US bans Chinese robots, citing national security risks

The United States has implemented a ban on the import of humanoid and quadrupedal robots from foreign manufacturers, citing "unacceptable" national security risks. This move directly targets China, the primary global supplier of humanoid robots, impacting its crucial export market.

The new regulations, which do not affect robots already in use, represent Washington's latest effort to safeguard its domestic industry and supply chains. This action comes amidst escalating competition with China for dominance in advanced technology and artificial intelligence. While China has lagged behind the U.S. in developing top-tier AI models, the recent emergence of increasingly powerful Chinese models has alarmed both Washington and Silicon Valley.

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These devices could create supply chain vulnerabilities capable of affecting the economic and national security of the U.S., and could generate cybersecurity risks threatening American critical infrastructure.

Analysts suggest China has gained an advantage in AI-driven consumer applications and smart equipment, such as robots, due to its large-scale manufacturing capacity and rapid product commercialization. The official justification for the ban, as stated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is the potential for these devices to create supply chain vulnerabilities, threaten U.S. economic and national security, and generate cybersecurity risks to critical American infrastructure.

U.S. officials have previously used similar arguments to block the sale of Chinese electric vehicles in the American market. According to the decision's basis document, the robots could collect data used by malicious actors for surveillance of American citizens, enhance foreign intelligence capabilities, or enable remote control of the robots. In response, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that Beijing opposes the U.S. practice of abusing the concept of national security to suppress Chinese companies and vowed to take necessary measures to protect its interests.

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Protectionism will not increase China's core competitiveness.