A Reuters review of more than 100 Chinese military procurement notices, academic papers, patents, government records, official publications and defence-industry materials found that research into military applications has gathered momentum since 2025.

The development comes as Chinese manufacturers dominate the rapidly expanding global humanoid robot market. BofA Global Research estimates that Chinese companies accounted for about 95 per cent of worldwide humanoid shipments in 2025, giving the country’s military access to a large and growing commercial ecosystem.

The potential military applications were highlighted after the World Humanoid Robot Games in China last month, where robots competed in running, boxing and other events.

Two days after the Games ended, the People’s Liberation Army Daily called for faster transfer of advanced technologies from laboratories into military training, including research into robotic “combatants.”

Chinese military institutions are testing humanoid technologies against battlefield requirements, acquiring systems and developing the perception, manipulation and training technologies needed to operate them.

There is no evidence that China has deployed armed humanoid robots with operational military units. Experts say current systems remain expensive, energy-intensive and unreliable in unpredictable environments.

Chinese military researchers have nevertheless begun developing scenarios for humanoid robots in urban combat.

An August 2025 paper by researchers at the National University of Defense Technology described a hypothetical assault force involving six “combat robots,” including humanoids, robot dogs and unmanned vehicles. The machines would operate alongside troops to clear buildings floor by floor and room by room.

Researchers believe improvements in balance, perception and endurance could eventually make humanoids useful in buildings, tunnels and ship interiors, where their ability to walk, climb and manipulate objects could provide advantages.

However, experts say wheeled, tracked and quadruped robots would generally remain cheaper and easier to deploy for simpler reconnaissance and logistics missions.

Chinese military commentary has also discussed more ambitious roles. A July 2025 article in PLA Daily suggested humanoid robots could eventually move from supporting troops to taking on primary combat functions, including scenarios where a human operator verifies a target before a robot uses force.

In December, the PLA Eastern Theater Command released an AI-generated video depicting military robots overwhelming Taiwan’s defences in a hypothetical future conflict.

China is not alone in examining military applications for humanoid robots. The United States Army has also launched efforts to develop “militarized humanoid capabilities” for reconnaissance, security, obstacle clearing and hazardous operations.

Chinese interest in military humanoids intensified in 2024, when the National University of Defense Technology and the Academy of Military Sciences hosted a defence technology forum that included discussions on military applications for humanoid systems.

By 2025, military exercises and competitions were beginning to simulate battlefield missions. One competition involved robots infiltrating an area behind enemy lines, mapping terrain and locating targets.

Procurement notices also showed growing interest in the technology. In May 2025, the PLA issued a tender for a humanoid robot, including installation and technical training.

Another procurement notice sought an “embodied humanoid robot intelligent perception and dexterous operation system.”

In June 2026, the PLA budgeted about $300,000 for a system designed to collect and label camera, radar and movement data for humanoid robots, including information on terrain they could navigate.

The focus suggests that military planners are looking beyond the physical machines themselves and towards the data, sensors and artificial intelligence systems needed to make them useful in real-world environments.

China’s defence industry is also beginning to develop military-oriented humanoids.

Norinco, a state-owned defence conglomerate, has developed the Fuxi humanoid robot, which company materials describe as capable of sentry duties, reconnaissance, intelligent patrols and other dangerous missions.

The system can be connected to a teleoperation platform, allowing a human operator to control the robot remotely.

Remote operation could help overcome one of the biggest challenges facing autonomous humanoids: making reliable decisions in complex and unpredictable environments.

Experts remain cautious about their immediate battlefield value. Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said humanoids were not currently practical battlefield systems but could become more viable within five to 10 years.

Their eventual use in warfare would also raise significant legal and ethical questions. International humanitarian law requires combatants to distinguish civilians from military targets and prohibits attacks on wounded or surrendering fighters.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that autonomous weapons could struggle to interpret signs of surrender because such decisions often depend on context and human intent.

China’s defence ministry said in March that AI-powered weapons should remain under human control, while the United States requires autonomous weapons to undergo legal review and realistic testing.

For now, humanoid robots remain far from routine battlefield deployment. But Chinese military research indicates that planners are already preparing for a future in which increasingly capable machines could operate alongside, and potentially ahead of, human soldiers.

If technological breakthroughs, lower production costs and large-scale manufacturing overcome current limitations, Chinese researchers believe humanoid robots could eventually become a significant part of future military operations.

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The decline marks the fifth consecutive quarter of falling smartphone shipments in the world’s largest smartphone market. Overall shipments during the first half of the year also dropped 4.2% compared with the same period in 2025.

Huawei and Apple were the only major smartphone manufacturers to record shipment growth during the quarter.

