Beyond China's humanoid robots, a quieter machine revolution is unfolding

ByLaura Bicker China correspondent, Reporting fromBeijing, Hangzhou and Chengdu. "I take a nap and the world changes, " notes Chen Tianyu.

Key points

• Over the weekend, China hosted the second edition of the World Humanoid Games where robots boxed, sprinted and marched.
• The firm has more than 25, 000 workers and hundreds of them produce the final checks as the sparkling new vehicles roll past.
• At the Hangzhou Technician Institute, for example, children can start from the age of 15.
• They are in the Hangzhou Technician Institute, one of a number of enormous, purpose-built vocational schools that want to churn out the next generation of tech-savvy engineers.
• CRP Technology, which employs around 300 individuals, has been building robot arms for nine years.

His world certainly does. The 28-year-old keeps up with the latest technology by spending his spare time in factories that are switching to automation. That way he knows what to prioritise when teaching his class regarding artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.

In front of him, around 30 college students are studying code. One of them is typing furiously as his eyes dart from the screen to the robot: "The idea is it will grab that cylindrical piece and move it over there."

Meanwhile, a line of industrial robots are waiting to be programmed, and in another part of the classroom, students are trying to develop robotic medical instruments. As he guides them, Chen declares: "If you are not needed by the world of AI and robotics, then you'll definitely be among those eliminated".

For the individuals in this room, this is a step – or rather a leap – towards a future that China is meticulously building: Xi Jinping's $20bn (£14.7bn) plan to put his country at the forefront of innovation and in direct competition with the US.

Notably, the evidence is all around them. They are in the Hangzhou Technician Institute, one of a number of enormous, purpose-built vocational schools that want to churn out the next generation of tech-savvy engineers. The campus sits on the outskirts of Hangzhou, a former imperial capital whose futuristic skyline is just the first hint of its role as a global tech hub.

Nationwide, there are more than two million robots working in China's factories – which is more than anywhere else – and they are continuing to scale up at extraordinary speed.

It is a commitment that will surely change the world, much like the last time the Chinese economy underwent a massive transformation. It is already shipping its robots throughout the globe: more than half of the world's industrial robots are now produced in China.

What is less clear is the impact of such sweeping automation in a country that sits at the heart of global manufacturing, trade and innovation. What does this mean for China's human workforce, for instance? And how would we be able to truly measure the cost of this transformation in a regime that controls information so tightly?

Meanwhile, the future of China's workers is uncertain in the industrial revolution the world has been watching: gleaming solar grids, peak hours created noiseless by electric vehicles, machines that run faster than Usain Bolt. Over the weekend, China hosted the second edition of the World Humanoid Games where robots boxed, sprinted and marched.

What is fuelling this spectacle is another, less visible revolution happening inside factories and classrooms.

In practice, the BBC has visited industrial sites where we have been shown robots that do not look human, or dance or leap on stage but weld, paint, lift, assemble and work around the clock without a break or benefits. Some are designed to build more robots. We have additionally been inside academies where China is training the residents who will work alongside its robotic workforce.

This is a front-row seat to what Xi calls China's "new productive forces" – and how they could reshape the country.

On a factory floor in the southern city of Chengdu, the old and and the new are working side by side.

For context, an assembly line of around 30 middle-aged men and women is screwing, drilling and polishing CRP Technology's signature product: a robotic arm which performs various industrial tasks. Additionally in the room are four young engineers crowded around a console, trying to crack the code for a prototype, a new robot that they hope will assist build other robots.

One of them, 31-year-old Pang Kai. This person is part of the research and development team, pushes the sleek skeleton throughout the room. Since China's future workforce is not quite ready to strut out. For now, it can only do simple repetitive movements, such as scan a QR code.

"Maybe in another half year, it can do another task, " Pang notes, smiling wistfully. It's a long road and the team are celebrating every small win.

CRP Technology, which employs around 300 individuals, has been building robot arms for nine years. Each arm can be tailored to a factory's needs to support build cars, electronics or wind turbines. The firm notes a single arm can be programmed to perform more than 90% of repetitive tasks.

