China installed nearly 300,000 new factory robots last year, more than the rest of the world combined, as the country strengthens its dominance in both robot manufacturing and deployment across its industrial base.
More than two million robots now work in Chinese factories, compared to 34,000 new installations in American facilities, according to data released by the International Federation of Robotics, reports The New York Times.
China’s robot manufacturing share rose to a third of global supply last year, up from a quarter in 2023, whilst Japan dropped to 29 per cent from 38 per cent the year before. Nearly three-fifths of robots installed in China were domestically manufactured, marking the first year domestic production exceeded imports.
The surge reflects Beijing’s strategic push since 2015 to become globally competitive in robotics through its Made in China 2025 campaign. Industries received almost unlimited access to low-interest loans from state-controlled banks, government funding and assistance acquiring foreign competitors.
“This is not a coincidence,” said Lian Jye Su, a chief analyst at Omdia, a tech research firm. “It has taken many years of investment by Chinese companies.”
China’s factory automation drive has supported its position as the world’s manufacturing powerhouse, with factories producing nearly a third of all manufactured goods worldwide by early this year. The country now has five times as many robots working in its factories as the United States.
“You can see how well that strategy worked out; without a strategy, a country is always at a disadvantage,” said Susanne Bieller, the general secretary of the robotics federation.
The robotics boom extends beyond traditional industrial robots to humanoid machines, with startup Unitree Robotics pricing basic models at $6,000 in China, a fraction of competitors like Boston Dynamics. However, Chinese companies still lag in key components including sensors and semiconductors.
