China has made humanoid robotics a national priority and is sparing neither the means nor the forces to be mobilized. At the risk of forming a bubble when the market is not mature?
The Chinese manufacturer Unitree made an impression at the beginning of April by offering its humanoid robot R1 at 3,700 euros. An announcement which illustrates Beijing’s desire to establish itself in the humanoid robotics sector. Behind Unitree, manufacturers like AgiBot, Leju Robotics, and UBTech are among the leaders in this still emerging industry. To date, China already has more than 150 companies specializing in the field.
This owes nothing to chance. Chinese leaders have identified humanoid robotics as strategic and have accordingly laid the foundations for a complete ecosystem, ranging from training engineers to production, including the collection of data enabling the development of specialized AI agents.
120 billion euros
Having been outpaced in recent years by the United States in the field of artificial intelligence, China intends to catch up. And for Beijing, this includes physical AI and humanoid robotics. In March 2025, the National Development and Reform Commission announced the establishment of a state-backed venture capital fund dedicated to robotics, artificial intelligence and cutting-edge innovation. In total, local governments and the private sector are expected to spend the equivalent of €120 billion on the development of humanoid robotics over the next 20 years.
“China has placed humanoid robots at the heart of its national strategy, confirms Carsten Heer, representative of the International Federation of Robotics. The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) believes that humanoids could become a major disruptive technology, comparable to computers or smartphones, capable of transforming both production methods and daily life.”
Local governments are at the heart of this national effort, which constitutes a notable specificity of the Chinese economy. Each city supports its local champion: UBTech in Shenzen, Galbot in Beijing, Unitree in Hangzhou and AgiBot in Shanghai. A sort of competition has been set up between local administrations, which benefits the entire sector.
Emphasis was also placed on the training of future engineers. Specialized courses in embodied AI have been set up in universities in recent months, while a study by the Beijing Institute of Technology estimates that it is necessary to train 1 million students to meet sector demand. But the strategy doesn’t stop with humans. To train AI agents serving as “consciousness” for robots, China is relying on massive data collection. More than forty dedicated training centers, funded by local governments, are to be built by the end of the year. Thousands of workers have started to carry out everyday tasks (folding laundry, ironing, cleaning a table, etc.) equipped with cameras and sensors, which makes it possible to collect data. Another method consists of accompanying the robots via a tele-operation device, teaching them to reproduce these gestures as one would do with a child.
Already the industrial era
China’s progress in the field has accelerated this year. While 13,318 humanoid robots were produced in China in 2025 according to the Omedia research agency, between 28,000 and 100,000 units could be manufactured in 2026, according to several analyses. Illustrating this acceleration, the first automated production line for humanoid robots was inaugurated on March 29 in Guandong province. Built by Leju Robotics in collaboration with Guangdong Dongfang Precision Science, it will produce more than 10,000 units per year, or one robot every 30 minutes.
And since the start of the year, financing has increased further: the manufacturer of humanoid robots Galbot, for example, concluded a fundraising of more than 250 million euros, bringing together public and private. This rise in financial power is based on an unparalleled industrial ecosystem. “A key element of the Chinese strategy is to establish a supply chain for essential components, capable of scaling up on a large scale,” explains Carsten Heer. With direct access to parts production, Chinese companies can reduce production costs and sell their robots at low prices.
Speed to market is another characteristic of the Chinese strategy. Local companies began deploying the robots in real-world conditions early on. As early as November 2025, UBTech, for example, won a $37 million contract to deploy its Walker S2 robot at the border with Vietnam in order to carry out inspections, guide travelers or even carry out logistics-related tasks. And several manufacturers have already deployed robots in factories, where they have been integrated into production processes.
Rapid progress in China’s humanoid robotics sector, however, could lead to overheating. Last November, the National Development and Reform Commission issued a warning, pointing to the risk of a bubble forming. If China’s capacity to produce robots on a large scale has now been proven, the challenge for manufacturers will be to establish themselves on international markets, despite regulatory obstacles, reluctance towards Chinese products and global competition, particularly American competition.
