World Robot Conference 2023 is Both Awesome and Terrifying

Each year, the World Robot Conference gathers in Beijing to examine the most exciting and innovative developments in the world of robotics. And while new heights of technology may seem like a given at this sort of event, some of this year’s offerings are almost-worryingly impressive.


It feels like just a few years ago that the world’s most advanced robots were, in a word, disappointing. Watching Honda’s ASIMO, year after year, accomplish such daring feats as walking – or even, walking slightly faster – left audiences wondering if the super-advanced robots of science fiction would ever come to fruition.


Well now, developers are getting close…and the result is a little scary.


Videos filtering onto Instagram-like app Xiaohongshu show hyper-realistic robots on display, some of which are easy to confuse with real human presenters.


Left: a male robot presenter, and a futuristic, overly-sexualized female robot; Right: robotic arms perform delicate demonstrations on a flower


Some are dressed in snazzy suits fit for television hosts, while others are decked out as aliens or figures from ancient Chinese literature. Still others are wearing white work shirts and casual black slacks – at first glance one could mistake them for members of a development team.


“Today I saw a hyper-realistic humanoid robot, a color-changing robot dog from Xiaomi, a robot bird and a robot butterfly,” wrote one stupefied user after the event. “There was a massage robot arm, a car-making robot arm, and plenty of other robotic arms.”


“It really broadened my horizons,” they wrote.


Another user posted a similar take.


“I feel that in the next ten years, many industries — express delivery, factories, hotel front desks, room service, aunts, storage, blood tests, laboratory tests, and even some surgical operations — will be completely replaced by robots,” she wrote, adding that the event “strengthened her desire to learn about AI.”


Xiaomi’s robotic dog performs tricks for young onlookers


Commenters, meanwhile, were having a ball.


“Why are all robots still bald?” questioned one.


“I thought the same thing,” agreed another commenter. “Why not make a beautiful woman, or a super hot guy or something?”


Some commenters compared the progress of Chinese robotics teams with their counterparts in Japan and the United States. Others saw the event as a great place to take children; on the latter point though, not everyone was in agreement.


“If my baby sees this, he will cry,” wrote one user.


Images via Xiaohongshu

NBA’s James Harden Sells 10,000 Bottles of Wine in Seconds, Does Cartwheel

NBA superstar James Harden likely did not anticipate the immense popularity his wine brand would achieve in China. In a matter of seconds during a livestream event on Tuesday, 10,000 bottles of Harden’s J-Harden wine collection vanished from the shelves.


The event, hosted by wildly popular Chinese livestreamer “Crazy Brother Yang,” drew over 2 million eager viewers. When Yang asked how many bottles Harden usually sold each day, Harden replied “a few cases.”


Yang told Harden to watch how quickly he could sell them, and the NBA star sat back with his arms crossed to see the results. When Yang initiated the sale, around 5,000 orders at $60 each came flooding in, racking up $300,000 in mere moments.


A stunned Harden laughed and applauded in disbelief as the numbers appeared onscreen, profusely thanking the audience. His excitement piqued when another 6,000 bottles sold out instantly after being added to the inventory. Harden celebrated with an impromptu cartwheel, putting an exclamation point on the event.

Livestream shopping has exploded in China, allowing celebrities to directly engage consumers. Harden’s already substantial fan base in China, stemming from the NBA’s immense popularity there, facilitated the lightning-fast sellout. And although partnerships between China and the NBA were touch-and-go for a while, it’s clear that the relationship is here to stay.


Introduced in August 2022 in collaboration with Accolade Wines, Harden’s signature wine displays his bearded silhouette on every bottle. The collection includes a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Red Blend, and a Prosecco, retailing for $20 each in the U.S.


The monumental success of Harden’s wine on this Chinese livestream platform demonstrates the formidable combination of celebrity influence and real-time e-commerce. It’s clear Harden may have found a secondary career in China as an influencer if he ever tires of professional basketball. But for now, cheers to Harden’s lucrative launch in the Chinese market.


Cover image via Crazy Brother Yang

Are AI Livestreamers the Future of E-Commerce?

Virtual influencers have been making headlines for quite a few years now, both in China and abroad. But besides influencing, virtual humanoids have been getting all kind of jobs, as idols, or VTubers, and now, as commercial livestreamers.


