1. (Xinhua) Over 500 humanoid robot athletes had their own "Olympic Games", giving glimpses of the future of robotics over the past weekend.  

    The inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games, which opened last Thursday, brought together 280 teams from 16 countries and regions for three days of competition in 26 disciplines, ranging from athletics and football to martial arts and service-scenario challenges in the National Speed Skating Oval, a 2022 Winter Olympic venue better known as the "Ice Ribbon".  

    "We've been here for like a month. The experience has been really great. The venue is awesome," said Portugal's Ana Carolina Coelho Lopes, who participated in five-on-five football competition. "For us, it was really rewarding, having the chance to interact and communicate with others."  

    SPRINTING INTO THE FUTURE  

    On the first competition day, humanoid robots contested the Games' first-ever gold medal in the 1,500-meter race.  

    Some started fast but lost balance halfway. Others stumbled, fell to the ground, and managed to climb back up to continue. Each recovery drew applause and cheers from the crowd.

    The gold medal went to Lingyi Technology, part of Beijing-based Unitree, with a time of 6:34.40.  

    "It's harder than it looks," said team member Liu Jinda after the race. "Like human runners, you have to consider bend running, stride frequency and stability. Our main task was to fine-tune both hardware and algorithms so that the robot could follow its program and finish the race."  

    "Compared with a year or two ago, the progress across the industry has been dramatic," Unitree founder Wang Xingxing noted. "Such competitions help move the technology forward, particularly as many of the events are modeled on practical environments like factories, hotels and care facilities."  

    A GLOBAL STAGE, A BEIJING LEGACY  

    The Games came just two days after the 2025 World Robot Conference closed, underscoring the city's rising role as a global hub for robotics innovation.  

    Official data shows that China's robot industry revenue grew by 27.8 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2025, extending its position as the world's largest industrial robot market for 12 straight years. The country now ranks third globally in manufacturing robot density.

    "If this had been held a year ago, most humanoid robots would not have been ready," said Li Yechuan of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology. "Advances in AI algorithms and robot hardware have made the Games possible."  

    The closing ceremony on Sunday also marked the official launch of the World Humanoid Robotics Games Federation and confirmed that the second edition's Games will return to Beijing in August 2026.  

    "We firmly believe the founding of this federation is a milestone that will drive deeper global cooperation in robotics and artificial intelligence," said Zhou Changjiu, president of the RoboCup Asia-Pacific Confederation.

    "International collaboration and communication platforms are important," Zhou added. "In the past, large-scale technological progress could take decades. Now, AI accelerates everything. The Games will definitely foster global collaboration and help bring humanoid robots into schools, elder-care centers, and even households. It's only a matter of time." 

    Source: Xinhua  2025-08-18 15:25:19

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  2. (China Daily) Forget static displays. At the 2025 World Robot Conference held in Beijing earlier this month, robots traded blows in boxing rings, strategized over games of Gomoku, and meticulously demonstrated intangible cultural heritage crafts. These weren't distant concepts, but dynamic, interactive machines accelerating their integration into the fabric of daily life.  

    The event served as a powerful testament to China's surging robotics prowess, showcasing a future where humanoids play an increasingly important role in daily life and work.  

    The scale was staggering — a record-breaking 50 humanoid robot manufacturers unveiled their latest models and solutions at the conference.

    China's ambition is underpinned by solid progress. A KPMG report revealed that China leads the world with nearly 6,000 humanoid robot patent filings in the past five years.  

    Investment has skyrocketed, with industry financing soaring to 7.23 billion yuan ($1 billion) in 2024 from 1.58 billion yuan in 2020 — a blistering 35.6 percent compound annual growth rate.  

    The growth has just begun and exponential growth is yet to come, experts said, emphasizing a pivotal shift: advanced technologies like high-precision force control sensing are no longer optional luxuries, but essential foundations.

    "This sense of touch is fundamental," said Liu Wuyue, founder of Link-touch, a Chinese startup, underscoring the critical role of force sensors. "Without them, delicate operations are nearly impossible and physical interaction is core."  

