Ministry of Industry and Information Technology: It is expected that by 2025, the scale of China's AI toy market will increase to 29 billion yuan.

On November 19, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology held a press conference to introduce the revision of the mandatory national standard GB 6675 "Toy Safety" series. He Yaqiong, Director of the Consumer Products Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, stated that the variety of toy products is more abundant and the quality standards are more sound. In recent years, with the continuous application of new materials, new processes, and new technologies, the variety of toy products in China has greatly increased, the quality of toy products has continuously improved, and the standard system has been continuously improved. Toys made of various materials such as plush, fabric, wood, metal, and plastic are basically fully covered; innovative products such as educational toys and smart toys lead the trend; the application of artificial intelligence and large models injects new soul into toy products, significantly improving the interactive experience of toy products. AI toys that are interactive, can be cultivated, have personalities, and have memory are deeply loved by young people and have become a new race track for industry competition. According to statistics, the AI toy market in China is expected to reach about 24.6 billion yuan in 2024, and it is expected to increase to 29 billion yuan for the whole year in 2025. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology held a press conference to introduce the revision of the "Toy Safety" series of mandatory national standards on November 19. The Director of the Consumer Products Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, He Yaqiong, and other officials attended the conference, introducing the relevant situation and answering questions from the press. The press conference was hosted by Gong Xian, the Deputy Director of the Office of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Gong Xian: Dear journalists, Good morning everyone. Welcome to the press conference on the revision of the GB 6675 "Toy Safety" series of mandatory national standards jointly held by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State Administration for Market Regulation. I am the host of this conference, Gong Xian from the Office of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Children are the hope of every family, and also the future of the country and the nation. Toys play an indispensable role in the growth process of children. They are not only intimate companions for children to spend their childhood with, but also the "first textbook" for children to understand the world, learn rules, and stimulate imagination. In recent years, the scale of the toy industry in China has continued to increase, the variety of products has become more abundant, and the quality of products has remained at a high safety level. But at the same time, the emergence of some inferior toys that do not meet standards and have serious quality risks has also brought negative impact on the healthy growth of children. In order to better promote the orderly development of the toy industry and ensure the physical and mental health of children, in response to new issues exposed in the development of the toy industry, the Ministry has recently accelerated the revision and improvement of the 4 mandatory national standards GB 6675.1 to GB 6675.4 "Toy Safety" series, which were approved and released by the State Administration for Market Regulation (State Standardization Administration) in recent days. Today's press conference has invited He Yaqiong, Director of the Consumer Products Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and other officials to introduce the overall situation of the development of the toy industry in China, the construction of the standard system, quality and safety supervision, and to answer questions from the press. First of all, I would like to invite Director He Yaqiong of the Consumer Products Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to introduce the overall situation of the development of the toy industry in China. "Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, China's toy industry has accelerated its transformation and upgrading," said He Yaqiong, Director of the Consumer Products Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. "Thank you, Mr. Host. Dear media friends, hello everyone, first of all, thank you for your long-term care and support for the consumer goods industry, especially for the development and standardization work of the toy industry. As we all know, China is not only a major producer of toys, but also a major consumer and exporter of toys. Especially since the 14th Five-Year Plan, our Ministry has been deeply promoting the toy industry to accelerate its transformation and upgrading, focusing on the continued implementation of the Three-Product Strategy of "increasing variety, improving quality, and creating brands". This has further consolidated China's position as a global center for toy production and trade advantages. First, the toy industry is more resilient. China has built the most complete toy industry chain in the world, with advanced production technology and high-quality technical workers, significant industrial advantages, providing high-quality and cost-effective toy products to consumers worldwide. In 2024, the total retail sales of toys in the domestic market reached 97.85 billion yuan, an increase of 25.5% from 2020; toy product exports reached 39.87 billion US dollars, an increase of 19.1% from 2020, with more than 40% of products