China’s Robot Showcase at Spring Festival Gala Impresses Viewers but Highlights Industry’s Commercial Struggles
Robots took center stage at this year’s China Central Television (CCTV) Spring Festival Gala, performing martial arts, participating in comedy sketches, and dancing alongside human performers. In one standout segment “Martial Bot,” robotic masters sparred with human performers, executing backflips and nunchaku routines that demonstrated impressive balance and force control. While the spectacle thrilled audiences and buoyed investor sentiment in robot-related stocks, industry analysts say the display masked deeper structural problems facing the sector.
According to financial media outlets Caijing and Lanjing Technology, each of the four participating robotics companies — Unitree Robotics, Galaxy General, Magic Atom, and Songyan Power — invested close to 100 million yuan (approximately $13.7 million USD) for the appearance. Despite the massive national exposure, analysts argue the return on investment is nearly impossible to quantify, as humanoid robots remain largely confined to what they describe as the “laboratory” of technology, capital, and commerce.
Tech platform Huxiu noted that the gala amounted to a “high-cost attention competition,” and that the industry’s real challenges are cash flow, scalable validation, and customer trust. Research conducted at the end of last year found that most embodied AI manufacturers are already struggling with insufficient orders, with real market demand unable to absorb projected 2025 production capacity.
According to IDC data cited by the Wu Xiaobo Channel, global humanoid robot shipments stand at just 13,000 to 18,000 units. Unitree founder Wang Xingxing predicted “tens of thousands” of units could roll off production lines in 2026 — a negligible figure relative to China’s 1.4 billion potential consumers.
Analysts draw a sobering comparison to China’s electric vehicle industry, which took roughly 30 years from its 1992 designation as a national priority to achieving a 35% market penetration rate in 2023. Robots, they suggest, face a similarly long road — and are unlikely to leap from their first steps directly into a sprint.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), February 19, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202602190157.aspx
Japanese Firms in China Signal Waning Confidence Amid Economic Uncertainty
The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China released its 8th member enterprise survey on February 10 in Beijing, covering 1,427 Japanese-invested companies operating in China between July and December 2025 across manufacturing, services, and other sectors. The findings paint a cautious picture of Japanese business sentiment in China.
Only 1% of surveyed companies said China’s economy had “improved,” while nearly half believed it was “deteriorating or will continue to deteriorate” — a proportion largely unchanged since the first survey three years ago. Just 17% of companies planned to increase investment in China, while over 40% said they would reduce or entirely halt investment. Most firms opted to maintain existing operations while cutting costs, and some were evaluating a phased exit from the Chinese market.
Key pressures cited included falling product prices, rising labor costs, weak domestic demand, geopolitical instability, and institutional uncertainties around customs and tax enforcement. Some firms also flagged concerns about policy transparency, regulatory consistency, and personnel safety.
Industry observers noted the broader implications. A Jiangsu-based business association member said that shrinking Japanese investment would affect supply chain stability, particularly in technology cooperation and order reliability. A Zhejiang investment consultant emphasized that Japanese firms collectively maintain a presence worth hundreds of billions of dollars (~$100+ billion USD) in China, and their potential withdrawal could deprive numerous Chinese upstream and downstream firms of critical orders.
A Shenzhen-based executive pointed to deepening sector ties — in automotive, electronics, precision manufacturing, chemicals, and retail — noting that while some factories like Canon’s Zhongshan plant have closed and Sony has scaled back certain operations, these represent business-line adjustments rather than full exits.
A Shandong scholar linked the conservative investment trend to rising geopolitical friction, including Japan’s stance on Taiwan and shifting U.S.-China relations, along with a broader multinational trend of diversifying production to Southeast Asia and India. He concluded that future foreign investment flows into China will hinge on improvements in market access, policy stability, and the overall business environment.
Source: Radio Free Asia, February 20, 2026
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shangye/jingji/2026/02/20/china-japan-investment-withdrawal/
China’s Nuclear Submarine Buildup: Numbers Growing, but Strategic Value Uncertain
A recent report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) reveals that China has significantly accelerated its nuclear submarine production over the past five years, with its annual launch numbers surpassing those of the United States for the first time. However, analysts caution that whether this rapid expansion translates into genuine operational and strategic advantage depends largely on China’s ability to break through the First Island Chain and conduct quiet, reliable, large-scale operations across the broader Pacific.
According to the IISS report, China is expanding its Bohai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry facility in Huludao and increasing submarine construction to reinforce its emerging nuclear triad. The number of submarines launched between 2021 and 2025 exceeded the total from the previous decade, including the seventh and eighth Jin-class (Type 094) nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) identified via commercial satellite imagery. Construction of the Type 093B nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs), equipped with vertical launch systems, is also accelerating, with satellite imagery suggesting up to nine have been launched since 2022 — a production rate of roughly two per year.
