Source: Global Times
[Global Times Technology Report, Reporter Li Wenyao] From January 6 to 9, the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was grandly opened in Las Vegas, USA. As the annual trendsetter of the global technology industry, this year's CES took "Smarter AI for All" as its theme, attracting more than 4500 international technology companies, showcasing the most forward-looking technological breakthroughs and commercial innovations.
When the annual trendsetter of the global technology industry, CES, once again unveiled, a clear and undeniable trend has taken shape: Chinese enterprises have shifted from participants on the exhibition floor to definers of technology and the center of the stage. On over 4900 square meters of net exhibition area, 207 Chinese companies not only demonstrated their cluster advantage in numbers but also presented comprehensive breakthroughs from bottom-level technology to top-level applications, from hardware innovation to ecological construction.
At the exhibition site, the G1 humanoid robot from Yuque Technology smoothly replicated Michael Jackson's moonwalk, drawing the attention and admiration of visitors. In another corner of the Hisense booth, the world's first 116-inch RGB-Mini LED TV UX redefined the limits of visual experience with its revolutionary image quality. From the collective dance of the robot "army" in the North Hall to the ultimate showdown of display technology in the central hall, Chinese tech companies are simultaneously achieving the transition from "following" to "running side by side" and even "leading" across multiple tracks.
The South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo directly titled its report: "China Leads, South Korea Lags." This judgment is supported by data from a Morgan Stanley report: between 2020 and 2024, China submitted 5,688 patent applications for humanoid robots, far exceeding those of the US and South Korea. And South Korean robot expert Oh Sang-rok (translated name), who has experienced more than a dozen CES events, admitted when interviewed by Korean media that Chinese companies have achieved a "huge qualitative leap," and frankly acknowledged that South Korea needs to develop a new strategy to cope.
Launch: From Robot "Armies" to Display "Flagships"
This year's CES saw Chinese companies' collective launch featuring both "clustering" and "high-end" characteristics, not only concentrating efforts on the most futuristic emerging fields, but also continuously building technical barriers in traditional strengths.
In the field of humanoid robots, hailed as the "next-generation terminal," Chinese companies have shown overwhelming strength. The North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center almost became their exclusive stage: Yuque Technology's G1 robot attracted attention with its agile dancing, while Zhiyuan Innovation's guide robot interacted naturally with the audience. According to statistics, among all 38 participating humanoid robot companies, 21 were from China, covering from industry veterans to innovative newcomers, forming a complete and active industrial chain.
This thriving momentum is reflected in the data. According to Omdia's latest report "General Embodied Intelligence Robots 2026," the global humanoid robot market entered a period of rapid growth in 2025, with an estimated annual shipment of about 13,000 units. Among them, Zhiyuan Robotics had a shipment of over 5,100 units, occupying a 39% market share globally. Yuque Technology and UB Tech followed closely behind. The report clearly pointed out that "Chinese manufacturers are setting benchmarks for mass production," highlighting the full-chain capabilities of China from R&D to mass production in this field.
Meanwhile, in the fiercely competitive display technology sector of consumer electronics, Chinese companies also demonstrated strong innovative power, continuously building a technological moat. Hisense's globally launched 116-inch RGB-Mini LED TV UX, with its comprehensive breakthroughs in color performance, peak brightness, and energy efficiency control, was evaluated by the industry as "one generation ahead of Japan and South Korea," demonstrating the defining power of Chinese companies in the high-end display field.
The key issue facing Chinese tech companies is how to transform technical advantages into sustainable global competitiveness. Chinese companies have also completed three major transitions in entering the global market:
BOE has expanded its business ecosystem from a display hardware giant to a "comprehensive solution provider for smart cabins" with the theme of "Technology + Green." Its globally launched HERO 2.0 smart cabin integrates a 50,000 nits brightness Micro LED PHUD, car-grade UB Cell center screen, and flexible OLED roll-up terminal, redefining the cabin from a "display interface" to a "multi-modal mobile smart space."
Additionally, Insta360 showcased product lines ranging from consumer to professional levels, with its first global 8K panoramic drone making its CES debut; New Energy Auto released an AI-driven next-generation autonomous logistics solution and demonstrated its full range of RoboVan products; Dobro Technology concentrated on showcasing its latest achievements of deeply integrating AI into vertical scenarios; and Yikai Technology officially launched the world's first desktop AI companion DeskMate...
This simultaneous breakthrough in frontier and mainstream tracks reflects the deep transformation of the role of the Chinese supply chain: it is systematically moving from large-scale, low-cost manufacturing to high-value segments centered on technology leadership and ecological co-construction.
Core: Full Industrial Chain Vertical Integration
The underlying core logic behind the collective explosion of Chinese tech companies this time is the deep practice of "full industrial chain vertical integration." It is not only a cost control strategy, but also a strategic choice to grasp the initiative of technological iteration and optimize the data loop.
Hisense's new generation of RGB MiniLED features key innovations such as the fully self-developed Hisense Linglong True Color Backlight and the fully self-developed Xinxin AI picture quality chip, offering advantages such as ultra-high color gamut, ultra-high color accuracy, stable ultra-high brightness, ultra-low blue light, and ultra-low power consumption. It has surpassed quantum dot products such as QD-OLED and QD-Mini LED, with technical capabilities leading one generation ahead of South Korea and Japan, redefining the standard for high-end TV image quality.
This deep integration brings significant cost advantages and agile development efficiency. The price of Yuque Technology's R1 humanoid robot is only $4,900, which is about a quarter of Tesla's expected price for Optimus, and a stark contrast to Boston Dynamics' Spot dog priced at $75,000. Robert Platt, CEO of Boston Dynamics, couldn't help but comment to the media: "The low cost of manufacturing robots in China is astonishing."
