This fifth annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Asia is taking place in Shanghai through Thursday, just a few days after China granted 5G licences for commercial use. 

The main focuses of the show this year are on the latest innovations in AI, 5G and vehicle technology around the world. 

Unsurprisingly, Huawei attended the show and unveiled its new AI technology "HiAI" to the public, a mobile terminal–oriented AI computing platform designed to control devices used in daily life. 

The design consists of three layers, with mobile phones in the center. The phone, or the main brain, can be connected to eight other devices, such as TVs, PCs, glasses, and then to other devices. 

Huawei expects the industry is on the verge of another new era in the development of mobile phones. 

The company is at the center of a political storm at the moment. Andy Mok, a non-resident fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, explained what kind of role the company plays in the development of 5G networks, both for home appliances and daily use.

Mok pointed out that, in the short term, there are some question marks for the company due to various disruptions. But when we talk about 5G, most consumers think about faster download speeds. Huawei's revolutionary innovations allow machines to "talk" to each other. Communication is no longer limited to people-to-people interactions or people to machine, the tech allows your refrigerator, car or drone to communicate with other devices.

Mok said this is why Huawei can be a global leader in developing IP, new standards and transforming ideas into physical equipment. The ability to turn 5G into an ecosystem is certainly changing our lives in unprecedented ways.

Editor's note: The article is based on an interview with Andy Mok, a non-resident fellow at the Center for China and Globalization.