China’s rapidly growing humanoid robot industry is drawing global attention as advanced AI-powered machines transition from novelty demonstrations to real-world applications and international exports. A recent industry report showed that Chinese manufacturers led global humanoid robot production in 2025, with Shanghai-based AgiBot shipping more than 5,100 units and capturing roughly 39 % of the global market.
Major robotics firms such as Unitree and UBTECH are also expanding their product lines and eyeing global markets, with humanoid models deployed in research, education, consumer tech, and industrial settings. Chinese humanoids have become a fixture at international tech events and cultural showcases — including performances at the Lunar New Year gala where robots impressed audiences with coordinated parkour, kung-fu-style moves and dance routines that spread widely on social media.
Beyond entertainment, Chinese humanoid robots are increasingly marketed for export, and service models are being sold overseas in commercial and retail environments, underscoring Beijing’s ambitions to become a dominant force in embodied-AI hardware. Analysts say China’s combination of strong manufacturing capacity, supportive government policies and rapidly evolving AI systems is positioning its robotics sector as a major global exporter, helping drive both technological adoption abroad and competition with Western counterparts.
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