China's humanoid robots performed kung fu on national TV, stunning viewers with how quickly the technology has advanced.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stood front-row at the Hangzhou factory floor of Unitree Robotics, watching 1.3-metre humanoid machines perform synchronised kung fu, trade blows in a boxing match, and flex through combat choreography that - just weeks earlier - had captivated hundreds of millions of viewers at China's Spring Festival Gala.

Robot boxing drew paying fans in San Francisco as VR pilots controlled Unitree G1 humanoids, hinting at a future league of heavier, full-height fighters.

China accounted for around 90pc of all humanoid robots sold last year, according to data from Omdia. Hangzhou-based Unitree, which is valued at about $7bn (£5.2bn), sold 5,500 robots, while rival Agibot sold more than 5,000.

After watching numerous videos of humanoid robots adopting kung-fu poses, having seven bells kicked out of them, and generally looking like they’re up for a fight, it’s little surprise that humanoid boxing is now being touted as an emerging sport.

American companies are staging boxing matches with VR-controlled Chinese humanoids to enthusiastic fans. A researcher says it is just robot theater.

Unitree Robotics, the Chinese firm that first captured global attention with its agile robot dogs and viral videos, has now unveiled a humanoid with new boxing skills. Having swept the medal count at China’s first World Humanoid Robot Games, Unitree is ...

Ah, the tabletop games of the good old days… I wonder how many of you born in the years of the Gen X still remember things like Bughouse Chess, Acquire, or Twixt - incredible party hits back then, but probably not something that's still being played at ...