By Yao Xueqing

Life aboard vessels navigating China’s Yangtze River has entered a new era of convenience: passengers can now order takeout even while ships are underway.

“It’s just as easy as ordering food on shore—burgers, desserts, drinks, whatever you crave,” said Lu Jingyu, owner of the cargo vessel Xinmao 8868, as he enjoyed a meal delivered by drone. 

On January 16, while sailing from Tongling in Anhui province to Nanjing in Jiangsu province, and  his order arrived promptly, exceeding his expectations.

The Yangtze River, China’s longest river, sustains a vast floating workforce. Approximately 1 million licensed mariners operate along its water, with over 2,000 vessels transiting the Nanjing section daily. Many crew members live and work on board for long periods, making resupply a persistent challenge.

Lu explained that due to complex waterways and currents, cargo vessels on the Yangtze cannot dock freely under current regulations. Stops are permitted only at ports, service areas, or designated anchorages. Even when docking is possible, shore access remains cumbersome, compounding daily difficulties for crews.

In Nanjing, one of China’s first pilot zones for civilian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), transport authorities have built a low-altitude service system that offers full-area coordination and end-to-end support. 

In 2024, Changjiang Hui, a tech firm providing overwater e-commerce services based in Jiangsu province, launched an overwater delivery platform, using drones to service anchored vessels. Following a 2025 service upgrade, the platform now delivers to ships underway.

Lu has become a frequent user of the platform. At 11:30 a.m. that day, he opened the platform’s mini-program on WeChat to order food for the crew. 

“After pre-registering my details — name, phone number, vessel name, and nine-digit ship ID — I simply select our sailing direction and service provider,” he noted. His 77-yuan ($11.07) order included 11 items from three restaurants.

Upon order receipt, the drone operator’s staff forwarded details to a food delivery app. A courier delivered the meals to the operator’s storage area within 30 minutes. Operator Zhang Kai then prepared the order while tracking Xinmao 8868’s real-time position. When the ship entered a three-kilometer radius of the base at 2 p.m., Zhang attached the package to a drone and contacted Lu.

Through an intercom system, Zhang informed Lu that a drone was approaching the red buoy No. 142 and confirmed that it was already in sight. 

“The drone is lowering now. Please don’t stand under the drone and stay safe. Wait until it moves away before picking up the package,” Zhang said. Shortly afterward, the food was successfully delivered. The whole process was finished in just two minutes.

How do drones locate moving ships and deliver accurately? “Our proprietary edge computing module is key,” stated Zhai Haifeng, general manager of Changjiang Hui. The system combines the ordering phone’s GPS data with AI-powered analytics and visual recognition to predict the vessel’s location. The drone then syncs its speed and course to hover above the ship, autonomously locking onto the landing zone.

As Zhang monitored his screen, the drone stabilized and lowered the package via cable. Upon touchdown, the cable automatically detached and retracted. “High-speed propellers make manual retrieval hazardous,” Zhai emphasized. “Our weight-sensing system triggers immediate disengagement after delivery.”

Behind this convenience lies coordinated support from transport authorities. At the drone base servicing Lu, a 5G station and miniature weather station flank the hangar. Maritime safety regulations are prominently displayed in the office.

At present, four such bases have been established along the Nanjing section of the Yangtze River, with two more under construction. Each base has a different focus depending on its location — some specialize in fresh fruits and vegetables, others in prepared meals, and still others in staples such as rice, flour, and cooking oil. On average, the four bases together handle about 200 orders per day, with delivery times ranging from one to two hours from order placement to receipt.

“Now it’s so much easier to grab a bite while sailing,” Lu said. “Some crew members even order flowers to brighten up their day. Life on the water keeps getting more colorful!”

By He Yin, People’s Daily

Recent international discourse has highlighted China’s transformative achievements in the power sector, with foreign media suggesting the nation is poised to become the world’s first major “electrostate.”

As electricity becomes central to the global clean energy transition, experts suggest future economic value may increasingly be measured in wattage.

