Years on

The item from July 12, 1987, in China Daily showed a robot developed by the Shenyang Automation Research Institute attracting visitors’ attention in Liaoning province.

Weighing 250 kilograms, it had a wide range of functions, including use in rescue operations.

China’s robotics industry is booming. Editor’s note: This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up policy.

In 2013, China became the largest market for industrial robots, overtaking Japan.

Last year, sales of the country’s industrial robots hit $4.22 billion, up 24 percent year-on-year, while sales of service robots, (used in the health and food sectors, among others) reached $1.32 billion, up 28 percent yearon-year.

The sector has seen steady growth, with about 1,686 robotics companies established last year, according to a report released at the China Robot Summit in May.

By the end of 2017, the number of these companies nationwide reached more than 6,500.

However, the domestic market is still dominated by foreign companies.

The central government released the Made in China 2025 plan, which identifies the industry as a strategically important sector.

Besides the plan, authori- ties have also released a robotics industry development roadmap to stimulate healthy growth of the sector. The five-year plan aims to rapidly expand the country’s industrial robotics sector.

Under the plan, by 2020 the nation wants to be able to manufacture at least 100,000 industrial robots annually.

The country is also aiming to sell more than 30 billion yuan ($4.6 billion) worth of service robots by 2020 amid a surge in demand from the healthcare, education and entertainment sectors.