China Becomes No. 1 in Robotics... Robots Appear in Taiwan Landing Drills [Sisa Show]

China Captures 40% of the Global Robot Market
Combat Robots Deployed in Taiwan Landing Drills

■ Broadcast: The Asia Business Daily 'Soh Jongseop's Current Affairs Show'

■ Host: Soh Jongseop, Political Specialist

■ Director: Ma Yena, Producer

■ Guest: Lee Hyunwoo, Reporter

China has risen to become the world's largest robot market. The country's so-called "robot rise" policy has yielded significant results in fostering its robotics industry. China is not only dominating the global robotics market but is also heavily investing in the development of military robots, which is expected to trigger strong countermeasures from the United States in the future. For South Korea, whose position is greatly influenced by U.S.-China relations, this means facing the dual challenge of responding to China's encroachment on the robot market while minimizing damage from the ongoing supply chain competition between the U.S. and China.

China Controls Over 40% of the Global Robot Market... Cluster Development Pays Off

A humanoid robot being developed at a robot manufacturing factory in Shanghai, China. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

As of last year, China's robot market was valued at $47 billion (about 68.5 trillion won), accounting for approximately 40% of the global robot market. Just a few years ago, the United States led the robotics industry, but China has now taken the top spot, a result attributed to focused national support and massive investments.

China's dominance is particularly pronounced in the field of industrial robots. Currently, China is responsible for over 50% of both production and consumption of industrial robots worldwide. More than half of household robots for tasks like cleaning and serving are also made in China. Notably, China has established itself as the largest market even in the field of advanced AI-powered robots.

This year, China's industrial robot production surged by more than 55% year-on-year, reaching 595,000 units. This figure already exceeds the total production for last year within just the first three quarters, demonstrating the explosive growth of China's robotics industry. Despite facing export challenges due to trade disputes with the United States, China managed to secure the number one position solely through its domestic market, which is highly significant.

This rapid growth in China's robotics industry was made possible by strong government support. The Chinese government launched a mid- to long-term project called "Made in China 2025" to focus on developing the robotics sector. The central and local governments have allocated a total of 10 billion yuan (about 2 trillion won) to robotics development funds. These investments have led to the formation of regional clusters. Robot factories are concentrated in southeastern regions such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, creating a complete ecosystem. China now has the capability to produce nearly all robot-related supply chains and components domestically. The only remaining area not yet self-sufficient is advanced AI semiconductors, but once this is achieved, China's robotics supply chain is expected to operate entirely independently.

The formation of these massive clusters has enabled a dramatic reduction in production costs, giving China an unmatched price competitiveness. Recently, the world's most affordable humanoid robots-priced in the 2-million-won range-have been launched in China. This aggressive pricing strategy demonstrates that China is employing the same tactics in the robotics market as it did in the electric vehicle market.

China's large domestic market is another strength. By deploying robots in diverse environments, China can accumulate real-world data and continuously improve its products. This creates a virtuous cycle of technological innovation.

The Paradox of Robotics Development... Rising Employment

A robot working at a small general store in Beijing, China. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

Contrary to concerns that the development of the robotics industry would cause mass unemployment, China has actually experienced a paradoxical increase in jobs. The Chinese government was initially very concerned about this. With 12 million college graduates entering the workforce each year and youth unemployment nearing 40%, there were fears that robots would further erode job opportunities.

However, the actual outcome was different. In traditional manufacturing sectors such as apparel and automobiles, industrial robots have already replaced a significant portion of the workforce. These industries, with well-established production manuals and division of labor, were well-suited for robot adoption. However, there was little room for further job growth in these areas anyway.

In contrast, the robotics industry itself has exploded in growth, creating new manufacturing jobs. Paradoxically, factories producing robots require more human labor, as it is currently difficult to automate all processes with robots alone. Continued government investment in advanced manufacturing has also led to an increase in high-skilled jobs.

Of course, in the medium to long term, concerns about job losses in manufacturing may become reality. Once even robot factories are fully automated, an overall reduction in employment will be inevitable. However, at least at this stage, the prevailing assessment is that the development of the robotics industry is helping to reduce youth unemployment.

Robots Deployed in Taiwan Landing Drills... Large-Scale Suicide Unit Development

On the 27th of last month, the quadruped robot called the Wolf Robot appeared in a training video released by China's state-run CCTV. Photo by CCTV

China's rise in robotics is expanding beyond the economic sphere into the military domain. In recent Taiwan landing exercises made public by the Chinese army, quadruped robots-so-called "Wolf Robots"-made a prominent appearance, raising concerns in the international community. The fact that these robots are being directly deployed in landing drills suggests that a substantial number have already been produced.

The robot developed by China North Industries Group weighs about 70 kilograms and can carry up to 20 kilograms of armaments. Its primary mission is to charge into enemy lines and self-destruct. Initially, military experts did not consider these robots a significant threat due to their limited individual performance. However, the situation changes completely when large numbers are deployed. Analysts warn that if China were to send tens or even hundreds of thousands of suicide robots at once, no defensive line could withstand the assault.

Taiwan, with an area only one-third the size of South Korea, has 170,000 troops deployed in a highly concentrated manner. While simulations have predicted heavy casualties for the attacking side in an amphibious assault, a massive deployment of robots could offset these losses.

China is also actively promoting the unmanned operation of combat vehicles. By continuously deploying unmanned combat vehicles in regions such as Xinjiang, Tibet, and border areas with India, China is accumulating real-world data. If China continues to refine its combat robots based on this data, it is highly likely that they will evolve into even more threatening weapon systems in the future.

Double Hardship Ahead for South Korea... Need to Prepare for U.S.-China Robot Conflict

A robot performing a high jump at the humanoid robot sports competition held in Beijing, China, last August. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

The rise of China's robotics industry is having a direct impact on South Korea. Already, more than 70% of cafe-serving robots and household cleaning robots in the Korean market are made in China. Products from other countries are losing ground due to China's overwhelming price competitiveness.

At present, the use of robots is still limited, so the overall impact on manufacturing is not severe. However, if AI-powered humanoid robots begin to replace manufacturing labor in earnest, the situation could change rapidly. Should China continue to encroach on the robot market at its current pace, South Korea's manufacturing sector could face a serious crisis.

In response, the United States is trying to curb the growth of China's robotics industry by restricting exports of advanced AI semiconductors to China. The strategy is to block the inflow of key components that could be used in robots. The conflict between the U.S. and China over this issue is expected to intensify, and South Korea, caught in the middle, may once again be forced to make difficult diplomatic choices.

For South Korea, separating from China's robot supply chain and building an independent robotics ecosystem has become an urgent task. Beyond simply losing in price competition, an increased dependence on China in key industries and security sectors poses a national risk. It is time to respond effectively to China's rise in robotics through independent technological development, differentiated strategies, and international cooperation.