Driven by a systemic leap in independent innovation, China’s foreign trade reached a historic high of over CNY25 trillion in the first half, propelled by orders for robots, artificial intelligence (AI) and innovative drugs, collectively known as the “new new three”. The evolution of China’s export portfolio tells a compelling story of continuous industrial upgrading. Decades ago, the “old three” – clothing, furniture and home appliances – dominated shipments, later replaced by the “new three” of new energy vehicles (NEVs), lithium-ion batteries and solar cells. Today, the “new new three” are emerging as the latest champions of Chinese foreign trade.
Chen Yutao, Deputy Director of the Standard Committee at the China Enterprise Confederation under the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), said this evolution represents a concentrated demonstration of China’s shift from advanced manufacturing to an even more comprehensive innovation ecosystem. This year, the accelerated development of the AI sector has seen China exporting algorithms, computing power and digital solutions, alongside rapid growth in AI hardware exports.
Amid the global AI boom, massive amounts of data are transmitted between data centers, with facilities increasingly reliant on advanced optical communication networks. In a production facility of Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable (YOFC) in Wuhan’s Optics Valley in Hubei province, production lines are operating at full capacity. “Special optical fibers used for AI intelligent computing centers are currently in short supply due to the explosive growth of data centers,” said Wen Xiaojiang, General Manager of YOFC’s International Company. Securing these orders is the result of years of technological accumulation. Since China’s first optical fiber was produced in Wuhan in the 1970s, Optics Valley has built an industrial cluster encompassing materials, devices and equipment. Today, more than 800 AI enterprises are based in the area, with the opto-electronic information industry’s annual output exceeding CNY660 billion.
Anticipating AI computing scenarios, YOFC has proactively developed a series of optical fibers for AI computing, propelling China to the forefront of next-generation optical fiber technology. Zheng Xin, Vice President of YOFC, explained they developed this fiber recognizing its advanced concept, believing it would be widely used. “When the AI wave arrived, this fiber was ready for those who were prepared,” Zheng said.
The rise of the “new new three” is heavily supported by China’s robust high-end manufacturing and industrial clusters. Backed by a complete industrial ecology, Chinese robotics has become a frontrunner in the global wave of intelligence. Inside a robotics company in Beijing’s Zhongguancun tech hub, the head of overseas business conducts a video call with a Thai agent, promptly adjusting technical solutions to customize the most suitable products. Founded in 2014, this enterprise has leveraged years of technological reserves to expand globally. Its robots are now deployed in over 40,000 hotels, more than 200 medical institutions and numerous factories in over 20 countries. Utilizing a modular architecture, the company flexibly combines a universal robot chassis with various functional components. Users can dispatch robots to complete multiple tasks by issuing voice or text commands through an AI smartphone assistant. In the first half, China’s cumulative exports of various robots reached 12.947 million units, with a total export value of CNY24.85 billion, reaching more than 160 countries and regions. Relying on abundant application scenarios and comprehensive supply chains, Chinese firms are providing smarter, cost-effective robots worldwide.
While AI and robotics exports primarily involve products and system-based services, the innovative pharmaceutical sector is increasingly characterized by the export of patents and foundational research capabilities. In the first half, 31 domestically produced innovative drugs were approved for market launch nationwide. Two originated from the medicine port in Hangzhou’s Qiantang New Area, a compact hub that has gathered over 300 innovative pharmaceutical companies over the past 10 years. Notably, even before achieving commercial sales, some pharmaceutical companies have already generated overseas revenue through drug patent licensing.
Qian Lili, Chairwoman of I-Mab Biopharma, recalled that 10 years ago, Chinese firms had to wait for products to be launched abroad before introducing them domestically. “Currently, we are out-licensing the rights of our self-developed products to overseas companies,” Qian said. This year, the company completed a business development transaction with U.S. company Biogen for a self-developed anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, with a total deal value of USD850 million and an upfront payment of USD100 million. Such deals allow domestic pharmaceutical companies to jointly advance research and development (R&D) and sales with global partners, becoming a crucial pathway to enter the international market. In the first half, the total value of China’s out-licensing transactions for innovative drugs exceeded USD100 billion, setting a historical record and pushing the industry’s scale to the second largest globally, the China Daily reports.
