China kicked off a three-day sports showcase for humanoid robots on Friday, looking to highlight progress in artificial intelligence and robotics with 280 teams from 16 countries competing in the World Humanoid Robot Games.

Robots will compete in sports such as football, track and field, and table tennis, as well as tackle robot-specific challenges from sorting medicines and handling materials to cleaning services.

Teams come from countries such as the United States, Germany and Brazil, with 192 representing universities and 88 from private enterprises. Robots from Chinese companies including Unitree and Fourier are among those competing.

The Beijing municipal government is among the organising bodies for the event, underscoring the emphasis Chinese authorities place on the emerging robotics industry and reflecting the country's broader ambitions in artificial intelligence and automation.

The sector has received government subsidies exceeding US$20 billion over the past year, while Beijing plans to establish a one-trillion-yuan fund to support AI and robotics startups.

China has staged a series of high-profile robotics events in recent months, including what it called the world's first humanoid robot marathon in Beijing, a robot conference and the opening of retail stores dedicated to humanoid robots.

However, the marathon raised questions about the current capabilities of the technology.

While some may view such competitions and events as publicity stunts, industry experts and participants see them as crucial catalysts for advancing humanoid robots towards practical real-world applications.

Morgan Stanley analysts in a report last week noted a surge in attendance at a recent robot conference by the general public compared to previous years, saying this showed "how China, not just top government officials, has embraced the concept of embodied intelligence".

"We believe this widespread interest could be instrumental for China's continued leadership in the humanoid race, providing the necessary talent, resources and customers to boost industry development and long-term adoption," they said.

Booster Robotics, whose humanoid robots are being used by a Tsinghua University team in the football competition, views the sport as an effective test of perception, decision-making and control technologies that could later be deployed in factories or homes.

"Playing football is a testing and training ground for helping us refine our capabilities," said Zhao Mingguo, chief scientist at Booster Robotics. (Reuters)