China’s humanoid robots go from viral stumbles to kung fu flips in one year
Robots participating in a martial arts demonstration at the 2026 Spring Festival Gala in Beijing, China, on February 16, 2026.
VCG | Visual China Group | Getty Images
Chinese humanoid robots are momentarily in the spotlight after their spectacular performance at the country’s annual Spring Festival Gala earlier this week, with videos from the event spreading widely online.
to showConsidered the world’s most-watched television show, it featured robots from various startups performing everything from kung fu moves to choreographed dances and elaborate gymnastics stunts.
There was a sharp contrast in the demonstration 2025 GalaIt featured less advanced versions of robots that twirled handkerchiefs in a wobbly folk dance.
At the time, public demonstrations of humanoids aroused suspicion, such as a marathon involving robots in April. headlines for stumbles, bumps and breakdowns.
But a year can make quite a difference. Audiences at this week’s event expressed everything from admiration for technological advances to concerns about what they mean for the workforce and the U.S.-China tech race.
As we watch people push the physical limits of what they are capable of, it becomes clear that they can achieve human-level actions and eventually superhuman-level performances.
Reyk Knuhtsen
Analyst at SemiAnalytics
Analysts told CNBC that humanoid robots still have more to prove, but the advances made in the past year warrant global attention.
“People should definitely take these robots seriously,” SemiAnalytics analyst Reyk Knuhtsen told CNBC. “After the premiere show this spring, they become noticeably leaner, smoother and more capable.”
“As we watch people push the physical limits of what they are capable of, it becomes clear that they can achieve human-level actions and eventually superhuman-level performances,” he added.
China’s early leadership
According to data from Barclays, China has already taken the lead in the production and distribution of humanoid robots.
Analysts at the company estimate that more than 85% of the approximately 15,000 humanoid robot installations in 2025 will occur in China, compared to just 13% in the United States.
“The key advantage China has is an almost vertically integrated robotics value chain, from rare earths and high-performance magnets to physical components and batteries,” Zornitsa Todorova, Head of Thematic FICC Research at Barclays, told CNBC.
Leading Chinese humanoid companies such as Unitree hope to maintain this leadership this year. The CEO of the start-up whose robots were featured at the Spring Festival Gala expects shipments of 10,000 to 20,000 in 2026. He told local media just before the show ended.
The enhanced dexterity demonstrated in routines such as aerial somersaults and weapon handling indicates a strong potential for economic impact in physically demanding tasks involving precision tool use and precision movements.
Lian Jye Su
Omdia chief analyst
Todorova said China’s manufacturing advantage combined with government support allows Chinese robot manufacturers to produce their products at much lower prices than their competitors.
For example in Unitree advertises Base price for the G1 humanoid robot is $13,500.
Meanwhile, Tesla’s Optimus, the humanoid leader in the US, is expected to keep prices high in the near term. CEO Elon Musk said during a meeting: earnings call In January 2025, he said that the production cost of the robot could fall below US$20,000 if annual production reaches 1 million units, but final pricing will depend on market demand.
Analysts expect U.S. humanoid robot makers to also increase production this year, but say they likely have their work cut out for them.
“Other markets will rise but will likely lag behind due to China’s established supply chains and production scale,” said Omdia chief analyst Lian Jye Su, adding that China is likely to lead for at least the next few years.
Warnings left
While the Spring Festival Gala showed rapid progress, analysts warned that humanoid robots still face technical hurdles.
“The increased dexterity demonstrated in routines such as aerial somersaults and gun handling indicates a strong potential for economic impact in physically demanding tasks involving precision tool use and precise movements,” Omdia’s Su said.
“But they still need to prove reliability in unstructured, human-centered environments for sensitive tasks like healthcare or home assistance. Ongoing AI and mechanical upgrades will be necessary.”
In these tasks, advances in underlying artificial intelligence and mechanical engineering will be more important than raw production and shipping numbers.
“[T]The AI model race is still undecided, and that will ultimately be the deciding factor, as the robot will only be as useful as its model,” Knuhtsen said.
While China’s robotics companies impress audiences with their flashy kung-fu routines, the analyst said advances in reasoning, longer task durations and the ability to chain multiple tasks together to perform different jobs will be more important this year.
“I think that’s where a lot of the economic value lies, and it’s improving steadily.”
