A humanoid robot named Xiao He is set to assist journalists and delegates at the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China.PM Modi is set to attend the Summit as part of his three-day visit to China, marking his first visit to Beijing in seven years. The summit, scheduled from August 31 to September 1, has deployed Xiao He at a special help desk for media representatives, providing real-time information and multilingual support.A special help desk has been set up for journalists, with Xiao He tasked with managing it. The robot, standing at the ready in the summit hall, introduces itself, “I’m Xiao He, a cutting-edge humanoid AI assistant designed for the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin. As a highly specialised service robot, I provide multilingual support, real-time information processing and protocol-compliant interaction capabilities.” Xiao He explained how it helps delegates navigate the complex event. “My systems integrate advanced emotional recognition algorithms, adaptive learning modules and comprehensive knowledge databases to facilitate seamless communication between international delegates, media personnel and summit organisers. My operational parameters emphasise cultural neutrality, factual precision and continuous performance optimisation throughout the summit duration. I am proficient in three languages…” it added. Equipped with these capabilities, the robot can answer questions about schedules, interpret languages in real time, and even detect the emotional tone of conversations to provide appropriate response Alongside official discussions, the summit will showcase cultural activities such as Tianjin Yangliuqing, woodblock prints and traditional craftsmanship demonstrations in the Intangible Cultural Heritage Interactive Experience Zone. PM Modi is scheduled to arrive in Tianjin on Saturday evening and will begin official engagements on Sunday with a 40-minute meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The main SCO meeting will take place on Monday. The summit is seen as significant for India-China relations as both sides continue efforts to ease tensions following deadly border clashes in 2020. Modi last shared the stage with Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Brics summit in Kazan, even as Western leaders distanced themselves from Putin over the war in Ukraine.
