https://www.scmp.com/rss/327746/feed Launched by Premier Li Keqiang in 2015, the “Made in China 2025" strategy aims to guide the country’s industrial modernisation, including the substitution of foreign technology with innovation developed on the mainland. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Daniel Ren Daniel Ren The cross-border outlicensing activities of Chinese biotech firms reached a record transaction value of US$60 billion in the first quarter of 2026, driven by multinational pharmaceutical companies’ growing appetite for the country’s promising drug candidates. The deal value represented a 73 per cent jump from the same period a year earlier, and accounted for nearly half of the total US$135.7 billion worth of agreements signed throughout 2025, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA)... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3348295/china-biotech-deals-hit-record-innovative-drugs-draw-interest-multinationals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3348295/china-biotech-deals-hit-record-innovative-drugs-draw-interest-multinationals?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 11:26:21 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang AstraZeneca said it would establish drug manufacturing facilities in Guangzhou and Shanghai as well as a separate innovation centre in Shanghai, joining a group of foreign players building new plants in China amid geopolitical tensions. The moves are part of a US$15 billion commitment the British firm pledged to make in the world’s second-largest drug market through 2030, unveiled during UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Beijing in January. China’s manufacturing capabilities, integrated... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3347266/global-drug-giants-double-down-china-amid-trend-build-self-reliant-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3347266/global-drug-giants-double-down-china-amid-trend-build-self-reliant-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 06:30:09 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang The pace and size of outlicensing deals between Chinese drug makers and global partners have accelerated this year, highlighted by two agreements announced this week, each worth more than US$1 billion. The string of deals shows how China is becoming a sought-after source of drug candidates for multinational pharmaceutical companies, which are increasingly looking for long-term partnerships rather than one-off arrangements, analysts said. The latest deals, Sino Biopharmaceutical’s agreement with... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345404/china-outlicensing-tops-us52-billion-first-two-months-rise-global-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345404/china-outlicensing-tops-us52-billion-first-two-months-rise-global-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:30:11 +0000 Eunice Xu,He Huifeng Eunice Xu,He Huifeng Tech giant Xiaomi has tested self-developed humanoid robots for car production, as the company pushes forward with plans to deploy “a large number” of self-developed humanoid robots in its own factories over the next five years, company founder Lei Jun has said. Lei, also Xiaomi’s CEO and chairman, shared an article on Monday about trial operations in the firm’s car production facility, where the robots were said to have operated autonomously for three continuous hours, successfully completing... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345263/xiaomi-deploy-large-number-humanoid-robots-its-factories-within-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345263/xiaomi-deploy-large-number-humanoid-robots-its-factories-within-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 08:16:22 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Hong Kong-listed mainland Chinese pharmaceutical companies are on track to deliver full-year profits, as surging drug sales and lucrative out-licensing deals with global partners start to pay off after years of research and development outlay. “Despite domestic challenges, particularly drug pricing pressure, the earnings performance of innovative drugs should still fare well in China in 2025,” said Tony Ren, head of Asia Healthcare Research at Macquarie Capital. Innovent Biologics, the first... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3344928/hong-kong-listed-chinese-drug-firms-set-turn-corner-rising-sales-licensing-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3344928/hong-kong-listed-chinese-drug-firms-set-turn-corner-rising-sales-licensing-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 04:00:22 +0000 Zongshuai Fan Zongshuai Fan Against the news of China’s record trade surplus of US$1.19 trillion last year, some have warned it is making trade impossible, arguing that the rest of the world has fewer goods they can sell, or are willing to sell, to China. Critics point to China’s competitive edge in producing better and cheaper goods. For Beijing, this feels less like criticism and more like a subtle compliment. In many ways, it affirms China’s long-term strategy to bolster its global manufacturing. Supporting... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344508/how-little-giants-help-china-defend-its-manufacturing-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344508/how-little-giants-help-china-defend-its-manufacturing-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang When an ibuprofen dance challenge went viral on the Chinese social media platform Douyin in late 2022 during the Covid-19 pandemic, shares of the country’s leading ibuprofen maker surged more than 200 per cent in two weeks. Now profits at Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical are plunging, and it is not alone, as drug makers are hit by oversupply and weakening demand. The net profit at Shandong Xinhua, a leading manufacturer and exporter of fever and pain medicines, including ibuprofen, fell 26 per... