According to a report by the Hong Kong South China Morning Post on July 31, a surgical robot independently developed by China has been registered in Vietnam and has entered several major hospitals there. This marks the acceleration of Chinese high-end medical equipment in exploring the Southeast Asian market.
The National Medical Security Administration of China stated that the relevant surgical robots have been brought to Vietnam through the China-ASEAN Pharmaceutical Products Trading Platform. Both China and Vietnam will further strengthen cooperation in areas such as robot surgery training, clinical applications, academic exchanges, and talent cultivation.
The National Medical Insurance Administration of China stated that in the next step, it will focus on promoting the registration of large-scale medical equipment made in China in Vietnam, including radiotherapy equipment and interventional treatment equipment. At the same time, it will support more domestic medical products to expand exports.
Domestic Surgical Robots - Vision China
Reports indicate that as global population ages and medical needs continue to grow, the export of advanced medical technologies in China has increased significantly in recent years. High-end products such as surgical robots and biomedical equipment are becoming new growth points.
According to data from the Chinese customs, in the first half of 2026, the export value of surgical robots in China increased by 344% year-on-year, reaching $70 million. Approximately 10% of these exports went to the ASEAN market, and the shipments to ASEAN increased by 246% year-on-year.
Reports indicate that China is entering the field of surgical robots, aiming to gain a larger share of the market in an industry that has been dominated by American companies since the early 21st century. Surgical robots are widely used in minimally invasive surgeries, such as those in urology and gynecology.
According to data from the British data analysis and consulting company GlobalData, the global surgical robot market has long been dominated by the Da Vinci surgical system developed by Intuitive Surgical of the United States. In 2024, this system accounted for approximately 60% of the global market share.
Chinese enterprises have only entered the international commercialization stage in recent years. Currently, Shanghai-based Minicore Robotics, Suri Robotics, and Shenzhen-based Jingfeng Medical are among the main players in the Chinese surgical robot industry.
Chinese customs data shows that in the first half of this year, the export market for Chinese surgical robots has expanded from 23 economies in last year to 49. The main destinations for exports include the Netherlands, India, Argentina, Turkey, Thailand, and the United States.
