Embodied AI products are on display at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2025 exhibition area in Shanghai on July 28, 2025. Photo: Zhang Weilan/GT

Representatives of leading Chinese robotics companies said at an ongoing industry expo in Shanghai that they are accelerating their global expansion with high-quality embodied artificial intelligence (AI) products that have already proven effective on factory floors.

During interviews at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2025, which ran from Saturday to Monday, several domestic humanoid robot manufacturers told the Global Times that they plan to deploy key component production in countries and regions such as the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea in the near future, and extend the humanoid robot large-scale industrial chain overseas.

Wang Chuang, president of AgiBot's general business line, told the Global Times that his company is building a global footprint this year. "Backed by reliable hardware and booming international demand, we will export robots while empowering local partners to handle cultural tweaks and incremental features," Wang said. "The Middle East, Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea are our targeted markets and slated for 2025 rollouts."

"China already has the world's leading humanoid robot supply chain, and ASEAN countries should make full use of convenient trade conditions with China to deepen industrial collaboration. The total scale of ASEAN's manufacturing industry is $2.6 trillion, but the penetration rate of robots is only 0.3 percent, which means huge room for growth," Che Fai Tan, president of the ASEAN Federation of Smart Industry, told the Global Times. 

Despite rapid growth and vast market opportunity, industry experts said that Chinese firms still need to make concrete efforts to make their products more suited for various overseas markets. 

"Chinese humanoid robot firms are expected to increasingly tailor their AI products to overseas scenarios," Liang Qijun, brand director of PNDbotics AI, told the Global Times, adding that diverse foreign markets will push them toward modular designs, prompt earlier international patent filings to avoid infringement, and strengthen competitiveness. 

Moreover, global experience will foster on-the-ground partnerships with local software and algorithm teams, speeding market adaptation and product iteration, according to Liang. 

A marketing representative of Beijing-based Robotera told the Global Times that the company's robot, which can precisely clone human hand movements, has already been adopted as a research platform by MIT, Stanford and other leading US universities. More than half of Robotera's latest production run is bound for overseas labs, and nine of the world's 10 most valuable tech giants now count themselves as customers, the company said.

Despite growing US restrictions on Chinese AI firms, domestic companies have demonstrated world-class humanoid robot technologies, Jiang Lei, chief scientist at the National and Local Co-built Embodied Artificial Intelligence Robotics Innovation Center, told the Global Times, citing examples of robot dancing performances at the 2025 Spring Festival Gala and the world's first robot half-marathon in Beijing.

These vivid examples are the clearest proof of China's edge in embodied AI, Jiang said. By prioritizing real-world applications and fostering innovation that directly addresses societal needs, China is not only advancing its technological capabilities but also setting an example of how AI can be effectively utilized, the scientist said.

"International expansion is becoming a critical path for Chinese robot companies. By capitalizing on the cost advantages of a mature domestic supply chain, they are swiftly gaining traction in global markets," Jiang said.