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3344097/viral-dance-challenge-lifted-chinese-ibuprofen-makers-shares-now-they-are-languishing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3344097/viral-dance-challenge-lifted-chinese-ibuprofen-makers-shares-now-they-are-languishing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 06:00:13 +0000 Lizzi C. Lee Lizzi C. Lee For decades, China’s role in the global economy was easy to define. It made things cheaply and at astonishing scale. “Made in China” became shorthand for industrial capacity. It was often contentious, sometimes admired, sometimes feared. In the years after China joined the World Trade Organization, its firms were deeply embedded in global supply chains, mostly at the lower end of the value chain. They produced for others. Western and Japanese companies controlled the premium segments and brand... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3343986/how-next-china-shock-shaping-hearts-and-minds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3343986/how-next-china-shock-shaping-hearts-and-minds?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 01:30:14 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang China’s state-backed investors are stepping up funding for artificial intelligence-driven drug developers as Beijing pushes for technological self-reliance, with at least one company already advancing an AI-designed therapy into late-stage clinical trials. Hangzhou-based METiS TechBio, founded in 2020, raised 400 million yuan (US$57.9 million) in series D financing in August last year, led by the Beijing Medical and Health Industry Investment Fund and the Daxing Industrial Investment Fund – both... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3343151/capital-injection-china-backs-ai-drug-makers-self-reliance-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3343151/capital-injection-china-backs-ai-drug-makers-self-reliance-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 06:00:13 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Chinese healthcare companies are looking to expand overseas to serve Chinese communities in regions such as the Middle East and Southeast Asia, where many mainland companies are setting up operations across sectors. “A wide range of Chinese companies are expanding overseas,” setting up local operations and bringing Chinese employees with them, said Philip Wang, CEO of Distinct Healthcare Holdings, in an interview on Monday. “Chinese expatriate workers are often not familiar with the local... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3343106/chinese-healthcare-firms-expand-overseas-support-growing-expat-community?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3343106/chinese-healthcare-firms-expand-overseas-support-growing-expat-community?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 01:00:34 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang A unit of Fosun Pharma has struck a US$1.55 billion deal to license its home-grown cancer drug to Japan’s Eisai, adding to a wave of out-licensing agreements that are channelling billions of dollars into Chinese novel drug development. The deal comes as Chinese novel drug makers are having more say in how their new medicines are developed with global partners, shifting from simple one-off licensing fees, where a company is paid for granting rights to its drug, to long-term collaborations. Under... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3342652/fosun-pharmas-us155-billion-eisai-deal-signals-shift-long-term-partnerships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3342652/fosun-pharmas-us155-billion-eisai-deal-signals-shift-long-term-partnerships?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 09:00:15 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Cathy Zhang, head of Asia-Pacific equity capital markets at Morgan Stanley, sounded hoarse after a day of back-to-back meetings with companies keen to go public in Hong Kong. “It’s very possible that the value and number may exceed last year’s IPO figures, given the momentum we have seen in January,” Zhang said in an interview on January 30. Nearly 100 companies filed for stock offerings in the city last month, more than triple the same period in 2025, a year which saw Hong Kong crowned as the... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3342365/morgan-stanley-sees-another-record-year-hong-kong-ipos-pipeline-hits-450?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3342365/morgan-stanley-sees-another-record-year-hong-kong-ipos-pipeline-hits-450?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 23:30:38 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang China has emerged as a credible challenger to the US in artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery, where advantage depends not only on computing prowess but also on the ability to effectively mine data, from genomes to clinical trial results, according to Leung Chuen-yan, a private equity investor and life sciences scientist. “Globally, the way companies develop and use AI to discover drugs is similar, from finding the drug target and designing the molecule to planning clinical trials,” said... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3340403/china-challenges-us-ai-drug-race-rivals-still-reliant-each-other?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3340403/china-challenges-us-ai-drug-race-rivals-still-reliant-each-other?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:30:11 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang A partnership between China’s SciNeuro Pharmaceuticals and Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis on Monday has revived hopes for treating Alzheimer’s disease, which affects some 55 million people worldwide and could cost the global economy US$2.8 trillion by 2030. The deal, worth nearly US$1.7 billion, grants Novartis exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialise SciNeuro’s antibody candidates to develop drugs for the progressive brain disease. SciNeuro’s novel amyloid beta targeted... