China's own military researchers say armed robot soldiers are 5 to 10 years away

China’s armed forces are testing humanoid robots against combat requirements and studying how the machines might fight alongside soldiers.

A Reuters report surveyed more than 100 Chinese military procurement notices, patents, academic studies, government records, and defense-company materials.

The researchers cited in the review believe that hardware for building-clearing missions could be ready in five to 10 years.

NUDT researchers picture six robots clearing a building room by room

Last month in Beijing, robots raced, danced, and boxed at the World Humanoid Robot Games, clocking sprint times that beat Usain Bolt’s 100-meter record at the National Speed Skating Oval.

Two days after the event, the official newspaper of the People’s Liberation Army, PLA Daily, called on researchers to take the same technology out of laboratories and onto military training grounds to be used as robotic “combatants.”

In turn, Beijing’s defense establishment is ramping up its research on military applications and plans for eventual wartime deployment. No armed humanoid has been detected in service with an operational PLA unit.

A study published in August 2025 by researchers at the National University of Defense Technology, or NUDT, in Xi’an, simulated a team of six combat robots.

It was a mix of humanoids, robot dogs, and unmanned vehicles, split into two squads that would sweep through an enemy-occupied building room by room while working with ground troops.

Chinese firms shipped 95% of the world’s robots last year

In June 2025, one procurement document showed the PLA had allocated some $300,000 for a system to gather and label camera, radar, and motion data so humanoids can learn to cross varied terrain.

The state-owned manufacturer Norinco already had a product. Its Fuxi humanoid is designed for sentry duty, all-weather reconnaissance and patrols, and can be remotely operated by a human operator.

Chinese firms shipped about 95% of the world’s humanoids in 2025, which gave the PLA easy access to hardware. The US is pursuing the same capability via the Army’s xTechHumanoid competition, which offers prizes of up to $490,000 and follow-on contracts worth $1.25 million, but its robotics industry is still behind China.

China’s defense ministry said in March that AI-powered weapons should stay under human control.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that autonomous weapons may not be able to read signs of surrender. Neither Beijing’s paper nor Norinco’s marketing resolves how a machine would tell a combatant from a civilian.

Cryptopolitan reported Hangzhou has placed 15 humanoid traffic robots around West Lake since May, while Washington has acted to bar new Chinese humanoids from the US market over supply chain and security concerns.

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