When the Year of the Horse arrived in 2026, all eyes were on China's Spring Festival Gala. What unfolded was more than a cultural spectacle – it was a hard-tech showcase. Robot collectives from Unitree Robotics, Magic Atom, Galaxy General and Songyan Power executed flawless martial arts routines on national TV. The message was clear: a new era in Chinese humanoid robotics had arrived – and the world was watching.

Global media hails China's robot showcase

The Associated Press noted that humanoid robots have become a recurring Gala centerpiece – a clear signal of China's prowess in and push for the next generation of AI-powered robotics. CBS broadcast the performance, giving props to China's cutting-edge technology, particularly the robots' seamless movements.

Spain's El Español hailed the evolution from 2025 to 2026 Spring Festival Galas as a "veritable revolution." Last year's robots were stiff and mechanical; this year's Unitree G1 units moved with fluidity and freedom, it said. The report also made special mention that the robots are commercial products – already available in Spain.

Industrial policy in action: The rise of new productive forces

Reuters framed the Gala as a window into China's industrial policies. The "WuBot" segment, featuring robots performing drunken boxing, shed light on advances in multi-robot collaboration, AI decision-making and fault recovery.

The UK's Independent flagged the Gala's unique role: translating industrial strategy into prime-time entertainment. China, the report noted, has positioned robotics as core to its "AI+Manufacturing" push – a bet on automation to offset an aging population. The show offered a glimpse of China's "new productive forces" in action – technological logic and industrial ambition rolled into one.

For manufacturers, the payoff was tangible and immediate. Unitree's G1 model has already entered the European market. The cycle from spectacle to store was complete.

Reshaping the global industrial landscape

China's robotics strategy is moving from lab to production line. While some Western rivals remain stuck as expensive prototypes, Chinese firms have demonstrated remarkable mass production capabilities and supply chain resilience. The Gala stage displayed robot formations with advanced AI perception, decision-making and actuator technology.

As China's robotics industry booms, these technologies are already moving into elder care, high-end manufacturing and hazardous environment exploration. China's formula – rapid iteration and massive scale – offers a real-world solution to global labor shortages.