REPRESENTATIVES of leading Chinese robotics companies said at an ongoing industry expo in Shanghai that they are accelerating their global expansion with high-quality embodied artificial intelligence (AI) products that have already proven effective on factory floors.
During interviews at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2025, several domestic humanoid robot manufacturers told the Global Times that they plan to deploy key component production in countries and regions such as the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea in the near future, and extend the humanoid robot large-scale industrial chain overseas.
Wang Chuang, president of AgiBot’s general business line, said his company is building a global footprint this year. “Backed by reliable hardware and booming international demand, we will export robots while empowering local partners to handle cultural tweaks and incremental features,” Wang said. “The Middle East, Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea are our targeted markets and slated for 2025 rollouts.”
“China already has the world’s leading humanoid robot supply chain, and Asean countries should make full use of convenient trade conditions with China to deepen industrial collaboration. The total scale of Asean’s manufacturing industry is $2.6 trillion, but the penetration rate of robots is only 0.3 percent, which means huge room for growth,” said Che Fai Tan, president of the Asean Federation of Smart Industry.
Despite rapid growth and vast market opportunity, industry experts said that Chinese firms still need to make concrete efforts to make their products more suited for various overseas markets.
“Chinese humanoid robot firms are expected to increasingly tailor their AI products to overseas scenarios,” said Liang Qijun, brand director of PNDbotics AI.
Moreover, global experience will foster on-the-ground partnerships with local software and algorithm teams, speeding market adaptation and product iteration, according to Liang.
A marketing representative of Beijing-based Robotera said that the company’s robot, which can precisely clone human hand movements, has already been adopted as a research platform by MIT, Stanford and other leading US universities. More than half of Robotera’s latest production run is bound for overseas labs, and nine of the world’s 10 most valuable tech giants now count themselves as customers.
Despite growing US restrictions on Chinese AI firms, domestic companies have demonstrated world-class humanoid robot technologies, said Jiang Lei, chief scientist at the National and Local Co-built Embodied Artificial Intelligence Robotics Innovation Center.
These vivid examples are the clearest proof of China’s edge in embodied AI, Jiang said, saying that by prioritizing real-world applications and fostering innovation that directly addresses societal needs, China is not only advancing its technological capabilities but also setting an example of how AI can be effectively utilized.
“International expansion is becoming a critical path for Chinese robot companies. By capitalizing on the cost advantages of a mature domestic supply chain, they are swiftly gaining traction in global markets,” Jiang said.
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