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339691/chinas-scineuro-novartis-sign-us17-billion-licensing-deal-develop-alzheimers-drugs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339691/chinas-scineuro-novartis-sign-us17-billion-licensing-deal-develop-alzheimers-drugs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 05:11:08 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Foreign and mainland Chinese drug makers are fighting for a multibillion-dollar slice of the domestic weight-loss market by slashing prices by as much as 80 per cent, as China faces a worsening obesity crisis. Competition in the sector, dominated by global pharmaceutical giants Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, intensified after both secured obesity-drug approvals in China in 2024. The landscape is set to shift further when the patent on Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide expires in March in China, opening... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339544/chinas-weight-loss-drug-war-prices-slashed-80-obesity-crisis-worsens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339544/chinas-weight-loss-drug-war-prices-slashed-80-obesity-crisis-worsens?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 23:30:09 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Chinese drug makers’ licensing deals more than doubled in 2025 from a year earlier to a record high, propelled by dozens of multibillion-dollar agreements between Hong Kong and mainland China-listed firms and global pharmaceutical giants. Last year, 157 out-licensing deals worth US$135.7 billion were signed, compared with 94 transactions worth US$51.9 billion in 2024, state media reported, citing data released by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), China’s drugs regulator, last... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339011/chinese-drug-makers-strike-record-us136-billion-out-licensing-deals-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339011/chinese-drug-makers-strike-record-us136-billion-out-licensing-deals-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:30:09 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Irina Zhou’s five-year-old cat has gained about a kilogram every year for the past three years. She knows the extra weight puts her pet at risk of obesity-related diseases and could even shorten his life. “My parents just can’t bear to see the cat go hungry,” the 29-year-old Zhou said. “If the weight starts to affect his health, I might consider trying weight-loss medicines for him.” The idea of using obesity drugs for pets drew public attention after Fosun Pharma’s unit Yao Pharma signed a... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3338820/meow-or-never-chinas-pudgy-pets-spark-race-weight-loss-drugs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3338820/meow-or-never-chinas-pudgy-pets-spark-race-weight-loss-drugs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:30:10 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong China is expected to solidify its position as a hi-tech manufacturing powerhouse over the next decade as it edges closer to “innovation and excellence” alongside the United States, Germany and Japan, according to new reports issued by Chinese institutions. The documents, published on Tuesday, stated that China had achieved its “strategic goal” of becoming the world’s fourth-most-advanced “manufacturing power” in 2024, adding that the sector would play a central role in “real” economic... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338302/chinas-next-decade-cement-status-hi-tech-manufacturing-powerhouse-reports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338302/chinas-next-decade-cement-status-hi-tech-manufacturing-powerhouse-reports?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Aileen Chuang Aileen Chuang Chinese firms are increasingly anchoring themselves in Dubai’s free trade zones to navigate trade barriers and tap new markets as rising protectionism and supply-chain shifts impact global commerce. Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), state-owned DP World’s flagship free economic zone at the western end of the city in the United Arab Emirates, hosted 507 Chinese companies as of November, nearly double the number in 2021. The trend reflected how a Middle Eastern hub offered companies “neutral, stable... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337928/chinese-firms-anchor-dubai-free-zones-navigate-trade-barriers-and-expand-reach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337928/chinese-firms-anchor-dubai-free-zones-navigate-trade-barriers-and-expand-reach?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 00:00:10 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Chinese drugmakers have signed a late-year burst of out-licensing agreements with overseas partners, underlining China’s growing role as a source of novel medicines as multinational pharma groups hunt for new assets. Jacobio Pharmaceuticals said it expected to receive an upfront payment of US$100 million from AstraZeneca, according to a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange on December 21. The British-Swedish drugmaker was paying for exclusive rights to research, develop, register, manufacture... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337756/chinas-rising-biotech-clout-show-flurry-billion-dollar-licensing-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337756/chinas-rising-biotech-clout-show-flurry-billion-dollar-licensing-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 02:47:50 +0000 Christine Loh Christine Loh China is often described today as having “overcapacity” in manufacturing. Its dominance in solar panels, batteries and wind equipment, for example, has left many observers baffled. How did a country once dismissed as undeveloped become, within a generation, so technologically developed that its success now unsettles global markets? Part of the answer lies in how we frame China’s development. What is often described as excess capacity is better understood as the outcome of an energy-centred... