Robots' hospitality impresses Singapore minister

It took a few seconds to respond to Singaporean Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong's voice command but slowly and surely, the diminutive robot took a step forward and extended an arm for a handshake.

Made by Unitree Robotics, one of China's leading humanoid robot makers, the robot was one of several humanoid robots that Lee interacted with on May 21 as he got a glimpse of a rapidly developing technology that will soon be deployed more widely in Singapore.

During a tour at the robotics incubator in Shanghai, Lee was also served a freshly brewed cup of tea and given a health check, all of which were done by other humanoid robots imbued with AI capability.

Singapore, which has been making its own push toward robotics and physical AI, could soon benefit from China's expertise and dominance in this field as Chinese companies look abroad for future growth.

Unitree, for instance, is one of eight firms that will be conducting large-scale trials at Punggol Digital District in Singapore's largest smart robotics test later in 2026.

The Shanghai robotics incubator that Lee visited also plans to set up a branch office in Singapore as early as October 2026, and lay a path for Chinese robotics companies expanding internationally.

Apart from Singapore, the incubator will have a branch office in China's Hong Kong, set up by June. It also plans to set up an overseas office in Malaysia.

"We believe that future market demand for humanoid robots in Asia and the Southeast Asian region is huge," said Rong Guoqiang, general manager of the Shanghai incubator, noting their potential use in factories, medical facilities, educational institutions, and, eventually, in homes across the region.

"We hope to bring some of our domestic enterprises to Singapore. But bringing them over doesn't just mean placing them there. We hope they can contribute and provide valuable services," Rong told the Singapore media on the sidelines of Lee's May 21 visit.

"We hope these companies, together with our incubator, can pair up with local Singaporean companies and local professionals to form new types of companies and create innovative services," he added.

Exploring connectivity

In addition to Shanghai, Lee also visited Nanning in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The five-day trip from May 18 to 22 was designed to boost regional ties and explore technological and economic connectivity between ASEAN and China, according to the Prime Minister's Office of Singapore.

The value of bilateral trade between Singapore and Guangxi reached 13.8 billion yuan ($2 billion). Singapore's cumulative investments in Guangxi reached $1.3 billion, with 30 new projects established in 2025 alone.

Lee's visit to China comes about two months after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong traveled to Hainan province to attend the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026.

Following Lee's visit, which included sharing captivating photos and showcasing his "Asian squat" at Qingxiu Mountain, searches for Nanning on Trip.com in Singapore rose by 122 percent between May 18 and 20, compared to the same period last year.

THE STRAITS TIMES-AGENCIES-CHINA DAILY