Why humanoid robots matter to China

人形机器人对中国的重要性

What in the World

2026-08-31

9 分钟
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Videos from the second edition of the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing have been going viral. Two thousand robots from 16 countries took part and the robots seem more human-like than ever. They dance, compete in boxing matches, sprint faster than Usain Bolt, and even lift weights (not always successfully). BBC China Analyst Kerry Allen explains how the Games relate to China’s international and domestic goals. Among other things, China’s leaders want to show the world how advanced their robotics industry is and demonstrate advances that will allow robots to strengthen China’s workforce. We also hear reactions from content creators Christina Ernst in the United States, Uchechukwu Ololo in Nigeria and Cheryl Liu in China. Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden and Mollie Perella Editor: Harriet Oliver
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  • About you, but I have been seeing loads of clips of robots on my socials over the past week.

  • Some of them are quite impressive.

  • They're a bit uncanny.

  • Loads of them are just running into walls, dancing awkwardly, or thrusting while cooking a stir fry.

  • And those are some of the videos that have been going viral during the recent world humanoid robot games in China.

  • And for China, those games were a massive flex because they wanted

  • to show what their robots are capable of and just how advanced their robotics industry is.