China moves from world factory to innovation hub

Visitors tour the humanoid robot zone at the 2026 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, East China's Anhui Province, on September 20, 2026. Photo: Tao Mingyang/GT Humanoid robots, memory chips, and next-generation batteries shared the spotlight across 10 themed exhibition zones at the Hefei Binhu International Convention and Exhibition Center on Sunday, as the 2026 World Manufacturing Convention (WMC) opened in Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui Province, drawing more than 2,000 guests from home and abroad. The Global Times noticed that many of the star exhibits come from local players. Once known for washing machines and other home appliances, Anhui is now home to memory chipmaker ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), battery producer Gotion High-Tech, and AiMOGA, the robotics business of automaker Chery. Hefei also hosts China's "artificial sun" fusion research facilities…