China's humanoid robot industry has surged to a commanding global lead, with shipments exceeding 40,000 units in the first half of 2026, accounting for 97% of the global total. This data comes from the "2026 Humanoid Robot Industry Development Report," released during the World Robot Conference (WRC) in Beijing. Industry revenue of major Chinese robotics enterprises reached 165.5 billion yuan (approximately $23 billion) in the same period, up 24.5% year-on-year. The broader robotics sector in China exceeded 300 billion yuan (about $44.24 billion) in revenue in 2025, with an average annual growth rate of more than 20 percent over the past five years.
The WRC itself, running from August 19 to 23 at the Beijing E-Town, featured 373 Chinese and international exhibitors showcasing more than 3,000 products across over 60,000 square meters of exhibition space. Prof. Andrés Kecskeméthy, President of the International Federation for the Promotion of Mechanism and Machine Science (IFToMM), commented on China's robotics advances: "The innovation of China's robot technology is enormous," noting that "one can see many huge teams under the guidance of strong leaders devoted and striving to reach practical maturity of embodied intelligence in the close future".
China's rise in robotics is part of a broader global race. As Mindplex previously reported, the global humanoid robot market, valued at $3.28 billion in 2024, is projected to hit $66 billion by 2032, with China's 451,700 robotics firms—up 206.7% since 2020—benefiting from initiatives like "Made in China 2025". The country's dominance extends beyond manufacturing; Chinese companies are also at the forefront of militarizing robotics, with the Tiangong series which is developed by the Beijing Humanoid Innovation Center and is equipped with advanced AI for autonomous navigation and precision targeting.