On the 28th local time of this month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk made it clear during the 2025 fourth quarter earnings conference call,China is the strongest competitor of Tesla's humanoid robot (Optimus). He also emphasized that Chinese companies' combined advantages in large-scale manufacturing + AI technology are unmatched, and competition with China will be a "tough battle.".
When answering an analyst's question about "Who is the top competitor in the humanoid robot track?" Musk gave a decisive answer: "I do think that the biggest competitor of Tesla's humanoid robot so far comes from China."
Then he said,China is very good at expanding the scale of its manufacturing industry. It is also good at using artificial intelligence technology and is in the process of continuous progress. Therefore, it is definitely Tesla's strongest competitor.
"We have not seen any strong competitors from outside China. Competition with China is definitely a tough battle. No one should underestimate China. China is a competitor with great potential and a higher level." Musk stated.
It is worth noting that this statement specifically refers to the field of humanoid robots, not the electric vehicle business, which is Tesla’s traditional advantage. However, in the field of electric vehicles, Musk has publicly praised the competitiveness of Chinese car companies many times before.
As early as January 2024,Musk once asserted that "Chinese automobile companies are the most competitive automobile companies in the world... If they do not establish trade barriers, they will almost eat most other automobile companies in the world."
Musk's concerns are not unreasonable. BYD has surpassed Tesla to become the world's largest EV manufacturer in 2025. In the Chinese market, Xiaomi SU7 has already defeated Tesla Model 3, and the sales of YU7 have also brought unprecedented pressure to Model Y.
