Chinese premier calls for sci-tech innovation, industry applications in robotics

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday visited the World Robot Conference (WRC) 2024 in Beijing, stressing efforts to promote sci-tech innovation and industry applications in robotics.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called for developing new quality productive forces at a faster pace, and fostering new growth drivers and strengths, to improve people's wellbeing.

Themed "Co-Fostering New Quality Productive Forces for a Shared Intelligent Future", the five-day World Robot Conference that opened on Wednesday has attracted 169 companies from around the world to showcase more than 600 units of robots.

Premier Li visited the booths of Swiss tech giant ABB Robotics, German robot manufacturer KUKA, China's leading robot maker SIASUN Robot, Hangzhou-based robotics startup Unitree, high-tech medical device enterprise Beijing Surgerii Robotics, heavy machinery manufacturer CITIC Heavy Industries, and the National Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Equipment for Agriculture.

During his visit, he engaged in discussions with representatives of the companies, and inspected the products and components on display, to learn details about technology research and development, as well as industry trends of robotics.

Regarded as the "crown jewel of the manufacturing industry", robots represent a fusion of new technologies and industries, such as artificial intelligence, new materials, and biomimicry, and serve as a key indicator of the level of sci-tech innovation and high-end manufacturing, Li said.

He urged efforts to serve the demands of industrial transformation and consumption upgrading, focus on international advancements, promote robotics technology innovation, continuously strengthen basic research and core technology development, enhance the training and introduction of new talent, so as to provide robust technological support for the high-quality development of China's robotics industry.

Noting that the vitality of science and technology lies in its application, Li said that it is important to fully leverage China's advantages such as vast market size and diverse application scenarios, to give policy support to robot development by including it into the large-scale equipment renewal plan, smart manufacturing pilot projects and digital transformation programs, and to speed up the application of robots in the manufacturing, service and agricultural industries.

He also called for international cooperation and expressed support for foreign-funded enterprises and research institutions to land and better develop in China.

It is necessary to build bilateral and multilateral platforms for exchanges and cooperation in robotics industry, and maintain stable and smooth industrial and supply chains, he added.

Chinese premier calls for sci-tech innovation, industry applications in robotics

The 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum opened in Beijing on Friday morning with hotspots around the world and security cooperation taking the center stage.

The opening ceremony was attended by more than 600 official representatives from over 100 countries and international organizations, including nearly 300 heads of official delegations and officials from various countries. The forum is held with the theme of "Promoting Peace for a shared future".

China's Defense Minister Dong Jun attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. He first read out a congratulatory letter from President Xi Jinping to the forum. Then, he mentioned in his speech the current hot issues including the Ukrainian crisis and the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict.

Dong said "there is no winner in a war and a conflict, and there is no way out if we just confront each other." He also stressed that promoting peace talks is the only way out, and the fundamental way out.

Two plenary sessions were held after the opening ceremony. At the first session, participants exchanged views on "security cooperation and prosperity and stability in the Asia-Pacific region", and official representatives from Vietnam, Singapore, Pakistan, Fiji, Russia and Malaysia spoke at the meeting.

The theme of the second plenary session was "multipolarization and the direction of international order", and defense ministers or military generals from six countries including Cambodia, Tanzania, Cameroon and Iran delivered speeches.

The topics all focus on security hotspots. Participants include not only developing and developed countries, but also representatives, experts and scholars from the closely-watched countries such as the United States, Russia, and Ukraine.

In interviews, many participants said that the Beijing Xiangshan Forum is committed to promoting dialog, exchanges and cooperation among defense agencies, militaries and international organizations of various countries, and is playing an active role in promoting regional security and stability and maintaining world peace and development.

The ongoing Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which runs until Saturday, will also hold eight parallel group sessions, focusing on themes such as the correct way for China and the United States to get along, European security trends and Middle East peace vision. This year, a new session on outer space security has been set up for participants to jointly discuss issues on outer space security governance.

Initiated in 2006, the Beijing Xiangshan Forum is a high-level security and defense forum in the Asia-Pacific with significant international influence.

11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum opens with focus on hotspots, security cooperation