China's humanoid robots are the main attraction of the Lunar New Year celebration

China’s most-watched television programme, the annual CCTV Spring Festival Gala, on Monday highlighted the country’s industrial ambitions and Beijing’s push to dominate humanoid robotics and next-generation manufacturing.

Four emerging humanoid robot startups — Unitree Robotics, Galbot, Noetix and MagicLab — showcased their technologies during the gala, a televised event often compared in cultural impact to the Super Bowl in the United States.

The programme’s opening sketches prominently featured humanoid robots. In one extended martial arts performance, more than a dozen Unitree humanoids executed intricate fight sequences, wielding swords, poles and nunchucks in close coordination with child performers. One technically ambitious segment replicated the unsteady movements and backward falls of China’s traditional “drunken boxing” style, demonstrating advances in multi-robot coordination and fault recovery, enabling robots to stand up after falling.

The gala also spotlighted artificial intelligence beyond robotics. The opening sketch featured Alibaba’s AI chatbot Doubao, while four Noetix humanoids appeared in a comedy skit alongside human actors. MagicLab robots performed a synchronised dance with human performers during the song “We Are Made in China.”

The heightened visibility of humanoid robots comes as major players including AgiBot and Unitree prepare for potential initial public offerings this year. At the same time, Chinese AI startups are releasing advanced models during the lucrative nine-day Lunar New Year holiday period.

Last year’s gala had already stunned viewers with 16 full-size Unitree humanoids dancing in unison while twirling handkerchiefs. Weeks later, Unitree’s founder met President Xi Jinping at a high-profile technology symposium — the first of its kind since 2018. Over the past year, Xi has met five robotics startup founders, a level of engagement comparable to meetings with electric vehicle and semiconductor entrepreneurs, giving the nascent sector unusual political visibility.

The CCTV gala, which drew 79% of live television viewership in China last year, has long been used to signal Beijing’s technological priorities, from space exploration to drones and robotics. Industry observers say companies featured on the gala often gain increased government support, investor attention and improved market access.

Behind the spectacle of robots performing kung-fu routines and marathon runs, China has placed robotics and AI at the core of its “AI+ manufacturing” strategy, seeking productivity gains to offset demographic pressures from an ageing workforce.

Analysts note that humanoid robots encapsulate several of China’s competitive strengths: AI capabilities, an integrated hardware supply chain and large-scale manufacturing capacity. According to research firm Omdia, China accounted for 90% of the approximately 13,000 humanoid robots shipped globally last year, far ahead of US rivals including Tesla’s Optimus. Morgan Stanley projects that China’s humanoid robot sales will more than double to 28,000 units this year.

Elon Musk has acknowledged the growing competition, saying he expects Chinese companies to be Tesla’s biggest rivals as it pivots toward embodied AI and its Optimus humanoid platform. He recently remarked that many outside China underestimate the country’s technological capabilities.