Over the past five years, Eric, an international student from Bolivia and a graduate student in mechanical engineering at Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), has witnessed China's technological breakthroughs in robotics and intelligent manufacturing.

"When I first arrived in China, we initially used industrial robots, mainly those robotic arms, and then began to shift towards humanoid robots. At that time, many technologies related to humanoid robots were mostly still in the experimental stage in labs or just concepts in books. Now, we can see many of these technologies being practically applied. The speed of this development is truly remarkable," said Eric.

Data shows that in 2024, the sales of industrial robots in China reached 302,000 units, maintaining its position as the largest market in the world for 12 consecutive years.

The diversification of application scenarios astonishes Eric even more. Currently, industrial robots in China are utilized across 71 major industry categories and 236 subcategories within the national economy, with the density of manufacturing robots rising to the third highest globally. The popularity of service robots has significantly increased in areas such as domestic services, warehousing and logistics, commercial services, elderly care and assistance, and medical rehabilitation.

"In China, robots can be seen everywhere."

In recent years, the Belt and Road Initiative has opened up new possibilities for cooperation between China and Bolivia. Eric also looks forward to this initiative providing more opportunities for technological collaboration between the two countries in the future.

Eric said, "In the future, I hope to become an ambassador for technological exchange between Bolivia and China, especially in the field of smart manufacturing. If given the chance, I would like to bring these advanced technologies back to Bolivia. Bolivia is rich in mineral resources, and there must be many opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in mining automation."