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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.
Sony AI autonomous robot Ace returns a shot back against its human opponent, table tennis player Yamato Kawamata, during a match in December 2025, as seen in this photograph released on April 22, 2026. Sony AI/Handout via REUTERS NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
Artificial intelligence

Video | AI ping-pong robot beats top human players

The Sony robot achieved a milestone for AI and robotics, competing against and defeating top-level human players at table tennis.

China trade

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

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Artificial intelligence

Chinese tech giants advance robotics push as sector sees rapid growth

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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Research paper by People’s Armed Police engineers suggests a growing interest in operations that rely almost entirely on intelligent machines to quell civil unrest. Photo: Eugene Lee
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.

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.

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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.

Employees work inside the Tesla Gigafactory in Shanghai during a government-organised media tour on April 14. Photo: Reuters
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.

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.

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.

Customers view quadruped robots at Unitree’s physical experience store in Beijing on December 31, 2025. Photo: China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
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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A Tesla robot on display at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. Tesla has said it is transforming itself into a physical AI firm. Photo: AFP
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.

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.

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.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has urged a deeper implementation of the country’s ‘AI plus’ strategy. Photo: AP
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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Unitree Robotics’ R1 is one of the world’s most affordable humanoids. Photo: Handout
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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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.

Chinese ride-hailing company CaoCao, backed by Geely, is betting on a heavy-asset strategy to emerge as a leading robotaxi operator. Photo: Handout
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.

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.

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.

Hangzhou-based Manycore, operator of the world’s largest spatial design platform. Photo: Weibo
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.

Humanoid robots at the pilot testing and validation platform at the Beijing Innovation Centre of Humanoid Robotics on March 20. Photo: AFP
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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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.

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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A humanoid robot serves candied hawthorn on sticks at the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing, March 25, 2026. Unlike ChatGPT, the robotics industry has yet to find its sweet spot. Photo: Reuters
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.

An employee assembles robots at the production line during organized media tour to the Robotics Pilot Testing and Validation Platform of Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics (X-Humanoid) in Beijing, China, March 20, 2026. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
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Banking & finance

HKIC, Gobi Partners and HKU launch fund to back university research start-ups

Gobi-HKU Fund I makes first bets at launch, investing in robotics and AI drug design spin-offs born from university research breakthroughs.

Unitree Robotics

Inside Unitree’s landmark IPO: what to know about China’s humanoid giant

Listing, if approved, would be a bellwether of investor appetite for so-called embodied AI companies.

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