More than 100 humanoid robots are drawing attention at Hong Kong’s Convention and Exhibition Center, where two exhibitions begin Monday and put the machines on display for visitors seeking demonstrations of how far humanoid technology has progressed. Among the featured models is China’s X2 Ultra, which exhibitors said can respond to people by speaking Mandarin and English and performing in front of crowds.
The AGIBOT Innovation robot, which organizers presented as roughly the size of a primary school student, was showcased with language and entertainment capabilities, including singing songs and answering questions posed by attendees. When asked about its hobbies, the robot listed activities ranging from sports and dancing to studying technology and listening to music, according to the exhibition demonstration described by AP. It also described people nearby, saying, “a woman holding a phone, a woman holding a bag and a phone, a man holding a camera,” during one exchange.
Calvin Chiu, chief operating officer of Novautek Autonomous Driving, which AP described as AGIBOT’s agent in Hong Kong, said the robots can offer what he called emotional satisfaction through conversation. Chiu added that different robots can be programmed with different personalities and can be used as teachers for older adults and children, AP reported. “It would be like a friend,” he said.
The Hong Kong showcase comes as humanoid robotics accelerates in a wider China-U.S. technology competition with national security implications, AP reported. A five-year plan cited by AP says the country will “target the frontiers of science and technology,” with the development of products like humanoid robots and their applications included in the 2026-2030 plan for China, the world’s second-largest economy.
Official data cited by AP said China had more than 140 humanoid-robot manufacturers and more than 330 models in 2025. AP also cited London-based research and advisory group Omdia, which AP reported ranked three companies—AGIBOT, Unitree Robotics, and UBTech Robotics Corp.—as the only first-tier vendors in its global shipment assessment. AP reported that Omdia said the three shipped more than 1,000 units each of general-purpose embodied intelligent robots last year, and that the first two shipped more than 5,000 units.
At the Hong Kong exhibition center, other Chinese exhibitors demonstrated a range of humanoid capabilities, AP reported, from talking to punching to tasks such as sand painting and backflips. Some booths also showed robots performing security patrol demonstrations, including catching suspects with nets. Robert Chan, EngineAI’s global strategy officer based in Shenzhen, brought its PM01 robot to showcase mobility, including a front flip, and AP reported that his company plans to launch two factories in China for mass production this year.
Chan said China enjoys advantages in areas including low-cost engineering, and he pointed to what AP described as a pattern of sharing know-how between companies. He said companies in the United States and Europe typically shield their technology, AP reported. Chan also predicted that the next stage of robotics will move toward more humanlike bodies and more emotional exchanges, describing “The warmth and emotion exchange with the human being. Besides, helping humans to make the decision and helping humans to complete their task.”
Another booth highlighted a different design approach aimed at customer-facing roles. AP reported that three women appeared to be greeting guests at one corner before visitors realized they were humanoid robots, which Wang Zuhua, business director at Shenzhen DX Intech Technology Co., said could serve as customer service staff or museum tour guides. Wang told AP that the company sold more than 400 robots designed with female features and soft synthetic faces, some already working in museums and government venues on the mainland to lead guests to locations such as washrooms and offices or to provide venue tours.
Among the attendees, Malaysian visitor Russel Lupang said the robots looked engaging but did not convince him emotionally. “It’s beautiful, but not real feeling,” he said.