Research teams in China are accelerating their independent development in AI agent equivalent to OpenClaw, while highlighting its security in application.
In early 2026, the sudden rise of OpenClaw caused the world's attention.
Standing out from other mainstream AI systems like ChatGPT, DeepSeek and Claude, which largely operate through a conversational prompt-response model, OpenClaw is designed to take action, carrying out tasks for users in the digital world.
At a local public opinion collection center in Shenzhen City of south China's Guangdong Province, several digital employees, or AI agents, have completed their induction training before joining in government services. As a collaborative creation of Shenzhen enterprises and a research team from Fudan University, these AI agents can autonomously assist the staff at the center in conducting research and analysis on public opinions after continuous learning and training.
"For example, with the current data set, I have over 10,000 relevant data entries. If we were to analyze these manually, it could take two to three weeks. However, if I instruct it (AI agent) to assist with the analysis, it can reduce that time to just four hours, allowing us to focus on in-depth field research," said Zheng Mingxia, a staff member at Public Opinion Survey Department, Futian District Public Opinion Swift Processing and Smart City Construction Center.
As a government services aide, an AI agent's efficiency is undoubtedly essential, but safety is of paramount concern. According to the staff of the center, an isolated network environment was created for these AI agents, alongside data security monitoring system and human oversight to ensure that each step they take is carefully vetted.
"Our first step is to establish an extremely simple architecture in the overall design. Simplicity means the entire system is secure, controllable, and traceable. We built the entire system with only about 3,000 lines of code. Each line has been rigorously scrutinized. OpenClaw (an open-source application) has nearly 500,000 lines of code, and it resembles a cluttered room full of unknown safety hazards. This minimalist architecture eliminates the possibility of black box or malicious code at the source," said Xiao Yanghua, a professor from College of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, Fudan University.
Xiao also noted that the system is required to undergo human confirmation before acting.
China accelerates AI agent development, highlights security
China launched the second event of its 2026 "Big Market for All: Export to China" campaign in Hangzhou City of east China's Zhejiang on Sunday, as part of the country's broader push to expand imports and tap the purchasing power of its vast consumer market.
The three-day event, co-hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the People's Government of Zhejiang Province, is bringing together global brands, importers and consumers under one roof.
Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao attended the launch ceremony of the event and delivered an address.
More than 1,000 imported products are on display, from food and consumer goods to advanced industrial components.
The campaign aims to turn China's massive market into a gateway for global products, according to officials.
"The event highlights China's determination to independently expand unilateral and self-reliant opening-up. It is also China's active response to the needs of its global trading partners and our practical step to work together with them to grow the pie of international trade," said Xiao Lu, deputy director of the Department of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Commerce.
Nearly 100 import-focused companies are taking part, showcasing products and exploring opportunities in China's fast-growing consumer market.
"We have selected popular product choices favored by Chinese tourists who have visited Egypt," said Cao Kezhen, chief representative for China at the CHIMENA (China-India-Middle East-North Africa) Business Council.
Starting from May 1, 2026, China will fully implement zero-tariff treatment for 53 African countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, so many Egyptian businesses are eager to explore the Chinese market, Cao said.
New technologies are also helping bring overseas products closer to Chinese consumers.
"In recent years, China has introduced a range of policies to encourage imports. These measures allow Chinese consumers to buy quality products from around the world at competitive prices through cross-border e-commerce. Going forward, we plan to shift more focus onto the development of a digital supply chain from the traditional supply chain, customs declaration and inspection, logistics, warehousing and distribution," said Shan Li, chairman of High Store Tech, a supply chain service provider for global brands.
Sunday's event followed the inaugural gathering, which took place under the same theme in the national capital Beijing in February.
China launches event in Hangzhou to expand imports, boost consumption
