Lunar New Year: China displays technological supremacy with humanoid robots on stage
At the Beijing Gala, robots from local start-ups demonstrated technological advances and the strategic role of Chinese humanoid robotics
If we were to imagine a homeland for humanoid robots, this would undoubtedly be China. Beijing boasts solid leadership in this field, the result of targeted investment and innovation. And it is no coincidence, then, that at the traditional Spring Festival Gala broadcast by CCTV to mark the Lunar New Year, it was humanoid robots that took centre stage in the show. A stage show, certainly, but above all a public demonstration of technological prowess.
Models developed by Chinese start-ups such as Unitree Robotics, Galbot, Noetix and MagicLab took turns on stage to celebrate the Year of the Horse. Robots performed synchronised choreographies, martial arts demonstrations and interactions with human performers, showcasing all the strides the industry has made in recent months. From dynamic stability to balance control and coordination in complex movements.
A now strategic sector
It is right to emphasise that this Gala is not just a TV event for China, but one of the most followed and awaited events in China, traditionally used to reflect political and industrial priorities. This is why the decision to focus on humanoid robotics indicates the strategic importance attributed to the sector by Beijing.
For some time now, China has been assuming a dominant role in the global production of humanoid robots, supported by an integrated supply chain combining electronic components, batteries, sensors, artificial intelligence and large-scale manufacturing capacity. The sector is considered one of the pillars of the new phase of high-tech industrialisation desired by Xi Jinping, along with advanced semiconductors and generative artificial intelligence.
The robot industry in prime time
So the message that emerges from the Gala is industrial before being symbolic: humanoid robotics breaking through the confines of laboratories or viral online videos, and becoming a part of the national narrative of technological progress. Bringing it to prime time means presenting it as a technology ready to move out of the experimental phase and into concrete applications, from industry to services.
