China's aviation logistics sector registered rapid growth in the first half of the year, with the international routes handling 2.037 million tons of cargo and mail, up 23.4 percent year on year, said Song Zhiyong, head the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), on Monday.
Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Song highlighted the remarkable achievements made by the aviation logistics sector during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025).
"During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we developed a dedicated aviation logistics development plan with targets across 14 dimensions, including leading in scale, safety and reliability, smart technology adoption, and quality efficiency. All these goals have been basically achieved," Song said.
"By the end of 2024, China had 13 cargo airlines operating 268 freighter aircraft, an increase of two airlines and 82 aircraft from 2020. China Eastern Air Logistics, China Southern Air Logistics, and Air China Cargo have all completed mixed-ownership reforms. Meanwhile, their service chains have been continuously extended, enhancing integrated logistics services. Chinese carriers now hold 44 percent of the international air cargo market, up four percentage points year on year," said Song.
According to Song, China's air route network has been continuously optimized, now linking 106 cities across 50 countries and providing seamless access to global core markets.
Another milestone achieved during the 14th Five-Year Plan period is the inauguration of China's first dedicated cargo airport, Ezhou Huahu International Airport,said Song.
He also highlighted significant progress in the adoption of smart facilities and equipment, steady growth in electronic air waybill usage, and improved efficiency in transfer and inter-modality operations.
"In the next phase, we will accelerate international cargo hub development, optimize key resource allocation, expand global routes, especially in emerging markets, to enhance the resilience of air cargo corridors. We will deepen collaboration with manufacturing and cross-border e-commerce sectors to establish front cargo stations as needed, strengthen transfer capabilities, and streamline customs clearance. Additionally, we will advance smart logistics infrastructure construction and promote innovative technologies to resolve operational bottlenecks," said Song.
China's aviation logistics sector records rapid growth in H1
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
