China showcases humanoid martial arts robots: Should Europe be worried?

China’s annual Lunar New Year’s Eve spectacular made headlines this year as humanoid robots stole the show, performing coordinated martial arts and parkour routines.

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It marked several groundbreaking achievements and is a bold demonstration of the country’s rapid technological advancement.

According to a video posted by CCTV, two dozen robots performed the first continuous freestyle table-vaulting parkour, the first aerial flip, continuous single-leg flips, a two-step wall-assisted backflip, and the first 7.5-rotation Airflare grand spin.

China has been accelerating efforts to build more capable AI-powered robots with less human input.

The robots have come a long way since last year’s gala, wherehumanoids performed a wobbly folk dance with handkerchiefs. This year’s machines looked notably more stable, signalling a clear step forward.

What this means beyond the gala

But beyond the spectacle, questions remain: how advanced are these robots and should their development raise concerns?

Companies globally are testing humanoids in factories and warehouses, and some firms are positioning them for future home use.

Defence experts say such machines could eventually have military applications.

“There is likely room for robots in the shape of humans and animals in military and security organisations. Especially if they are to interact with structures built for humans, like cars, stairs, and doors,” Hans Liwång, a professor in systems science for defence and security at the Swedish Defence University, told Euronews Next.

He cautioned that real-world deployment is far more complex than a staged performance. In military settings, he said, the robot’s shape matters far less than whether it has sufficiently “well-developed logic” to operate in an unpredictable environment.

Liwång similarly cautioned against reading too much into high-profile demonstrations, as they can also be viewed through the lens of state propaganda.

“Putting on a rehearsed, preplanned, and controlled show does not tell us that much about the state of the technology. Such shows are designed to impress, and therefore likely overstates the capability of the technology,” he said.

Can Europe keep pace?

While Europe does not need to be alarmed, it does need to pay attention, Liwång said.

“Europe needs to be informed about international development. We need to learn from others, not build from scratch. We need to learn from the efforts put into this development and from the technical development”.

His comments come as the humanoid robotics race increasingly appears to be led by China and the United States.

Analysts say China’s advantage lies largely in manufacturing scale and supply chain integration.

The country has built what experts describe as a near vertically integrated robotics value chain, supported by strong government backing, allowing firms to scale production quickly and push prices lower.

Unitree Robotics, whose machines featured prominently at China’s Spring Festival Gala, advertises a base price of $13,500 (about €11,280) for its G1 humanoid robot.

Tesla has yet to announce a commercial price for Optimus. During a January 2025 earnings call, CEO Elon Musk said production costs could fall below $20,000 (about €16,700) if annual output reaches one million units, suggesting prices may remain higher until large-scale manufacturing is achieved.

According to a 2024 report from the International Federation of Robotics, a global industry association headquartered in Germany, China remains the world’s largest industrial robot market and accounted for more than half of all robot installations globally in 2024.