38 h. ago As Macron eyes China deals to revive industry, trade shows tables have turned

French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Chinese companies to invest in France and transfer know-how in emerging sectors like batteries, electric vehicles (EVs) and solar panels – highlighting growing concerns over the widening technological gap between the two countries. “We want to welcome more Chinese investment through projects and re-industrialisation strategies, and this is what will allow us to break the cycle we’re currently in,” he said on Thursday in Beijing, where he attended a...

Politics

63 h. ago What Happens if China’s Humanoid Robotics Boom Becomes Its Next Big Crisis?

What Happens if China’s Humanoid Robotics Boom Becomes Its Next Big Crisis?  convergence-now.com

Events

3 d. ago Germany’s China playbook: if you can’t beat them, partner up

German companies are accelerating efforts to partner with Chinese rivals, conceding in fresh survey results that the local competitors appear poised to seize the lead in global innovation. While business sentiment among surveyed German firms in China has seen a slight uptick, optimism has been tempered by fierce price competition and a nationalist “Buy China” push, according to findings from the German Chamber of Commerce’s 2025/26 Business Confidence Survey. About 56 per cent of surveyed firms...

Politics

4 d. ago Changan Auto becomes latest Chinese carmaker to join humanoid robot bandwagon

Chinese carmakers, which are increasingly deploying robots in factories, are now moving into humanoid robotics following US rival Tesla despite a warning from Beijing about a potential investment bubble. State-owned Changan Automobile has become the latest entrant into the sector. The Shenzhen-listed company planned to invest 225 million yuan (US$31.8 million) for a 50 per cent stake in Changan Tianshu Intelligent Robotics Technology, according to an exchange filing on Friday. The company...

Politics

4 d. ago 1 in 3 European firms in China hit by export controls plan to divert sourcing

Roughly one-third of European companies in China affected by Beijing’s expanding export control regime intend to diversify their supply chains, with firms concerned about supply chain disruptions, long delivery delays and rising costs, a new survey has found. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China found in a flash survey of 131 member companies that more than half expected to be hit by Chinese export controls, with the group calling for policymakers to find a long-term solution to...

Events

5 d. ago Robots are scaring Chinese government, and the 'reason' is these 150

Robots are scaring Chinese government, and the 'reason' is these 150-plus companies  Times of India

Politics

5 d. ago Does tokenisation in China risk a repeat of the P2P lending crisis?

The rapid rise of tokenisation risks repeating China’s earlier boom-and-bust cycle in peer-to-peer lending unless clear industry standards are established to ensure discipline and innovation, according to a senior Chinese asset manager. Some multilevel marketing companies in mainland China have already started holding meetings discussing real-world asset (RWA) tokenisation projects over the past year, raising “genuine concerns” that the nascent industry might be heading towards a...

Events

6 d. ago ‘It is fake’: why US industry leader refused to believe China’s robot march clip

On November 14, Chinese robotics firm UBtech released footage showing hundreds of Walker S2 humanoid robots standing in precise formation inside a warehouse. The machines turned their heads in unison, waved their arms and marched into shipping containers – a scene so visually arresting it evoked sci-fi blockbusters like I, Robot. Brett Adcock, founder and CEO of leading US robotics company Figure, responded with disbelief. He immediately took to social media to suggest the footage was...

Politics

6 d. ago Humanoid Robots Labeled Next Big Bubble For Chinese Companies

Humanoid Robots Labeled Next Big Bubble For Chinese Companies  CleanTechnica

Politics

7 d. ago China’s humanoid robot boom has Beijing worried about a bubble

China’s humanoid robot boom has Beijing worried about a bubble  Malay Mail

Politics

7 d. ago Chinese homeless man fakes wealth, hires women for companionship, lives luxury life

A homeless Chinese man deceived others by posing as a wealthy individual and, over a span of 10 days, managed to “hire” five women for companionship, using their money to fund visits to high-end establishments, buy new clothes, and even acquire the latest smartphone. The scam came to light in August when police in Putuo District, Shanghai, received a report from a woman using the alias Liu Qian. She claimed that she had been swindled by a 36-year-old man surnamed Chen, who pretended to be a...

Society

8 d. ago China’s top economic planning agency warns of rise of too many robots

Beijing has flagged risks of excessive duplication in China’s rapidly growing humanoid robot sector, vowing to strengthen guidance for an industry that officials have identified as an important engine of future growth. Driven by an influx of new capital, the number of humanoid robot companies in China has climbed to over 150 and is continuing to grow, National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) spokeswoman Li Chao told a news conference in Beijing on Thursday. “More than half of them are...

Events

8 d. ago Beijing flags humanoid robotics bubble risk as hype intensifies

Beijing flags humanoid robotics bubble risk as hype intensifies  Interesting Engineering

Events

8 d. ago Xiaomi hires engineer from Tesla’s Optimus team to lead robotic hand development

Xiaomi has hired a former engineer from Tesla’s Optimus team, Zach Lu Zeyu, to join the Chinese tech giant’s robotics initiatives, as the talent grab in the industry intensifies. Lu, previously a senior robotics engineer focused on the Optimus humanoid robot, joined Xiaomi last month to lead the Beijing-based firm’s dexterous hand research and development operations, according to his LinkedIn page. During his two years at Tesla, Lu worked on the design for dexterous grasping and manipulation, as...

Politics

8 d. ago China Warns of Bubble Risk in Booming Humanoid Robotics Industry

China Warns of Bubble Risk in Booming Humanoid Robotics Industry  Bloomberg.com

Events

8 d. ago China state planner asks humanoid robot firms to avoid repetitive products

China state planner asks humanoid robot firms to avoid repetitive products  Reuters

Politics

8 d. ago Price wars and tariffs: China’s industrial profits snap winning streak

China’s industrial profits dropped in October after a strong September, according to official year-on-year data released on Thursday, and analysts are pointing to domestic competition and trade tensions weighing on corporate balance sheets. Profits fell 5.5 per cent from a year ago, reversing a 21.6 per cent surge in September and a 20.4 per cent jump in August, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics. For the January-October period, profits earned by Chinese companies of a...

Economics

9 d. ago Chinese carmakers boost robotics efforts, Xpeng posts record revenue: 7 EV reads

We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China’s Xpeng posts record revenue as robotaxi and humanoid ambitions take shape Leading Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng reported record quarterly revenue and sharply narrowed losses in the third quarter, even as its Hong Kong-listed shares fell on Monday after investors...

Politics

1 week ago Netherlands’ Nexperia blunder shows it has forgotten its own history

The Netherlands has discovered that it could end up hemmed in by its technological prowess. A day after the United States tightened export controls on Chinese companies on September 29, the Dutch government moved to take control of Nexperia, a Chinese-controlled chipmaking firm. This coordinated act of carrying out US containment policy triggered a cascade that exposed the cost of the Netherlands being indispensable but not impartial. It likely prompted China’s decision to use rare earth...

Politics

1 week ago China’s UBTech Robotics eyes US$400 million in Hong Kong share placement

UBTech Robotics, one of China’s top makers of humanoid robots, plans to raise HK$3.11 billion (US$399.6 million) through a share placement in Hong Kong – its sixth and largest such fundraising since last year, riding on growing industrial orders and the sector’s momentum. The Shenzhen-based company aimed to sell 31,468,000 new shares for HK$98.80 each, representing a discount of around 11.4 per cent from the closing price on Monday, according to a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange on...

Economics