On a sweltering June day, an artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robot built by Chinese firm Ubtech entertained a crowd of hundreds waiting to enter the China pavilion at the Osaka World Expo.

Robotics is just one of several industries where Chinese companies are challenging their Western rivals — Ubtech’s latest model can speed-walk, scan barcodes, and handle receptionist tasks. But rather than presenting a cold futuristic ambience, the design of the 3,500-square-meter pavilion embraced traditional materials and culture: bamboo panels etched with poetry, wooden displays, and augmented reality experiences where visitors can toss virtual snowballs and rake autumn leaves. 

The serene setting highlighted Chinese prowess and masked any potential tension regarding tech firms entangled in U.S. sanctions and the broader geopolitical rivalry over AI.

Staff throughout the pavilion used handheld radios from Hytera, a Chinese walkie-talkie maker that has admitted conspiring to steal trade secrets from Motorola and faces a potential injunction restricting global sales. Hytera proudly demonstrated its products at the expo, emphasizing that their durability and extended battery life can play a role in protecting public safety. 

An interactive AI display, featuring the Monkey King from the classic tale Journey to the West, showcased technology from iFlytek, a partly state-owned company making voice recognition software and AI translation tools. The U.S. had sanctioned iFlytek in 2019 and 2021 for “actively cooperating” in Beijing’s repression of ethnic and religious minority groups and working against U.S. foreign policy interests. A senior executive said the sanctions have hurt global partnerships, and that iFlytek is seeking business in Japan. In 2019, China’s foreign ministry called the sanctions interference and denied human rights abuses. 

More broadly, Chinese tech companies face mounting barriers from tariffs and expanded export controls on microchips, aimed at curbing their ability to advance in AI and high-performance computing. In recent years, Chinese firms have rapidly scaled their businesses in non-Western markets, according to an Atlantic Council study. 

Rest of World visited the Osaka World Expo to understand how Chinese technology companies are marketing themselves to a global audience. 

There are long lines for the China pavilion at the 2025 Osaka World Expo.
A replica bronze mask from China’s Sanxingdui Museum and wooden reliefs on Japan-China friendship are among the pavilion’s highlights — though the timeline omits key conflicts from the late 19th to mid-20th century.
Ubtech’s Walker C advanced robot entertains crowds waiting to enter the China pavilion. The robot can run, maneuver around obstacles, and interact in multiple languages.
  • Inside, laser video projections display Chinese artwork, calligraphy, digital scrolls, and landscapes, using technology from Chinese firm Appotronics.
  • Participants at the China pavilion include Hytera and iFlytek.
  • Visitors interacted with astronauts on China’s Tiangong space station.
One of the most popular exhibits was a deep-sea exhibition projection by Appotronics, where visitors could tap the wall to interact with virtual Chinese coastal sea life. 
On the second floor, an AI avatar of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King from Journey to the West, responded to questions in several languages.
Visitors queue up to view soil samples collected from the near and far sides of the moon by China’s Chang’e 5 and Chang’e 6 lunar missions.
In the pavilion theater, visitors watch a film featuring scenes of Chinese food delivery workers navigating city streets and scientists working late into the night. 
The China pavilion occupies a prime spot near the center of the expo. It draws about 8,000 visitors a day on weekends and 6,000 on weekdays, organizers say.
Corridors in the pavilion are lined with large bamboo panels engraved with ancient Chinese poetry and classical literature.