Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT
As the robotics industry emerges as a key battleground in global economic competition, China’s advancements in this field have become a hot topic during this year’s two sessions, the annual meetings of China’s top legislature and top political advisory body. In particular, remarks by Qiao Hong, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), about the “leapfrog development” of China’s robotics technology have garnered widespread attention.
China’s robotics technology has made leaps and bounds, with the gap between domestic development level and international advanced standards narrowing significantly, Qiao, a robot industry expert at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said on Tuesday at a group interview prior to the opening session of the third session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee. Her comments highlight not only the rapid progress China has made but also the strategic importance of robotics in shaping the country’s economic future.
About a decade ago, the Chinese industrial robot market was still heavily dependent on foreign brands, with a staggering 90 percent of the market share held by international companies. Today, however, the domestic industry has expanded its market presence, developing a robust industrial chain. This evolution underscores China’s research and development (R&D) efforts in robotics, positioning itself as a major player on the global stage despite facing technological blockades from the West.
In 2024, China’s industrial robot production rose 14.2 percent year-on-year to 556,000 units. As for humanoid robots, China has also become a leading producer globally. The market for humanoid robots in China reached approximately 2.76 billion yuan ($380 million) in 2024 and is expected to grow into a market worth hundreds of billions of yuan by 2030.
Behind these impressive figures lies the accelerated intelligent transformation of China’s manufacturing industry and the continuous deepening of the robotics industry in technological innovation and market applications.
How has the Chinese robotics industry managed to gradually narrow the gap with foreign competitors amid Western technological containment, and in certain areas, even surpass them? This remarkable progress can be attributed to a combination of strategic government support, various application scenarios, and a robust manufacturing ecosystem that emphasizes innovation and efficiency.
The rapid development of China’s robot industry has once again proved that it is impossible to stop the development of Chinese industries by curbing high technology.
First, China’s robotics industry benefits from its comprehensive industrial system and robust supply chain. With the most complete industrial system globally, China can efficiently produce both components and complete machine equipment required for robots. This supply chain edge enables the robotics industry to rapidly expand its scale and cut costs.
Second, as the world’s largest manufacturing nation, China has huge demand for robot applications in industries such as manufacturing, logistics and services. Such a vast market size and diverse application scenarios in China offer a continuous impetus for the iterative upgrading of robot technology.
Moreover, strong government support at the policy level has created a favorable external environment for the development of the robotics industry. In December 2021, the Chinese government officially released the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Robotics Industry, incorporating robots into the key areas of national scientific and technological innovation. This plan significantly promotes the R&D innovation and industrial application of robots, providing a solid policy foundation for the growth of the industry.
Furthermore, in the current context of uncertain external environments, the robotics industry could be seen as a new engine driving the high-quality development of the Chinese economy. On the one hand, the widespread application of industrial robots has significantly improved production efficiency and promoted the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. On the other hand, the continuous emergence of consumer-level products such as home robots has subtly cultivated new consumption habits and market demand, providing a strong impetus for the growth of domestic demand.
Certainly, it is important to acknowledge that, despite the remarkable advancements made thus far, China’s robotics industry still has a considerable journey ahead to play catch-up with some foreign competitors, but China’s progress so far offers a glimpse into a future where robotics could invigorate the Chinese economy and bring more surprises.
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