China's state media criticizes US restrictions on robots as competition fear

China's state media has strongly criticized the United States' import regulations on Chinese robots, labeling them as protectionist measures stemming from an inability to compete. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, via its social media account "YuYuanTanTian," argued that the U.S. is restricting what its own companies require, citing national security as a pretext.

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What the US government wants to block is precisely what American companies need.

The criticism targets the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for adding power inverters used in advanced robots and data centers to its list of security risk equipment, thereby restricting imports. The report claims that while the U.S. is still researching investment and factory construction, Chinese robots are already being "sold worldwide." This perceived anxiety has led the U.S. government to adopt a "let's restrict first" attitude, according to the Chinese media.

China has recently categorized humanoid and quadrupedal robots as "intelligent biomimetic robots" and established a dedicated customs code, "84798970." This move signifies the growing scale of China's robotics industry. The report asserts that approximately 90% of humanoid robots shipped globally last year were manufactured by Chinese companies, and in the first half of this year, Chinese robots were exported to 169 countries and regions.

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The US is still researching 'investment and factory construction' while seeing the reality of Chinese robots 'selling worldwide' before its eyes. The anxious US government has ultimately adopted the attitude of 'let's restrict first and see'.

Furthermore, the report points out the U.S.'s active use of Chinese robots, noting that the U.S. is the largest importer of Chinese humanoid and quadrupedal robots and the second-largest market for China's overall robot exports. Citing an American academic at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, the report states that many U.S. AI research labs utilize Chinese robots. This escalating tech dispute between the U.S. and China now extends to robots and drones, with China's Ministry of Commerce also strengthening export reviews for dual-use items to the U.S. in response to these restrictions.

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Many of America's artificial intelligence laboratories are using Chinese robots.