Intl. journalists examine SZ's tech edge via Q&A at robotics firm

Video by Lin Jianping

A delegation of approximately 30 journalists from major international media outlets in Japan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, alongside reporters from China's Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, concluded a three-city tour of southern China in Shenzhen on Thursday.

A panda robot developed by UBTECH Robotics performs for visiting international journalists at the company’s showroom in Nanshan District on June 12. Photos by Lin Jinaping except otherwise stated

The visit, spanning Guangzhou, Dongguan, and Shenzhen from Tuesday to Thursday, offered a deep dive into Guangdong’s innovation engine.

A panda robot developed by UBTECH Robotics performs for visiting international journalists at the company’s showroom in Nanshan District on June 12. 

In Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, the group visited companies involved in new energy vehicles and urban air mobility technology. In Dongguan, they toured enterprises specializing in intelligent equipment manufacturing and consumer electronics.

Journalists capture the moment as UBTECH’s Walker S1 humanoid robot completes a demonstration at the company’s showroom in Nanshan District, showcasing the latest in intelligent robotics technology.

The Shenzhen leg of the tour included visits to the Nanshan Energy Ecological Park, Meituan Technology’s South China headquarters, UBTECH Robotics, and Das Intellitech.

While the visiting journalists largely declined formal interviews, their pointed questions directed at UBTECH Robotics, a Shenzhen-based leader in humanoid robotics, provided a revealing lens into the priorities and concerns of international media observing China’s tech ascent.

William James Langley (R), a journalist from the Financial Times, the U.K.’s leading business newspaper, shakes hands with the panda robot Youyou during a tour to UBTECH Robotics in Shenzhen on Thursday. Zhang Yu

This exchange also served as a strong indication of the global attention focused on Shenzhen’s innovation ecosystem.

Their inquiries focused primarily on recent product improvements, the company’s international partnerships and key geographic markets, the functional advantages of humanoid robots compared to wheeled alternatives, current academic and institutional collaborations, and UBTECH’s competitive positioning relative to other Chinese robotics firms such as Hangzhou-based Unitree.

Beyond robotics, the delegation’s Shenzhen itinerary underscored the city’s diverse technological strengths.

A journalist tests the latest-generation drone at Meituan Technology’s South China headquarters in Longhua District.

At Nanshan Energy Ecological Park, the press corps examined Shenzhen’s waste-to-energy conversion and urban sustainability initiatives. At Meituan Technology, discussions centered on the company’s logistics and delivery technologies. The tour of Das Intellitech focused on Internet of Technology (IoT) products and solutions.

A staff introduce technology to Chinese and international journalists at the company’s showroom in Nanshan District.