China is betting on a future with humanoid robots. When will it arrive?
Illustration by Pete Ryan
Some 500 machines from 16 countries starred in the first World Humanoid Robot Games held in August in Beijing, where they cleaned rooms, folded laundry, played soccer and kickboxed. The Games were meant to showcase the strides China has made in robotics, by taking the machines out of their labs. But the event was equally revealing of their limitations.
A humanoid robot runs into an operator at the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games. Video via Newsflare
On the running track and fo
Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from Andrew Peaple.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.
We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.
At Singapore’s TOKEN 2049 conference, the Trump family and stablecoins stole the spotlight while China stayed on the sidelines. Can the Chinese Communist Party afford to ignore the crypto world that Chinese entrepreneurs have done so much to help build?
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OKPrivacy policy
