The most viral moment on Chinese television so far this year has been a group of humanoid robots performing kung fu moves under the lights of the giant Asian country's biggest show. The scene, broadcast this week during the Chinese New Year gala, was a demonstration of technological power in prime time and a clear sign of how much China is leading the humanoid robotics race.
The gala featured robots from four local technology companies. There were synchronized martial arts routines, comedic sketches, and dance numbers in which the humanoids performed somersaults, cartwheels, and formation changes while running, demonstrating a significant improvement in movement control compared to last year's televised show, where they made their debut with basic movements in a traditional dance.
Another highly commented performance was a parody about elderly care, in which several humanoids from the company Noetix Robotics pretended to be domestic assistants for an elderly woman, capable of providing emotional support. The scene mixed humor, acrobatics, and a long-term strategy: the use of robots to cope with the rapid aging of the population.
But let's go back to the most viral moment: G1 humanoid robots from Unitree Robotics, the leading Chinese manufacturer in this industry, jumping from trampolines, climbing walls, and running at speeds close to 14 kilometers per hour. All of this, as stated by the company's founder, Wang Xingxing, completely autonomously.
Wang has explained that the company plans to "send between 10,000 and 20,000 humanoid robots this year," referring to units sold and dispatched to customers. According to data from the consulting firm Omdia, Unitree already surpasses in combined sales several American competitors such as Tesla, Figure AI, or Agility Robotics.
Last year, almost 90% of all humanoid robots sold worldwide were Chinese, and six of the top-selling companies in the sector were from the Asian country, with Unitree at the forefront. For now, most of these machines are used for research, retail, or industrial environments, but a progressive expansion towards domestic and service uses is expected.
China not only dominates the majority of sales but also a significant part of the supply chain - from batteries and sensors to electric motors and control chips - allowing it to reduce costs and shorten development times compared to its competitors.
Analysts point out that Beijing is now applying to the humanoid robotics industry the same approach it used with electric vehicles: strong initial state support with a wide and generous subsidy coverage, fostering competition among dozens of local companies, and rapidly reducing costs through large-scale production.
The goal is not to manufacture machines that perform kung fu on television, but to deploy them very soon in factories, hospitals, logistics warehouses, or nursing homes.
The investment bank Morgan Stanley estimates in a report that the global market could reach $38 billion by 2035 and multiply several times in the following decades if robots manage to integrate into everyday life. And China aims to continue leading this race.
At the end of last year, humanoid robotics was designated as a priority sector in Beijing's new five-year plans, pushing more relatively young technology companies to compete on the global stage.
In the New Year gala, in addition to acrobatics and comedic acts, there was a moment where a humanoid engaged in a natural dialogue with the presenters thanks to the integration of a chatbot developed by the tech giant ByteDance into its system. The scene served as a small demonstration of how robotics and generative artificial intelligence, two strategic sectors, are increasingly intertwined in China.