In the first 11 months of this year, China's industrial robot exports surged by 61.7% year-on-year, a figure that has drawn many people's attention to this field. However, accompanying doubts are also widespread—since we are exporting so many industrial robots to countries around the world, aren't we helping them achieve industrialization? If this continues, other countries' industrial competitiveness will strengthen, and Chinese manufacturing might be replaced.

At first glance, this logic seems reasonable, but in reality, it reflects a misunderstanding.

**The Result of Steady Accumulation Leading to a Sudden Breakout**

The explosion in industrial robot exports didn't happen out of nowhere. China's manufacturing sector is massive, with a high penetration rate of automated production lines, and the demand for industrial robots has long exceeded that of other countries. Years of domestic application accumulation have allowed Chinese industrial robot companies to develop deep technological expertise, good cost control, and sufficient production capacity.

As early as last year, China had become the second-largest exporter of industrial robots globally. The recent growth in exports is mainly driven by the concentrated demand for mechanized production in countries like Vietnam, Thailand, India, the United States, and Russia. In other words, the growth in global manufacturing demand has driven China's robot exports.

**Competition Actually Makes China Stronger**

An easily overlooked fact is that the world is upgrading its manufacturing industry—this is an unstoppable trend. Barriers cannot prevent progress. Since we cannot stop others from advancing, it’s better to proactively upgrade ourselves rather than passively respond.

The changes in China's export structure over recent years illustrate this point well. A few years ago, the "New Three"—photovoltaics, lithium batteries, and electric vehicles—had been a strong export momentum. This year, a new "New Three" has emerged—robots, AI, and innovative medicines. More and more high-end manufacturing products are appearing on the export list.

Data speaks volumes. Despite rapid progress in other countries' manufacturing sectors and disruptions in the trade environment, China’s trade surplus in goods exceeded $1 trillion for the first time in just 11 months this year. Such a large surplus indicates that China’s position in global trade has not weakened; instead, it is shifting toward higher value-added products.

**The Possibility of RMB Appreciation**

With such a large trade surplus, a significant amount of foreign exchange needs to be converted into RMB for domestic use, naturally pushing up the RMB's value. Recently, the RMB against the US dollar has been strengthening continuously, reaching a 14-month high and breaking the 7-level mark.

RMB appreciation is of considerable significance for domestic investors. During this process, high-quality domestic assets will be re-evaluated. Companies with steady performance and strong competitiveness will see their valuations gradually rise, attracting more attention from both domestic and foreign investors.

Some economists predict that within ten years, the RMB against the US dollar could appreciate to around 6.0. While this outlook is optimistic, it reflects confidence in China's long-term economic development. However, to truly realize this, solid industrial upgrading and technological innovation are necessary.

**Emergence of New Industries**

The ability to regularly introduce "New Three" industries every few years demonstrates China's economic resilience and technological vitality. What other industries might emerge in the future?

According to national plans, emerging pillar industries such as new energy, new materials, aerospace, and low-altitude economy are being developed to create several trillion-yuan markets. Additionally, frontier fields like quantum technology, biomanufacturing, hydrogen energy, and brain-computer interfaces require early layout to become new growth points.

In other words, over the next decade, China has the opportunity to recreate a high-tech industrial cluster. Continuous industrial upgrading and sustained economic breakthroughs are essential to support long-term RMB appreciation expectations.

From this perspective, the significant export of industrial robots is less about fearing replacement and more about China’s manufacturing continuously evolving in global competition. The value of domestic high-quality enterprises in this process will also rise along with the high-quality development of the economy.