China releases national standard system for humanoid robotics and embodied AI

0:00The world is changing fast that you can learn it at a slower pace. Special English. Please note that the following stories are read by AI. You are listening to Special English. A four gigawatt photovoltaic project built on coal mining subsidence areas in Lingwu in northwest China's Ningxia hui autonomous region is now fully operational. Ready to channel green electricity to the country's eastern economic hubs? It marks the completion of Ningxia's major coal mining subsidence area photovoltaic project which comprises the four gigawatt Lingwu complex and a two gigawatt complex in Ningdong

1:02and spans a total area of 180,000 mou or about 12,000 hectares. The six gigawatt project is expected to transmit about 10.8 billion kilowatt hours of clean electricity annually via an ultra high voltage direct current transmission line that connects Ningxia with Jae-Jang province, channeling green power from the country's west to economic hubs in the east. With the launch of full operations, the project can generate enough electricity annually to meet the needs of approximately 7.2 million households and will save about 3.24 million tons of standard coal each year, delivering significant economic, social and environmental benefits.

2:16The project utilizes coal reserve areas, subsidence zones and barren hillsides. It integrates solar panel power generation, sand control and under panel plantation and grazing, forging a new path for green development in ecologically fragile regions. A coal mining subsidence area is an area where the ground subsides and collapses after its underground coal resources are drained. Efforts have been made to transform such areas into new energy hubs in recent years. You are listening to special English.

3:22According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China's carbon dioxide emissions per 10,000 yuan of GDP fell 5% year on year in 2025. As the country made notable progress in energy conservation and carbon reduction and energy consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP, excluding energy used as raw materials and non-fossil energy consumption declined 5.1% year on year in 2025. Power generation from clean energy sources such as hydro power, nuclear power, wind power and solar power reached nearly 4.25 trillion kilowatt hours, up 14.4% over the previous year.

4:34New energy vehicle production totaled over 16.52 million units, marking a 25.1% increase from a year earlier. By the end of 2025, the number of new energy vehicles in use had reached 43.97 million, an increase of 12.57 million from the previous year. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that environmental quality also continued to improve in the 339 cities monitored at or above prefecture level, 72.6% met the country's national air quality standards.

5:38China has taken a significant step toward regulating its rapidly growing humanoid robotics industry with the release of the country's first national standard system covering the entire industrial chain and life cycle of humanoid robots and embodied artificial intelligence. The standard system unveiled at the annual meeting of humanoid robots and embodied intelligence standardization in Beijing comprises six key components, basic commonality, brain-like and intelligent computing, limbs and components,

6:43as well as complete machines and systems, application and safety and ethics. It was developed collaboratively by over 120 research institutions, enterprises and industry users under the organization of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's technical committee for humanoid robots and embodied intelligence standardization. According to the committee, the brain-like and intelligent computing standards cover critical specifications for embodied intelligence's brain and cerebellum and intelligent computing,

7:43regulating the entire data life cycle and model training and deployment processes. It added that application standards govern the development, operation and maintenance of humanoid robots across different scenarios, while safety and ethics standards run through the entire industrial life cycle providing compliance assurance for technological evolution. The standard system comes after China's humanoid robot industry saw significant growth throughout 2025, backed by mid to long-term plans, from national and local governments targeting it as a strategic sector.

8:47Last year is considered China's first year of humanoid robot mass production, with over 140 domestic manufacturers releasing more than 330 different models. That is according to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The new standard system is expected to provide crucial guidance for this rapidly expanding industry, promoting high-quality development through standardized technical requirements and safety protocols. You are listening to Special English.

9:55Sightech museums across China received over 3.5 million visits during the 9-day Spring Festival holiday presenting festive science exhibits that integrated knowledge, fun and cultural experiences to the public, that is according to the China Science and Technology Museum. The museum itself welcomed more than 200,000 visitors with themed events celebrating the year of the horse. While Sightech museums nationwide tailored their activities to local conditions, launching a variety of science-themed events that blended Chinese zodiac culture, intangible cultural heritage and cutting-edge technologies.

11:08According to the China Science and Technology Museum, it will lead the country's Sightech museums to continue innovating forms of science popularization and providing better services in 2026, aiming to strengthen the foundations for the nation's self-reliance in science and technology. That is the end of today's program. I hope you will join us every day to learn English at a slower pace.