Top tech talents representing dozens of teams from China and around the world are competing in the inaugural "Labor in Glory" International Robot Skills Competition in Shanghai, highlighting the latest capabilities in the robotics sector with a series of practical tasks being undertaken.
Over 60 teams are taking part in the competition, which kicked off on Thursday. The event features 28 real-world challenges across five categories, namely humanoid robots, embodied AI, core tech innovation, creative applications and even a robot soccer game.
A range of everyday tasks were also featured, including labeling cars, folding clothes, retrieving items from a fridge, and participating in disaster simulations -- all of which organizers say points towards proving the effective real world applications of these robots.
"The [competition] scenarios were proposed by enterprises, not artificial simulations we created. We conducted extensive coordination -- having engaged with 150 companies across four selection rounds -- before jointly determining these scenarios," said Jiang Lei, chief scientist at National and Local Co-built Embodied Artificial Intelligence Robotics Innovation Center.
The competition also features an exhibition on innovative products, attracting over 80 robotic firms from home and abroad to showcase humanoid robots, embodied AI, industrial supply chains, and developer ecosystems.
"This competition's framework makes two things clear: what humanoid robots and embodied AI can actually achieve, and how we should develop them. These technologies represent a crucial developmental track for future sci-tech industries," said Liu Jinchang, researcher at High-Tech Center under the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
The event serves as a prelude to a longer tournament which is running through the second half of the year. Winning teams will be eligible to take part in a further competition set to be held during this year's World Artificial Intelligence Conference, which is scheduled from July 26-28 in Shanghai.
The competition comes amid a period of startling growth in the humanoid robotics sector, with Chinese companies such as Unitree Robotics leading the way with the advanced agility of their models, while last month saw the staging of the first ever half-marathon race for humanoid robots in Beijing, further demonstrating the fast development of the sector.
Top tech talents showcase innovations at Int'l Humanoid Robot Skills Competition
The China-Cambodia-Thailand foreign ministers' meeting was held in Yuxi City, southwest China's Yunnan Province on Monday.
After the trilateral meeting, a press communique was issued, which made it clear from five aspects that Cambodia and Thailand will further enhance communication, deepen understanding, and gradually consolidate the ceasefire situation, restore mutual exchanges, rebuild political mutual trust, achieve a turnaround in relations, and maintain regional peace.
Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister and a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that upholding the spirit of the Global Security Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping, China has actively mediated between Cambodia and Thailand since the outbreak of their border conflict.
Chinese leaders have maintained friendly communication with Cambodian and Thai leaders, with multiple phone calls made among foreign ministers, and the Chinese special envoy has made four shuttle-diplomacy trips to Cambodia and Thailand, heeding views from both sides and learning about their respective legitimate concerns, and working to find a way to resolve differences through dialog and negotiation.
With the concerted efforts of all parties, the Cambodian and Thai armies reached a ceasefire agreement a few days ago, which is gratifying to China, Wang said.
Wang noted that it was just time to hold the trilateral meeting, which followed several bilateral meetings, especially the in-depth face-to-face exchanges between the foreign and defense ministries of Cambodia and Thailand, during which both sides demonstrated positive and open attitude, their commitment to de-escalating tensions, and their willingness to improve bilateral relations on the basis of a ceasefire.
The trilateral discussions were beneficial and constructive, with important consensus reached, Wang said.
The three sides have agreed that Cambodia and Thailand should look forward and move forward together and avoid the resumption of fighting; should maintain communication in implementing the ceasefire agreement, and remain confident and engage in equal dialog to gradually advance bilateral relations; and should rebuild mutual trust, Wang said.
Noting Cambodia and Thailand are eternal neighbors with a long history of friendly exchanges, Wang expressed hope that the trilateral meeting could heal the wounds caused by the conflict, remove the estrangement between the two countries, and truly achieve reconciliation, which meets the interests of the Cambodian and Thai people, as well as the common wish of all parties.
China will always be a promoter of the development of Cambodia-Thailand relations, Wang said, pledging all necessary assistance and support in ceasefire monitoring, humanitarian assistance, and demining cooperation.
China looks forward to and believes that Cambodia-Thailand relations will return to the right track at an early date, Wang said.
Cambodian and Thai foreign ministers thanked China for providing the dialog platform, expressing high appreciation for China's constructive role in resolving the conflict, easing tensions, and promoting dialog.
Both sides emphasized the preciousness of peace and expressed their willingness to actively implement the ceasefire agreement, make good use of dialog mechanisms at all levels, jointly manage and resolve disputes, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas between the two countries.
China-Cambodia-Thailand foreign ministers' meeting held in Yunnan
