Last Sunday, at the Beijing E-Town Half Marathon, a red humanoid robot of a type named Lightning finished the course in 50 minutes and 26 seconds—faster than the human world record.

Robotics component supplier Leader Harmonious Drive Systems Co. saw stronger profits last year and in the first quarter as demand soars for Chinese humanoid robots.

Chinese firms held roughly two-thirds of the world’s effective robotics patents, more than 190,000 of them, as of 2024.