China’s Humanoids Race Ahead at Beijing Robot Games

Humanoid robots are emerging as a key test of “embodied AI,” combining artificial intelligence with machines designed for factories, warehouses and service environments built around people. Beijing’s decision to stage the World Humanoid Robot Games for a second year underscores China’s push to turn its manufacturing supply chain and policy support into faster hardware development, opening another front in its technology rivalry with the United States.

The five-day competition ended on Aug. 26, 2026, at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval, known as the Ice Ribbon, after drawing 2,056 robots and 666 teams from 16 countries. Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics, cut the 100-meter record to 8.64 seconds, while Tianzhuo Team completed 1,500 meters in 2:21.64. Crashes and sparks after the sprints nevertheless showed that stopping safely and operating autonomously in unpredictable settings remain major hurdles.