It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
NOBODY IS BUYING IPHONES Huawei sales up 83%, boosting China's October smartphone sales
YELIN MO AND BRENDA GOH November 14, 2023
By Yelin Mo and Brenda Goh
BEIJING (Reuters) - Strong sales growth at Huawei helped power an 11% rise in China's total smartphone shipments in October, data from research firm Counterpoint showed on Tuesday, indicating signs of recovery in its lagging mobile market.
Huawei was a major contributor to the average year-on-year growth in the first four weeks of October, with its sales surging 83%, a note from the firm showed.
According to the Counterpoint data, Xiaomi also saw a 33% increase in smartphone sales in October. It did not provide specifics around Apple's performance in the period. In August, Huawei launched its Mate 60 smartphone series powered by what analysts said are a self-developed advanced chip, seen by some analysts as an answer to U.S. sanctions aimed at halting shipments of some chips to China.
"The clear standout in October has been Huawei, with its turnaround on the back of its Mate 60 series devices. Growth has been stellar," said Counterpoint China analyst Archie Zhang
"Demand continues to be high double-digits and we’re also seeing a halo effect, with other models from the vendor performing well."
However, Counterpoint said there could be lingering bottlenecks for Huawei as it may still experience certain production issues.
"Huawei’s ability to scale up to this new normal will be a major determinant not just for their own growth, but for the broader market,” said Ivan Lam, senior Counterpoint analyst.
China's smartphone market has seen sales fall over several quarters, with a 3% drop in the quarter ending June, according to Counterpoint.
Analysts expect the market may be poised for a rebound, with research firm IDC predicting unspecified year-on-year sales growth in the fourth quarter after ten consecutive quarters of falling shipments.
(Reporting by Yelin Mo and Brenda Goh; Editing by Jan Harvey)
Thursday, October 12, 2023
CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M
India accuses China's Vivo of visa violations, siphoning off $13 billion
Thu, October 12, 2023 A man cleans the logo of a Chinese smartphone brand Vivo outside a store in Ahmedabad
By Arpan Chaturvedi and Aditya Kalra
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Many employees of Chinese smartphone maker Vivo and its Indian affiliates concealed their employment when seeking visas, and some breached rules by visiting the "sensitive" Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir, India's financial crime agency has said.
The court statement comes as tension rises with Beijing over business activities after New Delhi tightened curbs on incoming investment and banned hundreds of Chinese apps following border clashes in 2020 that killed 20 Indian and four Chinese troops.
The accusations, detailed on Tuesday in a court filing that is not public, follow the arrest this week of a Vivo executive, Guangwen Kuang, in a money laundering investigation launched in 2022 into India's second biggest smartphone player.
At least 30 Chinese individuals entered India on business visas and worked as Vivo employees, but their application forms "never disclosed" that the firm was their employer, the agency, the Enforcement Directorate, said in the 32-page filing.
"Various Chinese nationals have been traveling across India, including sensitive places of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, in gross violation of Indian visa conditions," it added, shedding light for the first time on the alleged offences.
"Many employees of Vivo group companies worked in India without appropriate visas," the agency said in the filing.
"They have concealed information regarding their employer in their visa applications and cheated the Indian embassy or missions in China."
Asked for comment, Vivo, which has a market share of 17%, reiterated a statement from earlier this week that said the executive's arrest "deeply concerns us", while adding that it remained "dedicated to legal compliance".
China's foreign ministry, which said this week it was closely following the case, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The Indian embassy in Beijing and the foreign ministry in New Delhi also did not respond.
In their decades-old border dispute, both India and China claim large tracts of land controlled by the other in the western Himalayas.
India bars foreigners from entering or staying in the areas of Ladakh and parts of Jammu and Kashmir it has designated as "protected", unless they have a permit from the authorities - a document that is separate from a visa.
Last year, the agency raided 48 sites linked to Vivo and its associates in the money laundering investigation, accusing the company of illegally siphoning money to China to evade Indian taxes through companies it indirectly controls.
This week's court filing says 1.07 trillion rupees ($12.87 billion) was remitted outside India by Vivo to some trading companies controlled by its Chinese parent, in what the agency called a "masking layer" intended to escape government notice.
"While no profits were shown from 2014-15 to 2019-20 in the statutory filings and no income taxes were paid ... huge sums were siphoned off out of India," the Enforcement Directorate added.
