China's homegrown BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) has emerged as a vital lifeline for fishermen along the country's southeastern coast, ensuring maritime safety through real-time monitoring of typhoons and vessel positions.
For Lin Xiaokeng, a veteran fisherman from Lianjiang County of east China's Fujian Province, the BDS technology has been a game-changer, marking a stark contrast to the perilous fishing days of the past.
"I graduated from a fishery high school in 1970. Since graduating, I've been working in fishery production. In the past, everything depended on the captain's judgment. Back then, we'd just go out onto the vast sea as if we were birds," said Lin.
The county's expansive 3,112-square-kilometer sea area, combined with the treacherous conditions in the Taiwan Strait, posed significant threats, with up to seven typhoons striking the region annually, along with the added challenges of the northeast monsoon and cold fronts.
Fisherman Lin Xiaokeng said during those days, the families of the fishermen were filled with worry as they spend their days at sea.
Now, BDS provides an invaluable safety net.
"Now, with the help of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, we'll timely make plans against typhoons based on the vessels' locations before the arrival of typhoon," said Lin Xiaoli, director of Emergency Command Center of Lianjiang Department of Ocean and Fisheries.
The platform displays all registered fishing vessels and township vessels on a single map, providing a comprehensive overview of maritime activity, according to the director.
"There's a lot of equipment installed on the ships now, such as satellite and anti-collision positioning devices as well as ocean broadband. At any time, the equipment can observe if the pilot is on duty or if he's dozing off. So, for fishermen there's now a better guarantee of safety at sea. Safety makes everything easier," said fishermen Lin Xiaokeng.
Lianjiang County boasts over 500 varieties of seafood and is renowned for abalone and kelp production. In recent years, approximately 135 fishing boats have been upgraded, supported by over 300 million yuan (about 41 million U.S. dollars) in government subsidies. These improvements have significantly transformed the outdated and dilapidated fleet, ensuring better conditions for local fishermen.
The investment, coupled with the enhanced safety provided by BDS, is contributing to a more prosperous and sustainable future for the local fishing industry.
China's BeiDou technology helps keep fishermen safe
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
