Korean Media: China's Another "Rise" That Holds 90% of the Global Market!
On March 10, the South Korean media outlet "Global Economy" published an article stating that China is applying its effective national technological development strategy in the electric vehicle sector to the field of humanoid robots, rapidly consolidating its leading position in the global market. According to statistics, about 90% of the humanoid robots sold globally by 2025 are from China, and Western companies have already shown a gap in the initial competition.
Although the humanoid robot industry is still in its early stages, China is building a virtuous cycle covering R&D and mass production, supported by policy support and a competitive supply chain. This path is similar to how China established its global leadership in the electric vehicle industry and is becoming a key factor in the structural transformation of future manufacturing and labor markets.
The global digital media platform Rest of the World stated that China's humanoid robot market is experiencing growth similar to the electric vehicle industry and has reached a large-scale shipment stage. About 90% of the humanoid robots sold globally in 2025 are made in China, and the headquarters of the top six companies by sales are all located in East Asia.
Market research companies Omdia and IDC estimate that the global sales of humanoid robots will be between 13,000 and 18,000 units in 2025. Although these robots are currently only used in limited environments, mainly in research, retail, and industrial settings, Morgan Stanley predicts that they will be widely adopted starting in the late 2030s.
China's largest humanoid robot company, Unitree Robotics, sold 5,500 units last year, ranking first globally. The Shanghai-based Zhiyuan followed closely with 5,168 units sold. These are the first official sales figures released by the two companies, indicating that competition among Chinese companies has entered the mass production stage.
This competitive landscape resembles the early development stage of China's electric vehicle industry. With government support and industrial policies, numerous companies entered the market, quickly expanded their scale, and eventually captured the global market share. Chinese robot manufacturers are gradually increasing domestic production rates, reducing costs while enhancing supply chain stability.
Western countries seek differentiation through artificial intelligence and software.
Although China has a dominant advantage in hardware and production, some believe the reliance of the West on Chinese robots is limited. A technical analyst from the consulting firm Omdia stated in a report that Western companies can ensure sufficient competitiveness by focusing on artificial intelligence, software, and autonomous technologies.
In fact, the non-Chinese companies with the highest sales last year were U.S. companies Figure AI, Agility Robotics, and Tesla, but each company sold only about 150 units. Tesla's Optimus robot has been under development for more than five years, with the goal of achieving full-scale sales by the end of 2027. Despite CEO Elon Musk acknowledging China as the strongest competitor in the fields of artificial intelligence and manufacturing, he still believes that, in the long run, Optimus will eventually gain a performance advantage.
The humanoid robot market is considered to have significant long-term growth potential. The report predicts that the global market size will reach $38 billion by 2035 and $5 trillion by 2050. China has listed humanoid robots as a key science and technology innovation industry in the "14th Five-Year Plan" and continues to invest funds in testing infrastructure construction and enterprise support.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1859238378159178/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.