BEIJING, China: China is stepping up efforts to develop military uses for humanoid robots and is examining how the machines could eventually be used in combat, according to a Reuters review of more than 100 Chinese military documents and other records.

The material reviewed included military procurement notices, academic research, patents, government documents, official publications and information from defense companies. Together, they show that Chinese military institutions are increasingly studying how humanoid robots could work alongside soldiers and perform tasks in dangerous battlefield conditions.

The research accelerated during 2025 and 2026. Scientists and military organizations have focused on areas such as how robots understand their surroundings, how they handle objects, and how to collect large amounts of training data to improve performance.

China has also been promoting humanoid robots for civilian and commercial purposes. At the World Humanoid Robot Games held in China last month, robots took part in running, boxing, dancing and other events. Some machines demonstrated impressive speed, while others fell or struggled with simple movements, drawing attention from spectators.

The event also attracted interest from China's military. Two days after the Games ended, the People's Liberation Army's official newspaper called for faster development of advanced robotic technologies and their movement from research laboratories into military training.

The PLA Daily referred to the potential development of robotic combatants and urged researchers to speed up work on technologies that could eventually have military applications.

China's strong position in the global humanoid robot industry could give its military access to a large and rapidly growing technology base. BofA Global Research estimated that Chinese companies accounted for about 95 percent of worldwide humanoid robot shipments in 2025.

China's military has been closely studying developments from the Russia-Ukraine war and looking at lessons that could apply to future conflicts.

Dennis Hong, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles, said one of the strongest arguments for developing military robots was that they could be sent into places where sending people would be too dangerous.

"Going where we don't want humans to go is one of the most compelling reasons to develop robots in the first place," Hong said.

Robots Could Replace Human Soldiers on Missions

He explained that robots could potentially be sacrificed during dangerous missions if doing so helped protect human soldiers.

Humanoid robots require large amounts of energy and can still perform poorly outside carefully controlled environments. Real battlefields are unpredictable, with uneven ground, obstacles, smoke, weather, and rapidly changing situations. Aaron Johnson, a mechanical engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University, said these conditions could expose the weaknesses of current robotic systems.

Despite these limitations, Chinese researchers are already considering how robots could be used in urban combat.

A study published in August 2025 by researchers at a testing center linked to the National University of Defense Technology in Xi'an described a possible future operation involving six robotic systems.

Robots in Law Enforcement

The proposed force would include humanoid robots, robot dogs, or unmanned vehicles. The machines would be divided between two groups of soldiers and would assist them during an assault on an enemy-controlled building.

The robots could potentially help troops move through the building floor by floor and room by room, reducing the need for soldiers to enter some dangerous areas first.

The study was based on technology that its authors believed could become available within five to 10 years.

Chinese military interest in humanoid robots began becoming more visible in 2024. That year, the National University of Defense Technology and the Academy of Military Sciences held a defense technology forum that included a session examining military applications for humanoid robotic systems.

Military procurement documents later showed that the research was moving towards practical testing.