Chinese humanoid robot exports now account for the majority of the global market, underscoring the country's rising dominance in the industry as global demand continues to expand, an official said on Thursday during the 2026 World Robot Conference in Beijing.
A report released at the conference also highlighted the sector's rapid growth, offering a detailed look at technology trends, supply chain development, and real world applications.
"Humanoid robots are accelerating their transition from small scale trials to routine deployment and large scale application. In the first half of 2026, China's humanoid robot shipments exceeded 40,000 units, accounting for 97 percent of the global total. The country is also accelerating the development of a comprehensive industrial ecosystem built on four pillars: standards development, talent cultivation, international cooperation, and innovation infrastructure," said Zhang Feng, president of the China Humanoid Robotics Committee of 100.
While China's humanoid robots are grabbing the global spotlight, its industrial robots are quietly gaining ground in overseas markets.
In the first seven months of this year, China's industrial robot exports surged over 13 percent on a yearly basis, building on momentum from 2025 when the country became a net exporter of industrial robots for the first time.
The growth was largely driven by China's robust manufacturing capabilities and resilient domestic demand. The International Federation of Robotics says China remains the world's largest market and producer of industrial robots for years, accounting for over half of the global total.
The latest available data shows that China ranked as the world's third-largest industrial robot exporter in 2024, rapidly closing the gap with Japan and Germany.
China leads global humanoid robot growth: report
China's summer box office has surpassed 11 billion yuan (about 1.64 billion U.S. dollars) as of Friday evening, driven by a diverse mix of domestic and imported titles.
According to the latest data from online platforms, daily box office has exceeded 100 million yuan for 42 consecutive days. The summer movie season has drawn over 300 million moviegoers across more than 35 million screenings, with momentum continuing to build as new films hit theaters.
Although the summer movie season is drawing to a close, theaters in Beijing remain bustling, with many moviegoers reporting multiple visits this summer.
"I'm here today to watch The Odyssey. I watched Once Upon a Time in the Middle East a couple of days ago. It was really, really good," said a moviegoer.
This summer's movie season has featured more than 120 Chinese and foreign films, offering a rich variety of fresh themes and genres including war epics, sci-fi adventures, crime thrillers, and traditional Chinese-style animation, providing a wide range of choices for audiences with diverse tastes.
Kung Fu Soccer, All Wishes Come True, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day currently rank as the top three box office hits of this season. The anti-war and food-themed film Once Upon a Time in the Middle East has seen steadily rising critical acclaim and box office.
The comedy-mystery animated film Mystery of Chang'an is set to officially premiere on August 22, offering audiences an audiovisual experience that blends Eastern aesthetics with a wealth of imaginative ideas.
"The film actually has quite a lot of elements to it, like fantasy, suspense, adventure, crime-solving, and comedy," said Li Yingying, the film's producer.
In addition, imported films such as the thriller-adventure The End of Oak Street and the 4K restored version of the cinematic classic The Shawshank Redemption are also set to premiere in August, further enriching the summer movie lineup.
Industry insiders say that with several new releases poised to hit theaters in the coming weeks, this year's summer movie season is expected to close on a strong note, laying a solid foundation for the steady and positive growth of the film market throughout the year.
Diverse film lineup drives China's summer box office past 11 billion yuan
