The label has its uses but it proves nothing about commercial success, product quality, financial health or global competitiveness
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenJun YanJun Yan has spent two decades working at the intersection of policy, capital and industry in China. Published: 4:30pm, 2 Jun 2026The surge of interest in Chinese humanoid robotics has raised a practical question for investors, corporate strategists and supply chain executives: who makes the parts?
Reduction gears. Torque sensors. Precision bearings. Industrial software. The further one traces the supply chain, the more often the answer leads to companies that are not household names or well understood by foreign investors. Many carry a designation that deserves closer attention: “little giant”.
Robotics is only one example. The same logic runs through precision components, speciality materials, industrial software and advanced equipment.
