China’s Export Growth Driven by Robots, AI, and Innovative Drugs
BEIJING, Aug. 7 — China is seeing strong growth in its exports, fueled by advancements in robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and new pharmaceutical innovations. These sectors are becoming key players as the country moves toward higher-value industries focused on innovation.
In July, exports increased by 17.8% compared to the previous year. High-tech items, particularly industrial robots and 3D printers, were responsible for nearly 60% of this growth, according to the General Administration of Customs.
Specifically, exports of industrial robots rose by 13.2%, reaching 7.34 billion yuan (around 1.1 billion U.S. dollars) last month. This growth comes on the heels of 2025, when China first became a net exporter of industrial robots.
In addition to industrial robots, China’s consumer and humanoid robots are becoming popular choices in both manufacturing and daily life globally.
Official statistics reveal that in the first half of this year, exports of surgical robots surged 3.3 times compared to last year, totaling 480 million yuan. Meanwhile, sales of cleaning robots and other advanced robotics, such as robotic dogs and biomimetic creatures, hit 18.09 billion yuan.
AI-related exports are also gaining traction. From January to June, exports of electronic components and computer parts saw double-digit growth, adding 6.9 percentage points to the export increase.
China’s technological reach now extends to digital services, with companies offering AI algorithms, cloud computing, and other digital solutions to international markets. OpenRouter, a platform for language models, reported that all six of the most-used models in July were open-source and developed in China.
In the pharmaceutical field, Chinese firms are expanding their global footprint through licensing agreements for new drugs. In the first half of this year alone, 81 such deals were made with partners in 20 countries, including the U.S., U.K., France, and Italy, reaching 80% of the total expected value for the year.
According to the National Medical Products Administration, China now produces about 30% of the world’s new drugs currently in development, placing it second globally.
This trend highlights China’s commitment to enhancing its export capabilities through innovation and technology.