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3336783/arguing-about-chinas-overcapacity-overlooks-its-drive-clean-energy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3336783/arguing-about-chinas-overcapacity-overlooks-its-drive-clean-energy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 08:30:09 +0000 Julie Zhang,Eunice Xu Julie Zhang,Eunice Xu If pharmaceutical drug patents are an hourglass turned over on the day of approval – with the approaching loss of exclusivity known in the industry as the “patent cliff” – then Big Pharma is currently watching the final grains of sand slipping through the neck of the glass. At the bottom of the hourglass awaits an unforgiving world of generic and biosimilar competition. Between 2025 and 2030, the patent cliff is set to be one of the biggest since 2010 by revenue at risk, according to... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337038/patent-cliffhanger-will-china-biotech-throw-big-pharma-lifeline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337038/patent-cliffhanger-will-china-biotech-throw-big-pharma-lifeline?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 00:00:10 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang China is gaining a solid reputation as a pharmaceutical innovation hub, shifting from a copycat drug maker to one whose infrastructure and research and development capabilities rival global pharmaceutical behemoths, according to a global consultancy. US-based SAI MedPartners and its unit Idea Pharma recently launched a new index with the aim of highlighting Chinese drug makers and recognising their shift from generics to “true” innovation. The consultancy released the China Pharmaceutical... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3336851/chinas-pharmaceutical-sector-moves-big-leagues-global-innovation-powerhouse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3336851/chinas-pharmaceutical-sector-moves-big-leagues-global-innovation-powerhouse?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:30:08 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi China’s energy storage firms, battered by a three-year price war, have been jolted by lithium battery maker Deegares, which has announced plans to raise prices by 15 per cent, a move that is sparking debate over whether the sector could be the first to break free from the “involution” cycle. Rising lithium costs were the immediate trigger, with at least three other battery makers reported in recent weeks to be planning similar increases. Prices of the metal, crucial to rechargeable batteries,... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3336932/can-rising-lithium-costs-save-chinas-energy-storage-firms-brutal-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3336932/can-rising-lithium-costs-save-chinas-energy-storage-firms-brutal-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 23:30:08 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Mainland China’s 17 million Alzheimer’s patients can, for the first time, pay less out of pocket for a costly drug touted as “historic” and “the beginning of the end” for the memory-robbing disease after Beijing launched a commercial insurance innovative drug list in an effort to make medicines more accessible and affordable. Leqembi, developed by Japan’s Eisai and costing a mainland Chinese patient about US$28,400 a year, could see its price cut by half after it was added to the inaugural... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3336397/chinas-new-drug-insurance-lifeline-patients-or-squeeze-big-pharmaceutical-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3336397/chinas-new-drug-insurance-lifeline-patients-or-squeeze-big-pharmaceutical-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 23:30:07 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang A Chinese biopharmaceutical firm has sealed a global licensing deal valued at up to US$1.44 billion, the second in a week, as a wave of cross-border tie-ups shows no sign of abating despite headwinds from the US Biosecure Act. Shanghai Scizeng Medical Technology, a unit of Changchun High-Tech Industry, has agreed to grant US-based Yarrow Bioscience exclusive global rights to develop, manufacture and commercialise GenSci098, an injectable therapy for thyroid eye disease and Graves’ disease, both... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3336609/chinese-biotech-scizengs-global-licensing-deal-yield-us144-billion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3336609/chinese-biotech-scizengs-global-licensing-deal-yield-us144-billion?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 07:47:10 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Humanoid robot maker Unitree Robotics has teased what it calls the world’s first humanoid robot “app store”, a developer platform designed to bring embodied intelligence into everyday life by allowing users to access and control robots directly through their smartphones. The Hangzhou-based robotics unicorn unveiled a centralised programme, dubbed the Unitree Robotics Developer Platform, offering functions such as datasets and remote control programmes for humanoids. Unitree called it the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3336380/chinas-unitree-teases-platform-allowing-users-control-robots-through-smartphones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3336380/chinas-unitree-teases-platform-allowing-users-control-robots-through-smartphones?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 08:49:43 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang US pharmaceutical behemoth Pfizer has agreed to pay up to US$2.1 billion to Shanghai-based Fosun Pharma’s unit Yao Pharma for an experimental oral obesity drug, underscoring the growing trend of Chinese drug makers selling early-stage assets to global multinationals. Under the licensing agreement, Yao Pharma would grant Pfizer an exclusive worldwide licence for the development, use, manufacturing and commercialisation of oral small-molecule drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, including... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3335836/chinas-fosun-pharma-unit-strikes-us21-billion-obesity-drug-deal-pfizer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3335836/chinas-fosun-pharma-unit-strikes-us21-billion-obesity-drug-deal-pfizer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 04:15:14 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren State-owned Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) plans to build the world’s first nuclear-powered container vessel, a move that would cement China’s dominance in an industry increasingly shifting to renewable energy. Lin Qingshan, vice-president of the Shanghai-based shipbuilder, told the Post on Thursday that a 25,000-container vessel was being designed, adding that these next-generation ships would use nuclear power. Construction could start in 10 years’ time, he said. “We will also invest in building... