China Wows German Chancellor Merz with Dancing and Boxing Robots

by WeWatch in Tech

The story

China Wows German Chancellor Merz with Dancing and Boxing Robots

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz received a spectacular high-tech welcome during his first official visit to China, as the country's leading robotics firm Unitree put on an extraordinary showcase of humanoid and quadruped robots in Hangzhou on February 26, 2026.

Merz, accompanied by a delegation of executives from around 30 major German companies including Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes, visited the eastern Chinese tech hub as part of a two-day state visit. In Hangzhou — home to AI powerhouse DeepSeek and e-commerce giant Alibaba — China pulled out all the stops, deploying advanced robots that danced, boxed, performed kung fu, and even demonstrated calligraphy skills.

At Unitree Robotics, Merz watched with visible amazement as robotic fighters staged a "robot combat match" and a "robot kung fu" showcase in a boxing ring. The humanoid robots moved with remarkable agility, impressing the German delegation and media present at the event. "This is amazing," Merz reportedly commented on the cooperation between German car manufacturers and Chinese technology.

What the sources say

Independent and semi‑official sources widely confirm that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Unitree Robotics in Hangzhou on February 26, 2026, as part of a two‑day China trip, and that he and a German business delegation watched live demonstrations where Unitree’s humanoid and quadruped robots performed martial arts, boxing and dance routines in a staged show.[1][3][4][10][11][13] Multiple reports from Chinese state media and tech or news outlets describe Merz examining robot components, interacting with the robots, and expressing that he was impressed by China’s level of technological development, including Unitree’s robotics.[1][10] These sources also present Unitree’s founder Wang Xingxing talking up collaboration opportunities with Germany and highlight the visit as a symbol of growing cooperation in advanced technology sectors.[3][4][6][10][17] However, several elements in the article move beyond what is clearly documented. The specific figure of “more than ten commercial agreements” and the exact trade deficit value of 89 billion euros are not directly supported in the available coverage, which only generally describes the visit as “fruitful” and mentions strengthened cooperation without detailing or quantifying all agreements.[1][10][14] Likewise, the claim that the visit was explicitly designed to bolster Merz’s position ahead of an early‑March meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump is not reflected in the retrieved news reports, which discuss the trip mainly in terms of bilateral ties and technology cooperation rather than U.S.‑focused tactical positioning.[1][3][10][17] The broader framing of the robotics show as a geopolitical move to position China as Germany’s key partner and as a showcase of China’s push to lead in next‑generation technology is consistent with the tone and messaging of Chinese and regional coverage, which emphasize China’s robotics and AI ambitions and international recognition.[3][6][10][12][17][19] At the same time, most sources are state or state‑linked, with limited independent Western analysis in the result set, so the geopolitical interpretation and the scale of economic consequences are more interpretive than strictly factual. Given that the central descriptive facts about the visit and the robot demonstrations are well covered but several quantitative and strategic claims lack direct corroboration and the framing is one‑sided, the overall credibility rating is **yellow**.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Chinese robotics firm Unitree Robotics in Hangzhou on February 26, 2026, during his first official visit to China. (Backed by sources: YouTube, Technode, Facebook)
During the visit, Merz watched demonstrations of humanoid and quadruped robots performing dancing, boxing, kung fu/martial arts and other routines in a ring or stage setting. (Backed by sources: YouTube, Technode, Facebook)
Unitree founder and CEO Wang Xingxing highlighted interest in the German market and hopes for deeper cooperation in robotics. (Backed by sources: YouTube, Technode, Facebook)
Merz also visited Siemens Energy in Hangzhou and met with Alibaba executives during the same trip. (Backed by sources: YouTube, CGTN, Facebook)
The robot showcase illustrates China’s ambition to be a global leader in next‑generation technology, especially robotics and AI. (Backed by sources: Technode, YouTube, CGTN)
Merz expressed visible amazement and praised or commented positively on the cooperation between German car manufacturers and Chinese technology. (No source found: YouTube, CGTN)

Sources it was checked against

Merz wraps up China visit with Palace Museum tour ... (People)
German Chancellor Enjoys Robot Martial Arts Show at Unitree Robotics (YouTube)
Merz visits Unitree Robotics, watches robot martial arts and fights ... (Globaltimes)
German chancellor visits Unitree Robotics in Hangzhou ... - TechNode (Technode)
German Chancellor Merz visits Unitree Robotics in Hangzhou ... (Facebook)
Watching the Unitree robot performance, what was Merz thinking? (Globaltimes)

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