By Meng Fanzhe, People’s Daily
From home service robots that can prepare a sandwich and teach English to children, to high-speed trains pushing the limits of travel efficiency, China is demonstrating how technology can create meaningful improvements in daily life. At a recent home service robot conference, humanoid machines drew crowds with lifelike demonstrations of household tasks such as cleaning tables, folding laundry and assisting with childcare, offering a glimpse into a future where advanced technology becomes a routine domestic companion.
China has long positioned the enhancement of public well-being as the core mission of scientific and technological progress. In recent years, a growing number of small but impactful innovations have been integrated into everyday routines, reflecting society’s increasing aspiration for a better quality of life. On farmlands, intelligent harvesters are now capable of processing nearly 600 kilograms of grain per minute, significantly elevating agricultural efficiency. In hospitals, domestically developed orthopedic and endoscopic robots are being deployed in operating rooms, while eldercare institutions are adopting smart wristbands and canes to deliver more responsive and personalised services.
As Friedrich Engels observed, when society presents a genuine demand, it often accelerates scientific development more powerfully than academic research alone. With a population surpassing 1.4 billion and a middle-income group of over 400 million, China possesses vast application scenarios and an enormous market that drives the rapid integration of new technologies. This dynamic interaction between consumer demand and industrial innovation continues to fuel growth across emerging sectors.
The rollout of the Fuxing CR450 high-speed train is expected to reshape travel efficiency while helping China’s rail equipment industry surpass the trillion-yuan mark. Rapid advancements in commercial space technology, including frequent satellite launches, are enabling precision agriculture and are projected to push the country’s commercial space industry to an estimated 2.8 trillion yuan by 2025. Meanwhile, nuclear power projects such as Hualong One and Guohe One each generate more than 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, supplying power to millions of households.
These developments reflect how a market-driven, application-focused approach helps convert scientific capability into tangible benefits for society. International observers have taken note. Jose Maria Viera, executive director of the International Disability Alliance, remarked that China is increasingly investing resources to ensure people with disabilities can live the lives they aspire to, highlighting the role of accessible technology in public welfare.
Hospitals nationwide have adopted AI-assisted navigation systems to simplify medical visits, while digital social security cards now allow citizens to access benefits, transfer pension accounts and apply for payments online with fewer in-person formalities. Such practical innovations address long-standing challenges and enhance people’s sense of fulfilment, happiness and security.
At a deeper level, the push for technology that genuinely serves the public good is shaping the direction of innovation itself. Emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine and gene editing are unlocking new possibilities, but they also bring ethical and governance challenges. Large language models may raise privacy concerns, while face-swapping and voice-cloning tools carry the risk of misuse.
As technological influence expands, innovation is no longer solely a technical matter; it carries social, ethical and regulatory responsibilities. Ensuring that technology advances responsibly will require sound governance frameworks alongside scientific progress.
Ultimately, China’s approach underscores a clear philosophy: innovation must serve humanity. By prioritising real-world applications and expanding access to advanced technologies, the country aims to ensure that the benefits of progress are widely shared, laying the foundation for a better quality of life for all.
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