# Chen Li, Co-Founder of Unitree — Leveraging Guangxi to Strengthen ASEAN Capabilities
The robotics market in the ASEAN region continues to grow in value, and at the event “AI for All: China-ASEAN” held on 26 December 2025 at Guangxi University, Nanning City Chen Li The co-founder of Unitree Robotics has announced a clear vision that ASEAN is one of the company's top strategic targets, with plans to use the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region as an operational base before making a full-scale push into the Southeast Asian market.
This article will take an in-depth look at Unitree's market expansion strategy, from the company's three core technology pillars—quadruped robots, humanoid robots, and Embodied AI—to the reasons why Guangxi was chosen as the gateway to ASEAN, as well as the noteworthy trends in humanoid robotics in 2026 that are expected to significantly transform the landscape of multiple industries.
🎯 Brief Summary
- ASEAN is becoming a high-potential market for Embodied Intelligence, according to the perspective of Unitree's co-founder.
- Unitree uses Guangxi as a strategic geographical base for training and testing before expanding into ASEAN.
- Unitree's three core technology pillars are quadruped robots, humanoid robots, and Embodied AI.
- In 2026, humanoid robots are expected to have autonomous decision-making capabilities and be applicable across a wide range of industries.
The “AI for All: China-ASEAN” Event and Unitree's Vision
Gala Competition Event “AI for All: China-ASEAN” Held at Guangxi University in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China, this event served as a key platform connecting AI players from China with the ASEAN market — encompassing technology showcases, knowledge exchange, and the building of collaborative networks between academia and industry.
Chen Li A co-founder of Unitree Robotics took the stage with a clear message — ASEAN is not merely an export destination, but rather Strategic Objectives that the company seeks to engage in from the training phase, field testing, through to actual deployment at the industrial level
Notably, the choice to hold the event in Nanning was no coincidence. The city has long hosted the China-ASEAN Expo and is a natural hub for China-ASEAN trade. Unitree's decision to use this platform to announce its vision reflects the company's view of Guangxi as more than just a venue, but as a the starting point of a plan to expand robotics influence into Southeast Asia
Core Technologies of Unitree Robotics
Quadruped Robots
Unitree's quadruped robots are the company's most renowned products, thanks to their ability to navigate complex terrain — including rough surfaces, steep slopes, and environments inaccessible to wheeled robots. Their key advantage is significantly more accessible pricing compared to competitors such as Boston Dynamics, opening up opportunities for widespread adoption.
For the ASEAN region with its diverse terrain, quadruped robots present several compelling use cases:
- Terrain Surveying In hard-to-reach forested or mountainous areas and islands, such as in Indonesia or the Philippines
- Smart Agriculture Inspecting large-scale cultivation areas in Vietnam or Thailand
- Infrastructure Inspection Such as oil pipelines, bridges, or factories in Malaysia and Singapore
- Search and Rescue Operations In disaster-prone areas that frequently occur in this region
Humanoid Robots
Unitree's humanoid robots are in a remarkable stage of development. Currently, these robots can walk, run, and perform complex movements smoothly, generating significant buzz in the global robotics industry.
Looking ahead to Year 2026 Chen Li predicts that humanoid robots will significantly surpass their previous limitations, with key developments including:
The concept of Embodied AI is the core that bridges the two technologies mentioned above. Unlike conventional AI that operates in the digital world — such as ChatGPT or product recommendation systems — Embodied AI is artificial intelligence that has a “body” — it perceives the real world through sensors, processes data from the surrounding environment, and responds with physical movement
The role of Embodied AI in Unitree's ecosystem is to make both quadruped robots and humanoid robots not merely “machines that follow commands,” but to become intelligent agents that learn and adapt according to the context of the task. The more data collected from real environments, the smarter the system becomes. This is why establishing a training base in Guangxi before expanding into ASEAN is a well-justified strategy.
The Guangxi Strategy: Gateway to ASEAN
The choice of Guangxi as a strategic base was no coincidence, but stems from clear geographical advantages. Guangxi shares a border with Vietnam directly, with ports connected to the South China Sea, and located along the route New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor) linking southwestern China with ASEAN
Unitree plans to expand its market to 2 Steps Clearly:
- Step 1 — Establish a Base in Guangxi: Establish training scenarios and test real-world operational use to accumulate environmental data closely resembling ASEAN conditions, including hot and humid climates, diverse terrain, and region-specific operational contexts.
- Step 2 — Expand into ASEAN: Deploy tested solutions in ASEAN countries, starting with the nearest Vietnam and then expanding to other countries.
Furthermore, the economic ties between China and ASEAN strongly support this strategy. China has been ASEAN's largest trading partner for many consecutive years. The framework agreement RCEP helps reduce trade barriers, and the demand for automation in ASEAN's manufacturing sector is continuously rising. All of this creates an environment highly conducive to the expansion of the robotics market.
Opportunities and Potential of Unitree in the ASEAN Market
Based on the technologies and strategies analyzed above, the key considerations are the opportunities and challenges that Unitree will face in penetrating the ASEAN market.
Pros and Cons
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| Unitree's pricing advantage makes its robots more accessible than Western competitors, fitting within the budgets of developing countries in ASEAN. | The diversity of regulations and standards across ASEAN countries may delay market expansion. |
| Guangxi serves as a testing base with an environment similar to ASEAN, reducing adaptation risks when expanding into the market. | Concerns over data security and technology originating from China remain a sensitive issue in certain countries. |
| Demand for automation systems in ASEAN is rising sharply, particularly in the manufacturing, logistics, and agriculture sectors. | Digital infrastructure in some parts of ASEAN is not yet ready to support advanced robotics technology. |
| The RCEP framework and strong China-ASEAN trade relations help reduce tariff and regulatory barriers. | Competition from other players including Japan, South Korea, and growing local startups. |
The announcement of the vision of Chen Li On the stage of “AI for All: China-ASEAN,” it was reflected that Unitree Robotics does not view ASEAN merely as an export market, but as a an ecosystem that must be built from the ground up Through a 2-step strategy using Guangxi as a gateway, the 3 core technology pillars — quadruped robots, humanoid robots, and Embodied AI — all have the potential to precisely address the needs of this region, especially as humanoid robots advance toward autonomous decision-making by 2026
For entrepreneurs and policymakers in ASEAN, this is the moment when they should closely monitor the developments of Unitree In particular, the manufacturing, logistics, and agriculture sectors are among the first groups likely to benefit from these technologies. Nevertheless, it would be prudent to await the results from the test base in Guangxi first, in order to assess how ready these technologies are for real-world application in the context of each country.
