With the backing of government and the wealth of the private sector elite, China will inevitably lead the way in the next industrial revolution. The last "Great Leap Forward" for western industry came with enormous backing of government - The Space Race. To keep pace with Chinese advances in technology, western governments must adopt this similar and proven strategy. The biggest challenge for all governments in the race for automation will be the maintenance of social harmony. The consequences of failure in this area will be enormous for any government, and for China catastrophic. Failure is not an option.
China has become the largest industrial robots market in the world. With "Made in China 2025" and "Industry 4.0 " as national policy, there are many opportunities for the US robotics industry.