Leading Chinese tech startups unveil AI, robotics breakthroughs

China's leading tech startups are making new progress in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, unveiling innovative products that offer a glimpse into futuristic lifestyles.

During the 2025 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province, many Chinese tech startups have brought their latest creations to global audience. Highlights included smart glasses capable of serving as on-site tour guides.

Leading the pack of Chinese tech startups are six companies based in China's e-commerce capital of Hangzhou City in Zhejiang. Known as the "Six Little Dragons", the group includes Game Science, DeepSeek, Unitree Robotics, DEEP Robotics, BrainCo and Manycore Tech, excelling in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, gaming technology, brain-machine interface, and the metaverse.

The humanoid robots developed by Unitree Robotics have caught spectators’ attentions at the Wuzhen Summit. With continuous updates, the humanoid robots are now able to perform complicated movements such as consecutive backflips. The flexibility of the robots is making them one step closer to entering people's daily life.

At BrainCo, the latest version of the bionic hand can operate completely detached from the user. Leveraging advanced brain-machine interface technology, it allows remote control for precise and dexterous movements.

"The brain sends a signal to control the bionic hand. Then through AI algorithms, the hand interprets the actions I want to perform. It also enables remote operation of robotic hands or dexterous hands to complete tasks in hazardous environments," said Gu Yue, a research and development engineer and product experience officer at BrainCo.

The new four-legged robot dog released by DEEP Robotics this year can achieve autonomous navigation after receiving instructions, which means it no longer needs real-time remote control by humans.

The robot dog can also move at a speed of four meters per second, and can effortlessly handle obstacles like avoiding hurdles and climbing stairs.

"For example, to move from point A to point C via point B, we need to give it some instructions in advance, and then the robot dog can perform the movement automatically and do the inspections along the route. It can be used in substations, factories, and chemical plants, conducting inspection tasks in harsh indoor and outdoor environments," said He Yabiao, a technical engineer at DEEP Robotics.

Manycore Tech has launched its spatial large language model not long ago. Users now can give instructions in natural language, and the robots can use the virtual room created by the spatial AI model to understand the tasks and execute movements.

"I gave it (the robot) an instruction to fold the quilt. [With the help of this virtual room], it will understand how to navigate from the washing machine to the bed. For all the robots, they need the data like ours to assist them when performing tasks in real world," said Yu Fan, product specialist at Manycore Tech.

Meanwhile, Game Science revealed the trailer of its much-anticipated game “Black Myth: Zhong Kui” in August this year. DeepSeek has unveiled an AI model that uses visual perception to compress text input.

Leading Chinese tech startups unveil AI, robotics breakthroughs

Growing geopolitical strains, particularly over U.S. statements concerning Greenland, have prompted global investors to reduce exposure to U.S. financial markets, fueling concerns over a broader "capital war" and sustained volatility in U.S. assets.

On Tuesday, the U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, fell 0.41 percent to close at 98.642 in late trading at 20:00 GMT. Meanwhile, the yield on the 30-year Treasury note climbed above 4.90 percent in the trading session, as safe-haven demand drove capital toward alternatives such as gold and silver.

U.S. Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) reported that investors worldwide are selling American assets to hedge against heightened political risks.

Analysts warn that the sell-off reflects deepening doubts over the reliability of the United States as a trading partner.

The report also noted that the European governments may consider offloading U.S. holdings in response to recent threats from the U.S. President Donald Trump's administration targeting Greenland.

Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, said on Tuesday in Davos, Switzerland that the U.S. interest in Greenland could trigger a retreat from American assets by foreign governments and investors, describing the dynamic as "capital warfare." He also cautioned that mounting trade friction and rising fiscal deficits may further weaken confidence in U.S. debt, accelerating a shift into assets like gold.

Recent U.S. statements regarding Greenland, including suggestions of potential military actions and threats to impose tariffs on European nations that oppose U.S. claims, have sparked discussions in Europe about retaliatory measures, including large-scale disposals of U.S. assets.

The Deutsche Bank has previously raised the prospect of "weaponizing capital," warning that regulatory tightening, tax investigations, or restrictions on profit repatriation targeting U.S. firms could significantly impact American businesses.

Data from the U.S. Treasury Department shows that entities within the European Union hold over 10 trillion U.S. dollars in U.S. assets, with Britain and Norway holding additional substantial sums.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg noted on Monday that any move by Europe to deploy its holdings of U.S. assets as a strategic tool would signal an escalation of transatlantic tensions into the financial sphere, with direct repercussions for global capital markets.

The shift underscores mounting risks to the long-term appeal of U.S. credit and the stability of the dollar-dominated financial system.

Rising geopolitical tensions trigger global shift away from US assets