A robot of Unitree Robotics interacts with attendees at the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, Nov. 12, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

LISBON -- Unitree Robotics's exhibition booth at this year's Web Summit in Lisbon was more like a miniature concert stage, with a crowd of people several layers deep watching a nimble humanoid robot shaking hands with visitors, bowing, punching the air, and finally breaking into a dance routine under flashing lights.

Rodriguez, a startup founder from Spain, stepped forward to shake the robot's hand, pose for photos, and sway along with its improvised dance moves. "I'd only ever seen Chinese robots online. This is my first time seeing one in person -- it's incredible," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I absolutely love it!" said Eliano Marques, head of a local data and artificial intelligence (AI) startup, laughing as he wrapped an arm around the robot. Impressed, he decided on the spot to order two units. "The future of robotics is in China. We want long-term, in-depth cooperation with Unitree."

According to Wang Zhe, Unitree's regional manager, the company's Portuguese distributor received numerous inquiries during the summit and has already sold dozens of robots locally. "There will be more," he added, confidently.

The excitement around Unitree's robots reflects the growing attention Chinese innovation is receiving around the globe, as well as the momentum of digital cooperation between China and Portugal.

This year's Web Summit also featured, for the first time, a China Summit, with exclusive stages and programs spotlighting China's advances in AI and industrial transformation.

As one of the highlights, a team of Chinese tech companies participated. They included Huawei, Alibaba, Tencent, and Unitree -- marking the first collective appearance of Chinese companies at the Web Summit.

"These companies represent the vitality and potential of China's digital trade and digital economy. They've come with sincerity, seeking mutually beneficial cooperation and shared development," said Zhu Guangyao, an official from China's Ministry of Commerce.

In the China exhibition area, Huawei showcased its leading capabilities in AI and cloud computing; Tencent drew crowds with a 3D-printing design platform; Alibaba presented its global offerings in cloud computing, AI, big data, and enterprise services.

Many European visitors said the technologies and products on display from Chinese companies were "more open and more mature than expected."

Joana Gaspar, executive board member of Portugal's Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade (AICEP), emphasized that China has industrial-scale and technological depth, while Portugal has strong experience in regional innovation clusters and industry-academia-research integration.

"This highly complementary relationship can drive joint innovation with global impact," she said.

Portugal hopes to deepen cooperation with China in areas such as energy transition, green mobility, smart manufacturing, digital technology, health and life sciences, Gaspar added. 

A robot of Unitree Robotics interacts with attendees at the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, Nov. 12, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]