exported to the US and EU markets. According to relevant institutions' estimates, the total retail sales of toys in the domestic market in 2025 is expected to surpass 100 billion yuan for the whole year. Second, the variety of toy products is more abundant, and quality standards are more sound. In recent years, with the continuous application of new materials, new processes, and new technologies, the variety of toy products in China has significantly increased, toy product quality has continuously improved, and the standard system has been continuously improved. Toy products made of various materials such as plush, fabric, wood, metal, and plastic have basically achieved full coverage; innovative products such as educational toys and smart toys lead the trend; in particular, the application of artificial intelligence and large models injects new soul into toy products, significantly enhancing the interactive experience of toy products. AI toys that are interactive, can be cultivated, have personality, and have memory are deeply loved by young people and have become a new race track for industry competition. According to statistics, the market size of AI toys in China is approximately 24.6 billion yuan in 2024 and is expected to increase to 29 billion yuan for the whole year in 2025. Third, toy products place more emphasis on value. In recent years, the market for toys with emotional and collectible value, such as blind boxes and hand-held toys, has continued to grow rapidly. While providing emotional value for young people, it has also become a new economic growth point for the toy industry. According to statistics, in 2024, the total retail sales of trendy and collectible toys and related products in the domestic market reached 55.83 billion yuan. A group of innovative domestic enterprises have shown strong capabilities in original IP creation and brand operation, meeting domestic consumption needs while pushing Chinese original creativity onto the world stage, significantly enhancing the international influence of the Chinese toy industry. Next, with the implementation of the 4 mandatory national standards for the toy industry, we believe that the toy industry in China will grow more orderly, and the pace of integrated innovation will be faster, achieving higher-quality development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Thank you!" Q&A "The new revised 4 compulsory national standards for "Toy Safety" will have a more stringent deadline for compliance and applicability. Can you tell us what changes have been made in the key technical indicators?" "This time, the revision of the GB 6675 "Toy Safety" series of standards is the third revision. Based on a full investigation of the current technical development status of the toy industry in China and benchmarking international standards such as ISO and the EU, the technical requirements and test methods for quality and safety of toy products have been comprehensively upgraded, enhancing the binding force and applicability of the mandatory national standards. First, in terms of preventing health damage, 10 categories of harmful substances, such as formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), short-chain chlorinated paraffins, and boron elements, have been added to the limit requirements, significantly expanding the coverage of chemical harmful substances in toy products, addressing issues such as children putting toys in their mouths, contaminating their arms, and harming their bodies. Second, in terms of mechanical and physical safety, new technical requirements have been added for toys with exposed flames and food-shaped toys, and specific requirements for subdivided product categories such as yo-yos, inflatable toys, and suction projectiles have been optimized, strengthening the applicability of the standard technical requirements to the physical safety of toy products. Third, in terms of fire safety, technical requirements for flame retardancy performance have been added for headwear toys such as masks, and flame retardancy performance test methods for toy costumes, toy tents, and soft-filled toys that children can enter, along with 3 types of soft-filled toys, etc., have been improved to effectively ensure the fire safety of toy products. It can be said that the new revised standards are equivalent to raising the passing score from 60 to 90. Toy products produced according to the new standards can make children play with more peace of mind, confidence, and safety. Thank you!" "Over the years, with the continuous deepening of the Three-product strategy of the consumer goods industry, in addition to toy products, the variety of children's products has continued to increase, and new materials and products have emerged. What considerations does the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology have in ensuring the quality and safety of children's products, and what work has been done to strengthen source control?" "Consumers are increasingly concerned about the quality of toys. The new revised compulsory national standards have been changed to ensure a smooth transition. What arrangements have been made for the implementation of the new revised standards, and do companies have enough time for the transition?" "The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has been promoting the high-quality development of the AI toy industry through three aspects. Can you tell us what new features AI toys present in their development process, and what considerations have been made to promote the development of the toy industry through AI technology?" These translations should provide a clear understanding of the content presented in the original text.