Notably, the engineers additionally wonder if, one day, they can replace the company's workforce. "We want our new robot to be like human beings. We hope it can think by itself, " notes Pang. "We need these kinds of robots because maybe in 10 years, we won't have enough workers in China."

For context, a shrinking population and an ageing workforce is another reason Beijing is in a hurry to revolutionise its factories. By 2035, more than a third of China's population will be over 60, according to official estimates. The country will additionally lose almost 60 million individuals in the next decade – almost equivalent to the population of France – according to some estimates.

Notably, the hope is that rose automation will fill this looming gap in the workforce before it starts to affect an already sluggish economy. But the speed of the transition is key. Around 120 million individuals still work in the manufacturing sector. If China moves too rapidly, job losses could follow dealing a catastrophic blow to millions who depend on factory wages.

"In theory, machines can work 24 hours a day. It is certainly an advantage compared with human workers. But machines additionally require maintenance. Every day we need time for that, and each month the production line additionally requires inspection and repair, " states Cao Li, vice-president of EV maker Leapmotors.

Increasingly popular in Europe and the UK, the company's budget-friendly, tech-focused cars come together at the Hangzhou factory with robots aiding the process at every step. At the end of the assembly line, more humans emerge.

In practice, the firm has more than 25, 000 workers and hundreds of them produce the final checks as the sparkling new vehicles roll past. Will there be a day when they are no longer needed?

"It's entirely possible, " Cao notes. "And it may come relatively rapidly. In workshops, including stamping, welding, and painting, we've basically achieved 100% automation."

China has the edge over the US due to its enormous manufacturing base. Motors, batteries, electronics, gears, sensors – everything needed to build the body of a robot is all at hand.

"China additionally has an idea. It has a plan. They know where they want to be in five years. They plan at a top level, but they break it down to the regions, to the municipalities, " notes Dr Susanne Bieller, General Secretary of the International Federation of Robotics.

"If you want to build a robot in Shenzhen – there's an entire ecosystem. It takes you less than one hour to source the components you need to create a robot. In Europe it can take you up to a week."

Nevertheless, she acknowledges that while China is good at building the body, the US is still leading at building the "brain". It includes developing the AI to programme robots. And yet Chinese firms, from DeepSeek to Moonshot, have been unveiling new AI models that they say can compete with top US firms.

Driven by an "open-source" approach, where AI start-ups share their code, Chinese innovation managed to catch up faster than projected, despite US export controls over critical advanced chips. Analysts now believe that the next leg of this race will be determined not by who has the best language model, but who can put this intelligence into millions of machines.

And that is why China is additionally investing in producing a generation of students learning to imagine what could come next.

At the Hangzhou Technician Institute, for example, children can start from the age of 15. And the scale of what is being taught can feel staggering. There is an entire building dedicated to engines and aeronautics, and a restricted floor for students who will work to keep China at the forefront of processing rare earths – another crucial commodity in the battle with Washington.

Some see this as a solution to China's stubbornly high youth unemployment rate, with one in five struggling to find a job. "Our students are in demand and can even be pre-booked by firms. They don't need to worry regarding employment at all, and we hold competitions as part of their training, " Chen, the young teacher, states.

"It's better to find your position within the technological wave. In the process of progress, structural changes are bound to occur, and these structural changes are exactly where students' future employment opportunities lie."

But China still faces serious economic challenges, from a property crisis that continues to drag on to massive local administration debt and persistently low consumption.

It is unclear if and how the revolution Beijing is touting will fix these, and it is hard to gauge how those whose jobs are threatened feel regarding the change that is coming. Will robots create prosperity for them, or simply take plenty of of their jobs?

"My students ask me what will happen in the future, " Chen notes. "I say I don't know. Technology is changing so fast. But we can't just stand still and sleep here. We have to move forward to see what we are capable of doing."

For now, beyond China' s humanoid robots, a quieter machine revolution is unfolding remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.