Huawei posted a 19.4% increase in shipments to retain its position as China’s largest smartphone vendor with a 22.6% market share, while Apple recorded a 24.4% increase, capturing an 18.1% share of the market.

In contrast, several Android manufacturers experienced double-digit declines. Xiaomi’s shipments fell 21.7%, while Oppo and Vivo recorded declines of 9.7% and 11.4%, respectively.

According to IDC, many Android manufacturers raised smartphone prices or reduced the availability of budget models to offset rising memory chip and component costs.

The research firm noted that Huawei and Apple maintained relatively stable pricing during the quarter, giving consumers greater incentive to purchase their devices while competitors increased prices.

IDC also attributed the market slowdown to the waning impact of government subsidy programmes that had previously stimulated smartphone demand, leaving consumers more hesitant to replace existing devices.

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According to Reuters, citing people familiar with the discussions, Chinese officials have held meetings over the past month with major technology companies, including Alibaba, ByteDance, and AI startup Z.ai, to discuss measures covering advanced AI models, including future releases.

The discussions were reportedly led by China’s Ministry of Commerce and reflect the government’s growing view of advanced AI as a strategic national asset.

According to Reuters, officials discussed restricting access to both proprietary and open-source AI models, while also considering classifying the theft or unauthorised disclosure of advanced AI technologies as an offence under China’s national security laws.

Authorities also explored possible restrictions on foreign investment in domestic AI startups as part of broader efforts to safeguard China’s AI ecosystem.

The proposed measures are still under discussion, and it remains unclear whether they will apply only to future AI models or also affect existing ones.

The move mirrors similar efforts by the United States to restrict the export of advanced AI technologies on national security grounds.

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Entrepreneur Taylor Ogan, who shared a demo of the device on X, showed the AI completing real-world tasks autonomously. In one test, Ogan asked the AI to hire someone to stand in line for him—a service common in China’s gig economy. The phone independently chose the correct app, filled out the necessary forms, and prepared the request without any manual input. Other demonstrations showed the AI booking a hotel using only a photo of the building, ordering drone-delivered drinks via Meituan, arranging a robotaxi through Baidu Apollo, and even negotiating with automated customer-service bots on the user’s behalf.

The prototype runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset with 16GB RAM and uses a dual-layer AI architecture. Doubao handles cloud-based reasoning while Nebula-GUI, a 7-billion-parameter on-device model trained by ZTE, executes precise interface actions like tapping, typing, or navigating menus. This setup ensures fast performance while keeping sensitive interactions—such as passwords or payments—on the device.

The system demonstrates app-level intelligence previously unseen in global smartphone markets. It can identify user interfaces visually, understand context using multimodal reasoning, and execute multi-step tasks without instructions about which apps to use. While it is still a prototype, analysts say the technology signals a major shift in how smartphones may operate in the future. China’s integrated AI-mobile ecosystem may now be leading the race toward the world’s first true agentic smartphone.

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China’s State Security Ministry claimed on Sunday that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) conducted a prolonged cyber operation against the time center, stealing data and credentials dating back to 2022.

According to the ministry, the NSA exploited a vulnerability in the messaging service of an unnamed foreign smartphone brand to spy on staff devices. It also accused the U.S. of attacking the center’s internal networks in 2023 and 2024.

The National Time Service Center, under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is responsible for maintaining and broadcasting China’s standard time.

The U.S. Embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The accusation comes amid escalating cyber tensions between the nations and renewed trade disputes over rare earth export controls and tariffs.

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The government announced late on Sunday that it had intervened in Nexperia, headquartered in Nijmegen, citing concerns over the possible transfer of technology to its Chinese parent company, Wingtech. The Hague invoked its rarely used “Availability of Goods Act,” granting the state powers to block or reverse management decisions it deems harmful to national interests.

The decision, which does not involve direct ownership of Nexperia, triggered a 10% drop in Wingtech’s shares on the Shanghai stock exchange on Monday. Nexperia manufactures chips for cars and consumer electronics and is one of the world’s largest producers of basic semiconductors such as diodes and transistors, while also developing advanced “wide gap” chips used in electric vehicles, chargers, and AI data centres.

Wingtech described the Dutch move as “excessive interference driven by geopolitical bias” and accused non-Chinese Nexperia executives of attempting to alter the company’s equity structure through legal manoeuvres. A commercial court ruling dated October 7 suspended Wingtech CEO Zhang Xuezheng as Nexperia’s executive director, citing doubts about proper management practices. Dutch businessman Guido Dierick was appointed to replace him with a deciding vote, while control of most of Nexperia’s shares was transferred to a Dutch lawyer.

The Dutch government said administrative problems at Nexperia posed a threat to “crucial technological knowledge” and to European economic security. Wingtech has faced similar scrutiny elsewhere, with the U.K. ordering it to divest ownership of a facility in Newport and the U.S. placing it on an entity list in 2024 for alleged involvement in acquiring sensitive semiconductor capabilities.