The cost advantage does not come from simple low-price competition, but from the comprehensive result of a complete supply chain, scale effects, and continuous technological iteration. Guoda, Vice President and Chief Brand Officer of BOE Group, stated during an interview with Global Times: "We are not afraid of price wars, but we do not advocate price wars. Our logic lies in continuously improving performance and cost-effectiveness through technological iteration, rather than lowering specifications and quality."
A deeper strategic significance lies in the autonomy of data acquisition and algorithm optimization. Galaxea Dynamics' self-developed motor can significantly reduce the cost of the data collection phase, and massive real-world data is the core fuel for training robots. Galaxy General Robotics adopts a strategy of approximately 90% synthetic data plus 10% real data fine-tuning, enhancing training efficiency while reducing reliance on expensive physical experiments.
From technological showpieces to scene implementation, forming a "Chinese-style application philosophy"
At CES 2026, it is possible to clearly feel that AI and other cutting-edge technologies are moving from flashy concept displays to the "scenario-based implementation" stage of deep integration with hardware and solving practical problems. Chinese companies have shown keen insight and efficient execution capabilities in this regard. Hisense has clearly defined 2026 as the "Year of AI Technology Integration and Industrialization," forming a unique "Chinese-style application philosophy."
Scenario definition has become the starting point of product development. BOE's HERO 2.0 smart cabin focuses on four in-car scenarios: health, entertainment, leisure, and office, and attempts to extend capabilities to smart homes, realizing "inter-car interaction." Hisense has systematically established three exhibition areas: "AI YOUR VISION," "AI YOUR PASSION," and "AI YOUR HOME," making AI technology concretely translate into actual functions that enhance visual experience, ignite sports passion, and safeguard family safety.
Commercialization verification has validated the practical value of technology. The Wanda series of Youliqi robots have been deployed in hotels to perform tasks such as bed-making and cleaning, and have been applied in security patrols, even capable of mixing drinks, proving the commercial potential of general-purpose robots. Hisense's second-generation humanoid robot Harley has already been serving offline stores, taking on roles such as sales guidance and consultation, and plans to expand to multiple scenarios such as hotels and exhibitions.
This ability to quickly convert technology into scenario solutions has drawn attention from international peers. After visiting Youqing robots, Kim Sang-rok (translated name), president of the Korean Institute of Science and Technology, commented to Korean media that the maturity of the hardware platform and the motion performance of the robot were impressive, showing the rapid progress of Chinese companies in integrated innovation.
Global Perspective: Between "Amazement," "Scrutiny," and Redefinition
The collective rise of Chinese technology is triggering complex and diverse interpretations from global media and the industry, with narratives intertwined between "amazement" and "scrutiny."
The sense of crisis among competitors is most direct. South Korean media openly admit the comparison between "leading" and "lagging," and South Korean experts witness the transformation of China from "copycat" to "being learned," calling it "a chilling glimpse." This pressure is forcing competitors to reassess their strategies.
Western narratives show duality. On one hand, technological advancement and market influence are objectively recognized; on the other hand, frameworks such as "government subsidies driving" and "imitative innovation" are frequently used. Boston Dynamics' CEO's speculation about "possibly unprofitable" and "government subsidies," as well as some foreign media's accusations of "imitation" in Chinese home appliance design, reflect this narrative inertia.
However, substantial innovation investment and results are breaking old prejudices. Li Wei, President of Hisense's Display Business Division, revealed that RGB-Mini LED is a "display revolution for the entire industry." Currently, Hisense, as the pioneer of the technology, has accumulated 179 related patents, and its products have been recognized by 20 countries worldwide. This marks that Chinese companies have entered a new stage of technological definition in certain fields from technological following.
From Single-point Breakthrough to Ecological Competition, Reconfiguring Industry Authority
Looking ahead, Chinese tech companies face challenges and opportunities. ABI Research predicts that by 2030, the global humanoid robot market will reach $6.8 billion, and national-level strategies such as "Artificial Intelligence + Manufacturing" will provide powerful policy and market support for domestic companies.
The key issue facing Chinese tech companies is how to transform technical advantages into sustainable global competitiveness. Chinese companies have also completed three major transitions in entering the global market:
First, from product export to ecological export: such as BOE's practice, from exporting hardware to exporting comprehensive solutions including "display + acoustics + AI + software," and deep co-creation with more than 40 global ecological partners, achieving the transition from "going out" to "going in."
Second, from cost advantage to value advantage: companies avoid falling into low-dimensional price wars, instead shaping high-end brand awareness through cutting-edge technology iterations like Hisense's RGB-Mini LED and BOE's flexible OLED, occupying the value high ground.
Third, from single-point innovation to systematic innovation: future competition is about the ecosystem. Hisense's "end-cloud-chip" integrated capability system and BOE's "Screen of Everything" vision both point to an ecological layout centered on core capabilities, integrating multiple technologies and covering various scenarios.
Reflections from South Korean experts also have reference value. In the report by Chosun Ilbo, Kim Young-woo (translated name), Dean of the College of Engineering at Seoul National University, said: "South Korea's manufacturing accounts for 28% of GDP, but its value-added ratio is only around 30%. We must vigorously promote 'manufacturing AI transformation.'"
It is worth noting that as the lights of the Las Vegas Convention Center gradually dim, CES 2026 came to a close, and Chinese tech companies brought back not only orders and cooperation agreements, but also a new perspective from the global tech community toward Chinese innovation. From robots to displays, from hardware to ecosystems, the innovative power of Chinese companies has begun to participate in defining new tracks, new rules, and a new future.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7594363807150719526/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.