of power system, the aggregate adjustable charging capacity enabled by V2G is expected to reach 50 million kilowatts by 2030. By 2040, as the growth of fixed energy storage slows, V2G energy storage capacity could exceed 4 billion kilowatt-hours. 

Conservatively estimated, the total battery capacity of 350 million EVs will reach 25 billion kilowatt-hours by 2050, enough to meet the country’s electricity demand for one day in an emergency.

The next five years will be a launch phase for the V2G industry. As technical standards are improved, market mechanisms are put in place and business models mature, more than 100 million EVs will effectively form a vast network of “mobile power banks” for the grid, providing strong support for energy transition.

(Ouyang Minggao is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor at Tsinghua University. The article was compiled by People’s Daily journalist Wang Zheng.)

By Cheng Sen

Chinese brands are increasingly capturing global attention in the consumer electronics sector.

Early this September, they took center stage at IFA Berlin, the world’s leading consumer electronics trade show. On display were Chinese humanoid robots advancing into real-world application scenarios and smart home products featuring proactive sensing and collaborative AI services.

Not long ago, the smartphone industry saw a “super release week” for foldable phones. Huawei, Xiaomi, and Apple unveiled their respective flagship products within 72 hours, putting leading Chinese and international brands against each other in the same product category and sparking widespread discussion.

Such moments are no longer outliers; they reflect a broader industrial shift.

Decades ago, China’s manufacturing base was comparatively underdeveloped. Across many sectors, the country started late, trailing global leaders in advanced technologies, standard-setting influence, and even foundational design concepts.

Its early path forward relied heavily on imitation and incremental improvement. Today, that narrative has reversed. From artificial intelligence and new energy vehicles to robotics and aerospace reusability, China now competes on equal footing — or leads — in numerous domains. In previously uncharted territories, it has emerged as both a pioneer and a rule-maker.

These breakthroughs stem from the cumulative power of scientific and technological innovation. Take the smartphone industry as an example. Ultimately, it is exclusive cutting-edge technologies that have empowered Chinese brands to march into the high-end market. Breaking free from the lower rungs of industrial and value chains represents an arduous uphill growth, as well as the continuous forging of brand competitiveness and technological “moats.”

None of this would have been possible without a highly coordinated innovation ecosystem. 

The numbers tell a clear story. The World Intellectual Property Organization recently released its report on the world’s top 100 innovation clusters as part of the Global Innovation Index 2026. China is home to 25 of the world’s top 100 innovation clusters, the largest number for the fourth consecutive year. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster ranked first for the second consecutive year. As a cornerstone of China’s national innovation ecosystem, these regional innovation clusters reflect the steady growth of China’s capacity for scientific and technological innovation.

Progress is driven by clear strategic priorities: state support for sci-tech advancement, the cultivation of advanced, locally adapted industrial capabilities, and targeted policy incentives. 

Equally important is the sheer scale and dynamism of the country’s domestic market, which generates rich application scenarios for iterative testing and commercialization. 

Underpinning both is a deepening talent pool, fueled by tighter integration across education, research, and industry — a virtuous cycle that continually upgrades the quality and distribution of skilled professionals.  

All these ground-laying efforts nurture sparks of innovation and creativity, unleashing momentum for high-quality development.

Yet a clearer understanding of how China’s innovation-driven model works also makes it harder to sustain certain misconceptions. 

For years, some policymakers and media outlets have amplified warnings about a so-called “China Shock 2.0,” attributing China’s progress in high-end manufacturing to industrial subsidies and stoking anxiety in the process. 

In practice, as one international observer noted, China operates like “the world’s toughest gym.” Competition and innovation are embedded in its development model. Rather than delivering a disruptive “shock,” China’s progress expands global opportunities; rather than displacing foreign competitors, it often creates new markets and capabilities.

The evidence is mounting. Volkswagen has adjusted its R&D plans at its headquarters in Wolfsburg based on the model of its R&D center in Hefei, east China’s Anhui province. Chinese AI models have ranked first for 20 consecutive weeks in terms of weekly global usage among large AI models. 

As a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation converges with China’s historic transition in its development model, China is pressing ahead with innovation and working to build itself into a global source of scientific and technological innovation. With such fertile ground for development, China is set to continue surprising the world with innovation.

By Yu Xuan, People’s Daily

In today’s global economy, robust domestic markets are among the most scarce and sought-after resources. Investors increasingly regard China’s market as a rare asset — even among rare assets.