While China’s submarine design and quality still lags behind the United States and Europe, the sheer and growing number of vessels presents an increasingly serious challenge. SSBN patrols remain largely confined to the South China Sea, though China is extending its strike range by introducing the longer-range JL-3 missile. The next-generation Type 096 submarine is expected to enter production before 2030, underscoring China’s strategic push to strengthen sea-based nuclear deterrence.
As of January 2026, the U.S. leads globally with 71 nuclear submarines, while China ranks second with 32. Yet the fundamental geographic challenge remains: to reach open Pacific waters, Chinese submarines must transit sensor-dense chokepoints such as the Miyako Strait and Luzon Strait. Whether China’s stealth technology and command-and-control systems are advanced enough for that task remains an open question.
Source: Deutsche Welle, February 20, 2026
https://p.dw.com/p/59838
China’s Arctic Ambitions and Western Concerns
China has been steadily expanding its Arctic presence over the past three decades. The country acquired its first icebreaker, the Xuelong, in the early 1990s, established a research station in the Svalbard archipelago in 2004, and recently showcased a concept design for a nuclear-powered cargo-passenger icebreaker capable of breaking through 2.5 meters of ice at two knots.
In 2018, China released its Arctic Policy white paper, describing itself as a “near-Arctic state” and proposing a “Polar Silk Road.” The move drew sharp criticism from some Western nations, most notably then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who flatly stated that only Arctic and non-Arctic states exist, with no third category.
The Arctic’s significance is hard to overstate. The region holds vast natural resources, strategically important shipping routes, and dual-use military and civilian infrastructure. Only eight countries hold Arctic status by virtue of their geography, cooperating through the Arctic Council framework, though non-Arctic nations may still access Arctic resources.
Washington’s unease is, in part, by design. The Trump administration has leveraged the narrative of a Chinese Arctic threat to justify ambitions over Greenland, folding it into a broader strategy of pressuring Beijing by framing China’s presence in key regions as a danger. Experts suggest this so-called Arctic “China threat” serves as both a specific justification for the Greenland issue and a long-term element of U.S.-China strategic competition.
Meanwhile, Russia and China are actively cooperating to develop the Northern Sea Route, which cuts travel distances by 30–40% compared to the Suez Canal. Last year, the container ship Istanbul Bridge sailed from Ningbo to Felixstowe, England in just 20 days via the Arctic — a journey that would take 40–50 days through Suez.
China maintains its Arctic expansion is purely commercial. No Chinese warships have been observed in the region, and experts note that narrow passages and short sailing seasons make the Arctic ill-suited for military use. For China, the route’s greater promise lies in trade and tourism.
Source: Sputnik News, February 17, 2026
https://sputniknews.cn/20260217/1069814875.html
China Expands Space Program Footprint in Africa with Namibia Satellite Station Handover
Chinese officials on Thursday handed over a satellite ground station to the Namibian government in the outskirts of the capital Windhoek, marking another advance in China’s expanding overseas space program, according to Chinese state media reports cited by Reuters.
The facility, constructed with Chinese aid and located in the southern suburbs of Namibia’s capital, will significantly enhance the country’s capacity to receive and process satellite remote sensing data, according to state news agency Xinhua’s Friday report. The handover ceremony was attended by Namibia’s prime minister, who delivered remarks on behalf of the president expressing gratitude for China’s support.
As the United States reduces aid to African nations, China has been building alliances and expanding its space influence across the continent by providing satellites, laboratories, and monitoring stations. Beijing maintains it is helping Africa develop space programs to ensure no country is left behind. However, Reuters previously reported that China’s aid projects enable it to access a broader surveillance network in its quest for space dominance, allowing Beijing to utilize data and images collected from satellites, telescopes, and ground stations provided to African countries. Chinese personnel are also stationed long-term at facilities constructed in Africa.
Chinese Ambassador to Namibia Zhao Weiping stated that Namibia will have complete ownership and independent operation of the satellite ground station. He added that Chinese experts will continue providing technical support to the fourteen local technicians they helped train, and that phase two construction of the facility is underway. Photographs released by Xinhua show the facility’s dome prominently painted with the slogan “China’s Aid, Creating a Beautiful Future Together.”
Source: Radio France International, February 14, 2026
https://rfi.my/CRXX
China Announces Zero-Tariff Policy for 53 African Nations
China announced today that it will implement comprehensive zero-tariff measures for 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, effective May 1. The initiative will be accompanied by efforts to advance common development economic partnership agreements and expand market access for African products through upgraded “green channels.”
