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Published: February 01,2025
Photo: CCTV
In an impressive showcase of cutting-edge technology and cultural heritage, China’s humanoid robots captivated not only domestic audiences at this year’s Spring Festival Gala, but also triggered heated discussions on international media outlets, with some US media showing attention about Beijing’s catching-up, viewing it as a sign of competition between China and the US in tech industry.
Shortly after the DeepSeek AI trend gained traction, 16 robots from Unitree Robotics stunned audiences by dancing alongside human performers, going viral on global social media. These humanoid robots H1 exhibit impressive agility, mimicking human movements and spinning handkerchiefs.
Unitree told the Global Times that the robots utilize AI-driven full-body motion control with a maximum joint torque of 360 newton meters and 360° panoramic depth perception for precise movement tracking. Advanced AI algorithms allow them to interpret music and adjust their movements in real-time. Additionally, high-precision 3D laser SLAM technology enables accurate navigation in complex environments.
Unitree’s yangge folk dance humanoid robot team lines up at the backstage of the 2025 Spring Festival Gala on January 28, 2025. Photo: Courtesy of Unitree
Chinese netizens are enthusiastically praising this remarkable fusion of cutting-edge technology and traditional techniques on social media, with comments like, “I never imagined I would witness a robot performing the Yangge dance in my lifetime, its handkerchief skills are even more agile than mine.”
After the developer Unitree released the dance video on YouTube, the view count also quickly surpassed 100,000. The viral video has sparked discussions about China’s growing advancements in AI and robotics, with some comparing them to similar products in the US.
“With DeepSeek proving that high-performance AI can be built at a fraction of the cost, and Unitree showcasing humanoid robots that can dance with precision, China is challenging the traditional tech leaders in the US,” the US media Business Today said in a piece on Thursday.
A Spain-based media Euro Weekly News said in a piece on Wednesday that “now, the US and Europe are looking closely at China and their ever-evolving tech breakthroughs, what with DeepSeek trumping anything the rest of the world has to offer in AI, and Elon Musk’s Optimus robot gingerly walking like it was scared of tripping over, the AI-powered H1s danced nimbly and safely in unison and with the human dancers.”
Indian media India Today, similarly, said that the release of DeepSeek and H1 robotics show “China’s growing presence in the global AI and robotics space.” The media called this China’s growing presence in AI is likely “a threat to the US market.”
US journalist Ben Norton posted on X with the robotics dancing video, saying “China now has dancing robots – in addition to producing better AI than US Big Tech corporations, for much cheaper, and open source. This is why the US is waging an economic war and tech war on China. The US doesn’t want any competition to its monopolies.”
Some US media also showed concerns over potential application of robots in future warfare. Business Insider reported on Wednesday that in addition to the H1 robots which were on stage for the Spring Festival, Unitree is also known to have made other machines – including four-legged, doglike robots.
The Business Insider report claimed that in 2024, these remote-controlled dog robots were seen in footage of a military training exercise conducted by China and Cambodia. The robots, which could be mounted with machine guns, could move forward, jump, and navigate obstacles. The report noted that the US military also uses non-weaponized robots.
The US military has already used non-weaponized robots from Boston Dynamics, per the company’s website.
Comparisons are also being drawn between China’s humanoid robots and other robotics projects around the world, particularly Elon Musk’s Optimus robot. Some users noted that while Optimus is still in development and struggles with basic movements, China’s robots were already performing complex dance routines with ease.
One X user humorously commented, “While Musk’s robot is still learning to walk, China’s robots are already dancing like pros,” according to the report.
“Showing how you can be technologically advanced but still proud of their culture. Other countries should take notes,” another netizen commented on YouTube.
Regarding concerns about China’s recent technological breakthroughs widely discussed in the US media, Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Beijing-based Information Consumption Alliance, told the Global Times on Thursday that such concerns are understandable, as the US has long dominated the global technology field and can not accept the fact that there is a possibility that China may surpass in some fields.
As some US media outlets express high levels of attention that China-US technology competition is approaching a “critical point,” the expert said the US needs to accept the fact that China has surpassed the US in certain technological areas.
Xiang pointed out that the US is likely to take swift action to hinder China’s technological advancements. However, such attempts will have little impact on the country’s rapid development.
According to Economic Daily, as of July 2024, China holds over 190,000 valid patents related to robotics, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the global total. This accumulation of patents and technologies provides a solid foundation for the further development of China’s robotics industry. Despite various pressures from the US, China has not been defeated; instead, the country will only remain steadfast in its commitment to advancing technological innovation, the expert said.
globaltimes.cn
