BEIJING | China is accelerating research into the military use of humanoid robots, moving the technology beyond demonstrations of dancing, running and boxing toward possible roles in battlefield reconnaissance, logistics, hazardous missions and urban combat, according to a Reuters review of more than 100 Chinese research and military documents.
The research reflects China’s growing strength in robotics and the People’s Liberation Army’s interest in using unmanned systems to reduce risks to human soldiers. Reuters found no evidence that China has deployed armed humanoid robots with an operational PLA unit, and experts caution that current machines remain energy-intensive and unreliable in unpredictable environments.
One of the clearest indications of China’s ambitions comes from an August 2025 paper by researchers at the National University of Defense Technology in Xi’an. The study envisioned an urban assault force using six “combat robots,” including humanoids, robot dogs and unmanned vehicles, divided between two teams working alongside troops to clear buildings room by room. The researchers projected that such equipment could become available within five to 10 years, although the study did not specify what weapons the robots would carry or how they would respond to encounters with civilians.
The potential military appeal of humanoids lies partly in their ability to operate in environments designed for people. Their two legs and two hands could allow them to climb, move through buildings and manipulate objects, making them potentially useful in confined spaces such as tunnels, buildings and ship interiors, according to Juo-Min Chou of Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research. For simpler reconnaissance and logistics tasks, however, she said wheeled, tracked or four-legged robots would generally be cheaper and easier to deploy at scale.
China’s military interest is being supported by a rapidly expanding domestic robotics industry. The International Federation of Robotics says China installed 295,000 industrial robots in 2024, accounting for 54% of global installations, and had more than 2 million industrial robots in operation. In May, the federation said China’s 2026-2030 Five-Year Plan places robotics at the center of its modern industrial strategy.
The country’s humanoid-robot push has also received a public showcase. At the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games, machines demonstrated increasingly sophisticated physical capabilities, helping illustrate how rapidly the technology is developing. Reuters reported that China’s commercial sector accounted for about 95% of global humanoid shipments in 2025.
Military experimentation is not limited to humanoids. China has also tested robot dogs and other unmanned systems, while U.S. defense-funded research has contributed indirectly to some technologies later incorporated into Chinese robotic platforms. Reuters reported in August that Unitree’s robotic dogs, which have appeared in Chinese military exercises, share technology with research originally developed at MIT with U.S. Army funding.
The development raises questions beyond engineering. If humanoid robots eventually become capable of operating with greater autonomy, militaries and governments will face difficult questions over human control, accountability and compliance with the laws of armed conflict. For now, however, China’s military humanoid program remains largely experimental, with significant technical obstacles still standing between today’s demonstrations and reliable battlefield deployment.
Carlo Juancho FuntanillaFrontend Developer, WordPress, Shopify
Contributing Editor
AMA ACLC San Pablo
- Carlo Juancho Funtanilla
- Carlo Juancho Funtanilla
- Carlo Juancho Funtanilla
- Carlo Juancho Funtanilla