Selling products via livestreams is physically demanding, extremely repetitive, and arguably dull — but the industry still holds immense commercial value for businesses of all sizes.


There are livestreamers whose main responsibility is to have an attractive and soothing demeanor, while others showcase the production process in factories or rural areas. Other livestreaming megastars, like ‘Lipstick King’ Li Jiaqi, have managed to achieve mainstream fame.


Baidu’s digital service ‘Yunxi Ling’ relies on Baidu’s very own AI language model Ernie to provide “digital human solutions for different applications,” from livestreaming and customer service to fashion influencing.


The service aims to make hosted livestreams accessible for businesses who can’t afford the developing costs, and even generated a digital news anchor named Little C for China’s state television network.


virtual human china

Little C. Image via CCTV


Tech giant Tencent also launched their own platform in April, promising to serve up a custom digital host in just three minutes.


There are some obvious advantages to AI-powered hosts — reduced costs, no risk of illness during a big sales event, and no PR scandals, for instance.


The world of digital entertainment in China is subject to constantly changing regulation, under written and unwritten rules which can be hard to grasp; it’s not uncommon for public figures to misstep and disappear for months at a time to wait out the storm.


Li Jiaqi himself vanished for a few months after a controversy involving a tank-shaped cake, while many other famous livestreamers have been fined millions of dollars for tax evasion.


However, many are skeptical about a wholesale takeover by AI livestreamers.


Despite being a new industry, livestreaming has emerged as a unique feature of Chinese e-commerce. It’s often the unique personality, appearance, or energy of the host that convinces customers to place an order.


Customers trust celebrity hosts like ‘Lipstick King’ Li Jiaqi — they’re seen as reliable professionals, who would never settle for a deal with a product they didn’t personally believe in.


It remains to be seen whether it will be possible for virtual livestreamers, without personality, a sense of judgment, or authenticity, to reproduce this unique type of parasocial relationship.


Cover image via Baidu

Zhang Weili Sets Striking Record with Dominant UFC Performance

Zhang Weili gave Boston fans something to remember at UFC 292, where she put on a dominant display to retain her strawweight champion title over opponent Amanda Lemos (setting multiple striking records in the process).


Zhang sailed through the five rounds, keeping a balanced pace between tactical wrestling and her unrelenting, sanda-influenced striking style.


At one point in the first round, Lemos managed to snatch up a D’Arce choke that had Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier thinking it could be the end for Zhang — but the champ’s wrestling carried her through, taking her out of the choke and into position to deliver a quick beating on the ground.

The fight went the distance, and Lemos even caught a bit of a second wind in the fourth round, picking up the pace against an increasingly gassed strawweight champion. But in the end it was business as usual for Zhang, who nearly ended the fight with a knockdown in the final round, finishing as the unanimous victor with a scorecard of 50-43, 50-44, and 49-45.


In a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Zhang was a class act, speaking through a translator to thank the Boston crowd for their energy.


“My name is Zhang Weili,” she said, switching to English and cupping her hand to her ear to elicit cheers from the crowd. “I’m from China. Do you remember me?”

The match was, as Rogan immediately put it, a dominant performance and a “true exhibition as to why people consider [Zhang] the best pound-for-pound woman in the world.”


Zhang’s performance set multiple new records in women’s MMA — she finished with 296 strikes, blasting past the previous record of 249 held by Valentina Shevchenko.


And with Lemos only connecting 29 times, Zhang also set the record for largest striking differential in women’s MMA by a whopping 267 strikes.


Zhang was a key subject in RADII’s feature documentary, Way of the Warrior, which tracks the emergence and rise of Chinese MMA. Now, she plans to continue that rise, naming the Conor McGregor-backed Tatiana Suarez as a potential challenger.


Some fans, meanwhile, wonder if the UFC might return to China for a championship bout between Zhang and fellow top-tier Chinese fighter Yan Xiaonan.

Cover image via ‘Way of the Warrior’

RADII Panel: ‘Warrior’ and the Story of US Chinatowns

As part of RADII’s ongoing In Conversation series, Founder Brian A. Wong moderates a panel discussion about US Chinatowns — their histories, current challenges, and representation in media through projects like Warrior.