In July last year, the agency estimated a figure of 624.7 billion rupees ($7.5 billion) had been remitted mainly to China.
(Reporting by Arpan Chaturvedi and Aditya Kalra; Additional reporting by Brenda Goh in Shanghai, David Kirton in Shenzhen and Krishn Kaushik in New Delhi; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
India arrests Chinese employee of smartphone maker Vivo Nikhil Inamdar and Mariko Oi - BBC News Wed, October 11, 2023
India's financial crimes agency has arrested a Chinese employee of smartphone maker Vivo, the firm said.
Indian officials have not commented yet but Vivo said it "will exercise all available legal options" on behalf of its employee, Andrew Kuang.
Authorities raided Vivo's office last year, accusing it of illegal remittances from India to China.
It is the second-biggest smartphone brand in India, after Samsung, according to industry data.
Vivo has denied any wrongdoing and said it complies with Indian law.
Tuesday's arrest happened under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). It is "a very stringent law and allows for criminal cases to be filed, unlike regular foreign exchange violations which are majorly considered civil offenses," according to Atul Pandey, Senior Partner at legal firm Khaitan.
Vivo has also been accused of customs evasion by the tax enforcement agency. The firm is owned by China's BBK Electronics, which also operates brands such as Oppo and Realme in India.
In the past 18 months, Indian authorities have also targeted other Chinese mobile phone companies such as Xiaomi by freezing $670m of assets.
Earlier this year, India's minister of state for electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrashekhar told parliament that Chinese companies had evaded taxes to the tune of $1.1bn. He said the government had managed to recover only about 18% of this amount.
Speaking to the BBC on the condition of anonymity, a senior legal counsel who represents several Chinese companies in India said that the crackdown was initially meant to put pressure on the Chinese government in the aftermath of a deadly border clash in 2020 that killed 24 soldiers. India had responded then by banning hundreds of Chinese apps, including TikTok.
But subsequent investigations have led to major Chinese firms such as Xaomi and Oppo India being accused of financial crimes. Both firms have denied the allegations.
Relations between the neighbours have deteriorated since, with India most recently registering "strong protest" over a new Chinese map that it said laid claim to its territory.
India arrests Vivo exec, three others in money laundering case
Arpan Chaturvedi and Aditya Kalra Updated Tue, October 10, 2023 A man cleans the logo of a Chinese smartphone brand Vivo outside a store in Ahmedabad
By Arpan Chaturvedi and Aditya Kalra
NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India's financial crime agency on Tuesday arrested four industry executives including one Chinese national working for smartphone maker Vivo in India in a case of alleged money laundering, according to legal papers and lawyers working on the case.
The arrest adds to the legal troubles of the Chinese phone maker in India and comes amid rising tensions between Beijing and New Delhi over issues ranging from border disputes to India's increasing scrutiny of Chinese businesses and investment.
Vivo said in a statement it "firmly adheres to its ethical principles and remains dedicated to legal compliance. The recent arrest deeply concerns us. We will exercise all available legal options".
India's Enforcement Directorate (ED) did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Earlier in the day, two sources told Reuters that four Vivo employees had been arrested, but during a court hearing where executives were produced lawyers said only one Vivo employee, a Chinese national identified in legal papers as Guanwen Kuang, was arrested.
Further details of the investigation were not immediately clear. The ED’s counsel, Manish Jain, sought 10 day custody for the arrested individuals, but the judge ordered only three days.
The names of three other executives, and their affiliations, were not immediately clear.
The executives were arrested in relation to an ongoing 2022 case where the ED raided Vivo's offices and accused it of money laundering, the first of the sources said.
Vivo has repeatedly denied the allegations. It has previously said it cooperated with authorities to provide them with all required information and was "committed to be fully compliant with laws".
Vivo is owned by China's BBK Electronics, which also operates brands such as Oppo and Realme in India. Vivo is the second biggest smartphone brand in India with a 17% market share in shipments, trailing behind Samsung, according to data from research firm Counterpoint.
In 2022, the ED blocked 119 bank accounts linked to Vivo's India business, but a court later revoked the move.
Indian police also have formally accused Vivo of helping transfer funds illegally to a news portal under investigation on charges of spreading Chinese propaganda, Reuters reported last week. Vivo hasn't commented on the matter.
Relations between India and China have increasingly soured since a 2020 military clash on their disputed Himalayan border in which 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops were killed.
Since then, India has banned hundreds of Chinese apps including TikTok, citing national security concerns, and tightened scrutiny of incoming investments from its neighbour.
Recently, carmaker BYD's proposal to invest $1 billion to build electric cars and batteries in India faced increased scrutiny from New Delhi, forcing the carmaker to drop its plans, Reuters reported in July.
(Reporting by Aditya Kalra and Arpan Chaturvedi in Delhi; Editing by Sohini Goswami, Kim Coghill and Mark Potter)
Monday, August 28, 2023
FORDISM 2.0
Xpeng Soars After Buying Didi Unit to Consolidate Market
FROM STATE CAPITALI$M TO MONOPOLY CAPITALI$M
Bloomberg News Mon, August 28, 2023
(Bloomberg) -- Xpeng Inc.’s shares soared after it agreed to buy Didi Global Inc.’s smart-car development arm in a deal that both eliminates a potential competitor in the crowded electric-vehicle market and gives it a tech-savvy partner in a new venture.
The HK$5.84 billion ($744 million) all-stock deal will see Didi emerge with a 3.25% stake in Xpeng, according to an exchange filing Monday. Xpeng shares surged more than 16% in Hong Kong trading before paring gains to close 11% higher. Its American depositary receipts gained 5% by 4:27 a.m. in New York.
As part of the deal, Xpeng plans to launch a new EV brand in partnership with Didi in 2024. Dubbed Project “MONA,” the cars will target the mass market segment with a price tag of around 150,000 yuan — or about $20,000. The partnership comes just over a month after Xpeng received a $700 million investment from German auto giant Volkswagen AG to jointly develop EVs for the Chinese market — and should help ease investor concerns about sluggish sales in the face of intensifying competition from the likes of Nio Inc., BYD Co. and Tesla Inc.
Read More: Tesla Started a China Price War That May Destroy Some Carmakers
Xpeng, which has invested heavily in autonomous driving features, said it would explore collaborations with Didi on fleet management, marketing, insurance, charging facilities, robotaxis and international markets.
What Bloomberg Intelligence says:
Xpeng’s partnership with China’s largest shared-mobility company Didi, including acquiring the latter’s EV project assets, might enable the startup automaker to enhance its autonomous-driving algorithms by tapping intensive vehicle-generated data from Didi’s mobility platform. Near-term margin pressure persists, yet increasing technology service revenue and greater scale from a new mass-market brand may support Xpeng’s first annual profit in 2026. — Joanna Chen & Steve Man
For Didi, the deal marks a retreat from the car-making business, once considered a potential driver of growth for the car-hailing company.
Chinese technology leaders, including Didi and Xiaomi Corp., have been trying to inch into the capital-intensive EV boom, with a bet to make the cars more “intelligent” with autonomous driving and other personalized interactive features. Yet the already over-crowded market has made it even tougher for the late-comers to obtain a manufacturing license and gain market share.
Didi, once feted as the national champion that pushed Uber Technologies Inc. out of the country, was driven off New York’s main bourse after Chinese regulators launched investigations into the security of its data. The company is gradually resuming its car-hailing expansion.
Investors have been counting on Didi coming out of the penalty box. More than a year after exiting the New York Stock Exchange following Beijing’s tech crackdown, the Chinese ride-hailing firm boasts a market value around $15 billion. That’s larger than just about any other firm whose shares are primarily quoted over-the-counter in the US, and even puts it among the top ranks of NYSE-listed firms American Depositary Receipts, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Nine-year-old Xpeng just reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss as it struggles to ramp up deliveries. It has stoked investor concern with its sales decline and weak margins, and was forced to delay its profitability target and overhaul internal management.
Didi could increase its stake in Xpeng to 5% if the new mass-market brand reaches 100,000 deliveries for two consecutive years, according to the agreement.
--With assistance from Peter Elstrom, Linda Lew and Farah Elbahrawy.
Chinese ride-hailing firm Didi Global sells its EV unit to Xpeng as the two plan to launch a mass-market brand in 2024
South China Morning Post Mon, August 28, 2023
Chinese ride-hailing firm Didi Global has agreed to sell its electric vehicle (EV) arm to EV maker Xpeng in exchange for shares worth HK$5.84 billion (US$744 million), exiting a once promising business that is now crowded with 200-odd players.
Guangzhou-based Xpeng will issue the shares at HK$64.03 apiece to pay for the asset, according to their exchange filings on Monday. Beijing-based Didi, which was slapped with an 8 billion yuan (US$1.1 billion) fine for data violations, will own 3.25 per cent of Xpeng's enlarged capital.
"The Chinese EV market has great potential, but latecomers now have slim chances of making a success due to fierce competition," said Cao Hua, a partner at Shanghai-based private equity firm Unity Asset Management, which invests in vehicle supply-chain firms. "The deal enables Xpeng to take advantage of Didi's business platforms to promote its vehicles while helping Didi dodge the cutthroat market before its designed models go into production."
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The Didi Global headquarters in Beijing, pictured on June 9, 2022. Photo: Bloomberg alt=The Didi Global headquarters in Beijing, pictured on June 9, 2022. Photo: Bloomberg>
The move follows Volkswagen Group's US$700 million investment in Xpeng in July for a 4.99 per cent stake. The two companies plan to roll out two VW-badged midsize EVs in 2026 on the mainland.
Xpeng jumped 10.9 per cent to HK$72.20 in Hong Kong in a bullish market as the Hang Seng Index logged a 1 per cent gain. Didi declined 2.2 per cent to US$3.17 in over-the-counter trading in New York on Friday.
Didi will continue to "deepen our cooperation with Xpeng in multiple areas, driving transformation of the transportation and automotive industries", Cheng Wei, chairman and CEO of Didi, said in a statement on Monday.
He Xiaopeng, Xpeng's co-founder and CEO, said the EV start-up will explore working with Didi in certain fields such as marketing, insurance service, charging, robotic taxis and international expansion as the two pursue a leading position in the future of mobility.
"Both parties will explore cooperation opportunities in various areas," he said in a statement. "Xpeng will continue to create value and capture growth opportunities in the mobility ecosystem as well as in autonomous driving."
Didi will be entitled to increase its stake in Xpeng under a performance-based incentive mechanism, according to the exchange filings. Xpeng plans to launch a new brand, Mona, under the partnership with Didi in 2024. Didi will have the right to increase its holdings in the EV maker if the new brand - targeting a mass-market price segment of 150,000 yuan - meets delivery targets.
At present, Xpeng builds smart EVs featuring preliminary autonomous driving systems and fast charging technology, which are priced above 200,000 yuan.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) probed Didi between 2021 and 2022, announcing in July last year that the firm had committed 16 offences involving the illegal collection of data from drivers and passengers. It also fined the firm 8 billion yuan before allowing it to resume registrations of new users and make its main app available for download again in China in January.
Didi's car plans can be traced back to 2016 when it created an autonomous driving unit. The unit became an independent company in 2019, developing autonomous driving technology with a team of over 250 engineers.
Xpeng, Shanghai-based Nio and Beijing-headquartered Li Auto are viewed as China's main challengers to Tesla.
Xpeng's G6 sport-utility vehicle, launched in June, has limited autonomous driving abilities and can navigate the streets of China's leading cities, like Beijing and Shanghai, using Xpeng's X NGP (Navigation Guided Pilot) software, which is similar to Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. FSD has not been approved by Chinese authorities. Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
BYD’s iPad-Making Arm Pays $2.2 Billion for Jabil China
Bloomberg News Sun, August 27, 2023
(Bloomberg) -- The electronics arm of electric-vehicle maker BYD Co. agreed to buy Jabil Inc.’s manufacturing business in China for 15.8 billion yuan ($2.2 billion), expanding its production base in the world’s largest mobile arena.
BYD Electronic International Co., a non-wholly owned unit of one of China’s biggest EV makers, is taking over the US company’s product manufacturing business located in Chengdu and Wuxi, China, it said in a statement Monday. The pact includes the manufacturing of products for existing customers.
The deal marks the latest retreat by a manufacturer from China, as geopolitical tensions force suppliers to scout alternative locations for making the components that go into everything from Apple Inc. iPhones and iPads to Dell computers. It also accelerates BYD’s expansion into mobile electronics. The EV giant’s electronics arm makes a wide variety of products from smartphone cases to wireless modules used in cars, and it operates plants in China and Vietnam that make components for Apple.
