In the midst of a global humanoid robot boom, a sobering reminder of how hard the robotics business actually is: Vicarious Surgical, a US surgical robot startup that raised $300 million from investors including Bill Gates and Jerry Yang, has filed for bankruptcy. Founded in 2014 by two MIT graduates, Vicarious set out to build … Read more
Trump, the Nation Builder: How an Accidental Architect Built the Nation of Engineers As Air Force One touches down in a self-assured Beijing this May 14th, 2026, a curious moniker echoes across the Chinese internet: Chuan Jianguo (川建国)—or “Trump, the Nation Builder”. It is a title born of exquisite geopolitical irony. To the Chinese public, … Read more
The Robot Belt Weekly: China’s Top 10 Tech Stories May 3–10, 2026 | The Intelligence Briefing from Shenzhen #1 DeepSeek’s \$45B Gambit: China’s AI Crown Jewel Finally Opens Its Doors Source: TechCrunch | TechNode | The Silicon Review DeepSeek is reportedly shifting from its “maverick” roots to a mainstream powerhouse, eyeing a staggering $45 billion … Read more
Back in 2014, while studying in Sydney, I was fascinated by the “road zipper” trucks that shifted barriers to optimise tidal traffic during peak hours. It was a brilliant system that several cities in China adopted shortly after. However, we are now seeing an even more elegant solution: robotic road barriers. Instead of requiring a … Read more
The Mathematical Illusion of “Aiming Higher”: Why China’s Sub-5% Growth is a Structural Certainty The shift from demographic dividend to intelligent capital: Automation is the necessary macroeconomic response to a shrinking workforce. The Economist recently published a critique of the Chinese government’s 2026 Government Work Report, arguing that policymakers are “dangerously rooted in the past” … Read more
If you want to understand the shifting tectonic plates of the global economy, you could read the latest policy white papers out of Washington, or you could simply look at the photograph of Friedrich Merz in Hangzhou. There stood the German Chancellor—a politician whose brand is practically forged from stern Atlanticist rigour and conservative economic … Read more
Weekly China Tech & Manufacturing Briefing: AI & Robotics Focus Tracking the intersection of artificial intelligence, robotics, and the southeastern coastal supply chain. 1. AgiBot Deploys 200+ Robots at Gala, Capturing 39% of Global Market Share Sector: Humanoid Robots Key Facts: Shanghai-based AgiBot showcased over 200 humanoid robots performing synchronized dynamic movements at a live … Read more
The week in Chinese tech: Sovereign AI and the humanoid sprint Science & technology Silicon and Sinew: The Week in Chinese Innovation From sovereign legal models to record-breaking humanoids, China’s tech firms are sprinting toward 2026 Beijing and Shenzhen | February 8th 2026 WHERE DOES the courtroom end and the computer begin? This week saw … Read more
China’s Tech Horizon: Top 10 Developments in AI, EVs, and Robotics 01 Nvidia’s Landmark OpenAI Investment Stalls Negotiations between Nvidia and OpenAI concerning a strategic investment of up to $100 billion have reached an impasse, with core disagreements over valuation and strategic control. The chipmaker’s CEO, Jensen Huang, clarified that the figure was “never a … Read more
Daily Intelligence Briefing Top 10 China AI/Robotics News Saturday, 31 January 2026 1. DeepSeek Secures Conditional Approval for Nvidia H200 Chips Source: Taipei Times / Reuters In a pivotal move for China’s AI infrastructure, regulatory authorities have granted conditional approval for DeepSeek to acquire Nvidia’s advanced H200 processors, signaling a pragmatic shift in Beijing’s tech … Read more