Source: Global Times

Spain's El País English edition, July 12 article, original title: A Chinese Plan to Ensure Its Position on the Geopolitical Stage Through Technological Innovation. In the trade war with the United States, China has prioritized the development of technology, positioning it as a key driver for enhancing economic and political power.

Take the field of robotics as an example. Inside the building of a Chinese robotics company, a robot stands waiting for people to talk to it. Whenever it doesn't understand or doesn't answer a question directly, it brings up marathons: "Although I can't run, I can tell you about marathon training plans and give you advice. Have you participated in any races recently?"

Perhaps its enthusiasm for this topic is related to a recent milestone event. In April, China held the world's first "human-robot relay" half marathon. The result was that humans won by a significant margin, but the event gave us a glimpse of the future that is coming, as well as China's vision for a not-so-distant future.

In China, technology has become part of daily life. Tourists coming to China will immediately notice how technology is everywhere in China. They can see service robots in hotels and restaurants, and even see them patrolling with police. The humanoid robot field is still in its early stages, although it was not invented by China, China is already in a favorable position in this field: A report from Morgan Stanley states that 56% of the global companies producing humanoid robots are located in China.

Recently, many robots have appeared more frequently on media across China. Humanoid robots, which integrate artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing technologies, have become part of the competition between the US and China. As China continues to rise on the geopolitical stage, this competition has become increasingly intense. The outcome of this competition will undoubtedly shape the balance of power on the global stage in the 21st century. This is not a new contest; technological supremacy foretells the future economic power structure, affecting areas ranging from military industry to the space race where the US and China are now confronting each other directly. In recent decades, China's rapid growth has been based on low-cost manufacturing production and exports, but now China is striving to occupy a place at the forefront.

"China needs to be at the forefront of this new era. Considering its size, population, and development stage, China cannot fall behind," said Associate Professor Yin Xiaopeng from the School of International Economics and Trade at the University of International Business and Economics. He said the Chinese model of efficient cooperation between the government and enterprises "has been proven to be one of the most effective models in the world, and now China has caught up with leading countries, and even leads in some fields."

This model is evident in multiple industries. Now, China is leading the global production of new energy vehicles, not only exporting cars but also building factories abroad and exporting technology. China is also leading in key green transition technologies such as battery production, photovoltaic panels, and wind turbines. Fleets of driverless taxis and buses are being deployed in multiple Chinese cities; after the first companies received operating licenses, driverless "air taxis" have also become a reality; meanwhile, drone delivery services for food continue to develop.

In addition to the attention from state media, China's leadership has also mentioned that China is leading in areas such as quantum computing, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence. There is a term - "new quality productivity" - that can summarize all of this, which theoretically inherits and develops Marx's theory of productive forces, while also looking forward to the future of technological dreams.

Artificial intelligence, as a strategic technology that leads the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, is profoundly changing human production and lifestyle. The Chinese leadership attaches great importance to the development of artificial intelligence. According to the latest data from the OECD, China's research and development expenditure growth rate reached 8.7% in 2023, not only exceeding the OECD average, but also far surpassing the U.S. (1.7%) and the EU (1.6%). The report emphasized that in absolute terms, the gap between China's R&D spending and that of the U.S. continues to narrow. Calculated by purchasing power parity, China's R&D spending in 2023 reached 96% of that of the U.S., compared to just 72% a decade ago. (Author: Guillermo Abril, translated by Wang Huicong)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7526703518225334824/

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