From Following to Setting the Standard: Why Chinese Robots Made the Cover of Time - 36Kr

TIME put Unitree founder Wang Xingxing on its July 2026 cover, framing him as a symbol of China’s shift from catching up to helping define the robot industry.

The article contrasts this with Baidu’s Robin Li on a 2018 TIME cover, highlighting China’s move from internet-era competition to hard-tech leadership.

It cites humanoid, quadruped, industrial, and logistics robots, plus core parts makers, to show China’s strength in mass production, supply chains, and deployment.

Companies such as Unitree, UBTECH, Estun, Geek+, Green Harmonic, and SKF are presented as examples of a growing cluster advantage across hardware and applications.