What sets it apart? A single word offers a useful starting point: stability.

This stability is most visible in the quiet continuity of everyday life. Two comparisons help clarify why.

First, the contrast with other major economies. As inflation has risen significantly in major developed economies, with prices still surging and the cost of basic necessities putting growing pressure on household budgets, Chinese consumers have continued to enjoy relatively affordable essentials. Official data supports this observation: China’s consumer price index rose 0.8 percent year on year in August, a modest increase that underscores the steady rhythm of daily life for ordinary citizens.

Second, the shift from past vulnerabilities to present resilience. There was a time when summer power outages and factory shutdowns were a major concern. Today, power rationing has become a rare sight. In August, China’s total electricity consumption once again exceeded 1 trillion kilowatt-hours, with power demand reaching a record high. Yet cities continued to function smoothly, and homes remained brightly lit as usual. 

This reliability stems from a modernized, multi-layered energy infrastructure. From ultra-high-voltage transmission corridors and rural distribution networks to integrated urban microgrids, China’s power system seamlessly blends conventional thermal generation with wind, hydro, and solar sources. The result is a resilient grid that keeps economic and social activities running smoothly.

In a world marked by sluggish recoveries, geopolitical tensions, and volatile energy prices, such stability carries immense value. It provides a rare anchor of predictability.  

Notably, the International Monetary Fund recently revised its global growth forecast downward by 0.1 percentage points for the year, while raising its projection for China’s growth by 0.2 percentage points. This divergence reflects growing confidence in China’s economic resilience — and helps explain why international investors are steadily increasing their capital commitments.

Where does this stability come from? The institutional strengths of China’s system serve as its anchor.

Consider the example of Dadukou district in southwest China’s Chongqing municipality. Once known for its vast steel industry, the district faced a key question after the relocation of Chongqing Iron & Steel Co., Ltd.: how could it build new industries to replace the old? Drawing on its existing strengths, the district made a strategic decision to develop the motorcycle industry.

The market and the government have worked in tandem. Under expedited regulatory approvals,  Qianjiang Motorcycle Group moved into its new smart manufacturing facility as soon as construction was completed. Today, components supplied by Qiutian Gear are used in one out of every five motorcycles manufactured globally, while Lide Industry commands nearly half of China’s domestic clutch market. 

Sound industrial planning, targeted policy support and continuously improving services have helped establish a well-integrated industrial ecosystem within a 15-minute radius in the city.

Balancing dynamism with order is essential. With more than 350 companies competing in the same industry, how can the market remain vibrant without descending into disorder? The key lies in close coordination across the industrial chain and differentiated competition. 

Companies carve out specialized market niches while extending and strengthening the industrial chain, fostering closer integration between manufacturing and consumption, and between industry and tourism. 

From January to August this year, the industrial output of enterprises above the designated size in Dadukou district’s high-end motorcycle sector grew 27 percent year on year. Motorcycle manufacturing, riding, and motorsports events have all become part of the district’s identity, demonstrating how to give the market room to thrive while ensuring effective regulation.

“Combining an efficient market with a well-functioning government” is not only a distinctive strength of China’s socialist market economy, but also a key principle for economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). By continuing to improve macroeconomic governance, upgrade traditional industries, expand emerging industries, and plan ahead for future industries, China will further strengthen the certainty and distinctive appeal of its market.

The stability of China’s economy is not static. It is a high-level dynamic equilibrium maintained as the economy continues to advance. Behind it lie strategic resolve and a proactive approach to shaping the country’s future.

“It’s not venture capital, but industrial investment; not gambling, but striving,” said an official in Hefei, east China’s Anhui province, who remains clear-headed despite the praise the city has received for its investment success. 

High returns on industrial investment are only the visible results. The underlying strengths lie in a more fundamental approach: adapting to local conditions, making decisions based on sound analysis, and taking a long-term view.

Instead of chasing every fleeting trend in a frenzy, China stays focused on innovation within chosen sectors. Instead of faltering amid headwinds, it stays anchored to the goal of fostering new quality productive forces. Instead of fixating merely on tangible, immediate gains, it devotes more to laying the groundwork for long-term returns.

This poised mindset, balancing strategic steadiness with tactical agility, embodies the Communist Party of China’s view on political achievements and development. It grows from a forward-evolving governance system, manifests in the tireless endeavors of hundreds of millions of market entities, and quietly shapes people’s steady expectations of Chinese modernization. Such confidence in the path forms the bedrock for China’s sustained and sound economic growth.

