Chinese and Indonesian militaries launched their first joint humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) exercise, Peace Garuda-2024, with an opening ceremony on Sunday.
The exercise follows the arrival of Chinese military in Indonesia on Saturday, transported by Y-20 aircraft.
The opening ceremony took place simultaneously at land, sea, and air training grounds in Jakarta and Banten Province. Commanders from both nations addressed the troops via video teleconference from the joint exercise command center. Peace Garuda-2024, scheduled to run until Saturday, will involve army, navy, and air force personnel from both countries. The exercise will encompass drills focusing on search and rescue, medical aid, evacuation and resettlement, nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) protection, and parachute delivery. The two sides will also carry out cultural and sports activities
"This inaugural exercise between the Chinese and Indonesian militaries will deepen practical cooperation, enhance joint operational capabilities, and contribute to regional peace and stability," said Tong Wen, member of Command and Coordination Organization of the Peace Garuda-2024 joint HADR exercise.
This exercise builds upon increasingly close high-level military exchanges and fruitful cooperation between the two nations in recent years, as highlighted by Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian earlier this week.
With the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations approaching next year, China has expressed its commitment to further strengthening military ties and enhancing defense dialog with Indonesia.
China, Indonesia launch first joint disaster relief exercise
From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.
At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.
Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.
"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.
"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.
Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.
According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.
Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.
Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.
At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.
"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.
At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.
"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.
Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction
