BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 humanoid robots competed in 2026 Beijing E-Town half-marathon on Sunday, with the winner outpacing all human competitors. In the area where the race took place, service robots offering moxibustion and massage are already being used to care for the elderly.
The scenes underscored China's accelerating push to integrate digital technologies into everyday life. In the first quarter, the number of AI-related patents granted in the country rose 31.2 percent year on year.
Robust information infrastructure laid a solid foundation for the growth. By the end of 2025, China had deployed more than 4.8 million 5G base stations. Its internet user base reached 1.125 billion, including 602 million users of generative AI.
The commercial impact is becoming more visible. China's digital economy generated 38.3 trillion yuan (5.3 trillion U.S. dollars) in revenue last year, with profits reaching 3.1 trillion yuan, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. A growing share of these gains is now being driven by industrial applications, rather than consumer platforms alone.
The industrial internet is now applied across all major sectors, with 100 advanced 5G-enabled factories meeting global leading standards, according to the ministry. These facilities reported a 25 percent increase in average production capacity, a 21 percent improvement in product quality and a 19 percent reduction in operating costs.
China is now looking to push the trend, leveraging digital technology to boost productivity. Its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) proposes "moderately advanced construction of new infrastructure," including 500,000 5G-A base stations, further research into 6G, and networking of low-orbit satellite internet.
"Compared with 5G, 6G will deliver a significant boost in communication performance, achieving deep integration of communication, sensing, computing, AI, and security, while setting new benchmarks for all-domain coverage across space, air, and ground," said Zhang Ping, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, was quoted as saying by a media report.
He said that 6G is likely to become a new engine of economic growth beyond 2030, driving a new phase of digital transformation in both consumer and industrial sectors.
The top-level plan is also seeking to benefit people's livelihood with plans to build a "digital and intelligent public service network," and expand applications in healthcare, elderly care and disability support.
At the same time, regulators are moving to define the boundaries of that expansion. By the end of 2025, China had introduced more than 180 laws and regulations related to cyberspace. A newly revised Cybersecurity Law, which took effect on Jan. 1, places greater emphasis on AI ethics and risk monitoring to deal with challenges that come with rapid deployment.
"AI should always center on delivering tangible benefits to people's livelihood. While its exploration shall align with public judgment and choices, ensuring that it serves the common aspirations and needs of humanity," said Jiang Xiaojuan, director of the national data expert advisory committee.
China is also stepping up international cooperation on digital governance. Through initiatives such as the Global Initiative on Data Security and the Global AI Governance Initiative, it aims not only to improve global frameworks under the UN framework, but also to narrow the digital divide and steer technological development in line with broader human progress. ■
