Surprising Numbers

According to analytics firm Counterpoint Research, in 2025 Chinese companies produced approximately 90% of all humanoid robots in the world. This is a staggering figure, considering that China held less than 50% of the market as recently as 2023.

Who Leads

Top Chinese Manufacturers

Company Robot Market Share
Unitree Robotics H1, G1 ~25%
UBTECH Walker S ~18%
Fourier Intelligence GR-2 ~15%
Agibot Various models ~12%
Xiaomi CyberOne 2 ~8%
Other Chinese — ~12%
All others (global) — ~10%

Unitree: From Robot Dogs to Humanoids

Unitree Robotics has become the most successful Chinese robotics startup. The company started with quadruped robots (analogous to Boston Dynamics’ Spot) and now leads the humanoid segment. Their G1 model costs just $16,000 — three times cheaper than the nearest competitors.

Why China Dominates

1. Production Cost

Chinese companies can produce robots 3-5 times cheaper than Western counterparts thanks to:

  • A well-developed component supply chain
  • Lower engineering labor costs
  • Government subsidies

2. Government Support

The Chinese government included robotics in the “Made in China 2025” strategy (now extended to 2030). This means:

  • Targeted subsidies for manufacturers
  • Preferential loans
  • Government orders for testing

3. AI Integration

Chinese companies actively integrate DeepSeek, Qwen, and other models into robot control systems. Open weights allow customization without dependence on Western providers.

4. Domestic Market Scale

China is the world’s largest industrial manufacturer. The demand for automation is enormous: an aging population, rising wages, and worker shortages in factories.

Musk Acknowledges

Musk has acknowledged that Chinese companies are Tesla’s main competitors in robotics. Given the scale of Chinese production, competition in the humanoid segment is intensifying.

Geopolitical Consequences

China’s dominance in robotics is causing concern in Washington and Brussels:

  • The US is considering restrictions on Chinese robot imports
  • The EU is discussing subsidies for European manufacturers
  • Japan and South Korea are increasing investments in their own programs

Investment Opportunities

For investors, the situation creates several opportunities:

  • Chinese robotics companies (Unitree is preparing for an IPO in Hong Kong)
  • Component suppliers — motors, sensors, batteries
  • System integrators — deploying robots at enterprises
  • Western companies that will benefit from protectionism (Tesla, Figure AI)

The humanoid robotics market is a new arena of technological competition between the US and China, and the stakes are rising every quarter.