China’s Humanoid Robot Boom: What To Know

Policy Push

In a 2023 policy document, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology described humanoid robots as a "disruptive product" following computers, smartphones and electric vehicles, and it laid out targets through 2025 and 2027 for breakthroughs in AI "brains," motion-control systems, dexterous limbs and mass-produced whole-machine platforms.

"Humanoid robots will become an important new engine of economic growth," the document said. "China's robots aren't advancing this fast because of some grand government masterplan. It's the same reason the U.S. leads in AI: infrastructure," wrote Rui Xu, a former tech executive at Xiaomi and ByteDance with experience in both the U.S. and Chinese robotics sectors.

"When Unitree wants to test a new joint design, they walk down the street," he added. "That's why China shipped 90 percent of the approximately 13,000 humanoid robots sold globally last year. That's why Unitree's G1 costs $16,000 while Tesla's Optimus Gen2 will be over $20,000."

Investors are betting that volume will follow. Morgan Stanley expects Chinese humanoid robot sales to reach 28,000 units this year—more than double the investment bank's earlier estimate.

Newsweek has contacted Unitree for comment by email. ## Safety Concerns

The emergence of these robots has also raised safety concerns.

A Unitree Robotics H1 model went viral last year after suddenly flailing its limbs in a factory, toppling equipment and forcing employees to back away. In another incident that year, an elderly woman was almost headbutted by a Unitree robot at a lantern festival event in Guangdong province.

Earlier this month, video circulated of what appeared to be another Unitree robot malfunctioning, collapsing in spasms and appearing to kick a man in the face and injuring him.