The 12th China (Mianyang) Science and Technology City International High-tech Expo is right underway in Mianyang City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, boasting over 1,000 advanced exhibits from global and domestic origins.
Scheduled to run from Wednesdaythrough Sunday, the event is showcasing the latest advancements in technology and the fruitful outcomes of regional innovation collaborations.
Visitors to the exhibition are captivated by the forefront of technological breakthroughs in domains like artificial intelligence, precision instruments, novel displays, and innovative materials.
Of particular interest is a remarkable robotic arm featuring AI tactile sensors, designed to mirror the dexterity and sensitivity of human touch. This innovation enables the robotic arm to execute intricate and stable gripping maneuvers, demonstrating its ability to delicately handle fragile items such as tofu and eggs with unparalleled finesse.
Another standout exhibit is the domestically developed Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine tool. Boasting the capability to process six degrees of freedom in a singular operation with precision levels reaching the micron scale. This machine tool finds applications in critical sectors like aerospace, shipbuilding, and precision instrument manufacturing.
Reports indicate that the expo witnessed the signing of 69 high-tech industrial projects on-site, with a cumulative contract value exceeding a staggering 70 billion yuan (about 10 billion U.S. dollars).
China Science and Technology City International High-tech Expo opens
A group of experts said they are expecting China's economy to post steady growth in 2026 despite an increasingly uncertain global situation that posts challenges to the country's development.
The experts made the remarks in a recent interview with China Global Television Network in south China's tech hub Shenzhen, Guangdong Province.
An official for Qianhai, a special economic zone that has become a critical growth engine for south China's Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area city cluster, said that like other major economies around the world, China is also facing increasing challenges, but he believes the country will post steady growth in 2026.
"I mean [for] other major economies right now, they [are] kind of also facing a bit of challenges. Geopolitical risks are rising. Trade war [has] not yet completely ended. But having said that, I think [for] China, there is also a domestic-oriented economy. You know that 80 percent -- more than 80 percent -- is still domestic demand. And also we start to see some kind of, particularly in the areas like the new industries, but even in some kind of the broad-based industry, we still see the manufacturing investments keep rising despite the uncertainties, despite all these various kinds of pressures. I expect China's economy still going to remain kind of a stable piece of growth. [The growth rate of] four point five to five percent, I think, is still going to be quite achievable for the next twelve months or so," said Qu Hongbin, chief economist for Qianhai authority.
Greg Smith, chairman at AustCham South China, an institute for promoting Australia-China commercial relationship, said China's resilient partnerships with other countries around the world can help the country navigate through the uncertain global landscape.
"I think that you'd be a very brave person to bet against the Chinese economy. It's been resilient over a long period and it's gone through some fairly strong headwinds and come out with still the flag waving. Taking some of the issues that you're talking about with tariffs and the geopolitics that's in place, there's resilience in the partnership [which] is what all the countries are looking for in their trades. So the stronger relationships that you have, I think that's going to really be the bedrock to making sure that we do hit the 4.5 [growth] rate. I think all the countries around the world are looking for trusted partners to be able to work and trade with," said Smith.
Sunny Tan, chairman at the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC), said he believes the rest of the world wants to be part of China's economic growth.
"I would say that China has a very, very good number -- achievable number. And I can see the big market by itself, the resilience, and also [it] is really providing a certainty in the time of uncertainty. Our country can continue to grow as planned. At the same time we can see very good interest from around the world, who wants to be part of this growth, and be wanting [who wants this growth] to be in China," Tan said.
Qin Youming, founder and CEO of Manifold Tech, a startup based in Shenzhen, said the entrepreneurs still see opportunities in globalization and companies should be quick in adapting themselves to the changing environment to survive.
"For market wise, we still see there are opportunities in globalization even though there are a lot of geopolitical matters going on. But the uniqueness of the Greater Bay Area, I think, is still unmatched, like the talents we can find here, the craftsmanship, the well experienced engineers here, is [are] still unmatched. I think even though there's uncertainty around the world, the business has to grow globally. Anyone who can adapt [themselves to] this quickly can survive," he said.
Experts expect China's economy to continue growing amid uncertainties in global landscape
