The founder of a prominent Chinese robotics start-up sees great value in working with American peers to advance the global development of humanoid robots – and his call for stronger collaboration between the fractious trade partners comes as China’s private sector is playing an increasingly larger role in innovation.

“China has a deep foundation in manufacturing and hardware, while the United States possesses a rich AI software ecosystem,” said Wang Xingxing, founder and CEO of Hangzhou-based humanoid robot maker Unitree Robotics.

“Each has its advantages, making global collaboration and joint promotion of the field worthwhile,” he added, noting that the world shared a common goal for the industry.

Wang was speaking on Tuesday at a press conference organised by the government to promote confidence in the private sector, and executives from other leading private companies were also present.

The burgeoning field of humanoid robotics has become a new frontier in the broader technological competition between the US and China, with a race to commercialisation under way among companies in the two countries.