Shares of BYD Electronic dropped 5.6% in early Hong Kong trading, while parent BYD advanced 2.1%. Jabil has been one of the largest contract manufacturers in China, hiring tens of thousands of workers in Sichuan, Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces to make and assemble parts for Apple. The company said in a separate statement the sale will allow it to “enhance our shareholder-centric capital framework, including incremental share buybacks.” Amid the prolonged US-China trade war, some Apple suppliers have reduced their exposure to China. Catcher Technology Co. sold two key businesses in China to a local peer, while iPhone maker Wistron Corp. sold its Apple assembly plants in the country to Luxshare Precision Industry Co.
What Bloomberg Intelligence Says
Jabil’s deal with BYD Electronic to sellits mobility business-related production arms inChina for $2.2 billion might imply a forward price-to-sales ratio of 0.58x, we calculate, much higherthan the BI Global EMS/ODM peer group’s 0.35xand Jabil’s own valuation of 0.39x. The sale at apremium could help Jabil further reduce exposure to consumer electronics, focus on new growthdrivers and boost buybacks.
- Steven Tseng and Charles Shum, analysts
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Young consumers in Southeast Asia prefer budget phones over Apple's iPhones and Samsung's high-end handsets: survey
South China Morning Post Mon, August 21, 2023
An overwhelming majority of young consumers in Southeast Asia are more attracted to mid-range or budget phones than higher-end models from established brands like Samsung Electronics and Apple, according to a new survey.
The survey, conducted by British market research firm YouGov and sponsored by Xiaomi-backed smartphone brand Poco, covered 2,500 Gen Z and millennial consumers - defined as those aged between 18 and 40 - in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
More than three-quarters of respondents agreed that they prefer "mid-range" phones, including 37 per cent who "strongly" agreed with that preference.
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Almost eight out of every 10 respondents said they are more confident in mid-range mobile phones than five years ago, because those devices are affordable and budget friendly, strike a good balance between price and performance, and fulfil user needs without excessive features. People with their smartphones in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
Poco, which was spun off from Beijing-based Xiaomi in 2020, is trying to win young smartphone users in Southeast Asia with its pitch for good price-to-value handsets, such as its newly released Poco M3 Pro 5G, which sells in Indonesia at a starting price of 2,399,000 rupiah (US$156.5).
The device comes with 5G connectivity and a dual-SIM slot. It is marketed for its adaptable screen refresh rate, which adjusts depending on the content shown, helping users conserve battery.
"When it comes to the rise of gaming in Southeast Asia, or even around the world, we want to put more focus on the roots, the basics, and perfecting the mid-range market, where we can find the perfect balance between price value and product," said Angus Ng, product marketing head at Poco Global.
The YouGov survey found that young consumers in Southeast Asia mainly use their handsets for entertainment, with 80 per cent of respondents saying they bought their phones to watch videos and 60 per cent saying they play mobile games on their devices.
More than half of the respondents shop online at least several times a week.
In general, Gen Z spend more time on their mobile phones than their older millennial counterparts, according to the survey. For instance, Gen Z respondents on average spend 10 hours a week on social media, compared with 7.7 hours for millennials.
The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of mobile phones for entertainment, which has raised consumers' expectations on the technical performance of their devices, according to Jenny Armshaw-Heak, director at YouGov.
"We're seeing a focus on utility and storage capacity, performance, speed and features, which will enhance [the user] experience across the board, and particularly in relation to gaming, which we all know [users] love and enjoy on an almost daily basis," she said. People use smartphones to take pictures and video at a park in Manila, Philippines.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The Southeast Asian smartphone market is currently led by Samsung, which had a 27 per cent share in the first quarter of 2023, followed by Chinese brands Oppo, Xiaomi, Vivo and Realme, according to statistics from research firm Canalys.
While smartphone shipments to the region fell 21 per cent from a year ago during that quarter, analysts expect the numbers to rise 7 per cent next year, driven by a rebound in demand. "2024 is expected to spin a different story," said Sheng Win Chow, analyst at Canalys. "Looking ahead, Southeast Asia continues to be a promising market for smartphone manufacturers, thanks to its expanding middle class and young population, which are key customer segments for smartphone vendors."