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3335338/jiangnan-shipyard-build-worlds-first-thorium-powered-container-vessel-2035?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3335338/jiangnan-shipyard-build-worlds-first-thorium-powered-container-vessel-2035?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:30:13 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen A pale-grey, nearly one-metre-tall, four-legged robot drew crowds at Tokyo’s International Robot Exhibition, lowering itself down some steps before lifting its right foreleg as if to greet onlookers. It rolled around one of the exhibition halls on wheels, avoiding obstacles in its path. The quadruped, dubbed the D5, is the latest model unveiled on Wednesday by Chinese robot maker Pudu Robotics at IREX – a biennial industry showcase at Tokyo Big Sight from December 3 to 6. It is Pudu’s second... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3335381/chinas-pudu-robotics-rolls-out-overseas-charm-offensive-robot-dog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3335381/chinas-pudu-robotics-rolls-out-overseas-charm-offensive-robot-dog?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 01:00:15 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Japanese imaging technology giant Canon has shut down one of its major printer production facilities in mainland China, underscoring the growing clout of domestic brands in the country’s printing market. A visit on Thursday by the Post to Canon Zhongshan Business Machines, in Zhongshan city in the southern Guangdong province, revealed little activity. The car park was nearly empty, while a dozen employees strolled outside the office building. A worker said production had halted late last month,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3335186/end-era-canon-closes-china-printer-plant-japanese-brand-loses-local-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3335186/end-era-canon-closes-china-printer-plant-japanese-brand-loses-local-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:15 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s Tsinghua University has set up a new cross-disciplinary institute to undertake robotics research, the latest sign of increased academic support from its top universities as the country doubles down on the embodied intelligence competition with the US. The Institute for Embodied Intelligence and Robotics will integrate resources from Tsinghua’s different schools, including automation, mechanical engineering, electronic engineering and computer science. Embodied intelligence is a field of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3334952/chinas-tsinghua-university-sets-research-institute-latest-push-robotics-talent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3334952/chinas-tsinghua-university-sets-research-institute-latest-push-robotics-talent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:25 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren China State Ship­building Corp (CSSC), the world’s largest shipbuilding conglomerate controlling one-third of the global market, has pledged to build more cruise ships, deep-ocean drilling ships and nuclear-powered vessels as part of efforts to diversify its portfolio, according to a senior executive. Assistant president Ma Yunxiang said on Monday the company’s growing strength in building advanced vessels was reflected in the construction of Adora Flora City, mainland China’s second self-built... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3334790/chinas-giant-shipbuilder-cssc-unveils-plans-cruise-deep-sea-nuclear-powered-vessels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3334790/chinas-giant-shipbuilder-cssc-unveils-plans-cruise-deep-sea-nuclear-powered-vessels?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 12:00:13 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Up to five Chinese vehicle assemblers, leveraging their technology and production advantages in building electric cars, are likely to make the list of the world’s top 10 carmakers by 2030, disrupting the pecking order in the global automotive industry, according to global consultancy McKinsey. “The industry will undergo some major changes by 2030,” Guan Mingyu, a senior partner of McKinsey, told reporters in a media briefing on Thursday. “Indeed, we have already seen some signs that tremendous... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3334406/chinese-ev-makers-tipped-storm-worlds-top-10-carmakers-2030-mckinsey-forecasts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3334406/chinese-ev-makers-tipped-storm-worlds-top-10-carmakers-2030-mckinsey-forecasts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 00:30:09 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng In 2004, Joshua Cooper Ramo, now co-CEO of Kissinger Associates, coined the term “Beijing Consensus” as an alternative to the Washington Consensus, the neoliberal framework of economic policies devised in the 1980s by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and US Treasury. China had just joined the World Trade Organization and, within the country, there was considerable scepticism that a Beijing Consensus existed. Come 2007, and as the global financial crisis broke out – first with the US... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3333564/rise-beijing-led-global-south-consensus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3333564/rise-beijing-led-global-south-consensus?