Western executives return home in fear? After witnessing the level of Chinese robot technology, they lament that they are losing the future!
In recent times, Ford's CEO Jim Farley was shocked by the technological innovations in Chinese cars after visiting a Chinese factory, from autonomous driving software to facial recognition, all available.
Farley is not the only Western business executive who was deeply impressed after visiting China. The chairman of Australian mining giant Andrew Forrest and the head of British energy company Greg Jackson, among other business leaders, expressed the same feeling after visiting Chinese factories: the level of automation in Chinese manufacturing has far surpassed the West.
The Daily Telegraph commented that almost every Western executive returning from China leaves in fear, convinced that the West is losing this competition in technology.
The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) released the "World Robot Report" in September 2025, revealing astonishing data: 295,000 industrial robots were installed in China in 2024, accounting for more than 54% of the global total.
This number is almost ten times the number installed in the United States in the same year. China's installed base of industrial robots exceeded 2 million, ranking first globally.
Even more surprising is the pace of growth in China's robot stock. Ito Takayuki, president of the International Federation of Robotics, pointed out: "China's robot stock doubled within three years, exceeding 1 million in 2021 and reaching 2 million in 2024."
Greg Jackson, head of the British energy company, recalled his experience visiting a "dark factory" in China. "We visited a 'dark factory' that produced an astronomical number of mobile phones. The production process was highly automated, with no need for workers in the manufacturing process, and only a few people were arranged to ensure the factory operated normally," Jackson emphasized. "You can feel a change; China's competitiveness has been transformed into full-scale innovation based on a large number of skilled and high-quality engineers."
The Daily Telegraph analysis believes that the current situation in China is vastly different from the perception of many Westerners who associate "the world factory" with cheap Chinese products. China has completely rid itself of the stereotype of "low quality and low price" and is seen globally as an industry leader in high-growth areas such as electric vehicles, power batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, drones, and high-end robots.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1845849233100809/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.