Beijing: China’s annual CCTV Spring Festival Gala, the country’s most-watched television program, served as a platform to showcase the nation’s advancements in humanoid robotics and its ambitions to lead in the future of manufacturing. Four domestic startups – Unitree Robotics, Galbot, Noetix, and MagicLab – presented their latest humanoid robots during the televised event, which is often compared to the Super Bowl in terms of viewership and cultural significance within China.
The gala’s performances prominently featured humanoid robots in multiple segments. A lengthy demonstration involved over a dozen Unitree Robotics humanoids performing a complex martial arts routine, incorporating sword, pole, and nunchuck movements alongside human child performers. The sequence included an imitation of “drunken boxing,” a traditional Chinese martial art known for its unsteady movements and recoveries, highlighting advancements in multi-robot coordination and the robots’ ability to regain balance after falls.
Beyond the martial arts display, the program integrated robots into other performances. Noetix Robotics’ “Bumi” humanoid robots appeared in a comedy sketch with human actors, emphasizing their potential as family companions. Priced at under $1,400 (9,998 yuan), the Bumi model is positioned as an accessible entry point into the humanoid robot market for educational and home use. MagicLab robots participated in a synchronized dance routine with human performers during a performance of the song “We Are Made in China.”
The increased visibility of humanoid robots on the gala stage comes as key companies in the sector, including AgiBot and Unitree Robotics, prepare for initial public offerings this year. Domestic artificial intelligence startups are also releasing new models during the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday, a period of heightened consumer activity. Last year’s gala featured 16 Unitree humanoids performing a synchronized dance, an appearance that was followed by a meeting between Unitree’s founder and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a high-profile tech symposium.
President Xi has met with five robotics startup founders in the past year, a number comparable to the four electric vehicle and four semiconductor entrepreneurs he engaged with during the same period, signaling unusual government attention to the nascent robotics sector. Georg Stieler, Asia managing director and head of robotics and automation at technology consultancy Stieler, noted that the CCTV present has historically been used to highlight Beijing’s technological priorities, including its space program, drones, and robotics. “What distinguishes the gala from comparable events elsewhere is the directness of the pipeline from industrial policy to prime-time spectacle,” Stieler said. “Companies that appear on the gala stage receive tangible rewards in government orders, investor attention, and market access.”
Stieler observed a significant improvement in the robots’ performance compared to the previous year, attributing the advancements to Unitree’s focus on developing the “brains” of the robots – the AI-powered software that enables them to perform complex tasks applicable to real-world factory settings. Beijing-based tech analyst Poe Zhao emphasized that humanoids represent a convergence of China’s strengths: “Humanoids bundle a lot of China’s strengths into one narrative: AI capability, hardware supply chain, and manufacturing ambition. They are also the most ‘legible’ form factor for the public and officials.” Zhao added, “In an early market, attention becomes a resource.”
China currently accounts for 90 percent of the approximately 13,000 humanoid robots shipped globally last year, significantly outpacing its US competitors, including Tesla’s Optimus, according to research firm Omdia. Morgan Stanley projects that China’s humanoid robot sales will more than double to 28,000 units this year. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has acknowledged that Chinese companies are likely to be his biggest competitors as Tesla shifts its focus toward embodied AI and the Optimus humanoid robot, stating last month, “People outside China underestimate China but China is an ass-kicker next level.”
