China’s annual Spring Festival Gala featured back-flipping, nunchuck-wielding humanoid robots and a range of AI-driven performances, presenting a broadcast that highlighted faster technical progress and growing competition among domestic robotics and AI firms.
Unitree’s Performance And Visible Technical Gains
During the televised event, robots from Unitree Robotics performed kung-fu choreography alongside young human martial artists. The machines kicked and flipped on stage, showing smoother movement, greater agility, and improved fault recovery compared with the same company’s models that appeared the year before, which had relied on simpler routines such as handkerchief twirling and basic footwork. The contrast drew attention to how much the hardware and control systems had changed within a year.
A National Broadcast With A Technology Focus
The Spring Festival Gala, which is broadcast by state network CCTV and runs for about four hours, is China’s largest annual television event. The show has often included technology themes, and this year again placed China’s domestic capabilities in focus, at a time when the country is working to strengthen its position in high-technology industries while competing with the United States.
Several robotics companies received prominent airtime. MagicLab’s humanoid robots danced while human pop singers performed a song titled “We Are Made In China” in a segment called “Intelligent Manufacturing Future.” The company’s robotic dogs also appeared in panda costumes during another part of the program.
Other Robotics And AI Demonstrations
Noetix Robotics presented humanoids designed to resemble real people, with an actress introducing an android version of herself during a comedy sketch. A robot from Beijing-based Galbot demonstrated tasks such as cracking walnuts, skewering sausages, and folding clothes.
AI services were also featured. ByteDance’s Doubao platform, a sponsor of the gala, distributed digital hongbao, or red envelopes with virtual cash, to users of its chatbot app during the show. At one point, a comedian asked the app for advice on stage. ByteDance said its AI video-generation model, Seedance 2.0, contributed to the visual production of several segments.
Public Reaction And Sales Reports
Clips and discussions about the robots spread across Chinese social media, with topics related to the performances reaching millions of views. One user on Weibo, a platform similar to X, wrote that the Unitree choreography was the most striking performance of the evening and suggested it could resonate beyond China in the context of international competition. Other users criticized the emphasis on machines, with comments saying that viewers were searching for people among so many robots.
State media outlet Global Times reported that robots from brands including MagicLab, Unitree, and Noetix sold out after being offered by online retailer JD.com during the broadcast.
Manufacturing Strategy And Market Context
The focus on robotics aligns with Beijing’s broader effort to upgrade manufacturing and respond to rising labor costs and a shrinking workforce. According to the International Federation of Robotics, China was the world’s largest industrial robot market in 2024 and accounted for more than half of all robot installations worldwide.
Humanoid robots have so far appeared most often in entertainment and promotional settings, including the gala, but they are also being tested on assembly lines, in logistics centers, and in research labs. Dozens of companies are working in this area, supported by subsidies. Observers have said that 2026 is expected to bring more attention to industrial applications rather than stage demonstrations.
Industry Pressure And Company Statements
After the gala, Unitree chief executive Wang Xingxing told state media that the recent period had brought pressure on his team to deliver a performance that surpassed the previous year’s appearance. He said the company hoped that its work, along with efforts from other groups, would contribute to progress across the robot industry.
Featured image credits: Pexels
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