However, budget brands also face growing competition from vendors of premium handsets.
"The rise in digital payments and financing options in the region makes high-end devices more affordable for the masses," said Chow.
Shipments of Apple's iPhones rose 18 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter, while Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi all saw their shipments drop, according to a separate report by research firm Counterpoint.
Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Friday, August 18, 2023
New program takes us one step closer to autonomous robots
by Peter Grad , Tech Xplore
Feasibility verification for push door with recoil behaviors. Credit: Science Robotics (2023). DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adg5014
We've watched the remarkable evolution of robotics over the past decade with models that can walk, talk and make gestures like humans, undertake tasks from moving heavy machinery to delicately manipulating tiny objects, and maintain balance on two or four legs over rough and hostile terrain.
As impressive as the latest robots are, their accomplishments are largely the result of task-specific programming or remote instruction from humans.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a program that helps robots tackle activities that do not rely on "prerecorded expert demonstrations," as the developers put it, or "densely engineered rewards."
Instead, they designed an approach in which the robot can "rapidly discover a feasible and near optimal multi-modal sequence that solves the task." In other words, they provide an environment in which robots can achieve objectives with minimal guidance from human operators.
The research was reported in the Aug. 16 edition of Science Robotics. The paper, "Versatile multicontact planning and control for legged loco-manipulation," was prepared by Jean-Pierre Sleiman, Farbod Farshidian and Marco Hunter of the Robotic Systems Lab at the public research university ETH Zurich.
"Given high-level descriptions of the robot and object, along with a task specification encoded through a sparse objective," Sleiman said, "our planner holistically discovers how the robot should move, what forces it should exert, what limbs it should use, as well as when and where it should establish or break contact with the object."
Demonstration videos show ANYbotics' quadrupedal ANYmal mastering the opening of a dishwasher door and deftly opening a weighted door and keeping it open with a leg while maneuvering through.
"The framework can be readily adapted to different kinds of mobile manipulators," Sleiman said.
The last several years have seen great strides in robotic development. Boston Dynamics, a leading player in the field of robotics, created Atlas in 2013. With stereo vision and fine motor abilities, it could maintain balance in a hostile environment. It eventually was improved to get in and out of vehicles, open doors and handle power equipment. Agility Robotics' Cassie in 2016 exhibited superior walking and running capacity.
In 2017, a lifelike Sophia that smoothly mimicked human gestures and behavior was dispatched to assist the elderly in nursing facilities and play with children. And highly advanced tactile manipulation was demonstrated in 2019 with OpenAI's Dactyl: After training sessions that its developers estimated would take humans 13,000 years to complete, the single-handed Dactyl could easily manipulate a Rubik's cube and solve the 3D combination puzzle, which has stymied millions of users since its release in 1974, in just four minutes.
Planning and control architecture for multicontact loco-manipulation. Credit: Science Robotics (2023). DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adg5014
More recently, the last few years have seen Boston Dynamics' four-legged Spot, which can walk three miles, climb hills, conquer obstacles and perform specialized tasks. And Ameca, considered one of the most—if not the most—lifelike robot, engages in smooth conversation and generates facial expressions and hand gestures that are remarkably humanlike.
ETH Zurich, which would take the grand accomplishments of its predecessors and eliminate—or at least greatly reduce—the need for humans to control robots behind the scenes, has taken a key step in the next stage of robot development.
More information: Jean-Pierre Sleiman et al, Versatile multicontact planning and control for legged loco-manipulation, Science Robotics (2023). DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adg5014
Lifelike robots and android dogs wow visitors at Beijing robotics fair
A human-like robot performs near robots of faces that mimic human expressions during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023.
Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Winking, grimacing or nodding their heads, robots mimicked the expressions of visitors at a robot expo in Beijing.
They were among the creations dazzling people attending the annual World Robot Conference, where companies showed off robots designed for a wide range of uses, including manufacturing, surgery and companionship.
The animatronic heads and humanoid robots on display at the EX Robots booth this week personified the image of what robots are supposed to be in the popular imagination, with synthetic skin and lifelike facial expressions complimented by moving arms and hands.
CEO Li Boyang said they're ideal for roles that require interacting with the public, such as in museums, tourist attractions, school settings and "companion scenarios."