Of Africa’s 54 United Nations-recognized sovereign nations, only Eswatini, Taiwan’s diplomatic ally, is excluded from the preferential tariff treatment. This marks a significant expansion of China’s economic engagement with the African continent.
The announcement follows the June 11, 2025 ministerial meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Results Implementation Coordination held in Changsha, Hunan Province, which produced the “Changsha Declaration” on maintaining solidarity and cooperation among Global South nations. The declaration’s eighth point specifically outlined China’s commitment to achieving zero tariffs on 100 percent of product categories for the 53 African countries through economic partnership agreements, welcoming quality African goods into the Chinese market.
Building upon zero-tariff treatment for least-developed African countries announced at the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China pledged additional measures including deepened market access for goods trade, streamlined inspection and quarantine procedures, customs facilitation, enhanced technical capacity training, and promotion of quality products.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized that China and Africa, representing the world’s largest developing country and the continent with the highest concentration of developing nations, form the backbone of the Global South. He stressed the importance of China-Africa unity amid global uncertainties, calling for both sides to maintain mutual assistance, advocate for international free trade, pursue win-win cooperation, defend international justice, and promote cultural diversity.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), February 14, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202602140140.aspx
U.S. and China Compete for Control of Africa’s Critical Minerals
The United States is intensifying its competition with China over control of Africa’s critical mineral supplies, including copper, cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements, according to discussions at the 2026 African Mining Indaba currently taking place in Cape Town. Washington’s focus centers on the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Guinea, with the DRC supplying over 70 percent of the world’s cobalt and remaining one of the largest copper producers.
China currently dominates the extraction and processing of rare earth metals and other critical minerals like lithium and cobalt. Chinese companies control substantial mining operations across developing countries, including throughout Africa.
Against a backdrop of escalating trade and technology confrontation, both nations are attempting to achieve independence from each other in key industrial sectors. China is developing its semiconductor industry capabilities while the United States works to bypass China and diversify the global rare earth supply chain.
Africa has emerged as a crucial battleground in this great power competition, with the two nations employing different strategies. The American approach avoids directly managing mines in politically unstable regions, instead using a “money-for-shares” model that provides financing in exchange for portions of extracted minerals. China’s advantages include controlling the DRC’s largest mineral assets, faster project launches even in unstable regions, and aggressive infrastructure investment in mineral-producing countries. Chinese investment has built thousands of kilometers of roads and railways, dozens of port facilities, and major transportation arteries across Africa, improving market access for African mineral producers, reducing logistics costs, and promoting economic growth.
In essence, the United States attempts to secure portions of African-extracted raw materials through capital injection and transport them to U.S.-aligned regions for processing. However, China maintains its advantage in African extractive industries through economies of scale, infrastructure and production construction speed, and Chinese companies’ willingness to operate in high-risk environments.
Source: Sputnik News, February 10, 2026
https://sputniknews.cn/20260210/1069718226.html
China’s Breakthrough in Compact High-Power Microwave Weapons Technology
China has achieved a significant breakthrough with its TPG1000C high-power microwave weapon system, successfully miniaturizing the drive source while maintaining pulse emission capability for up to one minute. According to Chinese military expert Qiu Shiqing, this advancement will provide China with crucial means to secure “spectrum dominance” on complex electromagnetic battlefields, enabling the weapon to not only disrupt or destroy low-earth orbit satellites but also demonstrate tremendous combat potential against drone swarms and the United States’ full-spectrum warfare systems.
Developed by the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, the TPG1000C has become the world’s first high-power microwave weapon capable of continuously emitting pulses for one minute. This compact device measures only four meters in length and weighs five tons, capable of releasing up to 20 gigawatts of power over sixty seconds. It can be mounted on trucks, warships, aircraft, or even satellites, and can interfere with or damage low-earth orbit satellites, including Starlink satellites. The system can fire up to 3,000 high-energy pulses per session, significantly outperforming similar systems that previously operated for no more than three seconds.
The breakthrough centers on miniaturizing the drive source using a compact Tesla transformer capable of achieving 20GW maximum output power with minimal pulse fluctuation and a maximum repetition frequency of 50Hz. Qiu emphasizes this achievement is highly significant for China’s ability to establish spectrum dominance on the battlefield. High-power microwave weapons offer cost-effective, reusable advantages in electronic warfare and counter-drone operations. Experts believe these weapons possess enormous potential for future warfare, particularly in countering American full-spectrum warfare systems by disrupting battlefield perception, command, and communication capabilities.
Source: Sputnik News, February 10, 2026
https://sputniknews.cn/20260210/1069712975.html