WRC 2026: From State-Owned Enterprises to Humanoid Robots & Real-World Applications

The 2026 World Robot Conference in Beijing brought together some of the biggest names in China's robotics industry, but the most interesting story may be bigger than the humanoid robots on the exhibition floor.

In this video, cultural analyst Xiabing Su took a look at how China is building a broader robotics ecosystem, from state-owned enterprises and robotics manufacturers to the components and technologies that make these machines work.

And increasingly, these technologies are moving beyond the exhibition floor and into real-world applications, from logistics and retail to outdoor activities and disaster response.

The humanoid robots may be the most eye-catching part of the industry. But behind them is a much larger ecosystem, one that connects components, manufacturers, applications and infrastructure.

China isn't just building robots. It's building the infrastructure to make them work.