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Israel-Saudi Deal, Palestinians & Iran Agreement: What’s on Agenda of Biden's Mideast Trip?_我的网站

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    Robots conduct logistics and warehousing scenario training at an embodied intelligence exhibition center in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, on June 11, 2026. Photo: VCG
Consumer-oriented embodied AI model developer Noin Intelligence announced a 500-million-yuan ($74.1 million) Angel++ funding round on Monday, the company said in a statement, marking another major capital inflow into embodied AI models as investors turn their attention toward the "brains" behind robots.
According to the statement, the company plans to channel the funding into developing more generalizable embodied AI models, advancing iterations of its GLOW generative model, and accelerating product validation and mass production.
Industry experts noted that a broader shift in the robotics race, with competition moving beyond hardware performance toward the development of core intelligence capabilities. While hardware forms the physical foundation of robots, embodied AI models determine their ability to perceive, learn, reason and adapt in real-world environments, making them a key factor in unlocking future opportunities.
The funding momentum extends beyond Noin Intelligence, with several other companies recently securing major financing rounds that are largely focused on advancing their AI models.
On August 3, Wuxi-based embodied intelligence company DISCOVER Robotics secured a $100 million Angel+ funding round, shortly after completing its initial angel financing of more than $100 million, according to Wuxi Fabu, the official WeChat account of the local government.
The company later introduced ORION, a hierarchical embodied intelligence foundation model, as well as LOOP, a virtual-real hybrid data closed-loop system, and DISCOVERSE, a high-fidelity simulator. The solutions are designed to tackle two major challenges facing the embodied intelligence — data scarcity and limited generalization — and accelerate the development of more capable AI systems, according to Wuxi Fabu.
In addition, according to industry media reports on August 3, Ant Lingbo, Ant Group's embodied intelligence subsidiary, has launched its first round of financing, seeking to raise 1.5 billion yuan. 
The company aims to complete a second funding round by the end of this year. The company later confirmed to media that it was in discussions with investors, saying that as a core initiative of Ant Group's embodied intelligence strategy, it will continue to focus on developing general-purpose robotic brains, increase investment in embodied-native technology pathways, and accelerate industrial deployment.
The shift is also reflected in the fundraising priorities of publicly listed candidates.
Notably, Unitree Robotics, which has recently drawn widespread attention from the capital market, officially opened IPO subscriptions on Monday. According to its prospectus registration document disclosed by the Shanghai Stock Exchange on June 2, the company plans to raise 4.202 billion yuan through the IPO, with nearly half of the proceeds earmarked for its intelligent robot model R&D project.
Of the total proceeds, 2.02 billion yuan will be allocated to the intelligent robot model development project, significantly exceeding the 1.11 billion yuan planned for robot body R&D, highlighting the company's focus on developing the AI capabilities that power robots.
Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, said the latest financing trend shows that capital is reassessing where the core value of robotics lies. Investors are increasingly moving beyond robot hardware itself and treating embodied AI models and robotic "brains" as high-value assets, with capital flowing more toward software, algorithms and intelligence capabilities, he told the Global Times on Monday.
The valuation framework is also being reshaped, with investors paying greater attention to real-world deployment, customer adoption and repeat demand rather than hardware specifications or corporate narratives alone. Whether robots can operate reliably in real application scenarios has become a key benchmark for investment decisions, Wang said.
He added that increased investment in embodied AI models and generative world models could help address the structural gap between general-purpose AI models and physical-world interaction by expanding the supply of real-world interaction data. Capital is also increasingly favoring companies aligned with the country's long-term industrial priorities and emerging industry development plans, he said.
According to data from IT industry research platform ITjuzi.com, financing in China's embodied intelligence sector totaled 93.5 billion yuan in the first half of 2026, surpassing 90 billion yuan and marking a fivefold increase from the same period in 2025. The number of financing deals reached 322, up 137 percent year-on-year.
As China enters the first year of its 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), policy priorities are placing greater emphasis on developing emerging industries, with the country accelerating AI development and promoting its integration with various sectors, Chinese experts noted. Meanwhile, as global AI development enters a new stage driven by broader applications and deeper industry integration, embodied intelligence is expected to unlock significant growth potential.
Driven by policy support and rapid industry evolution, the nation's upstream and downstream segments of the AI industry have gained momentum, achieving notable progress.
According to a Bloomberg's Monday report, China's humanoid robot makers commanded more than 97 percent of global shipments in the first half of 2026, according to new industry data affirming the country's early lead against US rivals in the burgeoning field.
Meanwhile, global humanoid robot shipments totaled roughly 19,100 units in the first half of 2026, more than triple the 5,100 units shipped in the same period last year, according to data from Smart Analytics Global. Data further noted the California-based research firm expects shipments to rise to around 60,000 units this year and reach half a million by 2030.
