Ryan Knutson

You know, they are using subsidies.

They are attracting a lot of good talent.

Some are coming back from overseas.

The country is really focused on it and all in.

compared to what's happening in the U.S., all of this investment is giving China's humanoid companies a solid head start.

Welcome to The Journal, our show about money, business, and power.

I'm Ryan Knutson.

It's Wednesday, April 29th.

Coming up on the show, China is building a legion of humanoid robots.

Should the US be worried?

Humanoid robots, the ones that actually look like humans with limbs and torsos, have taken China by storm in the last few years.

The government is constantly showing off their rapidly improving physical capabilities.

One robot just beat the human world record in a half marathon in Beijing.

I think one of the most notable robot-related events, annual events in China in the last two years or so has been the CCTV Lunar New Year Gala.

Every year, they have this show on TV right around Lunar New Year where people sing and dance.

And then for the last two years, robots have also been participating in this gala.

If you haven't seen this video, by the way, it is wild.

The robots are doing high-level martial arts, perfectly synchronized, and even doing backflips.

Those robots have definitely surpassed my physical ability.

You can just really sense the speed of development of technology.