HAIKOU, China — At the 6th Hainan International Consumer Products Expo held in Haikou, Hainan Province on Tuesday, the booth of iFlytek, a company renowned for its AI translators, prominently featured a large AI glasses display rather than its traditional flagship products. When this reporter put on a pair of the actual glasses on display and asked several questions, the staff member's Chinese responses were instantly translated into Korean subtitles right before the eyes.
"This is the first time the actual product has been unveiled in China, ahead of its scheduled launch in June," an iFlytek representative said. "Its powerful translation capability is a key strength, and we plan to integrate our own AI agent in the future."
One block away, at Alibaba's Taotian Group (e-commerce division) booth themed around "AI + E-commerce," four AI glasses companies including Inmo and Xreal had gathered to engage in fierce competition. An Indian visitor watching YouTube videos through Xreal's AI glasses connected to a mobile phone exclaimed, "It feels like I'm at a movie theater."
On a stage right next to the booth, four major robots including Unitree's "G1" — which gained attention for its group dance performance at the Spring Festival Gala (Chunwan) — were performing various stunts such as flying kicks and back flips to cheering crowds.
The expo, held at its largest scale ever with participation from 3,400 companies across 60 countries, drew attention by dedicating its entire No. 1 exhibition hall to technology products rather than luxury items like high-end jewelry and automobiles that previously occupied the space. Following its first elevation to an independent exhibition hall last year, the science and technology pavilion nearly doubled in size this year, with participating companies increasing from 30 to 50 and exhibited products expanding to approximately 200.
Unlike last year's exhibition, which focused on technology demonstrations, this year's expo featured products immediately applicable to daily life. Numerous products targeting the era of low birthrates and aging populations appeared, including care robots that measure key health indicators such as blood pressure in real time and companion robots that respond to users' touch.
Beyond the four AI glasses companies at the iFlytek and Alibaba booths, numerous other firms including Hangzhou-based Rokid set up independent booths and even offered rental services while promoting their new products.
Since 2024, China has been pursuing an "AI + Consumption" policy aimed at optimizing supply and demand across the economy and boosting consumption by integrating AI throughout. The country views AI-based new products such as AI glasses and smart home devices as key drivers for creating new consumer demand and is actively encouraging purchases.
At this year's Two Sessions, China allocated 250 billion yuan (approximately 54 trillion won, or $38 billion) for "yijiuhuanxin" (trade-in subsidies for replacing used consumer goods and promoting digital product purchases), including AI products like smart glasses among the supported items.
Smart glasses, which were added to the subsidy program starting January this year, can receive support of up to 500 yuan (approximately 100,000 won, or $70) for products priced at 6,000 yuan (approximately 1.3 million won, or $900) or less. Major Chinese e-commerce platforms such as JD.com and Taobao are displaying "national subsidy" banners and selling products at prices reduced by the subsidy amount. With subsidies added to a market that already showed double-digit growth last year, monthly sales have been trending upward since January.
This expo was the first held since Hainan Province implemented its "fengguan" policy in December last year, designating the entire island as a special customs zone. With duty-free items dramatically expanded from 1,900 to 6,600, duty-free shopping revenue reached 4.86 billion yuan (approximately 1 trillion won, or $700 million) in the month following the implementation, a 46.8 percent increase year-on-year.
The measure reflects a strategy to develop Hainan into a hub for attracting foreign investment and stimulating domestic demand through aggressive duty-free policies amid slowing economic growth.
