BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- China's manufacturing sector is embracing a sweeping digital transformation, with intelligent manufacturing emerging as a core engine to reshape the country's industrial future. Powered by artificial intelligence, 5G, and big data, "Made in China" is rapidly evolving into "Intelligently Made in China," driving factories toward unprecedented levels of efficiency, flexibility, and innovation.
China has built over 35,000 basic-level, more than 8,200 advanced-level, over 500 excellence-level and 15 flagship smart factories nationwide by the end of 2025, and has become the world's largest intelligent manufacturing application base, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Yet the more revealing story lies not in the headline numbers, but in the changes unfolding on the factory floor. Across the nation, smart factories are becoming the new norm.
Comprising Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui, the Yangtze River Delta is one of China's intelligent manufacturing powerhouses, with the robotic industry emerging as a pivotal driver. Leveraging the advantages of industrial clusters, the region's robotic sector has seen robust growth. Cities across the region are accelerating innovation in robotic technologies and their practical applications, continuously enhancing the core competitiveness of the industry.
In other regions of China, smart manufacturing is also gaining momentum. Driven by national top-level strategies and supported by local governments, enterprises across the country are actively exploring new pathways to break down industrial barriers and reshape the manufacturing landscape.
In Beijing's Yizhuang District, Xiaomi's super factory is able to produce a new energy vehicle every 76 seconds, with self-developed AI quality inspection replacing manual inspection and achieving dozens of times higher efficiency.
China's home appliance giant Haier's Washing Machine Interconnected Factory, located in the West Coast New Area of Qingdao, is a full-scenario 5.5G demonstration lighthouse factory. Leveraging 130 advanced technologies, including 5.5G, advanced algorithms, and lightweight digital twins, the factory has further optimized its products and services.
Apart from these leading sectors, the future factory is also taking shape in traditional industries across the country. From smart factories to intelligence-powered production lines, traditional manufacturers are driving a robust industrial revival through sweeping digital transformation.
China unveiled a set of guidelines on deeply implementing the AI Plus initiative in August 2025, proposing to promote the intelligent transformation of all factors of production across industries, and helping to upgrade and transform traditional sectors.
In central China's Changsha, Sany's intelligent heavy truck industrial park produces a new energy heavy truck every six minutes. Over a hundred welding robots operate with high precision, while more than 700 automated guided vehicles (AGVs) shuttle efficiently around the workshop.
Meanwhile, in the northeastern region, Harbin Electric Machinery Company Limited, a key state-owned enterprise in the core equipment manufacturing sector, has actively promoted digital production and intelligent equipment. In the first quarter of this year, its industrial output value increased by 7.38 percent year on year, while product output rose by 39.28 percent.
Intelligent manufacturing is more than a technological overhaul. It signifies China's strategic move toward high-quality growth. By fostering a new generation of skilled engineers and data-driven ecosystems, China is positioning itself at the forefront of global industrial innovation. As these future factories multiply, they are set to reinforce China's role as a stabilizer and trailblazer in the world's manufacturing landscape.
