Engineers inspect a humanoid robot at the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference on March 27, 2025. Photo: Tao Mingyang/GT
Sip a latte topped with a swan design by a robotic arm, receive a charcoal portrait from an artificial intelligence (AI) artist, or follow a humanoid robot to a meeting room to discuss the latest technology breakthroughs with global experts - these aren't scenes from sci-fi, but daily sights at the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum).
The five-day sci-tech event featured nearly 100 robots from 15 Chinese companies across reception, communication, performance and other services, a showcase of China's great leap in merging robotic precision with creative intelligence.
Under the theme "New Quality Productive Forces and Global Science and Technology Cooperation," the latest edition of the conference demonstrates how China's robotics industry has rapidly risen: from barista bots mimicking master techniques to navigation systems with real-time sensing, these technologies are now operational, spurring increasing global cooperation.
Robots on display At the opening ceremony of the 2025 ZGC Forum Annual Conference on Thursday, a group of robot dancers put on a striking show. This group of humanoid robots, comprising with "T1" developed by Beijing-based Booster Robotics and "Kuavo" developed by Shenzhen-based Leju Robotic, demonstrated complex dance moves and interactive capabilities tuned to music, all powered by precision programming.
Aslan Tarik, CTO of Beijing Tangta Technology Co, who mainly focuses on AI and AI robotics, told the Global Times on the sidelines of the forum that the robot performance reminded him of the impressive robots showcase at the 2025 Spring Festival Gala.
A regular attendee of the ZGC Forum, Tarik said from last year's conference to this year's, the most significant change has been the leap in the mobility of robots, reflecting rapid development of China's AI-powered robotics sector.
To perfect the three-minute performance, Leju's team created a custom program for Kuavo - using high-precision motion capture equipment to collect movement data from professional dancers, "translating" human actions into commands that the robots can understand, and applying retargeting technology to ensure that the robots can execute similar movements based on their own physical characteristics. Leju deployed over 20 Kuavo units at the forum to assist with guest reception and guidance, the company told the Global Times.
In the retail and catering area, Beijing-based robotics firm Galbot partnered with beverage tech startup Haoyin Technology Co to operate a cafe at the forum.
Haoyin's robot coffee stand integrates a robot arm and coffee machine, which is capable for customize coffee with different flavors according to customer requirements, while Galbot's robot "G1" picks up orders, including robot-made coffee, for delivery to customers.
Zhang Jin, a representative from Haoyin, told the Global Times that the robot coffee stand of roughly three square meters, features an intelliwgent robot capable of remembering customers' preferred flavors, noting that the company has about 20 coffee stands in Beijing and Shenzhen.
International synergy
China's humanoid robot market is expected to reach 5.3 billion yuan ($729.7 million) in 2025, doubling the size of 2024. It is projected to reach 75 billion yuan in 2029, leading in the world with the largest market share of 32.7 percent, according to a 2024 humanoid robot industry conference report.
With the industry showing strong growth potential, Wang Tianmiao, a robotics expert at Beihang University, told the Global Times on the sidelines of the forum that China's humanoid robot ecosystem is evolving rapidly, creating a favorable environment for the startups, as technological advancements and supportive policies continue to drive growth.
Wang's comments are echoed by recent breakthroughs and the government's supportive policies. During the opening ceremony of the 2025 WZGC Forum Annual Conference, the application of embodied robots equipped with large language models in the retail sector and the world's first open-source general humanoid robot platform "Tien Kung" were included in the China's 10 major scientific and technological achievements in 2024.
China's 2025 Government Work Report stated that the country will vigorously develop new-generation intelligent terminals and smart manufacturing equipment, including intelligent connected new-energy vehicles, AI-enabled phones and computers, and intelligent robots. Beijing in February 2025 issued an action plan to accelerate embodied AI technology development and industry cultivation from 2025 to 2027.
Building on consistent domestic advancements, global collaboration is gaining pace too. Paolo Dario, chief scientist at the Italian National Competence Center for Robotics ARTES 4.0, told the Global Times that "incredible progress" has been achieved by the robotic community worldwide in the last few years, and he is optimistic that more can be done through closer collaboration between Europe and China.
Tarik from Beijing Tangta Technology Co noted that China's technology ecosystem has helped boost his company's robot researches, as exemplified by the advent of DeepSeek, featuring open source and strong computing power requirement.