By Dong Siyu, People’s Daily

On September 27, giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang arrived safely at Zoo Atlanta, marking the beginning of a decade-long conservation partnership between China and the United States. The pair departed from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in southwest China’s Sichuan province, landing at 8:55 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time after a carefully coordinated transpacific journey.. 

China and the United States will expand collaboration across multiple fronts, including giant panda breeding and husbandry, disease prevention and treatment, scientific research, public education, and the conservation of wild populations and their habitats.

The giant panda is a species unique to China and a rare, flagship and iconic species in global biodiversity conservation. Since 1994, China has steadily carried out long-term international cooperative programs focused on giant panda conservation and research. These initiatives have strengthened domestic expertise while fostering mutual understanding between China and partner nations. Moreover, they have offered a replicable “China solution” for multinational efforts to protect endangered species and preserve ecological diversity.

China-U.S. cooperation on giant panda conservation stands as one of the China’s longest-running international wildlife cooperation programs, involving the largest number of partner institutions and delivering broad, lasting impact.

The roots of this partnership trace back to April 1972, shortly after U.S. President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China. Two giant pandas, Ling Ling and Xing Xing, were sent to the United States as gifts. Their arrival drew thousands of visitors, including over 8,000 Americans who waited in the rain to greet them. Within their first month on public display, more than 1 million people came to see the pair, cementing the pandas’ role as enduring symbols of China-U.S. goodwill.

Scientific and breeding collaboration formally began on September 10, 1996, when Bai Yun and Shi Shi arrived at the San Diego Zoo. This was followed by the arrival of Lun Lun and Yang Yang at Zoo Atlanta in 1999, and Tian Tian and Mei Xiang at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., in 2000. Beyond capturing the hearts of the American public, each pair has served as a living testament to the resilience and depth of China-U.S. cooperation on giant panda conservation.

In 2024, the previous generation of cooperative pandas completed their terms and returned to China. Today, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang have crossed the Pacific to continue the story of cooperation on giant panda conservation.

According to representatives from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, the U.S. side has undertaken extensive preparations to ensure the pandas’ health and welfare throughout their stay. These efforts include comprehensive renovations and upgrades to enclosure facilities, creating a safer and more enriched environment tailored to the needs of the new cooperative pair.

Chinese conservation experts have shared detailed technical guidelines with U.S. zoological staff, establishing rigorous standards for habitat design, daily husbandry, nutritional planning, and veterinary care.

In 1994, two giant pandas from Chengdu became the first to travel to the Adventure World wildlife park in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, as “ambassadors for scientific research and exchanges,” marking the beginning of long-term international cooperation on giant panda conservation research. 

Since then, China has conducted cooperative research on giant pandas with dozens of countries, including the United States, South Korea, Germany and Singapore.

“The purpose of these cooperative programs is to advance scientific research and public education, foster greater public awareness and engagement in wildlife conservation, and ultimately improve the protection of endangered species,” said a representative of the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

An executive from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding explained that giant pandas bound for overseas zoos go through a customized “preparation course” before their departure. This includes adapting to transportation, cooperating during physical check-ups and acclimatizing to new surroundings.

Before departure, they also undergo a month-long quarantine in isolation. Sufficient food is prepared for them to eat during the flight and any transit stops.

Chinese panda keepers and veterinary teams also travel with the pandas to their overseas destinations. They are responsible for daily health monitoring, blood sampling and other routine care, remaining on-site until the pandas have adapted to their new environment.

To date, China has established scientific research partnerships with 26 zoos in 20 countries. A total of 69 giant pandas have been sent overseas for international cooperation. Since these partnerships began, 45 litters comprising 73 cubs have been successfully bred and raised. The cooperation has made important contributions to pooling research resources, improving scientific research capabilities, promoting species conservation and strengthening people-to-people exchanges.

In 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature changed the giant panda’s conservation status from “endangered” to “vulnerable.” The change reflected the positive results achieved by China’s giant panda conservation efforts and represented international recognition of China’s achievements in protecting the species.

By Ye Xiaonan, Ma Yixuan

Once showcased in competitive arenas, Chinese robots are now operating seamlessly across factory floors worldwide. This rapid evolution marks a significant leap in the country’s robotics sector, which has seen steadily growing exports and increasingly widespread deployment in both industrial and everyday applications globally.

According to data released by China’s General Administration of Customs, industrial robot exports surpassed imports for the first time in 2025, marking the country’s transition into a net exporter of industrial robots.

