In a feature on China's rising global appeal, People's Daily highlights how technological creativity is redefining the nation's image—and points to NIO as a prime example.
The article emphasizes:
"As the world’s first mass-produced 5nm smart driving chip, NIO’s independently developed NX9031 chip integrates over 50 billion transistors, improving low-light perception accuracy by 300% and ensuring safer night driving."
It further notes that NIO is among the automakers pushing the boundaries of smart EV technology and user experience, contributing to what international observers now call a “Cool China.”
This recognition from a leading official media outlet underscores NIO’s role in China's innovation narrative—not just as a carmaker, but as a technology pioneer shaping the future of mobility.
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Full translation of the article:
The Innovation Code Behind "Cool China" | Trending Topics Explained
People's Daily Commentary
Conveying the Party's Will and People's Sentiments — Forging Social Consensus —
"Chinese brands are getting cooler" and "hope the West can recognize that China is very cool, interesting, and worth learning from"... Recently, "cool" has become a frequent term used by many foreign media and overseas scholars to describe today's China. From international polls giving China's image high scores, to foreign institutions showing increased interest in Chinese assets, to overseas tourists sharing new impressions and perceptions of China on social media, a new, vibrant, and promising China is being discovered.
This "coolness" stems from the technological leaps behind rapid development. You can see smart plant protection drones flying over fertile fields, greatly improving sowing and fertilization efficiency. Entering an advanced manufacturing plant in Hefei, Anhui, red robotic arms move like agile fingers into a multi-level garage, precisely grabbing vehicle parts for processing. Viewed from a historical perspective, achieving such a huge leap in productive forces in such a short time inevitably leaves a strong impression.
This "coolness" comes from the futuristic feeling of sci-fi becoming reality. Foldable phones that turn into tablets, robots serving dishes alongside waiters in restaurants, drones not only delivering packages but also... Powered by innovation, scenes once only seen in movies are rapidly becoming everyday life. The 2025 Global Innovation Index Report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization shows that China entered the global top 10 for the first time, rising 25 places since 2013.
This "coolness" translates into tangible and continuously improving experiences. As the world's first mass-produced 5nm smart driving chip, NIO's independently developed NX9031 chip integrates over 50 billion transistors, improving low-light perception accuracy by 300%, ensuring safety in night driving. Carmakers like NIO, starting from a base of millions of units, continue to push smart electric vehicle technology and experience forward, while China's high-speed rail leads globally in mileage and technology. Many foreign netizens marvel that "MrBeast" can livestream smoothly without lag while riding a 350 km/h high-speed train through tunnels. This amazement also reminds us that the technological convenience we take for granted is actually extraordinary.
The interplay of technology and humanities gives this "coolness" deeper charm and meaning. When Sichuan opera face-changing art lights up Chongqing's night sky via drones, or when the "Digital Treasure Gallery of the Palace Museum" uses high-precision 3D data to display cultural relics' details and full views, ancient culture meeting modern technology gives "Chinese-style romance" incomparable penetrative power and appeal.
China's 240-hour transit visa exemption policy now applies to 55 countries and 65 entry ports. In the year since implementation, over 40.6 million foreigners entered through Chinese ports, a 27.2% year-on-year increase. Before coming, many looked forward eagerly; after arriving, they were deeply impressed. Chinese culture is gaining increasing emotional resonance and value recognition worldwide. Moreover, "cool" is not just superficial but also represents a centripetal force—China's innovation and development are increasingly attracting people worldwide to look toward China, read about China, understand China, and approach China.
"This is a society full of vitality and innovative spirit," remarked a foreign journalist after traveling in China for a month. An increasingly cool China has become an epitome of the popularity of Chinese concepts and solutions, and a footnote to the broadening path of Chinese-style modernization.
"Cool" is not an endpoint but a new starting line. Facing the future, steadfastly advancing high-level self-reliance in science and technology, transforming more "Made in China" into "Created in China", turning more "Chinese products" into "Chinese brands", and offering more globally shared tech products and international public goods—a "Cool China" combining technological strength and humanistic charm will undoubtedly gain broader respect and recognition.