Chinese Startup’s Kung Fu Robots Fire Up Tech-Wary Investors

Robots once again stole the show during China’s annual Spring Festival gala, popping up in comedy skits, dancing to Mandarin pop and bouncing off walls like martial arts masters. Investors responded Friday by pushing up shares in robotics firms even as the broader market sagged.

Unitree — the Hangzhou startup that wowed viewers in 2025 with synched-up dancing humanoids — this year pushed the envelope with a procession of robots that pulled off parkour moves and mimicked Jackie Chan’s iconic Drunken Master style.