At a recent humanoid robotics event in China, machines jumped, boxed, and danced, with some models surprising spectators by running faster than Usain Bolt's 100-meter time. Two days after the competition, the People's Liberation Army's official newspaper urged labs to rapidly transfer the latest robotic technology for military use—a sign of the defense's growing interest in humanoids.
A Reuters review of more than 100 Chinese defense tenders, academic papers, patents, and government and industry materials shows that China's military is accelerating work on humanoid robots. Research and procurement activity accelerated in 2025–2026, focusing on improving the understanding, manipulation, and collection of training data. In 2025, the commercial humanoid market was dominated by Chinese firms, producing approximately 95% of global shipments, giving the PLA easy access to a rapidly growing domestic industry when developing military applications.
Humanoids are technically limited outside of controlled settings: they consume a lot of power, cannot be reliable in harsh environments, and face unpredictable battlefield variables. Nevertheless, Chinese military planners and researchers envision roles where bipedal designs with two arms and two legs could prove beneficial—climbing, manipulating objects, and operating in small spaces like buildings, tunnels, and inside ships. However, for simpler tasks like reconnaissance or logistics, four-legged, tracked, or wheeled platforms are generally cheaper and easier to assemble.
Chinese defense writings and experiments have outlined concrete concepts. An August 2025 study by researchers at the PLA's National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) simulated an urban assault in which teams of soldiers would be combined with "combat robots" (including humanoids and robot dogs) to clear buildings room by room. The paper estimated that such a capability could be developed within five to 10 years, but did not elaborate on weapons, engagement rules, or how to handle civilian encounters. Another PLA commentary stated that humanoids could move beyond support roles into frontline combat and discussed situations where humans would verify targets before robots fire.
NUDT has held competitions to promote military-oriented robot capabilities. By mid-2025, university contests included tasks such as “infiltration behind enemy lines,” requiring robots to infiltrate, map, and locate targets, and exercises that simulated base security patrols and inspections. Procurement notices after 2025 sought humanoid platforms and systems for physical sensing and rapid action. Some tenders sought tools for collecting and labeling camera, radar, and motion data—indicating interest not only in robotic bodies but also in the sensing and data pipelines needed to improve autonomy.
By 2026, interest had spread to government defense industry projects. Norinco, a major state-owned defense firm, introduced the Fuxi full-size humanoid in the company's materials, designing it for sentry duty, patrols, and hazardous tasks. Norinco also promotes a teleoperation system that allows humans to remotely control humanoids—an approach that overcomes current limitations in autonomous decision-making and could soon become a path for military use.
Beyond China, other militaries are also considering humanoid roles. The U.S. Army launched a competition to promote "militarized humanoid capabilities" for missions such as reconnaissance, obstacle clearance, hazardous materials operations, and urban combat support. However, experts say the U.S. lags behind China in the rapid development of two-legged and four-legged robots.
Despite growing interest, researchers warn that robots are not yet ready for solo combat. Autonomous systems pose serious ethical, legal, and practical challenges. Weapons need to be separated from civilians and combatants need to be protected; Experts and humanitarian organizations warn that it is difficult for AI to make reliable decisions about surrender or the safety of civilians, given the specifics of the situation. The U.S. military requires legal review and human judgment for autonomous weapons, and China's Defense Ministry has publicly stated that AI weapons should remain under human control.
There is no evidence that China has deployed armed humanoids with operational military units. Analysts say that significant technological advancements, lower costs, and mass production will be needed before humanoids become commonplace on the battlefield. Nevertheless, if such conditions arise, many Chinese commentators and defense researchers predict that humanoid robots could increasingly appear alongside soldiers—performing reconnaissance, patrol, and perhaps even more direct combat roles under human supervision or remote control.
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