This photo taken on December 3, 2025 shows an employee working at a printing factory of Far East Precision Printing Company in Jiaxing, in eastern China's Zhejiang province. In a light-filled workshop in eastern China, a robotic arm moved a partially assembled autonomous vehicle as workers calibrated its cameras, typical of the incremental automation being adopted even across smaller factories in the world's manufacturing powerhouse. (Photo by Jade GAO / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'CHINA-ECONOMY-MANUFACTURING-TECHNOLOGY-AI, FOCUS' by Jing Xuan TENG

This photo taken on December 4, 2025 shows employees working on a Neolix X3 vehicle production line at a factory of Chinese autonomous delivery vehicle maker Neolix in Yancheng, in eastern China's Jiangsu province. In a light-filled workshop in eastern China, a robotic arm moved a partially assembled autonomous vehicle as workers calibrated its cameras, typical of the incremental automation being adopted even across smaller factories in the world's manufacturing powerhouse. (Photo by Jade GAO / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'CHINA-ECONOMY-MANUFACTURING-TECHNOLOGY-AI, FOCUS' by Jing Xuan TENG

This photo taken on December 3, 2025 shows an employee working at a printing factory of Far East Precision Printing Company in Jiaxing, in eastern China's Zhejiang province. In a light-filled workshop in eastern China, a robotic arm moved a partially assembled autonomous vehicle as workers calibrated its cameras, typical of the incremental automation being adopted even across smaller factories in the world's manufacturing powerhouse. (Photo by Jade GAO / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'CHINA-ECONOMY-MANUFACTURING-TECHNOLOGY-AI, FOCUS' by Jing Xuan TENG

This photo taken on December 3, 2025 shows an employee uploading product data via the Blacklake platform at a printing factory of Far East Precision Printing Company in Jiaxing, in eastern China's Zhejiang province. In a light-filled workshop in eastern China, a robotic arm moved a partially assembled autonomous vehicle as workers calibrated its cameras, typical of the incremental automation being adopted even across smaller factories in the world's manufacturing powerhouse. (Photo by Jade GAO / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'CHINA-ECONOMY-MANUFACTURING-TECHNOLOGY-AI, FOCUS' by Jing Xuan TENG

This photo taken on December 4, 2025 shows an employee uploading product data via the Blacklake platform at a factory of Chinese autonomous delivery vehicle maker Neolix in Yancheng, in eastern China's Jiangsu province. In a light-filled workshop in eastern China, a robotic arm moved a partially assembled autonomous vehicle as workers calibrated its cameras, typical of the incremental automation being adopted even across smaller factories in the world's manufacturing powerhouse. (Photo by Jade GAO / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'CHINA-ECONOMY-MANUFACTURING-TECHNOLOGY-AI, FOCUS' by Jing Xuan TENG

This photo taken on December 3, 2025 shows Zhu Yefeng, General Manager of Far East Precision Printing Company showing the screen monitoring production lines at a printing factory in Jiaxing, in eastern China's Zhejiang province. In a light-filled workshop in eastern China, a robotic arm moved a partially assembled autonomous vehicle as workers calibrated its cameras, typical of the incremental automation being adopted even across smaller factories in the world's manufacturing powerhouse. (Photo by Jade GAO / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'CHINA-ECONOMY-MANUFACTURING-TECHNOLOGY-AI, FOCUS' by Jing Xuan TENG

(From L) General Secretary of the Bavarian conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) party Martin Huber, Bavaria's State Premier and leader of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) Markus Soeder (C) and German Minister for Research, Technology and Aerospace Dorothee Baer attend the congress of the Christian Social Union (CSU) party on December 12, 2025 in Munich, southern Germany. (Photo by Alexandra BEIER / AFP via Getty Images)

Bavaria's State Premier and leader of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) Markus Soeder (L) speaks next to German Minister for Research, Technology and Aerospace and CSU member Dorothee Baer after being reelected during a congress of the Christian Social Union (CSU) party on December 12, 2025 in Munich, southern Germany. Soeder has been confirmed in office with only 83.6 percent approval, his worst result to date at the CSU party conference in Munich. In the last election two years ago, Soeder won 96.6 percent of the delegate votes. (Photo by Alexandra BEIER / AFP via Getty Images)