Doggie droids—a mainstay of high tech fairs—were out in force. Canine robots shook hands with fairgoers and performed handstands on their front paws.
Elsewhere at the fair, robotic arms served Chinese tea, prepared ice cream cones, bounced ping pong balls and gave visitors back massages.
Harvesting robots demonstrated how they could pick apples off the branch, while an artist robot drew portraits of visitors.
Industrial robot arms for factory production lines also grabbed focus. One of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's goals is to move the country's vast manufacturing sector away from low-cost creation of cheap goods into more high-tech production, and industrial robots will be an important element of that plan.
Human like robots and robotic faces that mimic human expressions are displayed at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
A worker charges robots displayed at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
Visitors watch human-like robots and robotic faces that mimic human expressions during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
A man looks at the industrial robotic arms from Yaskawa Shougang Robot Co. Ltd on display at the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Visitors watch a robotic arm playing a table tennis ball during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
An exhibitor watches a visitor receiving a massage by a robotic arm during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Visitors look at the remote control robots perform during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
A visitor touches robotic fingers during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Visitors look at robots perform on stage during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
A robot face capable of mimicking human like expressions is displayed near robotic arms at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
An exhibitor teaches a visitor to control a robotic arm during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Visitors look at a robotic arm performs a Chinese tea serving during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
A woman poses in front of a six arm robot at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
Visitors look at robot palms during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Children gather to watch a robotic arm perform ice cream serving during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Visitors look at remotely controled robots perform a jump during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
A device for scanning the human brain to help diagnose mental afflictions is displayed at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
An exhibitor walks with his robot passing by visitors during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Visitors look at a remote control robot perform a walk during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Robotic arms perform near a robotic face capable of mimicking human-like expressions during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
A human like cyborg and an image of a robot dog is displayed at the Xiaomi booth at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
A robot receptionist with a screen showing Chinese President Xi Jinping is displayed at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
Visitors look at an exhibitor showcasing a walking robot during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Visitors look at a robotic arm performs a Chinese tea serving during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Visitors take a close look at an artificial heart during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Children watch a 2-wheel robot perform at the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
An exhibitor walks with his robot passing by visitors during the annual World Robot Conference at the Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong
A panda shaped robot is prepared for a demonstration at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
A man tests a device that uses brain activities and virtual reality to control other machines at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
Workers sit near images of robotic arms from Estun a Chinese manufacturer of industrial robots at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
A woman pushes robots around at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
A worker stands next to apples harvesting robot displayed at the annual World Robot Conference held at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
Visitors record a robot that can draw portraits for them at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
A man prepares to demonstrate a robot capable of walking on two limbs at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
An artificial heart is displayed at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
Workers demonstrate a giant robot at the annual World Robot Conference at the Beijing Etrong International Exhibition and Convention Center, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
CHINA AND India are not on the friendliest of terms. In 2020 their soldiers clashed along their disputed border in the deadliest confrontation between the two since 1967—then clashed again in 2021 and 2022. That has made trade between the Asian giants a tense affair. Tense but, especially for India, still indispensable. Indian consumers rely on cheap Chinese goods, and Indian companies rely on cheap Chinese inputs, particularly in industries of the future. Whereas India sells China the products of the old economy—crustaceans, cotton, granite, diamonds, petrol—China sends India memory chips, integrated circuits and pharmaceutical ingredients. As a result, trade is becoming ever more lopsided. Of the $117bn in goods that flowed between the two countries in 2022, 87% came from China (see chart).
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, wants to reduce this Sino-dependence. One reason is strategic—relying on a mercurial adversary for critical imports carries risks. Another is commercial—Mr Modi is trying to replicate China’s nationalistic, export-oriented growth model, which means seizing some business from China. In recent months his government’s efforts to decouple parts of the Indian economy from its larger neighbour’s have intensified. On August 3rd India announced new licensing restrictions for imported laptops and personal computers—devices that come primarily from China. A week later it was reported that similar measures were being considered for cameras and printers.
