China plays a leading role in AI empowerment, says a global market research firm executive
Wire desk byline Sourced from Xinhua, Dawn, Arab News, Anadolu and Minute Mirror. Translated and abridged by the GSRRA Desk.
AI is no longer confined to software but is increasingly translating into hardware innovation.
China’s technology industry is spearheading the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into both products and services, and is poised to sustain its leadership in AI deployment and innovation, said a senior executive of the International Data Corporation (IDC).
“We see Chinese brands going beyond pure software exploration and bringing AI into hardware,” said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president for data and analytics at IDC. “For example, integrating AI into devices such as robot phones shows another way to innovate with AI and offer users different experiences.”
Jeronimo shared these insights in an interview with Xinhua during the 2026 Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Spain.
He said this year’s event sends a clear signal that AI is no longer confined to software but is increasingly translating into hardware innovation. With its robust industrial foundation, deep talent pool, and sustained innovation, China has emerged as a frontrunner in embedding AI into devices, while also cultivating supply chain advantages that are hard to replicate elsewhere.
AI is also expanding beyond consumer devices into communications infrastructure and enterprise workflows, he said.
As AI becomes an enabling technology for telecom networks, computing power networks could unlock more efficient monetization models and enable business scenarios that were previously difficult to realize, he said.
From intelligent interfaces capable of automatically capturing user intent to context-aware task automation, AI-driven experiences powered by generative models are rapidly entering smartphones and a wide range of smart devices in China, Jeronimo said.
He added that Chinese consumers’ strong enthusiasm for adopting new technologies has become a key driver behind the rapid pace of innovation among Chinese companies.
The executive stated that unilateral actions, such as U.S. technology restrictions on China, have not halted the development of Chinese companies. Instead, they have reshaped the underlying dynamics of China’s technology industry and further stimulated innovation.
“When facing external restrictions, Chinese companies have to innovate independently,” he said. “Some countries try to delay China’s progress through various forms of restrictions, but they cannot win.”
Looking back on nearly two decades of development of the Mobile World Congress, Jeronimo said China has played a major “enabling” role in global technological development.
China’s unmatched speed and execution capability, he said, have been key factors behind the rapid adoption of new technologies around the world.
The executive also stated that Chinese products have gained widespread recognition in international markets for their advanced technology and high quality.
“The barriers in high-tech manufacturing go far beyond labor costs,” he said. “It is no longer about cheap labor. Companies know they can obtain higher product quality and skill levels in China than almost anywhere else.”
Reference Link:- https://english.news.cn/20260314/99ff41d5b6434631a0c4359a6457c98a/c.html
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
