China Accelerates Military Integration of Humanoid Robots for Future Warfare
A Reuters review of Chinese military procurement records and academic studies reveals that China is accelerating the development and testing of humanoid robots for eventual wartime deployment, particularly in urban warfare scenarios.
Military Acceleration of Humanoid Robotics
At the global humanoid robot games in China last month, human-like machines jumped, boxed, and danced. Some fleet-footed robots even ran faster than Usain Bolt over 100 meters. While spectators cheered the improving capabilities of the machines and their meme-worthy stumbles, the Chinese military was drawing far more serious conclusions.
Just two days after the games concluded, the official newspaper of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) published its assessment. The PLA Daily called on researchers to accelerate the transfer of advanced technologies from laboratories to military training grounds for robotic "warriors."
China's defense establishment is accelerating research into the military applications of humanoid robots and planning for their eventual wartime deployment. This is according to a Reuters review of more than 100 Chinese military procurement notices, academic studies, patents, official publications, government records, and defense company materials.
Military institutions are testing humanoids against battlefield requirements, seeking to acquire robots and training technologies, and studying how they might function alongside human soldiers. This work gained significant momentum in 2025 and 2026, focusing on robotic perception, manipulation, and training data.
Chinese manufacturers accounted for approximately 95% of global humanoid robot shipments in 2025, according to BofA Global Research. This commercial dominance provides the PLA with direct access to an expanding industry while developing its own military applications.
Urban Strike Force and Battlefield Scenarios
China already has a concrete vision for humanoid robots in urban warfare. One scenario describes six "combat robots"—including humanoids, robot dogs, or unmanned vehicles—distributed between two assault teams. Working in cooperation with ground forces, the robots would clear an enemy-occupied building floor by floor and room by room.
This scenario was detailed in an August 2025 paper by researchers at the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) experimental center in Xi'an. The study modeled an urban strike force using equipment the authors projected would be available within five to ten years.
Improvements in balance, perception, and endurance could make humanoids highly useful in confined spaces, including buildings, tunnels, and ship interiors, according to Chao-Min Chiu, a researcher at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research.
"Their two hands and two legs can, theoretically, combine mobility, climbing, and manipulation."
However, for simpler reconnaissance or logistics missions, four-legged, tracked, or wheeled robots would generally be cheaper and easier to deploy at scale, Chiu added.
Chinese military commentary foresees a much broader role for humanoids. A July 2025 article in the PLA Daily argued that humanoid missions could eventually evolve "from supporting combat to primary combat" and discussed how robots could be authorized to fire on a live target verified by a human.
Procurement and Remote Operation
By 2026, the development of humanoid robots had spread beyond military academies into China's state-owned defense industry. The Fuxi robot, manufactured by the state-owned defense conglomerate Norinco, is one such example. Company materials published in August described the full-sized humanoid as capable of sentry duty, all-weather patrol, smart reconnaissance, and performing hazardous tasks.
Fuxi can be integrated with Norinco's remote operation system, allowing a human operator to control the humanoid from a distance. Removing the need for the robot to make all decisions autonomously solves what many robotics experts call the greatest current challenge with humanoids.
Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, noted that while he does not currently see humanoid robots as practical battlefield systems, "in five to ten years, they certainly could be."
Even if operated remotely today, humanoid systems designed for autonomous deployment will eventually have to navigate ethical dilemmas. The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that autonomous weapons may struggle to reliably interpret signs of surrender, as such judgments depend heavily on context, behavior, and intent.
