Guangdong province, China’s industrial heartland, has reportedly unveiled a sweeping three-year plan to integrate artificial intelligence into its manufacturing sector and attract foreign investment, underscoring its dual strategy of technological self-reliance and global cooperation.

At back-to-back press briefings on Wednesday, October 22, provincial officials detailed initiatives aimed at embedding AI across industrial operations, boosting robotics innovation, and positioning the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area as a premier destination for international business.

Qu Xiaojie, deputy head of the Department of Industry and Information Technology, highlighted advances by Huawei and Tencent, whose Ascend processors and Hunyuan AI models are “providing fresh impetus for the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing sector.”

The province is also accelerating robotics research. Li Diyun from the Department of Science and Technology said the Lyceem Lab, founded by Midea Group, will expand research into heavy-duty robotics and localize production of key components.