China’s embodied AI and path to a shared future

RECENTLY, a unique humanoid robot half-marathon was held in Beijing, where more than 100 robot teams competed alongside 12,000 human runners, drawing widespread attention from major international media.

- By Maya Majueran

HONOR’s “Lightning” humanoid robot completed the roughly 21-kilometer (13-mile) course in 50 minutes and 26 seconds - surpassing the human half-marathon world record of 57 minutes and 20 seconds held by Ugandan athlete Jacob Kiplimo.

The progress is striking. At the same event just one year earlier, the champion humanoid robot, “Tiangong,” finished in 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds. Cutting nearly two hours from the finishing time in a single year highlights the rapid pace of iteration in China’s robotics technology. Following the excitement generated by humanoid robots at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala earlier this year, the marathon has once again prompted a broader question: what impact will China’s advances in embodied AI have on society and global development?

Chinese innovation: Breaking bottlenecks and advancing self-reliance

The Beijing E-Town humanoid robot half-marathon offers a vivid demonstration of China’s continued technological innovation and the development of new productive forces. Progress in embodied AI and robotics has been driven by advances in independent research and development, supported by the world’s most comprehensive manufacturing ecosystem and a favorable policy environment.

According to the 2025 Humanoid Robot Yearbook published by Morgan Stanley, China has generated five times as many humanoid robot patents as the United States over the past five years. The country has also overcome key “chokepoint” constraints in core components, reducing reliance on foreign technologies and strengthening domestic capabilities.

This progress is increasingly visible in commercialisation. Among the robots featured at the 2026 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, the localisation of core components has helped reduce costs to near the RMB 10,000 level - bringing humanoid robots closer to mass-market accessibility and, potentially, into everyday households.