    His company is breaking barriers in specialized six-dimensional force sensors for humanoids through innovations in elastomer design, high-response embedded circuits and advanced algorithms. "This technology fundamentally determines whether a robot remains a crude machine or becomes capable of performing truly 'fine work'," he explained, highlighting the quest for human-like dexterity.  

    Liu sees China as being uniquely positioned to lead in component development, citing massive customer demand, unparalleled supply chain advantages and fertile innovation ecosystems. The astonishing pace — "send drawings in the morning, receive parts by evening" — drastically lowers development costs, accelerating breakthroughs, Liu said.

    Beyond mechanics, the emotional connection emerges as the next frontier. "In high-interaction scenarios like elderly care, education and reception, robots with superior emotional expression offer warmer, personalized and more acceptable services," said Cao Rongyun, founder of AnyWit Robotics, a startup based in Hefei, Anhui province. He sees expressive interaction as key to boosting maturity and adoption. "Integrating facial expressions and micro-expressions will revolutionize human-robot interaction."  

    Meanwhile, AgiBot, China's most-valued embodied intelligence startup, is ramping up efforts to explore overseas markets, according to Yao Maoqing, a partner at AgiBot and president of its embodied intelligence business unit.  

    AgiBot is valued at 15 billion yuan and operates Shanghai's first dedicated mass-production facility for humanoid robots.  

    "We are now deploying strategically in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia," Yao said. "Our strategy relies on localization through deep partnerships with local players, enabling us to achieve genuine globalization."  

    Yao said AgiBot began product deliveries to overseas customers earlier this year.  

    Drawing a parallel with historical industry trends, he said: "We've consistently observed across numerous sectors that products, which successfully emerge from China's intensely competitive domestic environment, often achieve rapid expansion internationally. This proven dynamic is a key strategic focus area for AgiBot."

    Source: By Ma Si | China Daily | Updated: 2025-08-18 09:50

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  3. (Xinhua) Chinese selfie-enhancing tech giant Meitu on Monday announced its financial results for the first half of 2025, reporting a total revenue of 1.8 billion yuan (about 252.4 million U.S. dollars) -- a year-on-year increase of 12.3 percent.  

    The company recorded an adjusted net profit attributable to equity holders of 467 million yuan, which was a 71.3 percent surge compared to the same period of last year.  

    Meitu attributed the revenue and profit growth primarily to breakthroughs in AI applications, an increase in global paid subscribers, and the rapid expansion of its subscription-based imaging and design product business.

    The company, which is headquartered in Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province, said that its imaging and design product business segment maintained strong momentum in the first six months of 2025. Revenue from the segment came in at 1.35 billion yuan, marking a significant 45.2 percent year-on-year increase and accounting for 74.2 percent of Meitu's total revenue.  

    This growth was driven by an expanding paid-subscriber base. By June 30, 2025, Meitu's paid subscribers hit a record 15.4 million, representing a year-on-year increase of over 42 percent.  

    The company's global monthly active users (MAU) totaled 280 million by the end of June, which was up 8.5 percent year on year. Notably, MAU in markets outside the Chinese mainland stood at 98 million, reflecting a robust growth of 15.3 percent year on year.

    Research and development expenses for the period totaled 450 million yuan -- an increase of 6.1 percent. As Meitu's core tech hub, the Meitu Imaging and Vision Lab (MT Lab) has secured 463 authorized patents and holds 317 software copyrights in the field of AI.  

    Founded in October 2008, Meitu is an AI-driven technology company that aims to "beautify" users with its image products and beauty management services. 

    Source: Xinhua  2025-08-19 10:04:16
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  4. (China Daily) Leapmotor has turned a profit for the first time in a half-year period, joining Li Auto as the only Chinese NEV startups to achieve that milestone, after record sales and revenue gains in the first six months of 2025.  

    The Hangzhou, Zhejiang province-based company reported a net profit for the January-June period, according to its earnings release on Monday.  

