The United States has moved to ban imports of new Chinese humanoid robots, citing national security and supply chain concerns. Beijing reacted furiously, accusing Washington of abusing the concept of national security and warning that it would take measures to protect the interests of Chinese companies.
The latest clash is ostensibly about cybersecurity and strategic competition, but it also reflects a deeper reality. After emerging as the dominant force in solar panels, batteries and increasingly electric vehicles, China is rapidly establishing itself as the world's leading robotics power. The question that would confront governments and industries far beyond the US is whether humanoid robots could become the next sector in which Chinese scale, manufacturing muscle and relentless cost reduction overwhelm competitors and disrupt economies and businesses in many different ways.
