Meet Xiao He, the humanoid robot that stole the show at SCO Summit

China’s Tianjin is hosting the largest-ever Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, a major diplomatic meeting that has brought together leaders from more than 20 countries.

This year’s summit is set to highlight innovation and technology. Among the many events, a humanoid robot that helps journalists has drawn much attention.

Xiao He, an AI-powered humanoid assistant, has been deployed to offer multilingual support. It answers questions and helps journalists in several languages.

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Notably, the two-day summit began on August 31. This year marks the largest gathering since the organisation was formed in 2001 by six Eurasian nations.

But what do we know about Xiao He?

Here’s a look:

Who is Xiao He?

The summit has taken innovation a step further with the introduction of Xiao He, a humanoid robot that answers questions and assists journalists in different languages.

Speaking to ANI, the robot introduced itself and said, “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."

The robot is fluent in three languages: Chinese, English and Russian.

In its interaction with the news agency, Xiao He explained that its systems combine advanced emotional recognition technology, adaptive learning tools and large knowledge databases.

These help the robot to enable smooth communication among international delegates, media representatives and summit organisers.

“My operational parameters emphasise cultural neutrality, factual precision and continuous performance optimisation throughout the summit duration,” it said.

While speaking about the summit’s facilities, Xiao He stated that there were dedicated areas for both foreign and domestic media. It added that cultural programmes will include Tianjin Yangliuqing woodblock prints and traditional craftsmanship in the Intangible Cultural Heritage Interactive Experience Zone.

Alongside Xiao He, another robot took part in the SCO gathering. It served ice cream to volunteers at the media centre of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin on Saturday.

Notably, China has been working on developing humanoid robots. Recently, Beijing hosted the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games, which scripted history in robotics as the first global event of its kind.

About 16 countries, including the US, Germany and Japan, joined the competition, where robot athletes attempted “to compete across a range of events including athletics, football, dance and martial arts,” according to BBC.

China also introduced Guanghua No 1, described as the world’s first emotional AI humanoid robot, built with the ability to display humanlike emotions.

The SCO Summit

Formed in 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has grown into one of the world’s largest regional groups.

Its full members are China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Iran. Another 16 countries are observers or “dialogue partners”.

The bloc, which began with a focus on security, has broadened its role over time. It now includes cooperation in areas such as defence and the economy, along with counter-terrorism.

After completing his visit to Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for China on Saturday.

The summit is significant for India-China relations as both countries seek to mend ties, present unity and send a strong message to the Donald Trump administration in the US.

The timing is notable given frosty relations between New Delhi and Washington, after the Trump government imposed tariffs on India over its purchase of Russian oil.

On Sunday, during talks with China’s Xi Jinping, PM Modi raised the matter of cross-border terrorism. He said that both India and China are “victims” of terrorism and must act together to fight the “scourge” of cross-border terrorism.

He also stated that India has gained China’s “understanding and cooperation” on counter-terrorism efforts within the SCO.

With inputs from agencies