SEATED at a console inside a hospital in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, Piotr Suwalski, a Polish doctor, fixed his gaze on the screen ahead of him while manipulating a surgical robot located more than 7,000 km away in Poland.

About two hours later, the surgery was successfully completed, boosting the doctor’s confidence in promoting the technology back home.

Suwalski, director of the National Medical Institute of Poland, said the surgical field was exceptionally clear, while the patient experienced less bleeding compared with traditional open chest surgery.

The surgery was one of seven remote operations successfully conducted at the international remote robotic center of the West China Hospital of Sichuan University in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, in March.

Inaugurated on March 21, the center aims to become an international smart-surgery platform, promoting a shift in medical services from “bringing patients in” to “sending technologies out.”

To ensure safety during remote surgery, a professional team comprising surgical specialists, anesthesiologists, nursing staff, network engineers and equipment engineers has been set up at the center, operating under a 24/7 emergency response mechanism.

The year 2026 marks a milestone for China’s surgical robot industry, as the release of the country’s first guidelines on pricing for such services is expected to usher in a new phase of regulated growth, driven by both policy support and rising market demand.

Meanwhile, on a broader global scale, China’s surgical robots have already drawn increasing attention. According to data from the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products, the export of China’s surgical robots soared 368.1% year on year in 2025, reflecting the rapidly rising global recognition of China-made medical equipment in terms of both technological capability and international competitiveness.

As the Belt and Road Initiative continues to advance, Chinese surgical robots and other medical devices are speeding up their expansion into overseas markets.

The country’s exports of medical equipment totaled US$45.8 billion in 2025, up 62.4% compared with 2019, said the China Association of Medical Equipment, adding that China’s medical equipment sector has been shifting from a cost-driven competitive edge to one based on technology and brand strength.

At an international surgical robots conference held in late March in Chengdu, more than 700 experts and scholars from countries and regions across North America, Europe and Asia discussed innovation and development in surgical robot technologies.

Luo Fengming, president of the West China Hospital of Sichuan University, said at the conference that the inauguration of the hospital’s international remote robotic center will continue to promote the innovative development of surgical robot technologies.(Xinhua)