。    During the two-day visit, the American head of state will meet with Israel's top officials. These will include the new prime minister, Yair Lapid, alternate PM Naftali Bennett, as well as opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu. He is also set to visit an Iron Dome missile defense base, a system developed jointly by the US and Israel.,The main focus of the US president’s upcoming trip will be a stop in Saudi Arabia, Danny Ayalon, Israel's former ambassador to the US, believes,"In the upcoming trip, the focus will be on Jeddah. Of course, the Saudis will not normalize relations with Israel but cooperation will be on the table.",Riyadh has repeatedly said that a normalization pact with Israel is not possible unless the Palestinian issue is resolved. Israel, which has just entered a transitional period ahead of the November midterm elections is not in a position to offer concessions, apart from symbolic gestures such as granting more work permits to Gazans or allowing crowds to pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.,But what Israel can offer to the Saudis, Ayalon says, is a solution to an issue that has been bothering them for years – control over the Tiran and Sanafir Islands in the Red Sea.,The two islands were under Saudi jurisdiction until 1950, when Riyadh transferred them to Egypt. Israel captured them during the Six Day War, but later returned them to Cairo as part of the 1979 bilateral peace treaty.,Egypt has been in control of the islands since then, but in 2016 President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi promised to give them back to the Saudis. However, for that to happen, he needs the consent of the Israelis, due to the terms of the 1979 agreement.,Back then, Israeli consent was not given. Now, however, it seems to be on the table, Ayalon says. He stresses that Israel may use the issue as a bargaining chip in talks on the opening of Saudi airspace for Israeli planes or on defense cooperation. The latter is crucial for Riyadh, he says, especially in light of the threat emanating from Yemen's Houthi rebels, linked to Iran.,"Of course, the Saudis will continue with their lip service to the Palestinians, but cooperation will be taking place under the radar. However, the scope of that cooperation will not be big", the former diplomat says. "There is a generation gap between the Saudi king and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, and unless there is a shift, nothing will move towards the formalization of ties," he added.,Palestinian Issue,Before Biden came to power, he vowed to support the two-state solution, resume funding for the Palestinians that was halted under his predecessor, and open the American Consulate in East Jerusalem to counter balance their embassy in the western part of the disputed city.,More than a year after his inauguration, many of the issues he had promised to resolve are still up in the air.,The US Consulate hasn't been opened in East Jerusalem yet, and doubts run high as to whether it ever will. The Palestinian Liberation Organization's office in Washington that was shut under President Donald Trump is still closed. Funds that were given to the Palestinians in the past have not been fully restored.,The Palestinians have repeatedly stressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of progress on their front, and Ayalon says the arrival of Biden is aimed at calming the mood.,"There won't be any breakthrough on the Palestinian front. But Biden does want to take some credit for the economic assistance to the Palestinians, and he does want to bolster the security cooperation between Israel and the PA, sending a message to Hamas.",Iran Nuclear Deal,Although last week another round of talks between the US and Iran ended in a stalemate, Washington is still interested in pursuing that path.,If a deal is reached, the US would remove many of its sanctions from the Islamic Republic in exchange for the ability to supervise Tehran's nuclear program.,The deal taking shape is disturbing officials in Jerusalem and Riyadh, who claim that a nuclear Iran might threaten their security, allegations Tehran has repeatedly denied. Ayalon says Biden's visit will try to mitigate the damage. He will also try to "get the support of Israel for the deal". But the Jewish state is unlikely to be convinced, even under the leadership of the more liberal Yair Lapid.,Israel’s Prime Minister Claims Iran ‘Dangerously Close’ to Obtaining Nuclear Weapons12 June, 00:10 GMT,The Israeli PM is heading to Paris on Tuesday, where he will meet President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the deal with Iran and attempts by the Islamic Republic to remove its Revolutionary Guards from the list of terror organizations.,In September, he is also planning a trip to New York, where he will address the United Nations General Assembly and raise the issue of Iran once again.,"Lapid is likely to tell Biden that Israel is not bound by this agreement, if it does happen. Israel will emphasize that it will have a free hand when it comes to Iran, and that also means that it can adhere to plan B," Ayalon said, referring to a military option.,Russia's Operation in Ukraine,However, Biden is not only going to Israel for the sake of regional issues, the former diplomat claims. His visit to Israel and Saudi Arabiacomes amid raging hostilities in Ukraine, and the US head of state will try to convince the two Middle Eastern nations to stand by the side of Washington, he adds.,Although Saudi Arabia cracked under the American pressure to pump more oil, prices on crude continue to climb, shaking the economies of the US and Europe.,Israel, on its part, has also taken a lukewarm approach vis-a-vis Ukraine. Although it has publicly denounced Russian actions, absorbed thousands of Ukrainian refugees, and provided thousands more with medical and humanitarian assistance, it has not joined sanctions against Russia. And Ayalon says his country is not planning to change its course.,"President Vladimir Putin has been friendly with Israel for all these years. Plus, we have a big Russian population in this country. So I doubt Israel will join the Western sanctions against Moscow. It is simply not in our interests," he concluded.。

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