At the Summer Davos of the World Economic Forum in Tianjin last week, a young corporate executive appeared utterly bewitched by an attractive and young Chinese woman in a traditional white robe.

Her red lips and shiny black eyes seemed to draw him towards her. The woman responded gently to his overtures: "Sir, I don't have a boyfriend, for I immerse myself wholeheartedly in my work."

Her tone of voice was a giveaway. The executive quickly realized the speaker was not a woman but Jiajia the robot. Jiajia seemed to redefine 'virtual reality' with its stunning resemblance to a woman.