Japan's Fanuc ups the ante with ventures in Guangdong and Hubei

The saying "Nothing moves faster than money when opportunities emerge" applies to China's booming robotics market, industry insiders said.

Sensing a huge demand in the graying country, foreign companies are moving faster to increase their investments. A string of new plants and research and development centers are under construction.

One of the most active foreign players is Fanuc Corp of Japan. Within just four months, the robot giant has started preliminary work on two brand-new factories in Guangdong and Hubei provinces this year. Fanuc hopes the facilities will help it to meet the surging demand for its industrial robots, or machines that make assembly lines automated.