The next frontier lies in making these machines not just functional, but genuinely indispensable. How can they better assist human workers? How can they take over tasks that are dirty, dull, dangerous, or demanding — the so-called “4D” jobs that are hazardous, monotonous, or highly repetitive? Answering these questions has become a central priority for robotics developers across China.

In heavy manufacturing, for instance, robots deployed at steel-structure workstations by China Construction Science and Industry Corp. Ltd. operate continuously without fatigue, boosting production-line efficiency by 22% to 40%. This automation helps offset skilled-labor shortages and accelerates the delivery cycle for prefabricated components. Equipped with 3D laser vision systems, these robots maintain positioning accuracy within one millimeter, while weld quality inspections achieve a first-pass acceptance rate exceeding.

Logistics hubs present a different set of challenges. High-volume sorting facilities demand speed and precision under constantly shifting conditions.

“Packages at distribution centers vary widely in shape and rigidity, from sturdy cardboard boxes to soft, irregularly shaped parcels. When a box is damaged or its weight distribution is uneven, conventional robotic arms can easily fail to pick it up or even become jammed,” said the head of the technical team at Robotera, a Chinese embodied-intelligence robotics company.

To handle complex working conditions, Robotera robots can instantly determine an object’s center of gravity and material upon contact with a package. They rapidly adjust their strategies to deliver flexible grasping. Field test data shows that when handling real packages, Robotera robots can process more than 1,200 items per hour at peak, with a grasping success rate of approximately 95 percent.

Outdoor and unstructured environments pose yet another challenge. In emergency response and industrial inspection, robots must navigate toxic atmospheres, unstable terrain, mud, rubble, and poor visibility caused by rain or snow. Modern quadruped robots have been engineered to perceive real-time changes in ground conditions and autonomously adapt their movement to avoid obstacles.

Liu Chen, head of product development at Hangzhou-based Deep Robotics, highlighted joint initiatives with the Zhejiang provincial department of emergency management, including AI-powered flood-response and reconnaissance robots. 

Liu said these robots can not only navigate complex sections of terrain autonomously, but also carry reconnaissance and inspection equipment. They are actively deployed for hazard detection, environmental monitoring, and search-and-rescue support.

While hardware defines what a robot can physically do, true intelligence lies in its ability to adapt to unpredictable real-world scenarios. Cross-factory deployment, in particular, has historically required extensive recalibration for each new site.

Deep Robotics has addressed this by developing a ready-to-deploy architecture. After a quadruped robot learns to identify a specific instrument at Factory A, its embedded AI system enables direct capability transfer. When deployed at Factory B, it can immediately recognize and interact with similar equipment. This cross-site knowledge sharing significantly reduces the setup and commissioning time for new installations.

“Robots functioning in dynamic, real-world environments rely on an ’embodied brain,’ which requires the coordinated development of multiple capabilities, including task understanding, scene memory, autonomous navigation, embodied manipulation and safety decision-making,” Liu said. 

“It is not simply a matter of adding a large model. AI must genuinely understand the laws governing the physical world. To this end, Deep Robotics is continuing to advance research and development of its ’embodied brain,'” Liu added.

China’s humanoid robot shipments exceeded 40,000 units in the first half of 2026, accounting for 97 percent of the global total. A 2026 report on the development of the humanoid robotics industry says humanoid robots are moving rapidly from small-scale trials toward routine deployment and large-scale applications.

Industry insiders pointed out that, backed by years of accumulated manufacturing capabilities, China, the world’s largest market for industrial robots, enjoys a complete industrial chain, strong capacity for rapid supply-chain support and cost competitiveness. 

At the same time, China has a wealth of application scenarios across industries such as manufacturing, logistics and services, providing abundant data and giving Chinese robotics companies extensive experience across diverse real-world scenarios. 

As technology continues to evolve at a faster pace, China’s robotics industry is expected to accelerate the upgrading of complete robot systems toward higher-end, smarter products.

By Liu Shiyao, People’s Daily

Satellite internet is increasingly becoming part of everyday life. Ships sailing far out at sea can stay connected, while elderly people at remote care facilities overseas can use stable satellite links to have real-time video consultations with doctors in China.

From September 14 to 20, China successfully completed six rocket launches, sending more than 30 satellites into their designated orbits. The industry is moving from launches once every few years to launches every week, and in some cases multiple launches in a single day, highlighting the rapid development of China’s satellite internet industry, and providing strong dynamism for the country’s economic and social development.