For those not in the loop, Warrior is a hit HBO series based on an original TV concept from Bruce Lee, and crafted under the watchful eye of his daughter, Executive Producer Shannon Lee. The show follows Ah Sahm, a martial arts prodigy who emigrates from China in search of his sister, but finds himself immersed in the tension and conflict of gang activity in 19th century San Francisco’s Chinatown.



Taking this as a jumping off point, the panelists explore narratives, trends, and currents that underpin life in US Chinatowns today, where inhabitants still navigate discrimination, but also celebrate and share a common culture and way of life.


Moderator Brian A. Wong is joined by:


  • Danny Haiphong – Independent activist and geopolitical analyst
  • Carl Zha – Podcast host and media personality
  • Scott “Chops” Jung – Critically acclaimed producer and musician
  • Dana “Showtyme” Burton – Producer and founder of IRON MIC rap battles


Over the course of the panel, the guests share a wide range of perspectives about the state of US Chinatowns. Here are a few snapshots — and be sure to dive into the video above for the full picture.


“‘Warrior’ explores the internal struggles inside US Chinatown communities back in the 1870s, like challenges posed by warfare between ‘tongs,’ the Chinatown gangs that existed at the time. But the show also sheds light on the broader US-China political landscape, which was tainted by xenophobia, political corruption, and bigotry.”


One of the most exciting things about Warrior is its unique sense of time and place.


In a world full of cookie-cutter cop dramas and action series, it’s a breath of fresh air for a show to zero in on a different time, a different place, and a different cast of characters.


Warrior does just that, and it’s a bit jarring to see how many of these themes remain relevant today.


“By the 1880s, Chinese immigrants already made up nearly one-tenth of California’s population.”


Sometimes, statistics can be eye-opening.


Chinese citizens living in Chinatowns today are often still treated as a ‘different’ people. But looking at the data reveals a different story: that Chinese immigrants have always been part of the history of California, and of the United States.


“The scapegoating of Chinese people, of Asian-Americans, the violence against them, the dehumanization of them, that’s a historical thread.”


The prejudice faced by Ah Sahm and the characters in Warrior hasn’t gone away. Amidst an uptick in violence against Asian-Americans, history can start to tell us where some of this comes from.


It may be 19th century robber barons stoking discontent as a way to generate capital, or former President Trump dubbing Covid-19 the ‘Chinese virus’ as a way to shift the lens of public attention.


Hate can only remain in a space of ignorance, and different parties throughout history have been quick to scapegoat an illusory enemy if it helps them achieve their own ends.


“There’s this larger geopolitical aim that’s not acknowledged too much here in the United States. US mainstream media has a wall-to-wall coverage of China characterized by anti-China sentiment. You cannot find positive coverage — or even neutral coverage — of China within the pages of the New York Times, or on CNN, MSNBC, or Fox News.”


This is something RADII knows particularly well.


As an independent media platform, RADII has seen firsthand the ways that forces of division work within the media environment, shaping public opinion and drawing revenue through fear.


In the end, the truth is that our commonalities will always outweigh our differences.


See the full panel above, and tune in for more from RADII’s series, ‘In Conversation.’

From ‘I Do’ To Divorce: The Glamour of Chinese Wedding Photos

In China, pre-wedding photoshoots are flourishing. Unlike many Western wedding photos, these shots are taken weeks or months in advance. Sure, professional photo and video shoots are still taken separately on the wedding day itself — but pre-wedding photos are becoming must-have material for display at the reception and on social media.


Actually, pre-wedding photos have been a tradition in China since the 1920s, when cameras were first introduced. Over the past century, the tradition has evolved alongside China’s wedding industry, which in 2021 was estimated to hold a total value of 1.7 trillion RMB (more than 200 billion USD).

Official Recognition: A Formal Wedding Shoot

In 1920s China, especially in cities like Shanghai, Western culture and technology like cameras were starting to generate interest.


At first, only high-class people like Chiang Kai-shek and Soong May-ling were able to have wedding photos taken. Usually these were taken during the wedding ceremony, or afterwards.


wedding photo

Chiang Kai-shek and Soong May-ling held their wedding ceremony in Shanghai in December 1927. Image via Wikimedia


In the 1940s, it became more common for couples to have official photos taken at the beginning of their reception.


After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, wedding photography underwent a shift from Western-style romantic shoots to Communist-style shoots in work uniforms. These formal shoots occurred before the wedding, and constituted an official recognition of the marriage.

