China, which continues to try to transition its manufacturing economy away from low-value added products to more sophisticated goods, took another step in that direction with a move to acquire German industrial robotics leader Kuka AG. Chinese home-appliance maker Midea Group launched a $5-billion-plus bid for Kuka last week. Midea said that it wants to keep Kuka as a public company and doesn’t plan a complete takeover, but by saying it was seeking a stake of more than 30%, it is required under German law to make an offer for all outstanding shares. Midea is primarily a maker of appliances and air conditioners, has a 17.1% appliance share in China, more than double the 7.9% for Haier, according to Euromonitor. Haier made big news earlier in the year by acquiring GE’s appliance business for $5.4 billion. But about one-third of Midea’s sales are outside of China, and it like other manufacturers there is facing rising labor costs and thus pressure to automate. Kuka is one of four companies, also including Switzerland’s ABB and Japan’s Fanuc and Yaskawa Electric, that dominate the market for industrial robots on a global basis. Meanwhilr, China has emerged as the largest market for such robotics. Robot sales in China rose 16% last year, according to the International Federation of Robotics, which also estimates that by 2018 it will account for more than one third of industrial robots installed worldwide. That compares to an increase in 2015 in robotic sales of just 11% and 9% in North America and Europe, respectively. One province in China has famously launched a "robots for humans" program to promote factory automation. In recent years, Kuka has expanded its product line beyond the automotive sector where it sells the majority of its robots to electronics, medical devices and other industries. […]