US-China resolve rare earth mineral export dispute, progress in trade talks
The United States and China have resolved disputes over rare earth mineral and magnet shipments, overcoming a key hurdle that had delayed a trade agreement reached in May.
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.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar has advised American citizens to shelter in place amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, as part of a broader global security alert issued by Washington.
In a televised address on Saturday night, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced that American forces, in coordination with Israel, had conducted precision strikes on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, aiming to dismantle Tehran’s enrichment capabilities.
President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces struck three Iranian nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, marking direct American involvement in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
Severe rain in Venezuela has caused rivers to overflow and triggered landslides, sweeping away homes and collapsing a highway bridge, with five states affected and no casualties reported so far.
Chile's Vera C. Rubin Observatory has unveiled its first cosmic images, captured using the world's largest digital camera, paving the way for breakthroughs in understanding the solar system and monitoring asteroid threats to Earth.
Germany’s data protection commissioner has called on Apple and Google to block the Chinese AI app DeepSeek from their platforms over illegal data transfers and privacy concerns.
Australian scientists have developed synthetic chemicals to attract crown-of-thorns starfish for mass removal, offering a safer, targeted method to protect coral reefs.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said on Friday the group aims to become the world’s top platform provider for artificial super intelligence within the next decade, signaling a bold new direction for the Japanese tech giant.
A belt of volcanic rock in northeastern Quebec has been dated to 4.16 billion years ago, making it the oldest known rock on Earth and offering rare insight into the planet’s mysterious infancy.
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