China, the world's leading manufacturing industry under the banner of "Made in China," is now vying for the top spot globally thanks to its use of automation and smart technologies. Western businesspeople and CEOs who have visited China warn that the country's heavily automated manufacturing industry could quickly surpass Western countries, particularly in electric vehicles. Executives describe how robots perform the majority of the work in Chinese factories. Automation in factory production is so advanced that it's not even necessary for people to turn on the lights in the massive, dark factories where production takes place. According to the British Telegraph, Greg Jackson, CEO of the British energy supplier Octopus, described what he saw in China: "We visited a dark factory producing an astronomical number of cell phones. The process was so automated that there were no workers on the production side, just a few people there to make sure the factory was running."
Speaking to The Verge, Ford CEO Jim Farley said, "We're in a global competition with China, and it's not just about electric vehicles. And if we lose this race, Ford has no future." Some companies are abandoning new ventures altogether. Andrew Forrest, founder of mining company Fortescue, says his recent trip to China led him to abandon his plans to produce electric vehicle motors in-house. Speaking to the Telegraph, Forrest described Chinese factories as follows: "There are no humans, everything is robotic."
According to the latest figures from the International Federation of Robotics, China uses significantly more industrial robots than Germany, the US, and the UK combined. The "World Robotics 2025" statistics on industrial robots showed that 542,000 robots were installed in 2024. In 2024, 74 percent of new installations occurred in Asia, 16 percent in Europe, and 9 percent in the US. China has also taken a major step in artificial intelligence as part of its 10-year growth plan. According to Chinese officials, China aims to make AI a "major growth engine" for the country's economic development.
The first warning signs of a future where China will dominate the industrial world have already emerged, particularly regarding electric vehicles. While the US is implementing protectionist measures to protect domestic manufacturers and prevent fierce competition, the same cannot be said for Europe. Chinese-made electric vehicles have made a significant impact in Europe for some time. Meanwhile, China has also expanded automation into people's daily lives. Domestic service robots, taking on tasks such as making sandwiches at home, clearing tables, folding clothes, and even teaching English to children, are just one example of how technological innovation is reshaping daily life.
In agricultural fields, smart harvesters can now process up to 600 kilograms of grain per minute, significantly increasing harvest efficiency. Orthopedic and endoscopic surgical robots developed in China are actively used in operating rooms. In elderly care facilities, smart wristbands and walking sticks are improving the quality of services provided to the elderly. In short, China is now living in the future.
