https://www.scmp.com/rss/523716/feed The latest news and top stories on Li Chao, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission’s Policy Research Office. He is responsible for monitoring fund utilisation within China’s consumer subsidy programme, including RMB300 billion for trade-in initiatives. His role involves ensuring timely fund distribution to stabilise investment, boost consumption and accelerate industrial transformation. Li also contributes to broader economic policy. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Wency Chen Wency Chen Andrew Yao Chi-chih, a world-renowned Chinese computer scientist, said embodied artificial intelligence still lacks key foundations, stressing the need for interpretable “world models” and more diverse data-collection methods. Speaking on Saturday at an industry event in Shanghai, Yao said core capabilities such as “reasoning, planning and control should ultimately be integrated within a unified framework”, noting the importance of world models instead of simulating. He added that “scalable new... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3336463/chinese-expert-calls-world-models-and-safety-standards-embodied-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3336463/chinese-expert-calls-world-models-and-safety-standards-embodied-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:00:18 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Deep Robotics – one of the “Six Little Dragons” from Hangzhou, the capital of eastern Zhejiang province – on Tuesday said it had raised 500 million yuan (US$70 million) in fresh funding from a group of Chinese investors. According to the company’s statement, its latest round of financing was led by CMB International, China Asset Management and funds under state-owned telecommunications network operators China Telecom and China Unicom. Deep Robotics founder and CEO Zhu Qiuguo, who also serves as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3335806/chinas-deep-robotics-raises-us70-million-fresh-funds-sector-draws-more-investors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3335806/chinas-deep-robotics-raises-us70-million-fresh-funds-sector-draws-more-investors?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 01:00:21 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik China is training an artificial intelligence tool to support the country’s port industry using what the National Development and Reform Commission says is the “world’s largest” port operation data set. The AI application draws on data covering “the most comprehensive range of port business scenarios”, according to Li Chao, deputy director of the NDRC’s policy research office. “It will provide strong support for technological research and development as well as verification in areas such as port... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3335018/china-trains-industry-ai-tool-using-worlds-largest-port-operation-data-set?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3335018/china-trains-industry-ai-tool-using-worlds-largest-port-operation-data-set?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 11:00:11 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China is building a talent pipeline for the booming robotics industry, with the country’s top universities launching undergraduate courses in embodied intelligence to support Beijing’s ambitions to overtake the US. Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Zhejiang University were among a batch of seven prestigious universities that had recently applied to add “embodied intelligence” as a new course, China’s education ministry said in November. The new programme was driven by the demands of a national... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3334779/top-chinese-universities-offer-courses-embodied-intelligence-aid-robotics-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3334779/top-chinese-universities-offer-courses-embodied-intelligence-aid-robotics-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 23:00:12 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao 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... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3334796/changan-auto-becomes-latest-mainland-chinese-carmaker-join-humanoid-robot-bandwagon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3334796/changan-auto-becomes-latest-mainland-chinese-carmaker-join-humanoid-robot-bandwagon?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 13:00:07 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Deep Robotics, a Hangzhou-based start-up, is facing a severe talent shortage, hindering its efforts to commercialise the results of its research and development, according to its chief technology officer (CTO). Li Chao, who is also a co-founder of the robot maker, said at the Bund Summit Financial Forum in Shanghai on Friday that highly skilled professionals were very much needed to help Deep Robotics take its business forward. He added that top talent in the algorithm area was in strong demand,... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3330263/little-dragon-deep-robotics-scrambles-top-talent-amid-chinas-quest-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3330263/little-dragon-deep-robotics-scrambles-top-talent-amid-chinas-quest-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 00:00:21 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang A Chinese J-16 fighter that locked onto two foreign warplanes – believed to be American F-22s – before escorting them out of the country’s air defence identification zone highlighted the People’s Liberation Army’s “integrated combat capabilities”, military analysts have said. The incident came to light in a report aired by state broadcaster CCTV earlier this month. It said that the fighter had expelled two foreign aircraft last year and they had not been seen in the area since then. Yue Gang, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329375/china-showed-integrated-combat-capabilities-locking-us-fifth-generation-jets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329375/china-showed-integrated-combat-capabilities-locking-us-fifth-generation-jets?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 10:00:19 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China has disclosed an incident last year in which one of its J-16 aircraft locked onto and expelled two unnamed foreign stealth fighter jets of a type that has not appeared near the country’s coastal waters since. State broadcaster CCTV on Friday aired an interview with Li Chao, a pilot from the People’s Liberation Army’s Western Theatre Command, who recounted the event that happened during a coastal training exercise last year. Without naming any country, Li said the foreign forces had “clear... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327874/chinas-j-16-aircraft-expelled-2-foreign-stealth-fighter-jets-last-year-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327874/chinas-j-16-aircraft-expelled-2-foreign-stealth-fighter-jets-last-year-report?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 13:00:07 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi For months, consumers across China buying everything from iPhones to cars and washing machines have enjoyed steep discounts – courtesy of the government. This vast subsidy programme has played a key role in boosting China’s consumer spending this year, helping the economy remain relatively robust even amid an unprecedented trade war with the United States. But in June, some of those offers suddenly disappeared. In the eastern Jiangsu province, local authorities stopped issuing vouchers for... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3315933/chinas-massive-trade-programme-running-out-steam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3315933/chinas-massive-trade-programme-running-out-steam?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 01:00:14 +0000