From the Spring Festival Gala robots to the computing power energy battle: Why does China hold the "trump card" in the AI era?

In the Spring Festival of 2026, while the world is still marveling at OpenAI’s latest model parameters, China showcased another side of AI—embodied intelligence in physical form—through a Spring Festival Gala.

Opening the program list for the 2026 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, what we see is an unprecedented “AI Parade.” This is no longer the simple mechanical dance performances from a few years ago but a concentrated explosion of China’s robotics industry—multiple companies, multiple models, all-scenario deployment.

Magic Atom’s full-stack cluster made robots the best “atmosphere creators,” serving as dance partners for Chen Xiaochun and Yi Yangqianxi in “Creating the Future,” with movements so coordinated that it’s hard to tell real from fake.

Unitree’s G1 and H2 robots demonstrated astonishing motion control capabilities in “Martial Bot”—not via real-time remote control, but relying solely on edge-side computing power for autonomous balancing. When H2, dressed in a red robe and wielding a sword, danced, it proved that China’s robot movement “small brain” has matured.

Songyan Power used comedy in the skit “Grandma’s Favorite,” where robots took on the roles of punchline delivery and joke reception, crossing from “props” to “actors.”

Galaxy General’s Galbot G1 performed “picking walnuts” in a microfilm—what seemed like a simple action was actually a peak display of dexterous hands and tactile feedback technology.

This Spring Festival Gala sent a clear signal: China’s AI is no longer confined to servers; it has grown limbs and stepped into reality.

However, just as we cheered for the robots, Wall Street across the ocean fell into a silent panic. They discovered that the “blood” powering these AIs—electricity—is running out. When shifting our gaze from the Gala stage to Silicon Valley data centers, we see the elephant in the room—electricity.

As of early 2026, US residential electricity prices have soared 36%, reaching $0.18 per kWh. But this is only superficial; the core crisis lies in supply-side collapse. Training a GPT-4 level model consumes as much power as the total annual electricity of 100,000 households. By 2028, the US data center annual electricity consumption is expected to surge to 600,000 GWh.

The US power grid faces a dual blow of “heart disease” and “vascular embolism,” with 5% of electricity still relying on outdated fossil fuels and nuclear energy, which are now facing a wave of decommissioning. The grid is split into three isolated islands—the East, West, and Texas—interconnected poorly. Approving a single interstate transmission line can take up to 15 years, preventing wind power from the Midwest from reaching East Coast data centers.

As Sam Altman said, “Energy is money.” Today, Silicon Valley’s CEOs are no longer worried about chip quotas but about where there is enough electricity to run these chips.

If computing power is the engine of AI, then electricity is its fuel. In this energy game, China, with a decade of advanced planning, has built a strategic moat that the US cannot easily replicate. If computing power is the engine of AI, then electricity is its fuel. In this energy game, China, with a decade of advanced planning, has built a strategic moat that the US cannot easily surpass.

By 2025, China had completed 45 ultra-high-voltage projects, with a total length of over 40,000 kilometers of UHV DC transmission lines. This “electricity highway” can deliver abundant clean energy from the West to data centers in the East at millisecond speeds or directly support the “East Data West Computing” hub. China owns 35 of the world’s 37 largest high-voltage direct current systems, creating an infrastructure gap that the US cannot bridge in the short term.

AI’s high energy consumption inherently requires clean energy. In 2025, China’s renewable energy installed capacity surpassed 60% for the first time, with wind and photovoltaic additions exceeding 430 million kilowatts. Nearly 40% of electricity used in society comes from green sources. Compared to the US, which is still struggling with delays in nuclear plant construction, China has achieved grid parity for solar and wind power, providing cheap and green energy solutions for energy-intensive AI data centers.

China is the world’s transformer manufacturing hub, with over 60% of global capacity. The biggest pain point in US grid upgrades is transformer shortages, with delivery times now 3-4 years. Whether through Mexico transshipment or direct procurement, the US power grid’s maintenance heavily depends on Chinese manufacturing. When US data centers halt operations due to transformer shortages, Chinese electrical equipment companies are operating at full capacity, supporting rapid expansion of domestic computing infrastructure.

The 2026 Spring Festival Gala was not just a celebration of robots but also a glimpse into China’s industrial strength.

When we see Unitree’s robotic dog rolling and Galaxy General’s robots working on screen, remember: behind every agile movement are not only advanced algorithms but also stable electricity transmitted over thousands of kilometers via ultra-high-voltage lines and a robust power grid.

In this second half of the AI revolution, the marginal cost of increasing computing power will no longer depend on chip nanometers but on the cost of joules. The US has the most advanced algorithms, but China has the most powerful energy conversion and transmission system.

For investors, the logic is clear: in this gold rush, if Nvidia is selling shovels, then China’s infrastructure builders—UHV lines, power equipment, green energy—hold the true water source.