    Deliveries surged 155.7 percent from a year earlier to 221,664 vehicles, the highest among China's new-energy vehicle startups, while revenue surged 174 percent to 24.25 billion yuan ($3.37 billion).

    Gross margin improved to 14.1 percent, the best in Leapmotor's history. Cash reserves stood at 29.6 billion yuan, with both operating and free cash flow remaining positive.  

    The sales momentum was driven by its products. Leapmotor has launched two new models on its B platform and three refreshed products on its C platform this year, aiming to strengthen its position in the mass-market EV segment.  

    In terms of its sales network, Leapmotor has expanded its retail footprint to 806 sales outlets and 461 service shops across 286 cities, with per-store efficiency up more than 50 percent year-on-year. The company expects to cover 90 percent of China's prefecture-level cities by the end of this year.

    Leapmotor is also accelerating its overseas push. Exports reached 24,980 units in the first seven months of 2025, keeping it atop China's NEV startups in shipments abroad.  

    Europe has become a key market: orders there exceeded 4,000 in July, and the B10 sedan will be officially launched at the Munich auto show in September.  

    Leapmotor has built a network of about 600 overseas sales and service outlets across nearly 30 markets, including more than 550 in Europe.

    Localization efforts are underway as well. In April, Leapmotor and Stellantis announced local assembly of the C10 at Stellantis's Gurun plant in Malaysia, with the first vehicle rolling off the line this month.  

    The company said it also plans to set up a European manufacturing base by the end of 2026.  

    Leapmotor signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with state-owned FAW Group in March to jointly develop new models and explore deeper capital cooperation. The partners' first co-developed project has already begun.

    Source: chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2025-08-19 11:30

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  5. (China Daily) CAS Space, a Beijing-based commercial rocket maker, launched the eighth rocket in its Kinetica 1 series on Tuesday afternoon, carrying seven satellites, including a pair built in Mexico, into orbit.  

    The rocket lifted off at 3:33 pm from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert and placed the payloads — a synthetic aperture radar satellite, an Earth-observation satellite and five experimental satellites — into preset orbit, the company said.  

    Among the payloads, the ThumbSat-1 and ThumbSat-2 are miniature satellites, each weighing about 100 grams, designed and built by Mexican private company ThumbSat. They were created for simple tasks, according to the company.

    "ThumbSat-1 carries a selfie payload, aiming to capture its own mirror-selfie in orbit. ThumbSat-2 carries an artistic payload, merging science and creativity, reminding us that exploration is not only about data but also about expression," the company said on its website.  

    ThumbSat said the mission was made possible through close collaboration with CAS Space, as engineers from both sides designed a specialized satellite deployer.  

    The company also said it will set up ground-receiving stations across Mexico to allow students and space enthusiasts to use antennas and software, provided free of charge, to track signals from orbit and "take part in a mission that crosses borders and disciplines."

    CAS Space said in a statement that "as a groundbreaking cooperation between China and Mexico in the field of satellite development and service, this project marks a milestone breakthrough for China's space industry in the North American commercial space market."  

    The company said the mission's success will strengthen Sino-Mexican scientific and technological cooperation and contribute to "building a fair, open and inclusive system for international space cooperation."  

    So far, CAS Space has helped clients deploy 70 satellites with its Kinetica 1 rockets.  

    Formerly known as the ZK 1A, the Kinetica 1 is 30 meters long with a diameter of 2.65 meters and a liftoff weight of 135 metric tons. It is capable of carrying satellites with a combined weight of 1.5 tons to a sun-synchronous orbit about 500 kilometers above Earth.

    Source: By Zhao Lei | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2025-08-19 17:12

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  6. (Xinhua) Robots that are not only able to run, dance and play soccer but can also sort parts in an assembly line, and even participate in a game of mahjong and caress a piano to create music were once fantasies only confined to science fiction, but they now feature in a reality unfolding at the ongoing World Robot Conference (WRC) in Beijing.  

    The WRC 2025 showcases rapidly advancing embodied intelligence technology, with humanoid robots as the highlight, demonstrating significant progress achieved globally and particularly in China, while the event also serves to illuminate a wide range of future commercial application scenarios.

