China

经济大省挑大梁·高手在“民”间｜“三头六臂”，诠释何以“新沪商”

China Daily | Local Language | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | UndeterminedEconomic Growth

Artificial intelligence technology is rapidly advancing, and Shanghai aims to lead in AI development and governance by fostering a large-model industrial ecosystem. During a 2025 visit to Shanghai’s MoSu Space innovation community, General Secretary Xi Jinping encouraged innovation and praised young people’s role in the AI sector. Fourier Intelligent Technology, a decade-old Shanghai startup, exemplifies this ambition with its humanoid robots GR-1 and GR-2, showcasing China’s progress in robotics and AI.

Fourier's origins trace back to 2003 and were shaped by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake’s challenges, which exposed the high cost and dependence on foreign rehabilitation robots in China. Founded in 2015, Fourier focused on affordable domestic rehabilitation robots, overcoming technical obstacles like cable-driven designs to improve patient training experiences. By 2021, Fourier’s products covered 80% of clinical rehabilitation scenarios in China, earning founder Gu Jie recognition as the maker of China’s “Iron Man.”

The company emphasizes not just hardware but also integrated soft services, such as on-site guidance to hospitals and biomechanical analysis systems, helping over 2,000 medical institutions domestically and abroad. Fourier’s humanoid robots have expanded into eldercare and rehabilitation roles, seen as friendly and effective human-machine interactions, reinforcing the company’s mission of empowering life through robotics.

Fourier’s growth benefited from patient capital investments, especially from Zhangjiang incubators and key partners, along with supportive policies and talent attraction initiatives in Pudong New Area. Its approach synergizes innovation with practical application, aiming for reliable, accessible robotics that genuinely improve human life. This model underscores the rise of a new generation of Shanghai businessmen who combine technological rigor, entrepreneurial resilience, and social value.

Beyond Fourier, Shanghai’s private sector demonstrates dynamism across AI, biomedicine, and industrial services. Companies like SenseTime, MiniMax, and Xijing Technology lead global innovation, while the city’s private economy contributed 1.63 trillion yuan in 2024, with a 10.2% increase in imports and exports. Shanghai fosters a robust business environment with deep industrial clusters, nurturing “new Shanghai businessmen” who embody reform, openness, cooperation, and a decade-long pursuit of excellence aligned with the responsibilities of the new era.

Xinhua | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | UndeterminedTech Development/Adoption

On December 10, 2025, China successfully launched the Lijian-1 (Kinetica-1 Y11) carrier rocket from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The rocket lifted off at 12:03 p.m. Beijing Time and deployed nine satellites into their planned orbits.

Among the payloads was a satellite from the United Arab Emirates named 813, designed for observing soil, climate, and the environment. Another significant satellite launched was China's first remote-sensing satellite for the power industry, Jixing High-Resolution 07D01, which features a spatial resolution better than 0.5 meters. It enables detailed monitoring of power grid infrastructure, including transmission lines and pylons, with a coverage area over 200 kilometers per pass.

Additional satellites included two remote-sensing units dedicated to water resource monitoring, urban management, and supporting the digital transformation of Hefei city in Anhui Province. The new satellites are expected to enhance surveying precision and offer various applications such as managing ultra-high voltage projects, assessing environmental impacts, disaster warning, and post-disaster damage evaluation.

MERICS | English | AcademicThink | Dec. 12, 2025 | Regulation

Chinese greenfield investment in the EU, particularly from electric vehicle (EV) and battery makers, has tripled to EUR 5.9 billion between 2019 and 2024. However, these investments often rely heavily on imported parts and labor, limiting local job creation, technology transfer, and supplier opportunities. Examples include Chery and Leapmotor assembling imported semi-knockdown kits in Spain and Poland, and CATL planning to bring in 2,000 Chinese workers for its new Spanish battery plant, raising concerns about limited local economic benefits and poor working conditions.

The EU currently regulates foreign direct investment (FDI) through member states, but application is inconsistent and sometimes lacks conditions, as evidenced by EUR 900 million in state aid given to CATL and LG Energy without strings attached. However, EU officials have indicated a shift toward conditioning Chinese investments on technology transfer and other requirements. The European Commission’s new economic security communication highlights a move from risk identification toward active risk reduction, with an Industrial Accelerator Act expected to introduce local content rules.

To maximize local benefits from greenfield investments, the article suggests imposing EU-wide minimum conditions. These include setting concrete local content targets within the EV supply chain, especially at the supplier level, requiring co-funding of local research partnerships or minimum local R&D expenditure, and enforcing social conditions like worker rights, local hiring, and funding for infrastructure and training. These measures could be applied either as prerequisites for public support or as binding conditions for investment approval, potentially necessitating a comprehensive reform of EU FDI screening.

Despite potential opposition from China, which has tightened export controls on battery technologies, the EU holds significant leverage due to its large automotive market. With limited access to the US market, Chinese EV makers cannot easily forgo the EU. Moreover, Europe’s leadership in sectors like high-end machine tools and aerospace offers additional strategic advantages. The article concludes that Europe must enhance its regulatory approach to ensure that Chinese greenfield investments deliver real economic and technological benefits to the region.