BEIJING: Its been called the Robot Olympics. But unlike the human Olympics, Team China is collecting almost all the medals.

Over the past decade, robotic competitions in China have provided a window into the advances of a now-surging sector and the importance of its success as a strategic industry singled out by President Xi Jinping.

Once a curiosity organised by academic teams and hobbyists, China’s robot games have become a national showcase celebrated by state media and, increasingly, a proving ground for commercial products from companies looking to show real-world applications beyond the spectacle. The five-day World Humanoid Robot Games the latest and biggest incarnation of the competition began on Saturday in Beijing.

Robotics as college sport Robotics competitions in China started as lower-budget affairs backed by an industry association and the local government of Fujian. The competitors were mostly college teams. The vibe was more science project than showcase for the high-flying companies that emerged later.

In one showcase event, small, wheeled robots played a competitive version of soccer with a limited range of pre-programmed automation to avoid collisions and find the ball. Robotics as the crown jewel In 2015, Beijing hosted the first World Robot Conference, marking the industrys emergence as a national priority. A year earlier, Xi had declared robotics was the crown jewel of advanced manufacturing, according to state media.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2026