    Themed "Making Robots Smarter, Making Embodied Agents More Intelligent," the five-day conference that opened on Friday features forums, exhibitions, competitions and networking events -- with over 200 robotics companies from around the world presenting their latest innovations.  

    EMERGING INNOVATIONS

    Exhibitors at the WRC expo are showcasing the latest humanoid robots along with other varieties such as wheeled robots, collaborative robots, and quadruped or hexapod robotic dogs, as well as newly developed embodied intelligence models.  

    Unitree Robotics, headquartered in east China's Hangzhou, has brought its latest types of humanoid R1 and quadrupedal A2 robots to this expo. However, the crowd favorite has been a boxing match performed by two latest upgraded G1 robots. The mechanical boxers punched and defended like real human fighters, while getting up to continue even after being knocked down.

    Marketing manager at Unitree, Liu Jinda, said the boxing demonstration wasn't just for show. "During boxing, multiple joints need to coordinate with extremely fast reaction times. When subjected to external forces, the robots must quickly regain stability and balance. This practice provides valuable experience for developers to improve robotic performance."  

    In the exhibition area of Galaxea AI, visitors only needed to say "Please make the bed," and its new R1 Lite robot responded by completing the task in a randomly disordered bedroom all by itself.  

    Galaxea AI chief scientist Zhao Hang noted that the key to embodied intelligence robots lies in their "brain" -- the sophistication of their algorithms. R1 Lite's Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model uses a single end-to-end architecture to achieve precise control from visual perception to its sophisticated joints, enabling it to perform highly complex, long-sequence tasks like making a bed.

    At a conference forum, Ni Guangnan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, emphasized that combining robots with AI requires elevating robotic intelligence through "brain-eye-action" coordinated systems -- enabling robots to see, understand and act in the real world.  

    Unitree CEO Wang Xingxing said that while current robotic hardware is generally sufficient, their AI capabilities still fall far short of industry needs, and developing sufficient embodied intelligence models will be the most critical task for the industry in the future.  

    ROBUST DEVELOPMENT  

    China's innovations in embodied intelligence are powered by the robust development of its robotics industry. According to data released at the conference, the country's robotics industry generated nearly 240 billion yuan (about 33.4 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue in 2024.

    In the first half of 2025, industrial robot production in China reached 370,000 units while service robot output hit 8.82 million units, representing year-on-year growth of 35.6 percent and 25.5 percent, respectively. China has also been the world's largest industrial robot application market for 12 consecutive years -- with its share of the world's newly installed robots increasing from 51 percent in 2023 to 54 percent in 2024.  

    Rev Lebaredian, vice president of Omniverse and simulation technology at NVIDIA, said in a speech at a forum that China boasts the world's largest pool of top-tier graduates in computer science and AI, while holding a distinct advantage in physical-world technology development. This enables the country to produce robots that are both cost-effective and highly efficient -- a capability unmatched by other countries.

    Moreover, China possesses not just manufacturing prowess but also the unique ability to deploy robots at scale and iterate rapidly. By deploying robots in real-world applications and collecting operational data, Chinese developers can continuously optimize robotic systems. This closed-loop improvement capability has become an essential requirement for robotics advancement, and China has already enjoyed this competitive edge, he added.

    The embodied intelligence sector, notably, is attracting not only AI innovators but also traditional industrial robotics companies. At the 2025 WRC expo, established players like Siasun and Dobot, once focused on robotic arms and autonomous forklifts, deployed humanoid robots at their most visible displays. With decades of industrial application experience, they are injecting new momentum into the application of embodied intelligence technologies.  

    DIVERSE APPLICATION  

    At the opening ceremony of this conference, the Chinese Institute of Electronics unveiled 10 most promising application scenarios for humanoid robots, such as automotive manufacturing, petrochemical production inspection, emergency response operations, home services and agricultural production.

