China Showcases Kung Fu Robots At Lunar New Year Gala, Videos Go Viral On Social Media

Last Updated:February 18, 2026, 01:25 IST

China showcased advanced humanoid robots performing kung fu at the Spring Festival Gala, with Unitree planning up to 20,000 units and a Shanghai listing.

China unveiled a new generation of humanoid robots performing kung fu, parkour and dance routines during its Spring Festival Gala, the country’s biggest television event, in a display highlighting rapid advances in robotics.

Two dozen humanoids performed martial arts sequences in what the Chinese embassy in Washington described as a demonstration of “precision, power, and perfect balance". The showcase was broadcast nationwide on Lunar New Year’s Eve, with the annual gala widely viewed as a major cultural event and a platform for state messaging.

The robotics display featured machines punching, kicking and back-flipping in unison, wielding nunchucks, vaulting over obstacles and running at speeds of up to nine miles per hour. Three other robotics companies — Galbot, Noetix and MagicLab — also participated.

China has unveiled the kung fu-performing robots as part of a broader effort to highlight its technological capabilities, a move that the Telegraph reported was intended to signal the country’s growing strength in advanced manufacturing and robotics.

Unitree, the company behind the robots, said it plans to build as many as 20,000 humanoids this year after selling around 5,500 units last year. Its chief executive Wang Xingxing said production could range between 10,000 and 20,000 units, with the machines typically marketed for industrial uses such as work in car factories. The company is also planning a listing on the Shanghai stock exchange at a valuation of about $7 billion.

According to industry estimates cited by the Telegraph, China accounted for about 90 per cent of the global humanoid robot market last year. Beijing’s ministry of industry and information technology has previously said it wants thousands of humanoids deployed across farms, factories and homes as soon as 2025, with capabilities expected to improve significantly by 2027.

The performance marked a noticeable improvement from last year’s showcase, when robots appeared less coordinated on stage. The Chinese embassy in the United States said the pace of progress illustrated how quickly the technology is evolving.

China’s rapid advances have also raised security concerns in the West. The US think tank Rand warned last year that reliance on Chinese robotics firms could create dependence on a critical dual-use technology, while a US government report in 2024 said Beijing was supporting the sector through subsidies, tax breaks and development zones.

Beijing has not explicitly said it plans military uses for humanoid robots, and, according to the Telegraph, some Chinese military officials have expressed unease about their potential role.

US companies are also expanding into the field, though at a smaller manufacturing scale. Tesla is developing its Optimus robot, with a new model expected to be unveiled soon, and Elon Musk has said the company aims to produce up to one million units annually.

News world China Showcases Kung Fu Robots At Lunar New Year Gala, Videos Go Viral On Social Media

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