Humans vs robots? China begs to disagree

The 2026 Spring Festival Gala, one of the world’s most-watched television events, featured a dazzling array of humanoid robots. They performed martial arts, executed intricate sword dances and even took part in a comedy skit alongside human celebrities. While parts of the world still view humanoid robots with a mixture of fear and suspicion, as potential job-stealers or sci-fi villains, China is increasingly embracing them as partners in work, entertainment and daily life. Amid the escalating artificial intelligence (AI) race, China is not just competing on technological prowess but is rapidly outpacing others in its willingness to integrate these machines into public life. China accounted for 90 per cent of the roughly 13,000 humanoid robots shipped globally last year. The country also represented over half of the humanoid robot exhibitors at the Consumer Electronics Show 2026. This burgeoning ecosystem draws researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs and investors into a fast-growing market. It is fuelled by a parallel explosion in large language models and multi-modal AI, from ByteDance’s Doubao to the DeepSeek and Qwen models. Such AI models help robots understand user requests, engage in conversation, analyse data and provide useful content. As more robots are deployed in the physical world, the AI models are enhanced by the influx of real-world data, which in turn intensifies competition in large language models themselves and further encourages innovation. The gala offered a stunning showcase of this progress. Robots from companies like Unitree, Galbot and Noetix ran, danced and performed acrobatics on stage. One might dismiss a backflipping robot, clad in a Monkey King costume, as a spectacle. But the nimbleness of the arms, legs, waist, neck, ankles and fingers shows technological breakthroughs. Making body components that are flexible requires joint stability, space sensing and navigation, computer vision accuracy and skeleton durability. It demands seamless coordination between what Chinese engineers describe as the robot’s big brain – the higher-level AI for self-learning, planning and decision-making – and its small brain, which handles the movement and motor control needed for everything from walking and running to complex dexterous functions. The chips being deployed at this massive scale also signal that the semiconductor industry is adapting rapidly to meet accelerating market demand. Just as with electric vehicles, the rise of humanoid robots shows that China’s manufacturing advantages are expanding into high-value industries. The economy is moving beyond clothing, toys, electronics, accessories and other low-value-added commodities that long defined “Made in China” and into a future of “Innovate in China”. China is transitioning from an exporter of cheap labour and raw materials into a powerhouse of hi-tech goods and services. The earnings from this shift will benefit major companies and manufacturers but are also likely to contribute to overall growth and rising salaries. China has assembled a supply chain for building humanoid robots, enabling wide public adoption. From the computer vision systems installed in a robot’s face or eyes to components like hands, legs and joints, and even the metal, plastic and pigment that make up the outer shell, all can be manufactured in domestic factories. This industrial ecosystem means that when a hotel in Shenzhen deploys robots to deliver items to guest rooms or a traffic authority in Hangzhou stations one to monitor intersections, these machines can be produced and distributed on a large scale. The public is welcoming, too. In robotics innovation hubs such as Shanghai, robots are offering tours in museums and entertaining fans at concerts, and engaging with men, women, children and the elderly, penetrating every aspect of daily life. This grass-roots enthusiasm is bolstered by policy support. China’s draft 15th five-year plan identifies “embodied intelligence” as a strategic priority for new and innovative industries, pledging to “cultivate unicorn start-ups”. At the 2026 Spring Festival Gala, viewers saw a robot that talks like a child and a bionic robot by Noetix dressed as a greyhaired grandmother, complete with natural skin and realistic expressions. These designs are a deliberate strategy to humanise robots, infuse them with emotion and compel audiences to feel empathy. The message is that robots can care for the elderly, serve as companions and act as assistants when family members lack the time or capacity to care for ageing parents and grandparents. The comedy skit playfully explored the anxieties of this reality and the bittersweet feeling of being “replaced” by a funnier, tireless family member. However, it also illustrates China’s long-term vision of integrating humanoid robots into a human-machine hybrid society in co-working and co-living scenarios. Of course, risks remain, particularly around safety. The private sector must work closely with public institutions and the government to design rules that ensure robots do not harm humans or cannot be reprogrammed by unauthorised individuals for malicious purposes. China’s example suggests a future of co-flourishing, where these machines are designed for daily integration and emotional resonance.

Humans vs robots? China begs to disagree

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}As China embraces humanoid robots, policymakers and companies are expanding the scope of innovation and applications in daily life

As China embraces humanoid robots, policymakers and companies are expanding the scope of innovation and applications in daily life