    The Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center showcased the multi-agent and multi-task collaborative capabilities of embodied intelligent robots in industrial scenarios. Some of the robots are responsible for power inspection and others sort parts in assembly lines, while robotic arms in the inspection area automatically identify defective light bulbs.  

    Several showcased products at the expo have achieved initial commercialization in the medical and elderly care sectors. For example, a six-legged robot dog developed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University will provide blind-assistance services as guide dogs at the upcoming 15th National Games this November.

    Longwood Valley MedTech, meanwhile, introduced its latest orthopedic surgical robot -- which enables more precise, minimally invasive and safer surgical procedures, reducing surgery time from two to three hours to just 30 minutes. It also minimizes blood loss, accelerates patient recovery, lowers the risk of postoperative complications and cuts medical costs.  

    Beijing AI-robotics Technology exhibited various wearable exoskeleton robots that can not only help paraplegic individuals stand and walk but also assist the elderly with stair climbing.  

    Shuai Mei, the company's founder, said these robots detect both the user's walking intent and terrain conditions, and then use AI algorithms to adapt to the ground and gait in real time, thereby providing appropriate assistance. The company has sold around 1,000 units of its medical and elderly care products, which are now in use at over 300 hospitals nationwide.

    Wan Gang, president of the China Association for Science and Technology, said at the opening ceremony of the conference that China is intensifying its efforts in this cutting-edge technology and future-oriented industry to spur new consumption, cultivate emerging industries, create jobs, promote economic growth and improve people's lives.  

    Source: Xinhua  2025-08-11 23:30:33

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  7. (China Daily) Robots that are not only able to run, dance and play soccer, but also sort parts on an assembly line, try their luck at a game of mahjong and even tickle the ivory were once fantasies confined to science fiction novels, but are now a reality that was unfolded at the recent World Robot Conference in Beijing.  

    The WRC 2025 showcased rapidly advancing embodied intelligence technology, with humanoid robots as the highlight, demonstrating significant progress achieved globally and particularly in China, while the event also served to illuminate a wide range of future commercial application scenarios.  

    Themed "Making Robots Smarter, Making Embodied Agents More Intelligent," the five-day conference that finished earlier this week featured forums, exhibitions, competitions and networking events — with over 200 robotics companies from around the world showcasing their latest innovations.  

    Exhibitors at the WRC showed off their latest humanoid robots along with other varieties such as wheeled robots, collaborative robots and quadruped or hexapod robotic dogs, as well as newly developed embodied intelligence models.

    Unitree Robotics, based in East China's Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, brought its latest humanoid R1 and quadrupedal A2 automatons to the conference. A crowd favorite was a boxing match by two of the latest upgraded GI robots. The mechanical boxers punched and defended like real human fighters, while getting up to continue even after being knocked down.  

    Marketing manager at Unitree, Liu Jinda, said the sparring demonstration wasn't just for show. "During boxing, multiple joints need to coordinate with extremely fast reaction times. When subjected to external forces, the robots must quickly regain stability and balance. This practice provides valuable experience for developers to improve robotic performance."

    In the exhibition area of Galaxea AI, visitors only needed to say "Please make the bed," and the company's new R1 Lite robot responded by completing the task in a randomly disordered bedroom all by itself.  

    Galaxea AI chief scientist Zhao Hang said the key to embodied intelligence robots lies in their "brain" — represented by the sophistication of their algorithms. R1 Lite's Vision-Language-Action model uses a single end-to-end architecture to achieve precise control from visual perception to its sophisticated joints, enabling it to perform highly complex, long-sequence tasks like making a bed.  

    At a conference forum, Ni Guangnan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, emphasized that combining robots with AI requires elevating robotic intelligence through "brain-eye-action "coordinated systems — enabling automatons to see, understand and act in the real world.

    Unitree CEO Wang Xingxing said that while current robotic hardware is generally sufficient, their AI capabilities still fall far short of industry needs, and developing sufficient embodied intelligence models will be the most critical task for the industry in the future.  

    China's innovations in embodied intelligence are powered by the robust development of its robotics industry. According to data released at the conference, the country's robotics industry generated nearly 240 billion yuan ($33.4 billion) in revenue in 2024.  

