American vlogger Christian Grossi shares a video on social media platforms documenting his experience using an exoskeleton device in China in September 2025. Photo: Screenshots from Grossi's social media

Editor's Note: 

2025 marks the starting point for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30). In the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development made public in October, the country has outlined major objectives for high-quality development over the next five years, including significant achievements in high-quality development, substantial improvements in scientific and technological self-reliance and strength, fresh breakthroughs in further deepening comprehensive reform, notable cultural and ethical progress across society, further improvements in quality of life, major new strides in advancing the Beautiful China Initiative, and further advances in strengthening the national security shield. This blueprint not only guides China's own modernization, but also injects tangible certainty into a turbulent world.

Amid the surging "China Travel" boom, more international travelers are visiting China and witnessing real, tangible changes. These firsthand experiences and moments of awe have become, in their eyes, "the future in China's hands." The Global Times is launching a year-end series titled "The world can trust in China," presenting stories of the "Chinese modernization" through the perspectives of foreign vloggers and ordinary Chinese people, to show how China is fulfilling its promises for the future step by step. The first installment focuses on China's technological self-reliance.



"This is literally the future! China is the most technologically advanced country I've ever seen," American vlogger Christian Grossi exclaimed while trying a wearable exoskeleton robot that assists in walking and running during his September visit to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Central China's Hunan Province. The video of his first-hand account has since garnered over 10 million views as of early December.

The exoskeleton Grossi wore precisely embodies the future China is striving to build - one in which technology empowers people's lives, bringing hope and better living experiences to more individuals.

With technological breakthroughs, exoskeleton robots are breaking technical monopolies thanks to their affordable pricing and widespread application. More reports show that they enable people living with disabilities or in rehabilitation to regain mobility, easing the burden on family members and caregivers.

High-level technological self-reliance is the strategic pillar of high-quality development. The Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development (hereinafter referred to as Recommendations) clearly points out that China should significantly strengthen its national capacity for basic research and original innovation, achieve faster progress in securing breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields, and maintain a pace or even lead the way in many more fields.

China keeps pace or even leads the way in many more fields.


'Real China, Real Robots'

"It's moving for me, I am not walking!" Grossi exclaimed excitedly as he walked and even ran with the device in his video clip. "This is real China, real robots!"

The wearable robot weighs less than 2 kilogram and is extremely easy to put on, according to the vlogger. Secured with straps around the waist and leg rods fastened with bands and buckles, it can be donned or removed in under a minute. The simple-looking setup - featuring a waist motor, thigh straps, and a connecting frame - transforms ordinary people into "mountaineering masters." It has already appeared in some Chinese scenic spots, becoming a powerful tool for outdoor enthusiasts.

In Grossi's Instagram comments, one netizen wrote, "This could be so beneficial for the elderly and those with disabilities." Another highly liked comment with over 80,000 likes read: "USA is making AI replace jobs, China is making AI assist humans in their daily lives."

Some foreign netizens were particularly stunned by the price. Grossi noted in his video that the device costs under $1,000 to buy, or just $22 to rent. One commenter replied, "In the USA they would classify it [as] a medical device and sell it for 50k or you would need your health insurance and a prescription." Others declared, "That's wild" or "China [is] living in 2080."

Yu Yunbo, the CEO of Shenzhen-based Kenqing Technology who developed the device, told the Global Times that the robot integrates AI algorithms and multiple sensors, combining ergonomics, dynamics, electronics, and artificial intelligence. It intelligently detects movement intent, capturing actions the moment a leg lifts and providing precise assistance through calculations.

Behind this pricing edge lies the efficient, collaborative industrial chain in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, he explained. "Dozens of our suppliers are basically from the Greater Bay Area. From plastic molding in Dongguan and wearable production in Guangzhou, to assembly in Huizhou and R&D in Shenzhen, this collection of industrial resource advantages has accelerated scaled production."

The efficient supply chain keeps the base model at around 6,000 yuan ($853.6) and the high-end version at under 9,000 yuan - far below international equivalents.
Following its breakout success in hiking scenarios, exoskeleton applications are expanding rapidly.

