The intense technological rivalry between the United States and China was on vivid display at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The exhibition floor was teeming with humanoid robots from China, performing tasks from playing table tennis to demonstrating kung fu, underscoring the rapid advancements and growing market share of the Asian nation's robotics sector.
A Showcase of Chinese Innovation
Amid keynotes from U.S. chip giants like Nvidia and AMD, a legion of Chinese startups occupied more modest booths, bringing the concept of physical AI to life. Companies such as Fourier Intelligence unveiled its GR-3 humanoid, while Booster Robotics deployed over 30 robots in a synchronized dance. X-Humanoid demonstrated the sprinting capabilities of its Tiangong Ultra model, and Unitree showcased acrobatic routines with a dozen machines.
Other firms, including Galbot, AgiBot, and EngineAI, displayed multitasking capabilities and industry-ready systems, signaling clear ambitions to expand their reach into overseas markets. China spawned more than 40 humanoid robotics startups in 2025 alone, according to Nadav Orbach, CEO of RealSense Inc., a supplier of visual perception systems.
Market Dominance in Volume
Research from Omdia confirms China's commanding lead in production volume. Chinese manufacturers accounted for the vast majority of the roughly 13,000 humanoid robots shipped globally in 2025, far outstripping the output of American companies like Tesla and Figure AI. This sheer volume highlights the scale of China's manufacturing and innovation push in this critical field.
The convergence of rapid advances in artificial intelligence and declining hardware costs is fueling this global competition. U.S. tech leaders, including Elon Musk, have expressed concern over China's pace of progress. While Musk has stated he believes Tesla's Optimus robot will ultimately lead the market, he has also speculated that the rest of the top ten spots could be filled by Chinese firms.
The Challenge of Real-World Application
Despite the impressive choreographed demonstrations, industry experts acknowledge a significant gap remains before widespread, real-world deployment is feasible. The focus is now shifting to refining the underlying AI models that allow robots to understand and execute complex, everyday commands.
"We want humanoids to respond to commands like 'get me a cold soda' and not an exhausting, 200-line set of instructions," said Nadav Orbach. "This is, to put it bluntly, very hard." Lei Yu of Galaxea Dynamics echoed the sentiment, noting the industry is preparing for the future value of physical AI, awaiting a transformative "ChatGPT moment for robotics."
The presence of China's humanoids at America's premier tech show served as a powerful reminder that the race for supremacy in next-generation robotics and AI is fully underway, with China establishing a formidable and rapidly expanding presence.
