China Produces Over Half of Global Humanoid Robot Models, MIIT Reports

In the first half of 2026, China's industrial sector showed steady growth, with value-added industrial output rising 5.4% year-on-year. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), China has made significant strides in advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies. Notably, Chinese-developed humanoid robot models now exceed 400, representing more than half of the global total, while domestic quadruped robots account for nearly 70% of global sales. High-tech exports also surged, driven by an 88.7% increase in integrated circuits.

The H1 2026 data demonstrates that China's industrial sector is successfully upgrading toward high-tech manufacturing, with significant breakthroughs in robotics, aerospace, and advanced materials. This shift could solidify China's position in the global high-tech supply chain and challenge Western dominance in advanced engineering.

On July 20, 2026, the State Council Information Office held a press conference where Wang Weiming, Chief Engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and other officials detailed China's industrial performance for the first half of 2026. Value-added industrial output for enterprises above designated size grew 5.4% year-on-year, contributing over 35% to China's overall economic growth. Officials noted that industrial corporate profitability improved, with profits for major industrial firms rising 18.8% year-on-year in the first five months of the year. A key highlight of the briefing was China's rapid expansion in the robotics sector. Wang revealed that China now accounts for nearly 70% of global sales of quadruped robots. Furthermore, Chinese developers have produced over 400 complete humanoid robot models, representing more than half of the global total. This growth is supported by a 28% year-on-year increase in industrial robot production and an 11.9% increase in service robot production during the first half of the year. Beyond robotics, MIIT highlighted several major technological milestones. In commercial aerospace, the Long March 10B carrier rocket successfully achieved a controlled recovery of its first stage, marking China's first controlled rocket recovery. In materials science, China became the first country to achieve 100-ton scale mass production of T1200-grade ultra-high-strength carbon fiber. These technological advancements coincided with strong export performance. RMB-denominated exports of integrated circuits, electronic components, and wind turbines grew by 88.7%, 62.6%, and 35.6% year-on-year, respectively. The broader industrial sector also showed signs of upgrading. Equipment manufacturing value-added grew 6.4% year-on-year, contributing 23.5% to overall industrial growth. Meanwhile, China's digital infrastructure continued to expand, with the total number of 5G base stations reaching 5.102 million by the end of June. In the pharmaceutical sector, 38 innovative drugs were approved in the first half of the year, with domestic drugs accounting for over 80% of the total.