    In the first half, industrial robot production in China reached 370,000 units while service robot output hit 8.82 million units, representing year-on-year growth of 35.6 percent and 25.5 percent, respectively. China has also been the world's largest industrial robot application market for 12 consecutive years, with its share of the world's newly installed robots increasing from 51 percent in 2023 to 54 percent in 2024.

    Rev Lebaredian, vice-president of Omniverse and simulation technology at Nvidia, said in a speech at a forum that China boasts the world's largest pool of top-tier graduates in computer science and AI, while holding a distinct advantage in physical-world tech development. This enables the country to produce robots that are both cost-effective and highly efficient — a capability unmatched by other countries.  

    Moreover, China possesses not only manufacturing prowess, but also the unique ability to deploy robots at scale and iterate rapidly. By deploying robots in real-world applications and collecting operational data, Chinese developers can continuously optimize robotic systems. This closed-loop improvement capability has become an essential requirement for robotics advancement, and China already enjoys this competitive edge, Lebaredian said.  

    The embodied intelligence sector, notably, is attracting not only AI innovators, but also traditional industrial robotics companies. At WRC 2025, established players like Siasun and Dobot, once focused on robotic arms and autonomous forklifts, deployed humanoid robots at their most visible displays. With decades of industrial application experience, they are injecting new momentum into the application of embodied intelligence technologies.

    At the opening ceremony of the conference, the Chinese Institute of Electronics unveiled 10 most promising application scenarios for humanoid robots, such as automotive manufacturing, petrochemical production inspection, emergency response operations, home services and agricultural tasks.  

    The Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center showcased the multi-agent and multitasking collaborative capabilities of embodied intelligent robots in industrial scenarios. Some of the robots are responsible for power inspection and others sort parts on assembly lines, while robotic arms in the inspection area automatically identify defective light bulbs.  

    Several that showcased products at the expo have achieved initial commercialization in the medical and eldercare sectors. For example, a six-legged robotic dog developed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University will provide assistance to vision impaired individuals such as serving as seeing-eye dogs at the upcoming 15th National Games in November, jointly hosted by Guangdong province, Macao and Hong Kong.

    Longwood Valley MedTech, meanwhile, introduced its latest orthopedic surgical robot — which enables more precise, minimally invasive and safer surgical procedures, reducing surgery time from around three hours to just 30 minutes. It also minimizes blood loss, accelerates patient recovery, lowers the risk of postoperative complications and cuts medical costs.  

    Beijing AI-robotics Technology exhibited various wearable exoskeleton robots that can not only help paraplegic individuals stand and walk, but also assist the elderly with stair climbing.  

    Shuai Mei, the company's founder, said these robots detect both the user's walking intent and terrain conditions, and then use AI algorithms to adapt to the ground and gait in real time, thereby providing appropriate assistance. The company has sold around 1,000 units of its medical and eldercare products, which are now in use in over 300 hospitals nationwide.  

    Wan Gang, president of the China Association for Science and Technology, said at the conference that China is intensifying its efforts in this cutting-edge and future-oriented industry to spur new consumption, cultivate emerging industries, create jobs, promote economic growth and improve people's lives.

    Source: China Daily | Updated: 2025-08-15 10:00

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  8. (China Daily) Chinese intelligent automation platform Laiye is doubling down on building digital workforces powered by artificial intelligence agents, as part of its broader drive to enhance productivity, liberate people from repetitive work and bolster enterprises' digital transformation.  

    Wang Guanchun, chairman and CEO of Laiye, said, "We're entering a new era where AI agents will take on real work at scale," highlighting that there are huge opportunities in bolstering the application of AI agents in a wide range of sectors like manufacturing.  

    Wang estimated that all Fortune 500 companies will have more digital workers than human workers and 90 percent of knowledge work will be executed autonomously by AI agents, while emphasizing that human society will enter into the era of the AI agent economy.