Lower-limb devices help paraplegics stand and walk; mobility aids assist senior citizens to ascend a flight of stairs; foot pressure systems assess fall risks and design training plans - these were just some demonstrations presented at the 2025 Intelligent Robot Competition, at which innovative robots turned sci-fi concepts into reality.

Unitree robots participate in a combat competition in Chongqing on September 5, 2025. Photo: VCG

'AI assisting daily life' tangible in China

In Shanghai's Hongqiao community AI canteen, an automated cooking system that's mastered over 2,000 dishes, precisely apportions oil and salt while serving meals efficiently; at the International Consumer Goods Fair in April, smart home systems demonstrated the use of AI vision for fall alerts in senior citizen and infant monitoring; Shenzhen's "AI buses" combine autonomous driving and intelligent scheduling, merging smart tools with daily life.

This AI empowerment is particularly vital for China today, where advancements in eldercare services are rapidly evolving to meet a growing need.

According to National Bureau of Statistics data, by the end of 2024, China's population aged 60 and above had exceeded 310 million, accounting for 22 percent of the total.

CCTV Finance reported that in a Shenzhen nursing home, robots handle 24-hour vital sign monitoring and daily activities, alerting staff of emergencies instantly.

Liang Caitang, who spends most of her days in a wheelchair, recently took a stroll down the hallway of her nursing home with the help of a robotic exoskeleton. At the facility, where the average age is over 86 and most residents have limited mobility, this "robot treasure" gently supports seniors to stand, allowing them to move again. The technology not only brings joy and freedom to the seniors, but also eases the caregivers' workload, according to the report. 

In another nursing home in Shenzhen, bedridden seniors living with severe disabilities now rely on a "smart toileting robot" for personal hygiene. The device senses when care is needed and automatically handles cleaning, drying, and deodorizing - all within two to three minutes. By preserving dignity and reducing odors, this innovation shows how technology can protect both comfort and self-respect, per the report.

Dun Zhigang, a senior research fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at the Renmin University of China, said that China has now entered a phase of moderate aging. Robots are now emerging as one of the key solutions to this care-taking pressure. Since the launch of the 14th Five-Year Plan, China has vigorously developed the robotics industry, achieving continuous breakthroughs in technological innovation and sustained growth in industrial scale. Bolstered by both financial and policy support, the robotics industry is embracing new opportunities for rapid development.

This progress in robotics exemplifies a broader national commitment - to building a digital China and strengthening self-reliant innovation in science and technology, according to the scholar.

The aforementioned Recommendations stressed that China should markedly boost the overall performance of its national innovation system and establish a basic framework for the integrated development of education, science and technology, and human resources. It further stated that full integration should be achieved between technological and industrial innovation, and innovation should play a more prominent role in driving development. 

Such strategic planning forms the core support for enabling Chinese modernization through advancements in science and technology. It not only sets the direction for scientific and technological practices in the coming five years but also outlines a clear blueprint for guiding the development of new quality productive forces, Dun added.

In the Recommendations, the term "science and technology" is mentioned 46 times, "innovation" appears 61 times, and "new quality productive forces" are referenced on six separate occasions. This underscores the country's emphasis on technological development and signals China's determination to continuously leverage scientific and technological innovation as a key driver of economic growth, and to firmly "seize the high ground in science and technology" during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, according to a report by the People's Daily.

Data released by the Ministry of Science and Technology in September showed that China's total research and development expenditure in 2024 exceeded 3.6 trillion yuan, an increase of 48 percent compared to 2020. The R&D intensity reached 2.68 percent, surpassing the average level of EU countries, while the number of R&D personnel ranks first in the world. 

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China's scientific and technological capabilities ascended to a new level, with abundant achievements in innovation and steady progress in new quality productive forces, laying a solid foundation for economic and social development in the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Dun stated.

As Dun concluded, the world can trust in China - a nation steadily forging a resilient, forward-looking, and sustainable path of development, driven by technological self-reliance and people-centered innovation.

'This Is the Future!'