A Chinese humanoid robot has stunned spectators at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing after completing the 100 metres in 9.39 seconds, faster than Usain Bolt’s long-standing human world record.

The robot, known as TienKung, was developed by the Beijing Centre for Humanoid Robotics and recorded the time during the competition on Saturday. Bolt set the men’s 100-metre world record of 9.58 seconds at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.

Organisers described the robot’s performance as a major demonstration of the rapid progress being made in humanoid robotics, particularly in China.

“In one year alone the robots competing have become twice as fast,” the organisers said in a post on X. They noted that the winning time at last year’s event was 21.50 seconds.

The sharp improvement has drawn attention to the speed at which robotics companies are developing machines capable of performing tasks traditionally associated with humans.

The World Humanoid Robot Games are being held at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval, known as the “Ice Ribbon”. The second edition has attracted 666 teams and 2,056 robots from 16 countries.

Competitors are taking part in a wide range of events, including athletics, boxing, football, weightlifting and gymnastics.

Videos from the competition have spread across social media, with some clips showing robots struggling to remain upright or falling backwards after completing races. While the footage has attracted plenty of humour from viewers, organisers said the underlying technological progress should not be underestimated.

They said robots had been “slow, ponderous machines” at the inaugural games, with many struggling to finish sprint events. The latest performances, they argued, show how quickly the technology is developing.

China has placed humanoid robots among its strategic emerging industries, with companies and government officials increasingly focused on advancing artificial intelligence, robotics hardware and automated systems.

The rapid progress has also attracted significant interest from investors. Research from Morgan Stanley has estimated that the global humanoid robotics market could eventually reach $5 trillion by 2050.

The financial services group has also projected that more than one billion humanoid robots could be operating worldwide by that year.

China is expected to account for a substantial share of that growth. Morgan Stanley estimates that around 302.3 million humanoid robots could be in use in China by 2050.

The performance in Beijing adds to growing evidence of how quickly humanoid robots are improving, although their ability to match humans in everyday tasks remains a much larger challenge than setting a sprint time.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has accused the United States of imposing new tariffs designed to damage Canada and divide the two countries after trade negotiations collapsed.

“We cannot accept what they’ve offered, and we will not give what they’ve asked,” Carney said in a speech on Saturday, explaining Ottawa’s decision to reject a proposed agreement.

New US tariffs of 50 percent on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods took effect on Saturday after negotiators failed to reach a deal. Both governments accused the other of making last-minute changes that undermined the negotiations.

Carney said the final US proposals were “unfair” and “uneconomic” and raised doubts about whether Washington could be relied upon to honour an agreement.

Canada has responded by promising to match the new US tariffs “dollar for dollar” in an effort to protect domestic companies and workers.

“Our response will be concentrated in sectors such as steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics,” Carney said.

The latest measures add to existing US tariffs on major Canadian exports, including steel, aluminium, automobiles and lumber. Canadian officials have warned that the broader tariff regime is placing additional pressure on businesses and the country’s economy.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative described the collapse of the negotiations as a “missed opportunity” for Canada. It accused Ottawa of maintaining what it called prolonged retaliation against American products.

According to the US trade representative, Washington had offered Canada favourable treatment compared with other major exporters, but said new Canadian demands and changes to previous commitments disrupted the balance reached during negotiations.

The dispute escalated despite earlier optimism from US President Donald Trump, who had postponed the introduction of the latest tariffs after suggesting that a trade agreement was close.

Trump has repeatedly criticised Canada’s trade policies and has also suggested that the country should become the 51st US state. In a post early Sunday, he argued that Canada wanted the benefits of being part of the United States without actually becoming a state.

Trump’s administration has pursued an aggressive tariff policy since returning to office in January 2025, arguing that higher import duties will support American manufacturing and create domestic jobs.

The policy has drawn criticism from businesses and economists, who warn that tariffs can increase costs for consumers, disrupt supply chains and make companies more cautious about investment.

The latest confrontation leaves the two neighbours facing a prolonged period of uncertainty, with businesses on both sides preparing for higher trade costs and possible further retaliatory measures.