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The deal, expected to be confirmed during a call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, aims to resolve U.S. national security concerns over the app’s 170 million American users.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, after two days of talks with Chinese negotiators in Madrid, said a looming September 17 divestiture deadline pushed Beijing to agree to a framework. He added that the deadline could be extended by 90 days to finalize terms.

“When the commercial details are revealed, they will preserve cultural aspects of TikTok that China values, while addressing our national security concerns,” Bessent told reporters.

Trump confirmed he would discuss the agreement directly with Xi, adding: “We haven’t decided [on China’s stake], but it looks to me like a strong deal.”

The U.S. Congress, which passed a 2024 law mandating TikTok’s divestiture from parent company ByteDance, will likely need to approve any final agreement. Lawmakers have warned that Beijing could exploit TikTok for surveillance or influence campaigns, a charge China denies.

China’s chief trade negotiator Li Chenggang described the outcome as a “basic framework consensus,” but criticized Washington for “unilateral bullying” in its broader tech restrictions.

The Madrid meeting marked the fourth round of U.S.-China trade talks since May, amid tariff battles, semiconductor export bans, and disputes over Chinese purchases of Russian oil.

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The move underscores Beijing’s determination to build a self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem in response to U.S. export restrictions that have limited access to advanced Western technologies.

DeepSeek, which jolted the global AI industry earlier this year by releasing cost-effective models rivaling Western systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, said V3.1 features UE8M0 FP8 precision optimization, enabling more efficient use of memory while increasing speed. FP8—or 8-bit floating point—is widely seen as the next step in reducing computing costs for large-scale AI applications.

While the company did not reveal which Chinese-made chips would be supported, it hinted that the model had been tuned for “soon-to-be-released next-generation domestic chips.”

V3.1 also introduces a hybrid inference structure that lets users toggle between reasoning and non-reasoning modes via a new “deep thinking” button on DeepSeek’s app and web platform. Developers using its API will see a revised cost structure beginning September 6.

The update comes after two other significant releases this year: an R1 model update in May and an earlier V3 enhancement in March. Analysts say the focus on local chip support positions DeepSeek as a key player in China’s long-term plan to reduce reliance on foreign AI infrastructure.

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Robots will not only engage in conventional sports but also demonstrate practical applications in areas such as sorting medicines, handling materials, and cleaning services. Among the competitors are humanoids developed by leading Chinese firms such as Unitree and Fourier, reflecting the country’s growing ecosystem of robotics companies.

The Beijing municipal government is a co-organiser of the games, underscoring the political weight placed on robotics development as China confronts both an ageing population and slowing economic growth. Over the past year, the sector has received more than $20 billion in subsidies, while Beijing is also planning a one trillion yuan ($137 billion) fund to back AI and robotics startups.

This latest showcase follows a string of high-profile robotics events in China, including what was billed as the world’s first humanoid robot marathon in Beijing and the opening of retail stores dedicated to humanoid robots. That marathon, however, drew criticism after several competitors broke down mid-race—some emitting smoke—raising doubts about the readiness of the technology.

Despite such setbacks, industry experts see competitions like the World Humanoid Robot Games as critical testing grounds for advancing embodied intelligence. Analysts at Morgan Stanley noted rising public interest in robotics conferences compared with previous years, calling it a sign that enthusiasm for humanoid technology extends beyond government officials. “We believe this widespread interest could be instrumental for China’s continued leadership in the humanoid race, providing the necessary talent, resources, and customers to boost industry development and long-term adoption,” the analysts wrote in a recent report.

Companies participating in the games share a similar outlook. Booster Robotics, whose humanoids are part of Tsinghua University’s football squad, says the sport provides an effective platform to test and refine perception, decision-making, and control technologies that could later find use in homes, factories, and healthcare. “Playing football is a testing and training ground for helping us refine our capabilities,” said Zhao Mingguo, Chief Scientist at Booster Robotics.

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Without directly naming the U.S., Li warned against monopolisation of AI and advocated for equitable access. “AI should not become an exclusive game,” he said, emphasizing China’s willingness to share its AI capabilities with the Global South.

China’s proposal comes amid increasing restrictions from the U.S., including curbs on advanced semiconductor exports to Chinese companies. In response, Beijing is advancing its own AI ecosystem and deepening international partnerships.

Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu revealed that over 30 countries participated in a roundtable at the conference and that China is considering hosting the proposed AI agency in Shanghai. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also unveiled an “Action Plan for Global AI Governance” that encourages open-source collaboration, data-sharing, and regulatory alignment.

The three-day summit highlighted China’s strategic intent to shape AI’s future and build global consensus around responsible innovation.

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