As the global center of technological innovation shifts eastward, the Chinese mainland is emerging as a key driver of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced robotics. With a vast pool of scientific talent and a thriving industrial ecosystem, the nation is rapidly transforming new quality productive forces into real-world applications.
From the viral rise of AI assistant DeepSeek to breakthroughs in humanoid and quadruped robotics, China's technological momentum is reshaping industries and everyday life. This transformation is not just a fleeting trend but a solidification of the Chinese mainland's position as a global tech powerhouse.
Emergence of New Quality Productive Forces: Global Innovation Hub Migrates Eastward
Historically, there have been five major shifts in the global center of science and technology innovation. Each wave attracted massive flows of global innovation resources, shaping human progress.
During the Renaissance, China's Four Great Inventions—paper-making, the compass, gunpowder, and printing—spread to Europe via the Silk Road, sparking mechanical productivity in Italy and establishing it as the innovation hub. By the mid-18th century, Britain led the Industrial Revolution with engineering marvels like the spinning jenny and Watt's steam engine.
The late 18th to early 19th centuries saw France pioneering the world's first university-based engineering education system, significantly boosting steel production. Germany later became a global center in fundamental physics with its research-oriented graduate education system. The Second Industrial Revolution positioned the U.S. as the innovation hub with inventions like Ford's assembly line and the semiconductor industry in Silicon Valley.
Entering the 21st century, while developed economies face industrial hollowing-out, Asia's new-style industrialization has accelerated. Rising R&D investment and the systematic eastward migration of global high-end innovation elements have converged in regions like the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, evolving into world-class hardtech innovation hubs.
According to the China Science and Technology Talent Development Report (2022), the Chinese mainland had over 110 million science and technology professionals by 2020, making it the world's largest and most comprehensive talent pool. The global flow of young tech talent is a key factor in where new generations of scientific innovation hubs will emerge.
DeepSeek Goes Viral: New Quality Productive Forces Soar into Everyday Life
Affordable and user-friendly AI tools are at the forefront of these new quality productive forces. Elementary school students across China are consulting DeepSeek for homework help, while parents and grandparents in both urban and rural areas find it invaluable for solving problems at work and in daily life. The widespread adoption of AI assistants like DeepSeek exemplifies how AI-driven innovation is becoming an integral part of everyday life in the Chinese mainland.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
