Humanoid robots are displayed at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 18, 2026. Photo: VCG

Chinese-developed quadruped robots account for nearly 70 percent of global sales, while China has developed more than 400 humanoid robot models (complete units), surpassing half of the global total, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on Monday.

Leveraging its dual strengths in the digital economy and advanced manufacturing, East China's Zhejiang Province posted stellar growth in robot exports in the first half, with its robot exports exceeding 1 billion yuan ($147 million) and intelligent bionic robot exports accounting for roughly 60 percent of the national total, according to Hangzhou Customs.

Boasting a full industrial chain spanning research and development, component manufacturing, assembly, software development and global sales, the province hosts more than 700 upstream and downstream robot enterprises in Hangzhou alone.

In addition to robotics, the growth of many Chinese industries with international competitive advantages has accelerated. As of the end of June, China had built 5.102 million 5G base stations. Authorities are accelerating the commercial rollout of 5G-A networks and holding pilot programs of 10-gigabit fiber broadband networks in residential compounds, factories and industrial parks.

Many 5G-powered smart devices have become consumer favorites, including artificial intelligence smartphones, laptops, intelligent robots, glasses and toys. Regulators have also approved trial frequency licenses for the 6 GHz band to push forward the second phase of 6G technical trials.

China's high-tech and digital economy has become a major growth driver for the national economy, Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday, noting that the country's industries are steadily moving toward high-end, intelligent and sophisticated upgrading, while emerging tech segments are seeing dynamic progress. 

"Progress in core technological self-reliance has built unique competitive edges, while new industries and business models have stimulated domestic endogenous growth and attracted growing high-end foreign investment," Wang noted.

According to the MIIT, China's telecom sector is opening wider to overseas investors through pilot programs to further open up value-added telecom services. To date, there are 3,219 foreign-invested telecom enterprises nationwide, a 23.9 percent year-on-year increase.

Overall industrial operations maintained steady momentum in the first half. The value-added of industrial enterprises above designated size rose 5.4 percent year-on-year, with growth recorded in 32 out of 41 major industrial categories. The profit margin of industrial enterprises above designated size for the first five months was 5.66 percent, highest since 2024.