China’s Humanoid Robot Models Surpass Half of Global Total
China has developed more than 400 humanoid robot models, accounting for over half of the global total, according to data released July 20 by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The announcement, reported by Sina News, also revealed that Chinese-developed quadruped robots now command nearly 70 percent of global sales, underscoring the country’s accelerating dominance in intelligent robotics.
A Milestone for China’s Robotics Ambitions
The MIIT data marks a significant milestone in China’s push to become a world leader in advanced manufacturing. The ministry has made robotics a national priority under its “Made in China 2025” initiative and subsequent five-year plans, and the latest figures confirm that those investments are yielding results at scale.
According to Xinhua News, Shenzhen has emerged as the epicenter of this boom. The city’s robot industry reached a total output value of 242.6 billion yuan ($33.4 billion) in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 20.56 percent — a new historical record. Humanoid robot production in Shenzhen alone reached 343,400 units, up 83.1 percent year-on-year.
Shenzhen: The Emerging Humanoid Robot Capital
Shenzhen’s rise as a robotics powerhouse is rooted in what industry insiders call its “half-hour supporting circle” — the ability to source components like sensors, motors, and control modules within 30 minutes. This supply chain density enables rapid iteration cycles that are difficult for other regions to replicate.
“Humanoid robots iterate very quickly, basically once in less than a year. In Shenzhen, if you want to iterate a product, you can gather suppliers the same day and reach a cooperation agreement that same evening,” Leng Xiaokun, founder of Leju Intelligent, told Xinhua.
Leju Intelligent, founded in 2016 by nine Harbin Institute of Technology graduates, exemplifies the ecosystem’s success. Its “Kuafu” series humanoid robots now achieve 95 percent domestic core component sourcing, with costs reduced from millions to hundreds of thousands of yuan. The company recently filed an IPO on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange’s ChiNext board.
The city’s “Robot Valley” in Nanshan District hosts over 200 robotics companies and 32 specialized “little giant” enterprises, supported by a talent pipeline from top universities including Tsinghua Shenzhen, Peking University Shenzhen, and the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology.
National Production Targets and Industry Momentum
Looking ahead, MIIT Deputy Director-General Gan Xiaobin announced that China’s humanoid robot annual production is expected to exceed 100,000 units in 2026, as reported by Embodied Global. The ministry is implementing “Model-Data Resonance” and “Real-Scenario Training” campaigns to push humanoid robots from factory floors into daily life.
The broader industrial ecosystem is also accelerating. Global Times reported that Zhejiang Province’s robot exports exceeded 1 billion yuan ($147 million) in the first half of 2026, with intelligent bionic robot exports accounting for roughly 60 percent of the national total. Nationwide, the value-added of industrial enterprises above designated size rose 5.4 percent year-on-year.
From Survival to Boom: The Human Story Behind the Numbers
The rapid growth masks years of struggle. UBTech, founded in 2012 as one of China’s first humanoid robot pioneers, endured what a founding team member described as “marching through a dark desert, unable to even see the positions of the stars or the moon.”
“We firmly believed that humanoid robots would eventually take off, but we had to survive until that explosion period,” Leng Xiaokun recalled.
That survival was made possible by “patient capital” from local government funds. Shenzhen Capital Group began investing in Leju Intelligent in 2017, providing long-term support without demanding immediate returns — a model that has since been replicated across the ecosystem.
Implications for the Global Robotics Landscape
China’s dominance in humanoid robot production mirrors patterns seen in drones, electric vehicles, and consumer electronics. With cost advantages and rapid iteration cycles, Chinese firms are positioned to capture significant global market share. Industry analysts note that the global humanoid robot market is projected to reach tens of billions of dollars by 2030.
Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told Global Times that “progress in core technological self-reliance has built unique competitive edges, while new industries and business models have stimulated domestic endogenous growth and attracted growing high-end foreign investment.”
What to Watch
As China moves from prototyping to mass production, several key questions remain: How will global competitors like Tesla’s Optimus respond to China’s cost advantages? Will Chinese humanoid robot makers face export restrictions from Western markets? And can Shenzhen’s ecosystem advantages be replicated elsewhere?
For now, the message from Beijing is clear. “In the past, people looked for work; now, work looks for robots,” as one industry observer told Xinhua — a transformation that is reshaping not just China’s manufacturing sector, but the global robotics industry as a whole.