The crew members of China's aircraft carrier Shandong recently conducted their first damage control exercise of 2025, while the ship docked at a port in Hainan Province after completing its last sea training mission in 2024.
As soon as the exercise began, all crew members rushed to relevant positions according to deployment. Then the on-deck damage control commander ordered fire trucks, demolition support teams and combat teams to go forward to deal with emergency situations.
During the exercise, a fire emergency scenario was simulated under the flight deck. The damage control team members responsible for the relevant areas cooperated closely to lay water hoses, conduct cabin reconnaissance, report situations, and establish fire prevention zonings.
The exercise also included the urgent on-site rescue of the injured, in which the medical rescue team on standby established a rapid rescue channel and transferred the "injured" to the medical support unit on the ship.
Crew members said the exercise marks a good start for the new year's goal of further improving training levels.
"This training exercise has random plots with complex special situations, which is closer to actual combat. In the exercise just now, the damage control team members closely cooperated and handled the situation in an orderly manner. In the future, we will continue to enrich the special situation links of various exercises, and sharpen the command ability of commanders and the handling ability of damage control team members in repeated exercises to ensure the safety of the aircraft carrier," said Zhou Chao, a crew member of the aircraft carrier.
"In the new year, we will focus on improving combat effectiveness, boost morale, conduct training as planned, and ready ourselves for war. With a new spirit, we will push the training to a higher level in the new year," said Xiao Chuanyu, another crew member.
First damage control exercise of 2025 conducted on aircraft carrier Shandong
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