Captured Memories: Colorful Studio Shoots

After the economic reforms of the 80s, pre-wedding photoshoots in China started to become more vibrant and personal, aiming to capture memories, not just document an agreement.


Photography studios used elaborate backdrops of natural scenery and Western landmarks. They offered wedding dresses, plastic bridal bouquets, and makeup artists, for an optimal photoshoot experience.


pre wedding shoot

A pre-wedding photoshoot in Yunnan, promoted by Baijue Lupai, a studio known for capturing wedding photos at scenic resorts, which offers exclusive flight and hotel packages. Image via Xiaohongshu


Now, pre-wedding photoshoots by some photography studios can cost thousands of dollars, depending on the package.


Some make use of elaborate concepts, while others offer exclusive on-location shoots at major tourist sites.


It’s common for couples to travel to scenic resorts, both domestically and internationally, to capture pre-wedding photos. The island city of Sanya, and Paris, France are both popular destinations.

Creative Expressions: Unique Wedding Shoots in Modern China

Despite the younger generation’s changing attitudes toward marriage, pre-wedding photoshoots remain an immensely popular part of modern Chinese wedding culture.


And now more than ever, new couples are seeking unique and personal shoots that express a sense of individuality.


pre-wedding shoot

A couple photographed in the style of Wong Kar-wai’s 1995 film ‘Fallen Angels.’ Image via Xiaohongshu


Aesthetics can vary from street photography to neo-Chinese style, to Wong Kar-wai-style film posters. Other couples, meanwhile, opt to wear regular clothes at their favorite hometown spots.


prewedding photo

Fu Gui and his wife held three weddings in 2022. Image via Fu Gui


In the summer of 2022, Fu Gui and his wife got married and held three weddings in a single month. They had two different hometowns, as well as a shared love for Yunnan province. Unhappy with the pre-wedding photo packages they’d found, they chose to hire a small studio and an independent photographer to document the experience.


In Fu’s hometown, for example, they captured shots on an old street that held special significance for Fu.


“We didn’t like traditional studios or staged photography, they were too commercial,” he tells RADII. “We wanted something more casual, natural, and local, but not tacky.”


pre-wedding shoot

pre wedding photo

The couple is seen on the street, holding a sign of ‘Double Happiness,’ commonly used as a symbol of marriage. Image via Fu Gui


This is part of the ‘street wedding photography’ trend, featuring couples in wedding attire strolling down sidewalks (a hashtag for this trend on Xiaohongshu has over 96,000 posts).


Today, pre-wedding photoshoots remain more of a personal statement than a stale ritual.


“Most of our customers are cute, bright young women with their own ideas,” says Bo Bo, a stylist who often works on vintage, Japanese-style film photography photoshoots.


wedding shoot

Image via Bo Bo


An increasing demand for more personalized photoshoots is creating a more diverse industry, with plenty of boutique studios and independent photographers.


These studios also offer to document couples’ journeys to get their marriage certificates, capturing a slice-of-life-feel.

Celebrating the End of Love: The Emergence of Divorce Photoshoots

While some young couples in China are excited to tie the knot, others are celebrating the end of their love with photoshoots of their own, hiring photographers to document their divorce process.


A bit of controversy rages here, with some viewing the trend as an unnecessary exposure of private life. Others argue that there’s nothing wrong with documenting the end of a relationship.


All debates aside, divorce photography is still just a niche trend in China, and according to the photographers we contacted on Xiaohongshu, very few divorced couples are interested in the service.


divorce photo

A young client holding a divorce certificate in her hand. Image via Xiaohongshu


Xiaoxiong, a photographer based in Guangdong with a following on Xiaohongshu, specializes in documenting the trip to receive marriage certificates. However, one of his clients ended up hiring him for a divorce photoshoot instead.


“I was initially curious, because I’d never done a shoot like that,” he posted. “But I realized that divorce is a serious matter. It was a unique shooting experience for me, but it may have been a nightmare for the couple.”


He also cautioned other photographers to be careful, as divorce photoshoots have an inherently emotional and sensitive component.


In one screenshot that Xiaoxiong shared, the client wrote, “I wanted to remind myself that even at the lowest point of my life, I’m still beautiful, and that I should always smile and believe in myself.”


Cover image via Fu Gui