A Reuters investigation drawing on more than 100 Chinese military procurement notices, academic studies, patents, government records, and defense-company materials found that China's defense establishment is accelerating research into humanoid robots' military uses and planning for their eventual wartime deployment1,3,4.
The investigation's publication followed the World Humanoid Robot Games held in China in August 2026, where robots competed in jumping, boxing, and dancing events. Two days after the Games ended, the People's Liberation Army's official newspaper, PLA Daily, called for researchers to accelerate the transfer of cutting-edge technologies from laboratories to military training grounds for robotic "combatants".
Reuters found no evidence that China has deployed an armed humanoid with an operational People's Liberation Army unit. However, the military's planning apparatus is moving. In May 2025, the People's Liberation Army issued a tender to purchase a humanoid robot, including installation and technical training. In June 2026, the People's Liberation Army budgeted approximately $300,000 for a system designed to collect and label camera, radar, and motion data for humanoids.
The People's Liberation Army envisions humanoid robots working alongside troops in urban warfare, clearing buildings and performing reconnaissance. A research paper published in August 2025 by researchers at National University of Defense Technology's test center in Xi'an described a hypothetical assault force in which six "combat robots" would be split between two assault teams to clear an enemy-occupied building floor by floor and room by room. The paper's authors projected that the equipment to realize that scenario could become available within five to 10 years.
China envisions humanoid robots operating alongside robot dogs and unmanned vehicles. A July 2025 PLA Daily article argued that humanoid missions could eventually evolve "from supporting combat toward primary combat" and discussed robots firing on a living target verified by a human. In December, the PLA Eastern Theater Command released an AI-generated montage showing military robots overwhelming Taiwan's defenses in a hypothetical future conflict.
State-owned defense conglomerate Norinco has developed the Fuxi humanoid robot, which company materials describe as capable of sentry duty, all-weather reconnaissance, intelligent patrols, and dangerous missions. Norinco's teleoperation system allows a human operator to control Fuxi remotely rather than requiring full autonomy.
Chinese manufacturers accounted for about 95% of global humanoid robot shipments in 2025, according to Bank of America Global Research, giving the People's Liberation Army broad access to the technology. Unitree, among the leading producers, claimed its Superman robot can run faster than Usain Bolt, though the figure has not been independently verified.
Technical and policy hurdles remain. Wang Yonghua, a researcher at the Academy of Military Sciences, said major problems persist in movement, perception, and intelligence, and that technological breakthroughs, lower production costs, and industrial-scale manufacturing would be necessary before humanoids could become widespread military systems. Malcolm Davis of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said humanoid robots are not currently practical battlefield systems but could potentially become so within five to 10 years. The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that autonomous weapons could struggle to recognize surrender.
China's defense ministry said in March that AI-powered weapons should remain under human control. The U.S. military requires autonomous weapons to undergo legal review and realistic testing. The U.S. Army launched its own competition in 2025 to develop "militarized humanoid capabilities" that could eventually operate alongside soldiers, with up to $1.25 million available for follow-on contracts and up to 10 finalists due to test their systems with U.S. military experts in 2026.
ANALYSIS The convergence of China's dominant position in humanoid manufacturing with active military procurement and doctrinal planning creates a pipeline from commercial robotics to defense application that few other countries can replicate at comparable scale.