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Robotics

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Robotics
As China bets on tech and innovation to drive its growth, it has placed its chips on several industrial sectors that are expected to play increasingly important roles in development and trade, which will bring fresh opportunities and challenges for stakeholders. SCMP’s China Future Tech is your go-to destination for the latest news, insights, and opinions on these select industries. Explore in-depth coverage of EVs, AI, semiconductors, aerospace, robotics and biomedicine sectors. Follow us to stay ahead in China's evolving competitive landscape.
An employee of China Southern Power Grid demonstrates controlling a humanoid robot at the company’s robotics laboratory in Guangzhou. Photo: Reuters
China energy security

Why China is spending billions on a robot army to run its power grid

China’s grid operators plan to purchase thousands of robots in 2026 alone, including devices to inspect and maintain vital infrastructure.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV makers bet on in-house chips to make cars smarter and more autonomous

Artificial intelligence

Video | AI ping-pong robot beats top human players

China trade

Canton Fair defies global trends as overseas buyers flock to buy robots, drones

Foreign buyers queue up to test the latest technological hardware at China’s largest trade show despite softening international demand.

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The 139th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, brought together 46 enterprises to showcase technological innovations and application capabilities in China’s service robot sector. Photo: Xinhua
Artificial intelligence

Chinese tech giants advance robotics push as sector sees rapid growth

From marathon-winning humanoids to potential robot guide dogs, tech firms showcase breakthroughs as Beijing backs robotics as growth driver.

Science

China’s armed police mull riot control with zero human contact

The People’s Armed Police Force has shown how drones, uncrewed armoured vehicles and robot dogs could autonomously contain urban unrest.

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Mainland China

Winner of second Beijing robot half-marathon smashes human world record by 6 minutes

The Lightning humanoid developed by Chinese firm Honor competed against more than 100 other robots and thousands of much slower humans.

The winning robot crosses the finishing line. Photo: Reuters
Artificial intelligence

Asia’s supply chains could give it edge over US in AI race: Granite Asia’s Foo

Asia’s industrial ecosystem could deliver faster deployment of robotics and embodied AI systems, veteran venture capitalist says.

Semiconductors

Chinese investors cheer Tesla’s AI chip progress, boosting shares of suppliers

Shanghai Beite Technology saw the largest share spike among suppliers, up as much as 4.6 per cent on Thursday morning.

Ukraine war

Ukraine unit says it has launched over 100 robot attacks on Russia’s forces

President Zelensky says the ground drones – used in place of human infantry – have helped capture a Russian position.

A Ukrainian serviceman prepares a machine gun on a combat ground drone during training. Ukrainian Armed Forces via AFP
Trending in China

China AI robot restaurant scans diners’ faces, tongues, recommends healthy dishes

Robotic ‘workers’ ease workload of eatery’s human staff by 60 per cent, cut the cost of dishes for customers.

An AI robot restaurant in Hangzhou analyses diners’ faces and tongues to recommend health-focused dishes. Photo: SCMP composite/QQ.com
Unitree Robotics

Chinese robotics firms focus on quadrupeds as major revenue drivers

The newly established AgiQuad, a separate subsidiary under Shanghai-based AgiBot, is targeting US$73 million in revenue this year.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Shanghai Gigafactory has potential to build humanoid robots: Tesla China head

Shanghai Gigafactory could be a ‘golden key’ to advancing Elon Musk’s hopes of commercialising the technology swiftly, Tesla China head says.

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Artificial intelligence

China’s AI world model edge: abundant data and faster deployment, executive says

China’s strong industrial base, abundance of factory data give its world models a decisive push, says executive from leading start-up GigaAI.

GigaAI, a company specialising in embodied intelligent models, has secured another round of financing. Photo: Handout
Mainland China

Video | Humanoid robots to compete in Beijing half-marathon

Test run was held to replicate the official race to be held on April 19.

Tiangong Ultra, a humanoid robot runs across the finish line while securing the first position during the E-Town Humanoid Robot Half Marathon, in Beijing, China April, 19 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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Artificial intelligence

China’s Li Qiang hosts Moonshot AI chief, urges faster industrial AI roll-out

Beijing signals stronger push to embed AI in manufacturing as premier meets rising start-up founders and industry leaders.

Alibaba

Unitree to debut cheapest humanoid robot globally via Alibaba: sources

The international launch of the company’s cheapest humanoid robot next week is expected to cover North America, Europe, Japan and Singapore.

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Science

Is a leading US AI-robot scholar about to join China’s tech talent pool?

Su Hao, of UC San Diego, appears on Fudan University faculty list as professor in electronic information specialising in AI.

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In July 2025, Su Hao co-founded the AI robotics company Hillbot and served as its CTO. Fudan University lists him on its faculty list as a new PhD supervisor. Photo: Handout
Trending in China

China ‘sexual intelligence godmum’ returns, paper robots for ancestors, mum goes bald tutoring son

Stressed-out tutoring mum goes bald; tech-age offerings for dead relatives; online sex guru is back online after ban.

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Autonomous vehicles

Meter running: CaoCao backs heavy-asset play to scale robotaxis

Geely-backed firm targets 100,000 autonomous vehicles by 2030, banking on tighter control of cars, tech and operations to drive efficiency.

Hong Kong economy

Shenzhen robot maker turns to Hong Kong for computing power and listing

EngineAI, whose robots have been bought by Mideast companies, needed cloud-based computing that could be seamlessly accessed from anywhere.

An EngineAI robot performs a demonstration for the media at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. Photo: Elson Li
Mainland China

UBTech powers up as humanoid robot sales jump 23-fold

Rapid growth in ‘embodied intelligence’ is beginning to translate into real orders as Chinese robotics firms scale production.

Cyborg calm before the commercial storm: UBTech’s shares rose more than 14 per cent on Wednesday morning, hitting HK$97.5 by midday. Photo: Baidu
IPO

Breathing fire: Manycore first of the ‘Six Little Dragons’ to near Hong Kong IPO

Spatial intelligence firm moves ahead of tech peers after clearing a key Hong Kong listing hurdle.

China jobs

AI ‘collusion’ could force wages down, warns ILO economist

Young people’s unemployment woes ‘mostly related to the current economic slowdown, more than to specific AI’, says Ekkehard Ernst.

Marathons

Humans, robots to run together again at Beijing Yizhuang Half Marathon: organisers

More than 300 humanoid machines representing at least 100 company and university teams will compete in the race on April 19 in Beijing E-Town.

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Humanoid robot Tiangong Ultra runs across the finish line first in last year’s Humanoid Robot Half Marathon. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s lidar giants pivot to robotics in boost supply chain dominance

Hesai will spend US$28.9 million this year to design and manufacture ‘eyes and muscles’ for robots, creating a new growth engine.

The Hesai booth at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, January 9, 2025. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
China technology

Why China’s humanoid robots are still waiting for their ‘ChatGPT moment’

Limited training data and unresolved hardware challenges continue to hold back humanoid robots from mass adoption, say experts.

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Mainland China

Video | Here’s what it takes to get a robot ready for the world

Each robot requires eight hours of rigorous testing to be ready for customers.

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