Singaporean healthcare professional experiences futuristic smart living in China

TIANJIN, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- From AI-assisted medical translation to voice-controlled navigation and robot services, smart technologies are increasingly woven into everyday life in China.

Cherinjit Shori, a Singapore-based healthcare professional with more than 25 years of experience, has seen this transformation firsthand through his frequent trips between Singapore and China.

For Shori, technologies that once seemed futuristic are no longer distant concepts. They are practical tools he encounters in hospitals, on city roads and in daily life, offering a glimpse of how the future is already taking shape in China.

Shori works for Perennial Holdings Private Limited, supporting international patient services, overseas partnerships and the cross-border referral network of Perennial General Hospital Tianjin, China's first wholly foreign-owned tertiary general hospital, which is located in the north of the country. His work regularly sees him traveling between the two countries.

"From an international patient's perspective, technology makes communication easier, and that is a very real benefit," he said.

Some overseas patients send their medical reports and records in their native languages to Tianjin before traveling to China. With AI-assisted translation, medical teams can quickly understand their conditions, conduct preliminary assessments and make arrangements for follow-up treatment.

"The whole process is fast, reducing the uncertainty for patients seeking medical care abroad," Shori said.

The convenience brought by smart technology extends far beyond hospitals. Calling a ride, making mobile payments and translating information -- with just a smartphone, Shori can handle many everyday tasks in China. For someone who does not speak Chinese, these digital services woven into daily life offer not only convenience, but also a greater sense of ease and confidence in an unfamiliar country.

"Foreign visitors in an unfamiliar environment inevitably encounter difficulties with language, transportation and other aspects of daily life," Shori said. "But when I live and work in China, technology makes me feel more confident and independent."

During one trip, Shori rode in a Chinese-brand new energy vehicle (NEV). Once inside, smart voice interaction and real-time navigation quickly came into play. From setting a route to adjusting in-car functions, many operations could be completed via voice commands or smart systems.

What impressed him even more was how common such vehicles have become on city roads in China.

"They have become part of the daily travel of Chinese people," he said.

China's large AI models have also become indispensable tools for Shori in translation, research, communication and information processing.

According to the 57th Statistical Report on China's Internet Development, released by the China Internet Network Information Center, China had 602 million generative AI users as of December 2025.

"Whether I'm asking a question, translating a message or looking up information, I can get an immediate result," Shori said. He noted that such speed, combined with continually improving accuracy, can help people make faster and more informed decisions.

China's rapid advances in robotics have also caught Shori's attention. At Perennial Healthcare City Tianjin, he has seen robots operating in hospitals, hotels and restaurants, handling tasks such as medicine delivery, food delivery and patient guidance, and becoming part of routine operations.

What struck him most was how naturally people interact with them. Hospital staff and patients, as well as restaurant employees and customers, have become accustomed to different forms of human-robot collaboration.

"People naturally accept the presence of robots, which is very interesting to me," Shori said. "These technologies, which once seemed futuristic, are becoming part of everyday life in China."

Today, a growing number of foreign tourists are incorporating "tech tourism" into their trips to China. From experiencing robot and drone food delivery to shopping for AI glasses, smart robots and other "new specialties," such technology-focused experiences are becoming an important window for foreign visitors to gain firsthand knowledge of China, explore future opportunities and experience the country's development.

An article published on the website of Vietnam's Lao Dong newspaper said that visits to electric vehicle factories, AI companies and robot centers in China are emerging as a new tourism trend. Technology experiences are becoming attractions comparable in appeal to traditional scenic spots, drawing increasing numbers of international tourists, investors and entrepreneurs to experience technologies that are shaping the future.

"People are eager to see and experience the 'future' with their own eyes, and China offers just such a window," Shori said.

For Shori, a frequent visitor to China, that window has long become part of everyday life: a real-time translation appearing on a screen, a mobile payment completed in seconds, or a navigation system activated by a voice command. The future, in his experience, is already within reach.