Chinese robotics firm AgiBot Innovation has pledged a potential RM1 billion investment in Malaysia by 2035, a deal that could create 5,000 jobs, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. The company, which specialises in general-purpose artificial intelligence robotics, offered the pledge during meetings with senior management from five Chinese industry giants on 23 September 2026, held as part of Anwar’s three-day working visit to Shanghai and Hangzhou, FMT reported.
The other four companies are ZTE Corporation, Alibaba Group, Geely Automobile Holdings and Huawei Technologies. The Edge Malaysia listed the focus areas of the discussions as humanoid robotics, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, electric vehicle technology and e-commerce. Anwar said in a social media post that the meetings explored new investment opportunities and strategic partnerships in those high-impact sectors.
ZTE Corporation outlined initiatives and investments worth RM170 million to develop the country’s digital infrastructure, while creating career opportunities for local talent. Talks with Alibaba Group, meanwhile, turned to widening the market reach of Malaysian goods, from products by micro, small and medium enterprises to items from the halal industry.
“In my discussions with Alibaba Group, we also touched on efforts to expand market access for Malaysian products, particularly those produced by micro, small and medium enterprises, and the country’s halal industry, to the Chinese and global markets through Alibaba’s digital ecosystem,” he said in a Facebook post.
AgiBot has been building its Malaysian footprint for months. Founded in 2023, the China-based company opened the Artificial Intelligence World Experience Centre at i-City Shah Alam in January in a partnership with property developer I-Bhd, a launch that marked Malaysia as its first market outside China in a broader Asia-Pacific expansion starting in 2026 (NST). The centre is the first AI and robotics experience centre of its kind in Southeast Asia, and I-Bhd has since set out plans for what is described as the world’s first AI and robotics residential tower. AgiBot also rolled out its 5,168th mass-produced humanoid robot in 2025, and an Omdia report on general-purpose embodied intelligent robots ranked the firm first worldwide in humanoid robot shipments that year, with more than 5,100 units and a 39 per cent global share.
Anwar said the government remains committed to drawing high-quality investment, developing local talent and creating skilled jobs. China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, with bilateral trade totalling US$113.82 billion (RM456.68 billion) from January to August.
