According to reports from udn and CNA, the Cross-Strait Artificial Intelligence Integration and Development Innovation Forum was held in Shanghai on July 18, 2026, alongside WAIC, drawing 21 tech companies. Taiwan's Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association urged deeper collaboration, while a speaker projected robot costs falling from $55,000 to $32,000 by 2030.
Background and Scale of the 2026 World AI Conference
The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance (WAIC) ran from July 17 to 20 in Shanghai, according to matching reports from udn (https://udn.com/news/story/7333/9636063) and CNA (https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202607180104.aspx). On the morning of July 18, the "Cross-Strait Artificial Intelligence Integration and Development Innovation Forum" convened at the Shanghai World Expo Center as a side event of the main conference, per both outlets.
Participants and Corporate Turnout at the Cross-Strait AI Forum
According to udn, mainland Chinese officials attending the forum included Pan Xianzhang, deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council; Jin Mei, director of the Shanghai Taiwan Affairs Office; and Li Keqiang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor at Tsinghua University's School of Vehicle and Mobility. In his remarks, Pan said 21 representative technology companies appeared at this year's forum, presenting the development results and frontier technology breakthroughs of the cross-strait AI industry chain, udn reported.
Taiwan Industry's Hopes for Cross-Strait AI Cooperation
Speaking on behalf of the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (TEEMA), Yeh Li-cheng said Taiwan possesses a complete and internationally competitive electronics manufacturing supply chain, with deep capabilities accumulated in wafer manufacturing, key components, and systems, laying a solid foundation for embodied intelligence development, according to udn. Yeh added that mainland China's large market scale, comprehensive industrial system, and diverse application scenarios offer broad room for AI technology innovation and industrial deployment.
On the mainland side, CNA reported that Pan Xianzhang said officials will actively promote deep integration of cross-strait industries and coordinated innovation across the upstream and downstream of the AI industry chain. Pan also said authorities will work to advance inclusive and shared development, proposing further policy measures benefiting Taiwanese compatriots and enterprises, aiming to connect Taiwanese firms' technology and industrial resources with mainland application scenarios, per CNA.
The Economic Tipping Point and Cost Trends for Robotics
At the forum, Lo Jen-chuan projected that robot manufacturing costs and manufacturing-sector labor costs will reach a "golden cross" point between 2027 and 2028, according to both udn and CNA. Lo further estimated that the per-unit cost of robots will fall from $55,000 in 2025 to $32,000 by 2030, and that one robot could replace roughly 3.5 to 4 workers.
Metric
Value
Year
Robot cost (per unit)
$55,000
2025
Robot cost (per unit)
$32,000
2030
Cost/labor golden cross
Projected
2027-2028
Workers replaced per robot
3.5-4
—
The Funding Gap Between Taiwan and Mainland China in Robotics Research
Lo also compared research funding available to academics on each side of the strait. According to udn, he said a professor in Taiwan might receive roughly NT$2 million to NT$3 million in annual research funding, while a counterpart in mainland China could receive as much as NT$10 million.
The Policy Debate Over Taxing Robots
Lo argued that robots will eventually need to be taxed, reasoning, "because every laborer, every worker gets taxed, so why would you enjoy this benefit without being willing to be taxed?" according to udn's report of his forum remarks.
What This Means
The figures presented at the forum outline a specific sequence: Lo's projected 2027-2028 cost/labor golden cross and the drop from $55,000 to $32,000 by 2030 would make robot deployment more economically viable for manufacturers around the same period mainland China's research funding — cited by Lo at up to NT$10 million per professor versus NT$2-3 million in Taiwan — continues to outpace Taiwan's. Against that backdrop, TEEMA's Yeh framed Taiwan's supply-chain strengths in wafer manufacturing and components as complementary to the market scale and application scenarios Pan described on the mainland side, while Pan's stated 21-company turnout and pledge to align Taiwanese resources with mainland scenarios reflect the same integration theme raised at the political level. Lo's tax proposal was presented independently of these industry and funding figures, without linkage in the reporting to how it would interact with the projected cost curve.
When and where was the 2026 World AI Conference held?
According to udn and CNA, WAIC 2026 ran from July 17 to 20 in Shanghai, with the Cross-Strait Artificial Intelligence Integration and Development Innovation Forum held on July 18 at the Shanghai World Expo Center.
How many companies participated in the Cross-Strait AI Forum?
Pan Xianzhang said 21 representative technology companies appeared at this year's forum, according to both udn and CNA.
When is the projected 'golden cross' between robot costs and labor costs?
Lo Jen-chuan projected the golden cross would occur between 2027 and 2028, per udn and CNA reports of his forum remarks.
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