BEIJING – The CCTV Spring Festival Gala remains China’s biggest TV broadcast and a key part of the Lunar New Year tradition. It usually mixes familiar songs and skits with modern touches.
This year’s February 16 show, aired from major Beijing venues, leaned hard into a future-forward theme. Humanoid robots from four domestic companies, Unitree Robotics, Galbot, Noetix, and MagicLab, took over the early moments. They performed choreographed martial arts, dance numbers, and comedy bits beside human performers.
Audiences around the world watched Unitree’s G1-series humanoids throw backflips, swing nunchaku, pose in drunken boxing stances, and spar with staffs. Reports said the robots moved at speeds up to 3 meters per second. The routine also paired them with young Kung Fu students from Tagou Martial Arts School, and the timing looked tight.
Elsewhere, MagicLab’s robots danced to the patriotic song “We Are Made in China.” Noetix units appeared in comedy sketches, while Galbot robots filled out large group formations. State media praised the show as evidence of progress in intelligent manufacturing and AI-driven development.
Still, the shine didn’t convince everyone. Critics online started calling it “The CCP Gala Robot Scam,” and they framed it as a public sales pitch. In their view, the gala worked like a polished roadshow meant to pull in new money for a sector known for big promises and mixed real-world results.
Robots take center stage, by design.
Robots appeared in at least four major segments in the 2026 program. That focus felt unusual for a four-hour broadcast that normally highlights singers, dancers, and skits first.
Reuters reported that the four startups, Hangzhou-based Unitree, Beijing-based Galbot, plus Noetix and Wuxi-based MagicLab, landed prime airtime through partnerships tied to promotional deals. The report put the value at around 100 million yuan (about US$14 million) per company.
Each firm played a clear role:
- Unitree Robotics: Led the martial arts set with more than a dozen humanoids. They performed fast flips, weapon moves, and tight group timing. The segment was promoted as a “first” for dynamic multi-robot performance.
- MagicLab: Ran synchronized dance routines and also featured panda-suited robotic dogs during a segment about the future of intelligent manufacturing.
- Noetix: Inserted robots into comedy scenes with human actors.
- Galbot: Added robots to broader tech-themed segments and large formations.
Producers placed these robot-heavy performances early. As a result, the program sent a clear signal about priorities. It also helped frame China as a top contender in humanoid robotics, while global rivals like Boston Dynamics and Tesla’s Optimus project continue to draw attention.
CCTV Big budgets, plus claims of pre-scripted “autonomy.”
People familiar with the event, along with online commentators, estimated large spending across the four firms. Some put the combined prep costs above 400 million RMB (around US$56 million). That total included hardware changes, safety work, rehearsals, and custom programming made for the gala stage.
At the same time, critics argued that the routines did not prove general-purpose autonomy. They described the sequences as “shadow plays,” meaning pre-scripted actions, remote help, or heavy teleoperation that still looks autonomous on TV. In addition, skeptics pointed to a long-running concern in public robot demos. Many systems depend on controlled spaces, careful mapping, sensor-heavy setups, and constant monitoring.
From that angle, the gala looked less like a product test and more like a marketing event. China’s venture market has cooled compared to earlier boom years. Meanwhile, state support still plays a major role in tech funding. So the gala’s audience offered rare visibility for companies seeking 新一轮 (a new round) of funding from investors hoping to catch the next wave.
After the cameras, setbacks, and safety worries
After the broadcast, some of the upbeat messaging ran into pushback. Reports and social posts claimed that humanoid robots used in local trials or public demos later malfunctioned. One widely shared story, which remained unverified, said a robot “savaged” pedestrians during a street test. Even without confirmation, the story spread fast and raised concerns about safety checks and operator control.
Problems also showed up in accounts tied to overseas trials. Commentators said some export-focused Chinese humanoids, including models promoted during the gala period, crashed or failed basic autonomy tests. Critics stressed a simple point: stage performances happen in perfect conditions. Lighting stays stable, the floor stays flat, and positions get mapped in advance. On the street or inside a busy building, robots face messy inputs and unexpected obstacles.
Those observers highlighted several recurring limits: weak generalization, short battery life, fragile parts, and too much dependence on cloud services instead of strong on-device control. As a result, they said the gap between a choreographed routine and day-to-day work remains large.
Bigger concerns, money cycles, and propaganda pressure
The debate also points to broader tensions in China’s humanoid robotics push. Even with heavy state support, the sector often looks dependent on fresh funding rounds. Critics say the industry rewards showy demos more than slow progress in core capabilities.
Common complaints include:
- Dependence on government subsidies and state-guided venture funding.
- A preference for attention-grabbing demos over steady work on tactile sensing, long-duration autonomy, and safety guardrails.
- Limited progress toward general intelligence, with many efforts built on open-source tools or work that closely tracks foreign systems.
- Export headwindsare tied to uneven quality and geopolitical limits.
Analysts who share this view say the state benefits from high-tech theater. A gala packed with agile robots performing Chinese martial arts can boost pride and investor confidence. At the same time, critics say it can distract from harder headlines, like economic strain, youth unemployment, and weaker private-sector momentum.
Online, some people used a blunt metaphor. They called the robots “modern shadow puppets,” guided by unseen hands. That comparison stuck because it matched the main complaint. The routines looked impressive, yet viewers couldn’t tell how much was real autonomy and how much was careful control.
What it means outside China
The gala’s robot focus also sparked debate abroad. Supporters pointed to fast scaling and strong manufacturing capacity. They also noted that Chinese robot makers claim growing shipment numbers worldwide. On the other hand, skeptics warned about hype cycles that can inflate bubbles, waste capital, and create real safety risks if weak systems reach public spaces too soon.
China has made humanoid robotics a strategic priority, and the 2026 CCTV gala amplified that message. On stage, the machines looked confident and precise. Off stage, critics say the tech still struggles with the basics needed for real jobs.
The “CCP Gala Robot Scam” label may fade, or it may stick. Either way, the gala pushed the robotics industry into a brighter spotlight. After the applause, more people now want proof that the progress holds up outside the studio.