    AI agents have gained worldwide attention and witnessed explosive growth this year. The term refers to a system or program that is capable of autonomously performing tasks on behalf of a user or another system by designing its workflow and utilizing available tools.  

    AI agents are more advanced than chatbots because they not only provide suggestions or answers, but autonomously execute complex actions across a multitude of industries, delivering tangible results.  

    Pre-dating the generative AI boom, Laiye built solutions via chatbots, robotic process automation and document automation. Wang said the company has been engaged in digital employees for many years and currently, with the stronger inference and planning capabilities of large language models, AI agents have become the carriers of new digital workers.

    He noted that Laiye has always attached great importance to product innovation and research and development inputs. Its value proposition is to empower every employee with AI agents, boost productivity and creativity, and build a future-ready workforce for businesses.  

    The company's work execution platform is designed to enable governments and enterprises to build digital workforces powered by large language models. Bridging the work execution gap at individual and organization levels, Laiye helps accelerate the digital transformation from robotic automation to intelligent automation with AI agents.  

    "We have seen the emergence of many outstanding Chinese AI startups. In the future, there may be more innovative companies in the field of AI application," Wang said. The fierce competition in China's AI sector has promoted the iteration and upgrade of technology. "Therefore, some unexpected innovations will occur."

    Wang said he is very confident in China's innovation capabilities in AI, including its competitiveness in the world, and the country's top-tier AI model companies have done very well in open-sourced large language models. He also underscored the importance of ensuring data security and protecting personal privacy.  

    When asked about the company's overseas expansion plans, Wang said Laiye will expand its footprint in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as in countries in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia.  

    AI is not to replace or compete with humans, but to collaborate and coexist. For individuals, AI-powered digital workers save employees from repetitive and mechanical tasks. They are supplements to humans' limited abilities and insights, while for organizations, the combination of digital and human employees can enliven and innovate business, and optimize the workflow, according to the company.

    Global consultancy Gartner predicts that by 2028, at least 15 percent of day-to-day work decisions will be made autonomously through agentic AI. Further emphasizing the technology's potential, the consultancy has named it a top strategic technology trend in 2025.  

    It added that AI agents can plan and automate tasks, make informed decisions and interact with their surroundings. Tech services leaders can help clients revolutionize their operations by integrating AI agents into offerings that are configured with components designed for their primary purpose.  

    Moreover, Laiye recently unveiled its enterprise-level AI agent matrix designed for diverse application scenarios. Built on the Laiye work execution platform, the new AI agents integrate large language models, robotic process automation, intelligent document processing and native AI capabilities to deliver measurable outcomes across end-to-end business processes.  

    The company will continue working with customers and partners worldwide to realize its vision of "AI Agents for Everyone", helping enterprises build high-efficiency, AI-driven operations for the next generation of intelligent work.

    Source: By Fan Feifei | China Daily | Updated: 2025-07-28 09:24

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  9. (China Daily) China's artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery is accelerating its role as a prominent player in global biotech. Experts and industry insiders said the sector is drawing unprecedented international attention, even though no AI-discovered drug has yet reached the market.  

    According to SDIC Securities, the global AI-driven drug market has more than doubled since 2021, hitting $1.76 billion in 2024, with a compound annual growth rate of more than 30 percent.  

    In China, the pace is even faster from 70 million yuan ($9.74 million) in 2019 to 410 million yuan in 2023, with a CAGR of 57.4 percent. Lead-Leo Research Institute projects nearly 70 percent annual growth from 2024 to 2028, when the market could top 5.86 billion yuan.

    China's AI drug sector has also been striking deals with Big Pharma. This year alone, Syneron Bio inked a $3.4 billion agreement with AstraZeneca, while Helixon signed a $1.72 billion partnership with Sanofi, among others.  

    "These collaborations show Chinese AI drug-discovery capabilities are gaining global recognition," said Fang Yang, executive director for healthcare and biotech at CEC Capital. "The industry is entering a new phase of going global and proving it can deliver results."  

