Science & Technology

Fighting robots, giant mecha suits, robotic massage therapists and automated baristas were among the technologies drawing crowds at the fifth Global Digital Trade Expo (GDTE), as artificial intelligence took centre stage in Hangzhou. Held from September 23 to 27 at the Hangzhou Grand Convention and Exhibition Center under the theme “Meet the AI Future at GDTE,” the expo brought together more than 2,000 exhibitors and over 12,000 registered overseas buyers. Dozens of Fortune G

China’s Tiangong Ultra has set a new 100-metre record at the 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, completing the sprint in 8.64 seconds on Wednesday. Developed by Beijing-based X-Humanoid, the robot improved on the 8.86 seconds recorded during the repechage and marked a significant leap from the fastest time of more than 12 seconds at the inaugural games last year. Tiangong Ultra emerged as one of the standout performers of the five-day competition, repeatedly rewriting

China has launched a new public welfare programme aimed at inspiring young people through a blend of revolutionary history and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and humanoid robotics. The 2026 "Caring for Growth, Lighting Up Hope" initiative was launched at Beijing's National Speed Skating Oval, also known as the Ice Ribbon, to mark the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 90th anniversary of the Red Army's Long Marc

China says it will safeguard the interests of its companies after the United States imposed new restrictions on imports of advanced robots and power inverters, citing national security concerns. The new measures, announced by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), expand its list of restricted technology products. Beijing has criticized the move as protectionist, arguing that it unfairly targets Chinese firms and could disrupt global technological cooperation. Foreig

Chinese scientists have completed an updated geological map of the entire Moon, providing one of the most detailed representations of the lunar surface to date. The 1:5 million-scale map was produced by researchers at the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences and incorporates the latest findings from China's Chang'e lunar exploration programme and other international lunar studies. The map identifies more than 13,000 impact craters, 81 impact basins, 14

China has commissioned the world's first 16-megawatt tension-leg floating wind platform, marking a major milestone in offshore renewable energy development. The platform, known as Haiyou Anlan, has been connected to the power grid serving the Lufeng oilfield in the South China Sea, according to operator China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). The project showcases China's advancements in floating wind technology and is expected to support the expansion of offshore wi

China State Shipbuilding Corp, the world's largest listed shipbuilder in terms of production capacity, delivered on Tuesday a self-unloading bulk carrier custom-built for a landmark project off the coast of Guinea in West Africa, noting that the vessel sets several records in its class. The Wontanara, built by CSSC Chengxi Shipyard for global mining giant Rio Tinto and boasting a cargo capacity of 41,800 metric tons, has achieved three industrial milestones. It is the world's

Chinese researchers have developed the world's first bionic auditory neural interface, a breakthrough that could significantly improve hearing restoration by enabling users not only to hear sounds but also to better understand them. The research, led by Professor Xu Wentao of Nankai University, was recently published in the journal Nature Materials. Unlike conventional cochlear implants, which rely on a functioning auditory nerve to transmit sound signals to the brain, the ne

China is on track to produce more than 100,000 humanoid robots in 2026, according to Gan Xiaobin, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday ahead of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), Gan said the country's rapidly expanding artificial intelligence ecosystem is accelerating the growth of the robotics sector and contributing to China's drive

China has launched the Tianyan-P2000, a new photonic quantum computer connected to the Tianyan quantum cloud platform, enabling global online access for researchers. Developed by China Telecom Quantum Group with partners under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the system marks a step forward in cloud-based quantum computing and is claimed to offer quantum advantage using photonic technology. Unlike superconducting systems, the photonic computer operates at room temperature and

The 2026 Mobile World Congress (MWC26) in Shanghai highlighted a major shift in the global mobile industry-from connectivity to full-scale intelligent systems. A standout attraction was a humanoid robot football challenge, where robots independently detected, calculated, and executed penalty kicks in real time. The demonstration showcased advances in embodied intelligence, combining perception, decision-making, and motion control without human input. Industry leaders at the e

China has launched its first zero-carbon sea–river intermodal shipping route, marking a major step toward greener maritime transport. On June 30, a 10,000-ton-class fully electric container vessel, Ningyuan Dianpeng, departed from Jiaxing Port in Zhejiang Province bound for Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, officially beginning operations on the new route. The vessel is 127.8 meters long, 21.6 meters wide, and can carry up to 742 TEUs. It is powered by 10 containerized battery units with

Book-style foldable smartphones are quickly shifting from niche gadgets into powerful AI-driven productivity tools, according to industry experts. A Counterpoint Research report says foldables are increasingly suited for complex AI workflows as smartphone AI moves beyond simple features into system-level functions. Global foldable shipments are expected to grow about 20% in 2026, with book-style models rising from 52% to 65% of the segment. China remains the largest market, a

China on Tuesday sent communication technology test satellite 26A into space from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province. The satellite was launched at 10:10 a.m. Beijing time aboard a modified Long March-7 rocket and has entered its preset orbit. A modified version of the Long March-7 rocket carrying a new communication technology test satellite 26A blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, June 23, 2026. (Phot

China currently accounts for more than 40 percent of global 5G connections, and its 5G connections are expected to exceed 1.7 billion by 2030, according to an industry report released on Tuesday while Mobile World Congress (MWC) Shanghai is ready to open. The Mobile Economy China 2026 report, compiled by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), said this scale means China is a leader not only in 5G adoption, but also in defining what advanced mobile net

China has maintained its position as the world's leading contributor to scientific research output, according to the latest Nature Index Research Leaders rankings. The 2026 rankings show China recording the strongest growth among the world's top research-producing countries, with its adjusted research share increasing by more than 22 percent between 2024 and 2025. China ranked first in five major scientific disciplines, including physical sciences, chemistry, biological scien

China has recently released a new edition of the Good Clinical Practice for Drugs — a guideline designed to ensure the ethical and scientific conduct of clinical studies, aiming to strengthen the nation's research ecosystem and support innovation in biotechnology. The document, jointly issued by the National Medical Products Administration and three other government departments last week, is an update of the version that has been in effect since 2020. The new version is set t

The deployment of a new 24-hour rapid intensification forecast model for typhoons and its 12-hour rapid intensification forecast service now offer China significantly enhanced forecasting performance, according to Shenzhen-based researchers in south China. The model, developed at the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, recently completed operational deployment and real-world application testing at the country's National Meteorologic

Staff at the Shaanxi Foping National Nature Reserve recently encountered a wild giant panda during a routine fire prevention patrol. Using a drone's thermal imaging, they first detected a moving heat signal, which was later confirmed to be a giant panda through visible light footage. Located in the Qinling Mountains, the reserve boasts one of the highest densities of wild giant pandas in China, with approximately one panda per 1.5 square kilometers in its core and buffer zone

A university in South China announced on Monday that a research team led by Sun Xuyong has successfully transplanted a complete pig liver and two pig kidneys into a single human recipient. The procedure marks the world's first successful orthotopic xenotransplantation of a gene-edited pig liver and two kidneys into a human body. The recipient was a 53-year-old brain-dead man whose family consented to the surgery. The donor organs came from a gene-edited Bama pig from south Ch