China’s science-based energy planning has not only strengthened domestic development but also accelerated worldwide decarbonization efforts.

“Electrostate,” a new term gaining traction in global energy and climate policy discussions, refers to the proportion of electricity within a country’s total energy structure.

Latest figures show that by the end of 2025, China’s cumulative grid-connected wind and solar capacity surpassed 1.8 billion kilowatts for the first time, equivalent to the total installed capacity of about 82 Three Gorges projects.

On the consumption side, China’s total electricity use in 2025 exceeded 10 trillion kilowatt-hours, setting a new world record for annual power consumption.

This achievement stands in contrast to challenges faced elsewhere. Some developed economies grapple with persistent issues like power shortages, fragmented grids, and soaring electricity prices. In contrast, China’s electricity consumption nearly doubled over a decade, from about 5.5 trillion kilowatt-hours in 2015 to more than 10 trillion kilowatt-hours in 2025, and is now more than twice that of the United States, exceeding the combined total of the European Union, Russia, India, and Japan. 

China’s recognition as the world’s first “electrostate” is well-deserved. This recognition stems from science-based planning and the steady progress in high-quality development within the energy sector. 

Achievements include constructing 46 ultra-high-voltage transmission projects enabling long-distance power transfer (west-to-east and north-to-south), accelerating a unified national electricity market, and aligning initiatives like “East Data, West Computing” with optimized energy distribution. China’s planning-driven governance has vividly demonstrated both remarkable efficiency and tangible achievements in green development.

China’s emergence as the world’s first “electrostate” offers a model for the global green energy transition. 

The International Energy Agency noted that the age of electricity has arrived. Electricity is the primary option for replacing fossil fuels in end-use consumption and the main pathway for harnessing new energy sources. 

In China, more than one-third of the electricity consumed is generated from renewable sources. By 2025, China’s combined installed capacity of wind and solar power had surpassed that of thermal power for the first time. More than 95 percent of China’s coal-fired power units have achieved ultra-low emissions, and over half are capable of deep peak regulation, forming the world’s largest clean coal power supply system. 

On the demand side, sectors like transportation, industry, and construction are actively advancing electrification, steadily substituting coal, oil, and gas with electricity. Looking ahead, China’s electrification rate is projected to rise steadily, reaching around 35 percent by 2030.

As the world’s largest developing nation and second-largest economy, China continues to pursue its energy transition with unwavering commitment, injecting robust momentum into global green development. 

International observers note that Chinese enterprises are helping pave the way toward a world powered by electricity rather than internal combustion engines — truly “a 21st-century vision of progress.”

The empowering role of Chinese technology, Chinese manufacturing capacity, and Chinese solutions in the global energy transition is becoming increasingly evident. 

China supplies about 70 percent of the world’s wind power equipment and 80 percent of photovoltaic panels. Exports of wind turbines, solar components, and new energy vehicles reach more than 200 countries and regions. 

For instance, in sub-Saharan Africa, Chinese off-grid solar systems account for more than half of new electricity connections. In Pakistan, Chinese-made solar panels have become a popular investment choice. In Laos, construction of the China-Laos 500-kilovolt power interconnection project is accelerating and, once completed, will transmit about 3 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually. 

From taking the lead in formulating the world’s first international standard for photovoltaic direct current technologies, to facilitating agreements covering projects with a total installed capacity of 12 million kilowatts at the Energy Ministers Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization last year, China has actively promoted technology sharing, joint standard-setting, and cooperative rule-making. 

Through a “shared supply” model, China contributes to solving global energy challenges and offers accessible, affordable transition pathways for developing nations worldwide. China’s emergence as the world’s first “electrostate” epitomizes the country’s high-quality development and mirrors a new global energy landscape, one powered by electricity and built on a green foundation, now rapidly taking shape.

By Wu Jun, People’s Daily

In China, car dealerships are commonly known as 4S stores, a model that integrates sales, spare parts, service, and surveys under one roof. Now, a groundbreaking concept is emerging: a robot 7S store in Wuhan, capital city of central China’s Hubei province.