Officially, India is open to Chinese business, as long as this conforms with Indian laws. In practice, India’s government uses a number of tools to make Chinese firms’ life in India difficult or impossible. The bluntest of these is outright prohibitions on Chinese products, often on grounds related to national security. In the aftermath of the border hostilities in 2020, for example, the government banned 118 Chinese apps, including TikTok (a short-video sensation), WeChat (a super-app), Shein (a fast-fashion retailer) and just about any other service that captured data about Indian users. Hundreds more apps were banned for similar reasons throughout 2022 and this year. Makers of telecoms gear, such as Huawei and ZTE, have received the same treatment, out of fear that their hardware could let Chinese spooks eavesdrop on Indian citizens.
Tariffs are another popular tactic. In 2018, in an effort to reverse the demise of Indian mobile-phone assembly at the hands of Chinese rivals, the government imposed a 20% levy on imported devices. In 2020 it tripled tariffs on toy imports, most of which come from China, to 60% then, at the start of this year, raised them to 70%. India’s toy imports have since declined by three-quarters.
Sometimes the Indian government eschews official actions such as bans and tariffs in favour of more subtle ones. A common tactic is to introduce bureaucratic friction. India’s red tape makes it easy for officials to find fault with disfavoured businesses. Non-compliance with tax rules, so impenetrable that it is almost impossible to abide by them all, are a favourite accusation. Two smartphone makers, Xiaomi and BBK Electronics (which owns three popular brands, Oppo/OnePlus, Realme and Vivo), are under investigation for allegedly shortchanging the Indian taxman a combined $1.1bn. On August 2nd news outlets cited anonymous government officials saying that the Indian arm of BYD, a Chinese carmaker, was under investigation over allegations that it paid $9m less than it owed in tariffs for parts imported from abroad. MG Motor, a subsidiary of SAIC, another Chinese car firm, faces investment restrictions and a tax probe.
A convoluted licensing regime gives Indian authorities more ways to stymie Chinese business. In April 2020 India declared that investments from countries sharing a border with it must receive special approvals. No specific neighbour was named but the target was clearly China. Since then India has approved less than a quarter of the 435 applications for foreign direct investment from the country. According to Business Today, a local outlet, only three received the thumbs-up in India’s last fiscal year, which ended in March. Last month reports surfaced that a proposed joint venture between BYD and Megha Engineering, an Indian industrial firm, to build electric vehicles and batteries failed to win approval over security reasons.
Luxshare, a big Chinese manufacturer of devices for, among others, Apple, has yet to open a factory in Tamil Nadu, despite signing an agreement with the state in 2021. The reason for the delay is believed to be an unspoken blanket ban from the central government in Delhi on new facilities owned by Chinese companies. In early August the often slow-moving Indian parliament whisked through a new law easing the approval process for new lithium mines after a potentially large deposit of the metal, used in batteries, was unearthed earlier this year. Miners are welcome to submit applications, but Chinese bidders are expected to be viewed unfavourably.
In parallel to its blocking efforts, India is using policy to dislodge China as a leader in various markets. India’s $33bn programme of “production-linked incentives” (cash payments tied to sales, investment and output) has identified 14 areas of interest, many of which are currently dominated by Chinese companies.
One example is pharmaceutical ingredients, which Indian drugmakers have for years mostly procured from China. In February the Indian government started doling out handouts worth $2bn over six years to companies that agree to manufacture 41 of these substances domestically. Big pharmaceutical firms such as Aurobindo, Biocon, Dr Reddy’s and Strides are participating. Another is electronics. Contract manufacturers of Apple’s iPhones, such as Foxconn and Pegatron of Taiwan and Tata, an Indian conglomerate, are allowed to purchase Chinese-made components for assembly in India provided they make efforts to nurture local suppliers, too. A similar arrangement has apparently been offered to Tesla, which is looking for new locations to make its electric cars.
Some Chinese firms, tired of jumping through all these hoops, are calling it quits. In July 2022, after two years of efforts that included a promise to invest $1bn in India, Great Wall Motors closed its Indian carmaking operation, unable to secure local approvals. Others are trying to adapt. Xiaomi has said it will localise all its production and expand exports from India which, so far, go only to neighbouring countries, to Western markets. Shein will re-enter the Indian market through a joint venture with Reliance, India’s most valuable listed company, renowned for its ability to navigate Indian bureaucracy and politics. ZTE is reportedly attempting to arrange a licensing deal with a domestic manufacturer to make its networking equipment. So far it has found no takers. Given India’s growing suspicions of China, it may be a while before it does.
