At the World Humanoid Robot Games in China last month, robots jumped, boxed and danced, showcasing rapid advances in a technology that is increasingly attracting the attention of the country’s military.
Some of the fleet-footed machines ran faster than Usain Bolt over 100 metres, drawing cheers from spectators both for their improving capabilities and their meme-worthy stumbles.
Just two days after the Games ended, the People’s Liberation Army’s official newspaper highlighted the military implications of the technology, calling for researchers to accelerate the transfer of cutting-edge innovations from laboratories to military training grounds for robotic “combatants.”
China is stepping up research into the military applications of humanoid robots and examining how they could eventually be deployed in future conflicts, according to a Reuters review of more than 100 Chinese military procurement notices, academic studies, patents, official publications, government records and defence-industry materials.
The effort gained momentum in 2025 and 2026, with Chinese military institutions testing humanoids against battlefield requirements, seeking robots and technologies to train them, and studying how the machines could operate alongside troops.
China’s dominance of the commercial humanoid robotics industry is also giving the People’s Liberation Army access to a rapidly expanding technological base. Chinese manufacturers accounted for about 95% of global humanoid robot shipments in 2025, according to BofA Global Research.
“Going where we don’t want humans to go is one of the most compelling reasons to develop robots in the first place,” said Dennis Hong, a professor at UCLA. “If losing a robot means avoiding the loss of a human life, then the robot can become expendable.”
Reuters found no evidence that China has deployed armed humanoid robots with operational PLA units. The technology remains energy-intensive and unreliable outside controlled demonstrations, while the unpredictability of battlefield conditions presents significant technical and operational challenges.
Chinese military research is nevertheless already examining potential applications in combat. A 2025 study by researchers at the National University of Defence Technology described a scenario involving six “combat robots” working alongside ground troops to clear an enemy-held building floor by floor and room by room.
The PLA Daily has also discussed a potential evolution in the role of humanoids, suggesting that their missions could eventually move “from supporting combat toward primary combat.”
A December AI-generated video released by the PLA Eastern Theater Command depicted military robots overwhelming Taiwan’s defences in a hypothetical future conflict, underscoring how Chinese military planners are beginning to explore robotic warfare scenarios.
China’s interest in military humanoids intensified in 2024, when NUDT and the Academy of Military Sciences held a defence-technology forum that included a session on military applications for humanoid systems. By 2025, NUDT competitions were simulating “infiltration behind enemy lines,” with the university describing the events as a proving ground for robots to “move toward the battlefield.”
Chinese defence companies are also entering the field. Norinco has developed the Fuxi humanoid, which company materials describe as capable of performing sentry duty, reconnaissance, patrols and dangerous missions.
Malcolm Davis of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said humanoids are not currently practical battlefield systems. “But in five to 10 years,” he said, “they could very well be.”
Wang Yonghua of China’s Academy of Military Sciences has said that major technical advances and lower costs would be necessary before humanoids could be widely used by the military. If those conditions are met, he said, “humanoid robots will stream onto the battlefield.”
By Vafa Guliyeva
