China’s robot sector is shifting from concept hype to order ramp and profit realisation. Half-year 2026 results show the whole chain — from core parts to whole-machine integration — taking off at once. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology says that from January to May, industrial-scale robot enterprises booked revenue above 90 billion yuan, … Read more
BYD has officially confirmed it plans to unveil a humanoid robot in August at Di Space, its brand experience hall. The confirmation, carried by Cailian Press on 28 July, follows a teaser poster at Di Space reading: “Early August — a new friend wants to meet you.” BYD executive vice-president Li Ke has said the … Read more
A joint venture between Shenzhen’s Leju Robotics and Guangdong Dongfang Precision has opened a humanoid-robot mass-production factory in Foshan with an annual capacity of 10,000 units — one of China’s first scaled humanoid lines to move from demo to industrial base. The hard part of mass production is not speed. “It is not about making … Read more
A year ago, the world’s first robot “6S store” opened in Shenzhen’s Longgang district with only a handful of machines on the floor. On July 28, it celebrated its first anniversary by announcing nine commercialised application scenarios, a multi-channel digital sales system — and a national footprint of more than 20 stores. The 6S concept … Read more
The Shenzhen Natural History Museum — the largest comprehensive natural history museum in South China — opened its doors on July 28, displaying 7,461 rare specimens across eight themed halls that trace 4.6 billion years of life on Earth. But the exhibits everyone talked about on opening day weren’t fossils. Among thousands of static displays, … Read more
China’s Bid to Flood the World with Cheap AI, Said Bloomberg. Half Right. On Friday at 8:36am, Bloomberg published a sweeping story on China’s plan to flood the world with cheap AI. I am quoted in it, mapping DeepSeek’s investors to the layers of the industry. Sixteen hours before that story ran, 29 countries signed … Read more
Before Xi Jinping became China’s president, his fellow Tsinghua University alumni were certainly successful, but they weren’t exactly the undisputed kings of the billionaire rankings. Recently, however, the narrative has shifted dramatically. A highly concentrated group of nine companies, all originating from Tsinghua’s alumni networks and faculties, have either achieved unicorn status or gone public. … Read more
Hong Kong, the unexpected winner of the Iran War As missiles rain on the Gulf, something else entirely is skyrocketing in a familiar safe harbour. By Jaime Xiao As Iranian and Israeli missiles illuminate the night skies over the Middle East, the ensuing panic in global energy markets has triggered a ferocious, structurally permanent pivot … Read more
The Engine Room of a New Empire: How Hong Kong Financed China’s Motoring Revolution Three years ago, during the Chinese New Year, I stood in a remarkably quiet Hong Kong. The city was only just emerging from the long shadow of pandemic isolation. The streets were subdued, the entrepreneurial hum was muted, and the eerie … Read more
The Changing of the Guard: How Chinese Marques Conquered 17% of Indonesia’s Car Market in 12 Months The Indonesian automotive landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. If you rewind just twelve months to January 2025, Chinese brands were shifting around 3,000 units, scraping together a mere 5% of the total market . Fast forward to … Read more