    The most recent deal capturing attention is China's XtalPi Holdings Ltd's $6 billion partnership with US biotech firm DoveTree. It ranks among the largest license-out deals in China's biopharma history.

    Under the deal, announced on Aug 5, XtalPi will deploy its AI platforms to run preclinical research on a mix of large — and small-molecule programs, including several targets picked by DoveTree. The US partner will hold exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize the resulting drug candidates.  

    XtalPi has already pocketed $51 million upfront, far exceeding its total 2024 revenue of 266 million yuan and is in line for another $49 million in near-term payments and as much as $5.89 billion in milestones and royalties.  

    "AI can optimize molecular structures and streamline the earliest stages of drug research and development," said Chu Lei, a researcher at the Healthcare Executive Institute. "XtalPi's role is to deliver ready-to-test clinical candidates straight to DoveTree's labs."

    Still, the potential of AI in biotech is promising. Traditional drug development can take more than a decade and cost more than $1 billion. AI, particularly deep-learning models, can speed up target screening, molecular design, and even trial planning. Consultancy McKinsey experts estimated that AI could shrink the time from lab to patient to a tenth of current timelines.  

    Ren Feng, co-CEO of Insilico Medicine, described the global AI-driven biotech sector as moving into its 2.0 phase. The first wave dating back three decades relied on physics-based computer-aided design. The arrival of generative AI around 2013 marked a turning point, allowing algorithms to create novel molecules from scratch by drawing on vast troves of historical data.  

    The next stage, Ren said, will see AI embedded in every step of drug R&D, from target discovery to clinical management — ushering in what he calls the "3.0 era" of fully integrated, intelligent drug development.

    Policy tailwinds are reinforcing the trend. In November 2024, the National Health Commission and two other ministries issued a blueprint for AI in healthcare, naming intelligent drug discovery and development and AI-assisted clinical trials as priority areas.  

    Local governments are following suit. On Aug 12, Zhejiang province laid out a plan to build a national AI medical application base by 2027, aimed at fostering homegrown innovators, attracting composite talent, and building a complete AI healthcare industry chain.  

    Despite the surge in dealmaking and investment, industry experts stress most AI-driven agreements today, including XtalPi's, focus on preclinical work. "No AI-discovered drug has yet been approved anywhere in the world, meaning the commercial loop remains incomplete," Chu noted.

    Source: By Li Jing | China Daily | Updated: 2025-08-16 08:25

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  10. (China Daily) China launched a group of internet satellites into orbit on Sunday evening, marking the fifth in-orbit deployment of such spacecraft in a month.  

    The satellites are the ninth group of low-orbit hardware in China's State-owned internet network. They were lifted by a Long March 6A carrier rocket at 10:15 pm from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province, and soon arrived in their orbital positions, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the launch contractor.  

    Over the past month, five batches of satellites have been sent into orbit for the in-orbit networking of the country's massive space-based internet system, which is often likened to a Chinese version of SpaceX's Starlink.  

    The fifth group in the network was launched on July 27, the sixth on July 30, the seventh on Aug 4, and the eighth on Aug 13.  

    The latest batch was designed and built by the Shanghai-based Innovation Academy for Micro satellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and is tasked with using its Ka-band transmitters to provide communications and internet service to users.

    The Long March 6A rocket model was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, a CASC subsidiary, as a medium-lift launch vehicle. It consists of a 50-meter, liquid-propelled core booster and four solid-fuel side boosters. The core booster has a diameter of 3.35 meters and is propelled by two 120-ton thrust engines burning liquid oxygen and kerosene.  

    The rocket has a liftoff weight of 530 metric tons and is mainly used to transport satellites to multiple types of orbit, including sun-synchronous, low-Earth and intermediate circular orbit. When used to reach to the typical sun-synchronous orbit 700 kilometers above Earth, the model can carry satellites with a combined weight of more than 4.5 tons.  

    This is the third time the Long March 6A type has been used to carry out a flight for the internet network.

    Source: China Daily by Zhao Lei  Published: 20:12, August 17, 2025 | Updated: 01:21, August 18, 2025

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