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma A 10-year industrial strategy has helped China boost its global economic power, even if the nation failed to achieve all of its targets, according to a bipartisan US congressional commission. “The bottom line is that after a decade of state support, China is more innovative, has moved up the global value chain, and has solidified its status as a global manufacturing powerhouse,” the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission said in a review of the “Made in China 2025” programme. China’s... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3333402/china-sees-progress-while-us-sees-threat-industrial-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3333402/china-sees-progress-while-us-sees-threat-industrial-success?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 09:03:10 +0000 Daniel Ren,Julie Zhang Daniel Ren,Julie Zhang Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers from Xpeng to Chery Automobile, leveraging their technological and manufacturing strength, are intensifying efforts to build humanoid robots as they position themselves as potential game-changers amid Beijing’s ambitions to gain an upper hand over the US in the hi-tech sector. Guangzhou-based Xpeng said it envisioned sales of 1 million units by 2030 after its next-generation humanoid robot Iron won praise from Tesla CEO Elon Musk early this month. He... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3333310/chinese-ev-makers-accelerate-robotics-drive-game-changing-edge-over-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3333310/chinese-ev-makers-accelerate-robotics-drive-game-changing-edge-over-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:30:10 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Beijing has not achieved all of its “Made in China 2025” (MIC2025) goals – particularly in aviation and integrated circuits – but has still made “significant gains” and cemented its status as a global manufacturing powerhouse, according to a new US government report. The assessment, released by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, evaluated China's progress on the 10-year strategy, which was launched in 2015 to achieve self-reliance, innovation and technological prowess across... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333119/made-china-2025-cements-manufacturing-dominance-despite-missed-goals-us-review-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333119/made-china-2025-cements-manufacturing-dominance-despite-missed-goals-us-review-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 02:00:31 +0000 Yulu Ao Yulu Ao 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 shrugged off a bullish call from JPMorgan. The Guangzhou-based firm’s net loss narrowed by nearly 80 per cent to 380.9 million yuan (US$53.6 million) in the third quarter from 1.81 billion yuan a year earlier, according to a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange. Revenue surged 101.8 per cent year... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3333123/chinas-xpeng-posts-record-revenue-robotaxi-and-humanoid-ambitions-take-shape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3333123/chinas-xpeng-posts-record-revenue-robotaxi-and-humanoid-ambitions-take-shape?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 12:31:44 +0000 Wency Chen,Ann Cao Wency Chen,Ann Cao Humanoid robots, cyber dogs and robotic arms have made a strong impression at the eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, as a robotics boom has turned machines from the sector into showstoppers. Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics made its third appearance at the CIIE, where it displayed new models, including the lightweight, consumer-facing R1, a taller and more facially human-like H2, and an upgraded industrial-grade legged robot, the A2. At Unitree’s booth, crowds eagerly... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3331928/unitree-agibot-robots-steal-show-shanghais-import-expo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3331928/unitree-agibot-robots-steal-show-shanghais-import-expo?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2025 09:00:00 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian “We do not need to chase [after other countries], we are the road,” said President Xi Jinping after inaugurating a major scientific project in Sanya, Hainan province, in 2018. Xi urged scientists to push the boundaries of technological development. Xi’s bold statement not only reflected his boundless confidence in China’s scientific community but also the wisdom of the “Made in China 2025” national economic strategy, which has produced nothing less than a technological renaissance. Thanks to a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3330495/chinas-development-model-reverberating-around-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3330495/chinas-development-model-reverberating-around-world?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow State-owned telecom giant China Mobile announced plans to use only homegrown chips for the nation’s largest artificial intelligence computing network by 2028, accelerating China’s efforts to become a leader in AI and reduce its reliance on foreign technology. China Mobile chairman Yang Jie outlined the ambitious target at the company’s Global Partners Conference in Guangzhou on Saturday. The telco, he said, planned to double its investment in AI and explore the construction of a computing... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3328842/china-mobile-aims-triple-ai-computing-power-using-homegrown-chips-2028?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3328842/china-mobile-aims-triple-ai-computing-power-using-homegrown-chips-2028?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Oct 2025 13:00:08 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li Beijing’s recent move to clarify standards for “domestically made products” in government procurement is designed to shore up the confidence of foreign companies operating in the country, according to an analyst. Effective January 1, “Made in China” goods will be granted a 20 per cent price preference over foreign-made goods in bidding for government contracts, according to a notice released by the State Council on Tuesday. Companies with different ownerships – state-owned, private or foreign –... