China's robot exports exceeded 10 million units between January and May of this year, with sales expanding primarily in the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

On July 5, China Central Television (CCTV) reported, citing data from China's General Administration of Customs, that robot exports reached 10.377 million units from January to May, totaling approximately 19.99 billion yuan (about 4.5 trillion won) in value.

Chinese-made robots have been exported to over 150 countries and regions worldwide, with the EU and ASEAN serving as the primary export markets, according to the report.

By category, cleaning robots accounted for over 70 percent of the total export value, amounting to 14 billion yuan (about 3.1 trillion won).

CCTV reported that the expansion in exports is attributed to the products' competitiveness, which has been tailored to overseas residential environments through technologies such as autonomous navigation, automatic dust collection, and wastewater recycling.

Exports of industrial robots also saw an increase.

During the same period, exports of industrial robots reached approximately 70,000 units. It was found that transport robots equipped with visual recognition and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are being utilized in large-scale overseas infrastructure and transportation projects.

CCTV noted that welding robots and collaborative robots, featuring automatic scanning and modeling functions, are expanding their application scope into various fields, including the manufacturing of food, pharmaceuticals, and household goods.

Exports of intelligent bionic robots also exceeded 8,000 units, with applications found in areas such as facility inspection, research and education, and public services.

According to a report released by China's National Data Bureau last month, China's industrial robot exports increased by 48.7 percent last year compared to the previous year, surpassing imports for the first time.

The report stated that as of the end of last year, there were over 140 finished robot manufacturers in China, with more than 330 types of humanoid robot products released.

Production of industrial robots and service robots increased by 28 percent and 16.1 percent, respectively, compared to the previous year.