From a small college hobby to a 'global stage': How China turned robotics into a high-stakes, multi-billion dollar race.

The five-day World Humanoid Robot Games started last Saturday in Beijing. Robotics competitions in China started in 1999 as low-budget affairs for college teams. Now, these games show how the sector grew into a national priority. Beijing’s 2021 five-year blueprint promised subsidies and tax breaks to boost this technology innovation.