According to a report by Taiwan’s Zhongshi News Network on April 7, a humanoid robot developed in mainland China made a stunning appearance during the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, showcasing impressive martial arts moves such as fluid drunken boxing, spinning kicks, and single-leg backflips. This event sparked significant discussion among international media. However, some humanoid robots showcased in Taiwan are reportedly imported from mainland China and simply have their labels changed for display purposes. This has led to concerns among netizens about the allocation of the Taiwanese government’s substantial subsidies, amounting to billions, which are intended for robot development.
As reported by the Liberty Times, the “Robot Cross-domain Co-creation Alliance” invited representatives from the Taiwanese government to attend a member meeting on March 24 to discuss robot development policies and subsidies. According to Yen Ping-lang, the Deputy Executive Director of the Smart Robot Industry Promotion Office under the Taiwanese “Science and Technology Committee,” the government plans to invest NT$10 billion (approximately NT$1 equals 0.22 Chinese Yuan) over the next four years. The “Development Fund Management Committee” will simultaneously inject another NT$10 billion, creating a dual-track investment and subsidy approach to stimulate industry growth. In addition, the “Digital Development Department” is contributing another NT$10 billion for AI industry resources, bringing the total to NT$30 billion.
The Zhongshi News Network noted that the Facebook fan page “Political Knowledge Bureau” posted on April 7, including an image of a humanoid robot making popcorn at an exhibition. A headline from a green media outlet read: “Unlike mainland robots that only dance! Taiwanese robots showcase real applications.” However, it was revealed that this particular robot originated from a mainland Chinese company. Other screenshots from green media reports about Taiwanese humanoid robots also featured robots from mainland enterprises. The “Political Knowledge Bureau” remarked that by purchasing robots from mainland China and merely changing the labels, the funds from the Democratic Progressive Party’s subsidies are ending up in the pockets of their “green friends.”
This topic has sparked discussions among netizens on the PTT online forum, with comments such as: “Even when caught, they remain unfazed; they just want to create a false narrative of a strong Taiwan,” and “If you read too much green media, you might think the world revolves around Taiwan.” One netizen humorously noted, “A mainland robot with a sticker suddenly becomes Taiwanese.”
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/taiwanese-netizens-question-government-funding-as-mainland-robots-get-rebranded-for-promotion/
