China Is Exploring Humanoid Robots for Future Warfare

At a recent humanoid robot competition in China, machines jumped, boxed and danced for cheering spectators. Some even ran faster than Usain Bolt over 100 meters. Two days after the event ended, the People’s Liberation Army’s official newspaper drew a more serious conclusion: researchers should speed the transfer of advanced technologies from laboratories to military training grounds for robotic “combatants.”

China’s defense establishment is now accelerating research into the military use of humanoids and considering their eventual deployment in war, according to a Reuters review of more than 100 procurement notices, academic studies, patents, official publications, government records and defense-company materials. Military institutions are testing humanoids against battlefield requirements, seeking robots and training technologies, and studying how the machines might work alongside soldiers.

The research gained momentum in 2025 and 2026, with attention focused on robot perception, manipulation and training data. Chinese manufacturers accounted for about 95% of global humanoid shipments in 2025, according to BofA Global Research. That commercial dominance gives the People’s Liberation Army access to a growing industrial base while it develops military applications of its own.

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Going where we don’t want humans to go is one of the most compelling reasons to develop robots in the first place.

The push reflects wider military interest in autonomous systems. In the Russia-Ukraine war, semiautonomous drones using artificial intelligence for navigation and targeting have changed reconnaissance and attack, while robots carry supplies and retrieve casualties. Dennis Hong, a UCLA professor, said, “Going where we don’t want humans to go is one of the most compelling reasons to develop robots in the first place.” He added, “If losing a robot means avoiding the loss of a human life, then the robot can become expendable.”

China’s defense ministry and the National University of Defense Technology did not respond to requests for comment. Reuters found no evidence that China has deployed an armed humanoid with an operational PLA unit. The robots remain energy-intensive and unreliable outside controlled demonstrations, while unpredictable battlefield conditions pose major challenges, said Aaron Johnson, a Carnegie Mellon University professor.

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If losing a robot means avoiding the loss of a human life, then the robot can become expendable.