In 2020, a news story about the “Chinese version of Gundam” made headlines in the South China Morning Post, claiming that Transformer-like high-tech robots were spotted at the construction site of the Chinese military’s defence works on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, leaving Indian soldiers agape and even catching the attention of President Xi Jinping. Adding to the absurdity, China’s state broadcaster CCTV branded it an “intelligent robot”, taking boasting to a whole new level. However, the truth was a letdown
