A humanoid robot called Shuang Shuang, or "Bright," walked the stage at a high school graduation in Fujian, China on July 1, shaking hands with a teacher and receiving a certificate as cameras rolled and the crowd applauded.

The event took place at Shuangshi High School during its 25th commencement ceremony. 

Video from the event shows the robot marching in place, stepping into position and posing for a photo with faculty after a certificate is placed in a tote bag beneath its "arm."

"Shuang Shuang’s appearance comes amid a broader surge in the development and visibility of human and animal-like robots across the globe," the New York Post reported. In China, these machines are increasingly appearing at public events and tech exhibitions.

Beijing is spending heavily on robotics development and deployment, which has fueled what observers describe as a growing "tech arms race" with the United States.

The U.S. response has been largely driven by private companies. Tesla is planning to release Optimus, a humanoid robot that it said can do household chores, care for children, and perform repetitive tasks.

Security robots are also entering real-world use. Robot "dogs" have been seen patrolling the perimeters of Mar-a-Lago starting last November to assist Secret Service agents in their security detail for President Donald Trump.

Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot prototype is currently unavailable but is described via X as "capable of performing tasks that are unsafe, repetitive or boring."