Customized robot rental business heats up in China's capital city

China

Customized robot rental business heats up in China's capital city

2026-02-09 16:56 Last Updated At：02-10 13:25

The customized robot rental business is gaining momentum in Beijing, capital of China, where demand has pushed order books well into the period following the upcoming Spring Festival, which falls on February 17 this year.

Gao Li, head of a robot leasing company in the city, said his team is fulfilling a wide range of rental orders. The robots are being deployed for tasks including restaurant food delivery, serving as tour guides at scenic spots, and even performing street dance routines at events.

"This is a full-sized humanoid robot capable of writing and performing even very delicate movements. Here is one of our most diligent robots. As you can see, many parts of its body already show signs of wear. It has been sent out on different assignments every day since it arrived, and on its busiest day it completed eight tasks in a single day," Gao said.

As the market demand rises while robot prices drop, Gao said he has expanded his robot team to 23 humanoid robots, 12 robot dogs and thousands of drones. He said the company has moved to a new office area twice as large as the previous one.

"Almost all our staff members are stationed at client sites, working intensively every day. Our order book is already fully scheduled through the Lantern Festival, the 15th day in the first lunar month, well after the Spring Festival," He said.

Gao said January saw a notable rise of customized robot rental demands compared to the previous months, accounting for 60 percent of total orders.

"As the Spring Festival approaches, orders for private events have increased, such as birthday banquets, private gatherings and tea parties. I think robots will increasingly become part of everyday life of ordinary people," he said.

Data showed that in 2025, more than 1,500 robot rental companies were established across China, a year-on-year increase of 48.1 percent compared to the previous year.

As robot supply continues to rise and daily rental prices for individual robots are declining, more and more robots are making their way into ordinary households, according to experts.

Spanish students say stable China-US ties benefit global economy

Spanish students have expressed their expectation that a healthy China-U.S. economic and trade relationship will inject greater stability into the global economy and create greater opportunities for Spain.

On Sunday, Chinese and U.S. delegations convened in Paris, France for talks on economic and trade issues. Guided by the consensus reached by the two heads of state in Busan and their subsequent phone talks, the two sides will conduct consultations on economic and trade matters of mutual concern.

Ahead of the talks, members of the public in Madrid, Spain, shared their views on China–U.S. economic and trade relations with China Media Group (CMG). They agreed that reaching an agreement between the world’s two largest economies would have a direct impact on the global landscape.

"They are the two countries that contribute the most economically, in a manner of speaking, to the rest of the countries. They are major importers and exporters. So I think that a satisfactory relationship between them can be very beneficial for all other countries," said Claudia, an engineering student.

Noting that both sides are important trading partners of Spain, the interviewees stated that a healthy, stable and sustainable China-U.S. economic and trade relationship also affects various aspects of the Spanish society, and that agreements between the two countries would help promote Spain's economic growth.

"I do think that it could have a certain effect on the Spanish economy, both in terms of prices, and I would dare say employment as well. Because I think that if those two great powers reach an agreement, Spain could also get in on the action. It would create quite a few jobs in Chinese and American multinationals for all Spaniards," said Claudia.

"Spain is caught in the middle; it has good relations with both the U.S. and China. If it gets on the bad side of either one, it could be hit hard, because Spain mainly relies on tourism -- well, other things too, but essentially tourism, construction and agriculture. It's very important to have more help and trade with all countries around the world," said Denis, a law student.