More than 100 humanoid robots were showcased at two exhibitions starting Monday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. Among them was the X2 Ultra robot from AGIBOT Innovation, which sang songs, spoke in Mandarin and English, and answered questions from the audience. When asked about its hobbies, the robot listed sports, dancing, studying technology, and listening to music.
Calvin Chiu, chief operating officer of Novautek Autonomous Driving, AGIBOT's agent in Hong Kong, said the robot can provide emotional satisfaction through conversations and serve as a teacher for older adults and children. Different robots can be programmed with different personalities.
China has more than 140 humanoid-robot manufacturers and over 330 models in 2025, according to official data. London-based research firm Omdia ranked AGIBOT, Unitree Robotics, and UBTech Robotics as the only first-tier vendors globally in terms of shipment numbers. All three shipped over 1,000 units of general-purpose embodied intelligent robots last year, with the first two shipping more than 5,000 units.
At the exhibition, some robots demonstrated capabilities such as talking, punching, sand painting, doing backflips, and catching suspects with nets during security patrol demonstrations. Robert Chan, global strategy officer at EngineAI, showcased its PM01 robot doing a front flip. Chan noted that China has advantages in low-cost engineering and a pattern of sharing know-how between companies, unlike in the US and Europe.
Chan foresees the next stage of robotics moving toward human-like bodies with more emotional exchanges and facial expressions. One company, Shenzhen DX Intech Technology Co., displayed humanoid robots with female features and soft synthetic faces. Business director Wang Zuhua said the company sold over 400 such robots, some already working in museums and government venues on the mainland, leading guests to washrooms or providing tours.
Malaysian visitor Russel Lupang was amazed by their appearances and movements. The exhibition highlights China's push to develop humanoid robots as part of its 2026-2030 five-year plan, which vows to target the frontiers of science and technology.
