German chancellor, CEOs laud robotics showcase during Hangzhou visit

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz led a delegation of around 30 German executives to Unitree Robotics in east China's Hangzhou on Thursday, where he and fellow CEOs hailed the company’s humanoid robot demonstration as a glimpse into the future.

Merz had arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to begin a two-day official visit, before continuing his China trip with the stop at Unitree Robotics, whose innovative humanoid creations have drawn significant global attention.

Together with his delegation, Merz listened to introductions on cutting-edge robot components before watching a boxing demonstration and a live martial arts performance by humanoid robots, a segment that had featured in the 2026 China Media Group Spring Festival Gala.

The showcase drew enthusiastic praise from German CEOs, who hailed the demonstration as a glimpse into the future and highlighted its innovation and potential applications.

"That was a great presentation. I loved it. Robotics is very important for the future, so there's a lot happening there," said Ola Källenius, chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, who was among the German delegation.

Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management at BMW AG, stressed the novelty and possible applications of the robotics demonstration.

"I'm just thinking about the applications. Transport, replacing humans in adverse environments, the combination with wheels and not normal legs and arms. This is very interesting. I haven't seen that before," he said.

As China–Germany ties gain increasing global relevance, Merz's China trip is widely viewed as a key step toward enhancing strategic communication, deepening mutual trust, and advancing the all-round strategic partnership between the two countries.

German chancellor, CEOs laud robotics showcase during Hangzhou visit

China's fast development over the past decades has significantly transformed the society, said Patrick Herminie, president of the Republic of Seychelles, as he recalled his first visit to the country about 35 years ago.

Herminie made the comments in an interview with China Media Group (CMG) in Seychelles' capital Victoria, which was aired on Friday.

He spoke highly of the development China has achieved over the past three decades, especially in emerging industries such as artificial intelligence.

"I was surprised, I was impressed by the level of development, technological development and the use of artificial intelligence for better public service, smart services. I think China is leading the world. That's my personal opinion. You know, when I first visited China some 35 years ago, there were only bicycles. But today, China is just incredible -- the roads, the cars. It's a revolution, it's not even a revolution, it's a transformation of a society. And I think, yes, you have done very well, and I was very impressed with what I saw," said Herminie.

China has remained the world's second-largest economy for more than a decade and developed the largest middle-income group, while overall living standards have continued to rise.

The country is also driving continuous breakthroughs in frontier technologies, fostering the development of future industries as part of efforts to cultivate new growth engines.

China's fast development over past decades transforms society: President of Seychelles