Chinese manufacturers are outpacing US rivals in speed, volume, and deployment — and the gap is widening
From Spring Festival Gala to the Factory Floor: China’s Humanoid Robot Revolution
When a fleet of humanoid robots performed kung fu flips live on China’s nationally televised Spring Festival Gala in February 2026, it was not a publicity stunt. It was a declaration of intent. China’s humanoid robotics industry has moved from science fiction to industrial deployment faster than most Western analysts predicted, and it is doing so with a speed-to-scale advantage that American and European competitors are only beginning to fully appreciate.
The Numbers Tell the Story
Global humanoid robot shipments totaled just 13,317 units in 2025, according to a Forbes analysis released in January. That number is tiny but it is expected to nearly double annually, reaching 2.6 million units by 2035. And of those early shipments, the overwhelming majority came from Chinese manufacturers. The top six humanoid robot makers by 2025 shipments were all Chinese: Agibot, Unitree, UBTech, Leju Robotics, Engine AI, and Fourier Intelligence. Unitree alone shipped roughly 36 times more units last year than US rivals Figure and Tesla combined, according to Selina Xu, China and AI policy lead at the office of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. The reason, Xu told TechCrunch, is structural. China has a more robust hardware supply chain, much of it built up through the EV sector, from sensors to batteries, and the world’s strongest manufacturing base, allowing companies to iterate far faster than Western competitors. Chinese robots are not just more numerous. They are cheaper, faster to iterate, and increasingly competitive on capability.
Beyond the Demo: Real World Deployment
The most significant shift in the industry in the past year has been the transition from demo-driven excitement to operations-driven adoption. Yuli Zhao, chief strategy officer at Galbot, told TechCrunch that customers are now asking a single critical question: Can the robot run stably in real environments and actually take work off people’s plates? The answer, increasingly, is yes in constrained environments such as factory floors, warehouse logistics, and retail settings where tasks are repetitive and processes are clearly defined. Galbot has raised over $300 million in funding, pushing its valuation to an estimated $3 billion. Unitree is eyeing a future IPO at a valuation of up to $7 billion. The capital is following the capability.
The Dual-Use Concern
China’s humanoid robotics ambitions are not without strategic implications. The same industrial ecosystem that produces warehouse robots can produce battlefield robots. The same AI software stack that enables a humanoid to sort packages can, in principle, enable one to conduct surveillance or carry weapons. The TechCrunch robotics desk and the TrendForce research house both track the dual-use potential of this technology. For democratic governments, the question is not whether to engage with humanoid robotics. The technology is coming regardless. The question is whether the regulatory frameworks that govern AI, weapons systems, and autonomous machinery can keep pace with a Chinese industry that has government policy, industrial strategy, and private capital all aligned in the same direction, with no democratic check on how the technology is ultimately deployed. The Brookings Institution has published detailed policy analysis on the governance challenges posed by autonomous systems developed in non-democratic contexts.
Ho Yi Lam
Youth Affairs & Education Journalist, Apple Daily UK
Contact: hoyi.lam@appledaily.uk
Ho Yi Lam is a youth affairs and education journalist with professional experience covering student movements, higher education policy, and generational change within Chinese-speaking communities. She received her journalism training at a top-tier Chinese journalism school, where she specialized in education reporting, interview methodology, and media ethics, with an emphasis on public-interest journalism.
Her reporting career includes work with Apple Daily and other liberal Chinese newspapers, producing coverage on campus governance, academic freedom, curriculum reform, and youth civic engagement. Ho Yi’s journalism is grounded in firsthand interviews with students, educators, and policy experts, supported by careful review of official documents and research data.
She has worked in newsroom environments where education reporting intersects with political sensitivity, giving her practical experience in source protection and verification. Editors value her ability to present complex institutional issues clearly while maintaining factual accuracy.
Ho Yi’s authority is built through consistent publication within reputable media outlets and adherence to editorial standards, including transparent sourcing and correction protocols. At Apple Daily UK, she delivers reliable, experience-driven education journalism that informs readers through evidence-based reporting and professional integrity.
