AnewZ Morning Brief - 9 September, 2025
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 9 September, covering the latest developments you need to know...
Despite its dominance in industrial robotics, China faces challenges in the race for humanoid robots due to its reliance on foreign technology and U.S. trade restrictions.
In January, Chinese President Xi Jinping convened top business leaders, including Huawei’s Ren Zhengfei and Alibaba’s Jack Ma, for a widely publicized meeting. Among them was Wang Xingxing, CEO of robotics startup Unitree Robotics, signaling China’s commitment to advancing its robotics sector within its $19 trillion economy.
China’s push for automation is driven by demographic shifts, including a shrinking workforce. Officials estimate a shortfall of nearly 30 million manufacturing workers by 2025, with projections indicating that by 2045, the workforce will decline to 645 million—well below its 2013 peak of 794 million. With an export-dependent economy, these trends threaten President Xi’s goal of doubling per capita GDP by 2035.
Chinese firms like BYD and Xiaomi are rapidly automating production lines, and the country leads in industrial robot installations. However, much of its robotics sector remains focused on low-tech applications such as welding and assembly, a market dominated by Japan, Germany, and Switzerland. Advances in artificial intelligence and hardware are now accelerating efforts to develop more sophisticated humanoid robots capable of functioning in diverse environments.
Analysts predict a surge in humanoid robot adoption, with Bank of America estimating annual global shipments will reach one million units by 2030, creating a $20 billion market. While Tesla and Nvidia are making strides in the U.S., Chinese companies like Unitree and UBTech Robotics are gaining ground. Unitree launched an affordable humanoid model for under $20,000, while UBTech’s Walker bots are already working alongside humans in car factories.
China benefits from its leadership in electric vehicles (EVs), where synergies in battery, sensor, and vision system technology aid robotics development. Companies such as Xpeng are leveraging their expertise in EVs to expand into humanoid robotics. However, China remains dependent on foreign suppliers for critical components like reducers, essential for motor speed control. Local firms like Leaderdrive are catching up, but technological gaps persist.
One of the biggest obstacles China faces is its reliance on U.S. technology for AI and semiconductor components. Unitree, for instance, depends on Nvidia chips, leaving it vulnerable to potential U.S. export restrictions. Given the military applications of advanced robotics, U.S. lawmakers have already raised concerns about Chinese developments, warning that they could pose a future security threat.
Despite rapid progress and strong government support, China’s robotics industry faces an uncertain future. While it has made strides in mass-producing industrial and humanoid robots, its dependence on U.S. technology and the risk of geopolitical trade restrictions could hinder its ambitions to lead the global robotics race.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Alibaba has released its most powerful artificial intelligence model to date, Qwen-3-Max-Preview, marking a major leap forward in the company’s AI ambitions.
Kazakhstan has launched Space Days 2025, a landmark international forum in Almaty that gathers astronauts, scientists, policymakers, and investors from across the globe to debate the future of space technology, education, and cooperation.
OpenAI has sharply raised its projected cash burn through 2029 to $115 billion, according to The Information. This marks an $80 billion increase from previous estimates, as the company ramps up spending to fuel the AI behind its ChatGPT chatbot.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday urged Russia’s aerospace industry to step up efforts to develop booster rocket engines and expand the country’s role in global space technology.
U.S. President Donald Trump will host more than two dozen technology and business leaders on Thursday for a dinner in the newly renovated White House Rose Garden, a White House official said.
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