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3327635/beijing-clarifies-made-china-standards-giving-foreign-firms-national-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3327635/beijing-clarifies-made-china-standards-giving-foreign-firms-national-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 09:00:09 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren China is closely monitoring its shipbuilding capacity to avoid an oversupply of production facilities in a global industry dominated by the country, according to an official from the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry (CANSI). Tan Naifen, deputy secretary general of the government-backed organisation, said in an interview with the Post on Wednesday that authorities recognised the risks associated with reckless investments in shipyards. As a result, they had established a... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3325893/china-monitors-shipbuilding-capacity-prevent-oversupply-state-backed-group-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3325893/china-monitors-shipbuilding-capacity-prevent-oversupply-state-backed-group-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:00:46 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s push to become a biotech powerhouse is paying off, with innovative R&D pipelines and newly approved drugs accounting for over 30 per cent of the global total, according to the country’s top economic planner. The sector was showing strong momentum, said Xiang Libin, deputy chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), who cited the figures at the 17th China Bioindustry Convention in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Thursday. China’s bioeconomy, encompassing the research,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324465/china-closes-biotech-gap-us-new-drugs-rd-pipelines-top-30-global-total?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324465/china-closes-biotech-gap-us-new-drugs-rd-pipelines-top-30-global-total?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 07:30:16 +0000 Bosco Hung,Nachiket Midha Bosco Hung,Nachiket Midha Since the launch of the Made in China 2025 plan a decade ago to foster industrial upgrading, it has been widely depicted in the West as a state-led market distortion and doomed to fail. Yet the outcome is far from failure. State-led efforts under the 10-year plan have provided a solid foundation for advancements, especially in the information technology realm. While exogenous shocks have caused significant disruptions, the plan has fostered self-sufficiency and contributed to China’s long-term... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3324068/chinas-10-year-industrial-plan-paving-way-tech-greatness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3324068/chinas-10-year-industrial-plan-paving-way-tech-greatness?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s central government has cautioned against a nationwide rush into artificial intelligence (AI) investment, urging careful planning while pledging stronger support to expand computing capacity and embed the technology across industries. The country’s top economic planning agency said the roll-out of China’s “AI Plus” initiative – aimed at applying cutting-edge technology across the manufacturing and service sectors – should be tailored to local conditions, urging regions to build on their... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323644/china-doubles-down-ai-calls-rational-not-blind-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323644/china-doubles-down-ai-calls-rational-not-blind-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 09:02:36 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li In its latest road map for artificial intelligence, China has set targets for the adoption of AI-powered devices across various industries – aiming for over 70 per cent by 2027 and over 90 per cent by 2030. The targets, unveiled in guidelines by the State Council, China’s cabinet, on Tuesday, are part of Beijing’s “AI Plus” strategy, which seeks to integrate the cutting-edge technology across manufacturing, agriculture and services. “[The strategy aims to] boost productivity, reshape how... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323323/china-races-embed-ai-use-across-major-industries-ambitious-2030-target?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323323/china-races-embed-ai-use-across-major-industries-ambitious-2030-target?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 08:00:17 +0000 Ann Cao,Wency Chen Ann Cao,Wency Chen Chinese chipmakers are trying to catch up with Nvidia in the market for artificial intelligence (AI) processors, spurred by government efforts to achieve technological self-sufficiency and US trade embargoes that prevent China from buying advanced chips. Telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies, Cambricon Technologies and Enflame Technology are among companies at the forefront of the Chinese chip push. Local internet giants Baidu, Tencent and South China Morning Post owner Alibaba have also... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3323164/china-chipmakers-seek-loosen-nvidias-ai-stranglehold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3323164/china-chipmakers-seek-loosen-nvidias-ai-stranglehold?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 07:40:38 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for stronger policy support for the biotech industry, as part of efforts to bolster innovation in a sector that has witnessed a boom in recent years. “The biopharmaceutical industry is both a strategic emerging sector and vital to public health,” he said during an inspection in Beijing on Wednesday, as reported by the state-run Xinhua News Agency. “Efforts should be made to strengthen original innovation, address core technological challenges and mobilise... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322656/china-vows-stronger-biotech-support-deals-global-pharmaceutical-giants-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322656/china-vows-stronger-biotech-support-deals-global-pharmaceutical-giants-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 09:00:09 +0000