Chinese Robots Spark Fear Across the Aisle

On May 6, 2025, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) issued a bipartisan letter expressing national security concerns regarding Unitree Robotics, a Hangzhou-based robotics company.

The letter to the Secretaries of Defense and Commerce, as well as Brendan Carr, Chair of the Federal Communications Commission, highlights Unitree’s alleged connections to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the CCP through military-civil fusion programs and state-backed investments.

The Committee reports that Unitree’s quadrupedal robots, equipped with cameras and sensors, have been deployed within sensitive U.S. institutions, including state correctional systems and military settings. Concerns are raised about potential surveillance capabilities and data transmission to Chinese servers via features like the “CloudSail” remote-access tunnel.

In response, the Committee recommends: 

• Designating Unitree under Section 1260H of the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act as a Chinese military company.
• Adding Unitree to the Department of Commerce’s Entity List to restrict exports and partnerships.
• Including Unitree on the FCC’s Covered List to prevent its use in U.S. telecommunications infrastructure.

Chairman John Moolenaar stated, “The fact that PLA-connected robots are operating in U.S. prisons and even within Army operations should be a wake-up call.”

Unitree Robotics

Unitree Robotics holds a dominant position in the global quadruped robot market, in 2023 accounting for approximately 70% of unit sales and 41% of market value, according to Chinese investment bank Jam Tham Capital. 

To better understand the Chinese robotics industry and where it’s headed, read an interview with Unitree’s founder and CEO Wang Xingxing  [Click Here]

Read the Committee letter HERE.