This pioneering store expands beyond the traditional 4S functions to include solutions, showcase and skills training. This model covers nearly the entire humanoid robot value chain, from key components and complete units to real-world application scenarios.

Inside the store, humanoid robots of different sizes and forms are busy at work: some kick footballs, some assist with sales, others play music. 

“We currently have 17 models of humanoid robots on display, priced from 7,999 yuan ($1152.89) to 700,000 yuan,” said store manager Hu Longdan. “They can be used in more than 10 scenarios, including industrial manufacturing, tourism guiding, elderly care and rehabilitation, and special operations.”

At the entrance of the store, a humanoid robot with wheels beneath its feet greets visitors. Named Yuanyou (meaning “traveling far”), the robot stands 158 centimeters tall, weighs 72 kilograms, and can move at a speed of 1.5 meters per second. 

“Yuanyou is a homegrown ‘Hubei native,'” Hu explained. For the past nine months, it has been working at Xianning Central Hospital in Hubei province, providing services such as patient guidance, explanations, and moxibustion therapy. It is the first humanoid robot in Hubei to work in a hospital.

“Before developing Yuanyou, we conducted extensive research into user needs,” said Yuan Chao, general manager of HandX, the developer of the robot. “We designed different ‘organs’ and ’tissues’ — hardware, software, and algorithms — and then assembled them into a complete humanoid robot.” 

He noted that a team led by Academician Liu Sheng from Wuhan University’s School of Microelectronics provided solutions in sensors and AI, while Hubei’s local humanoid robot enterprises supplied more than 80 percent of the hardware components. 

“Hubei has 20 core companies engaged in humanoid robot components and nearly 1,000 related enterprises,” Yuan said. “Key components such as the ‘brain,’ ‘skeleton,’ and ‘electronic skin’ can all be sourced locally.”

The journey from research and development to production was remarkably swift, taking only six months. In April 2025, the first Yuanyou robot rolled off the production line, and the product has now entered mass production. According to Yuan, the company has built four automated humanoid robot production lines with an annual capacity of 1,500 units.

Manufacturing robots is just the beginning; effectively deploying them is equally critical. To address this, Hubei established the Hubei Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center in June 2025 — effectively a “school” for humanoid robots. Every newly manufactured robot can undergo systematic training there under the guidance of data collection specialists.

“We offer 23 simulation scenarios and more than 10 temporary ones, allowing over 100 humanoid robots to train simultaneously,” said Liu Chuanhou, chief operating officer of the center. “We can collect over 1 million real-machine data entries each year. After verification, labeling, and cleaning, the data are fed into large-model training, enabling the robots to continuously evolve.”

So far, the 7S store has achieved revenue exceeding 600,000 yuan from various businesses including experiential consumption, sales, tours, and robot rentals. Hu noted that the store is backed by Hubei’s increasingly robust industrial ecosystem for humanoid robots. 

“The current capabilities of humanoid robots are still limited,” Hu acknowledged, “but they are poised to enter households and serve diverse industries in the near future, becoming integral to daily life.”

As one of the world’s most dynamic innovation hubs in the humanoid robot sector, China has in recent years seen rapid improvements in overall robot performance and expanding application scenarios, ranging from automobile manufacturing and computer, communication and consumer electronics assembly to warehousing, logistics, and smart elderly care.

Li Miao, a professor at the School of Robotics at Wuhan University, noted that the industry’s surge is the result of multiple forces converging. 

“Large AI models provide robots with a ‘brain,’ open-source operating systems lower development barriers, and the costs of key hardware such as motors, sensors, and reducers continue to fall, making high-performance humanoid robots feasible,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the digital and intelligent transformation across manufacturing and service sectors has generated substantial market demand, while robust national strategies and policy support are accelerating the influx of capital and talent. “Over the next five years,” Li added, “China’s humanoid robot industry is poised to transition from a phase of intense attention to one of tangible maturity.”