Given China’s vast territory and diverse terrain, deploying traditional ground-based networks in mountainous regions, open waters, and arid deserts remains prohibitively expensive and geographically constrained. 

“Satellite internet effectively circumvents these physical barriers and complements terrestrial infrastructure, delivering broader, more resilient connectivity that helps close the digital divide,” said Shi Shengqing, co-founder of a Beijing-based tech firm.

Beyond expanding coverage, satellite internet serves as critical digital infrastructure for emerging sectors such as smart transportation, offshore resource development, and energy exploration. It also enhances disaster resilience: when terrestrial networks fail due to earthquakes, floods, or other crises, satellite systems can rapidly restore communications, supporting emergency response and rescue operations.

As a strategic industry with the potential to become a pillar sector, China’s satellite internet ecosystem spans satellite design, launch services, ground equipment, end- terminals, and operational services. 

A key priority is to enable satellites to be produced in large quantities at lower cost and with greater efficiency. To this end, China’s commercial satellite industry is rapidly moving toward standardized, scaled, and industrialized production.

GalaxySpace, a leading provider of satellite internet solutions, has integrated robotic assembly lines, intelligent testing systems, and digital engineering workflows, drastically shortening development cycles. Similarly, Hong Qing, China’s only integrated satellite constellation solution provider with full ecosystem capabilities, has brought the assembly-line concept used in the automotive industry into satellite manufacturing. Its intelligent satellite mass-production line in Xiong’an New Area, north China’s Hebei province, has cut the time needed to produce a satellite to around 30 hours.

MinoSpace, a major R&D and manufacturing hub in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, operates a dedicated line for 200-500 kg commercial satellites, with an annual capacity exceeding 150 units.

Advancements in launch vehicles are equally vital. Rockets act as the indispensable “ladder” to orbit. China has significantly strengthened its launch vehicle supply chain. Reusable rocket systems are steadily maturing, driving down costs and improving mission efficiency across the industry.

One of the key applications of satellite internet, direct-to-phone satellite connectivity, has become a major focus of global competition. International institutions forecast that the number of monthly active users of direct-to-phone satellite services worldwide will reach 411 million by 2030. China is actively exploring applications that connect smartphones directly to satellites and has made notable progress.

China’s Tiantong satellite communications service has introduced direct-to-phone satellite packages, with monthly subscription fees of around 10 yuan ($1.49), while call rates have gradually fallen. Smartphone makers, including Huawei, HONOR, Xiaomi, and OPPO, have also introduced support for satellite calls. Users do not need to change their SIM cards or phone numbers and can make satellite calls or send text messages directly from their smartphones when terrestrial signals are unavailable.

Yet communications represent only one facet of next-generation satellite internet. Experts generally anticipate that future constellations will converge communication, navigation, and Earth observation capabilities, enabling multi-mission satellites and interoperable systems.

Li Fenghui, founder of Tianjin Yunyao Astronautics Technology Co., Ltd., said traditional satellites essentially serve as nodes for data collection and transmission, with much of the computing performed on the ground. This can result in slower response times and place greater pressure on transmission links. With computing power in space and the support of AI, satellites are evolving into intelligent agents capable of sensing, computing, and making decisions in orbit.

Ren Jiadong, deputy head of the satellite system technology department at GalaxySpace, cited the recently launched PEGA-SUS1, a multi-purpose satellite the company jointly developed with Pengcheng Laboratory, as an example.

“The satellite is China’s first technology-demonstration satellite to integrate a 5G non-terrestrial network base station, core network functions, onboard AI computing, and both space-to-ground laser and microwave communications,” Ren said.

The satellite can move the core network — the “brain” of a 5G network that would normally be deployed in a ground-based data center — directly into space. Ground users only need to connect to the satellite network to access information analyzed by the satellite in real time, much as they would browse the web under normal circumstances.

Shi said space-based intelligence can use large models to process data collected in space, enabling the development of space-native large models and intelligent agents. “Ubiquitous intelligence” can use satellite internet and cloud-edge-device collaboration to make computing resources available across the globe. A space-ground collaborative computing network, meanwhile, would enable distributed coordination between computing and energy resources across space and Earth, allowing them to complement each other more efficiently.

“Moving computing power into space offers unique development advantages,” Shi said. “The efficiency of obtaining solar energy is six to eight times higher than on Earth, while the vast expanse of space could provide virtually unlimited room for large-scale computing infrastructure.”