China's humanoid robots take centre stage for Lunar New Year showtime

Unitree Spring Festival Gala Robots —a Full Release of Additional Details 🥳
Dozens of G1 robots achieved the world’s first fully autonomous humanoid robot cluster Kung Fu performance (with quick movement), pushing motion limits and setting multiple world firsts! H2 made striking… pic.twitter.com/MZgXEnGc2p

The programme’s first three sketches prominently featured humanoid robots, including a lengthy martial arts demonstration where over a dozen Unitree humanoids performed sophisticated fight sequences with swords, poles, and nunchucks alongside human children performers.

The sequence included a technically ambitious routine imitating the wobbly moves and backward falls of China’s “drunken boxing” martial arts style, showcasing innovations in multi-robot coordination and fault recovery, where a robot can get up after falling.

The opening sketch also featured Bytedance’s AI chatbot Doubao, while four Noetix humanoid robots appeared alongside human actors in a comedy skit. MagicLab robots performed a synchronized dance with human performers during the song “We Are Made in China”.

IPOs Planned

The hype around China’s humanoid robot sector comes as major players, including AgiBot and Unitree, prepare for initial public offerings this year. Domestic AI startups are also releasing a range of frontier models during the nine-day Lunar New Year public holiday.

Last year’s gala stunned viewers with 16 full-size Unitree humanoids twirling handkerchiefs and dancing in unison with human performers.

Unitree’s founder later met President Xi Jinping at a high-profile tech symposium — the first of its kind since 2018. Xi has met five robotics startup founders in the past year, comparable to the four electric vehicle and four semiconductor entrepreneurs he met in the same timeframe, giving the nascent sector unusual visibility.

China’s Strengths

The CCTV show, which drew 79% of live TV viewership in China last year, has long been used to highlight Beijing’s tech ambitions, including space programmes, drones, and robotics, said Georg Stieler, Asia managing director and head of robotics and automation at consultancy Stieler.

Humanoid robots danced and performed martial arts on stage as China showcased its latest technology for Lunar New Year, during the annual CCTV Spring Festival gala. pic.twitter.com/kCe6HjVQv2

"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."

He added: "It’s been just one year — and the performance jump is striking," noting that the robots’ motion control reflects Unitree’s focus on developing robot “brains”, the AI software enabling fine motor tasks for real-world factory settings.

China dominates humanoid robotics

Behind the spectacle of robots performing marathons, kung-fu kicks, and backflips, China has positioned robotics and AI at the heart of its next-generation AI+ manufacturing strategy, aiming to offset pressures from its aging workforce.

"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," said Beijing-based tech analyst Poe Zhao.

"In an early market, attention becomes a resource."

China accounted for 90% of the roughly 13,000 humanoid robots shipped globally last year, far ahead of US rivals, including Tesla’s Optimus, according to research firm Omdia.

Morgan Stanley projects China’s humanoid sales will more than double to 28,000 units this year. Elon Musk has said he expects his biggest competitor to be Chinese companies as Tesla pivots toward embodied AI and its flagship humanoid Optimus.

"People outside China underestimate China, but China is an ass-kicker next level," Musk said last month.