Congressman John Moolenaar Chairman of the Select Committee on the CCP | Official Website
Congressman John Moolenaar Chairman of the Select Committee on the CCP | Official Website
In a rare show of bipartisan unity, all members of the House Select Committee on China have signed a letter warning about potential national security risks posed by Chinese robotics firm Unitree. The committee, consisting of both Republicans and Democrats, expressed concerns over the deployment of Unitree's robots within sensitive U.S. institutions.
Chairman John Moolenaar highlighted the issue stating, "The fact that PLA-connected robots are operating in U.S. prisons and even within Army operations should be a wake-up call." He emphasized that these machines could act as surveillance devices backed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Moolenaar urged for immediate action to ban and blacklist Unitree, warning against Beijing embedding itself in critical systems.
Unitree Robotics is based in Hangzhou and is reportedly linked to the CCP and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) through various programs and investments. Despite these connections, their quadrupedal robots are already operational in U.S. state correctional systems and military settings.
The committee calls for several actions: designating Unitree under Section 1260H of the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act as a Chinese military company; adding it to the Department of Commerce’s Entity List to limit exports and partnerships; and including it on the FCC’s Covered List to prevent its use in U.S. telecom infrastructure.
The concern stems from Unitree’s dual-use technology, marketed for civilian purposes but utilized in Chinese military drills and police operations. These robots collect data that could potentially be transmitted back to China. They are currently active in U.S. public safety departments despite being associated with China's military.
Moreover, Unitree devices reportedly include remote-access features via “CloudSail,” subsidized software from PRC, and storage linked to Chinese servers—posing significant surveillance and cybersecurity threats. The letter emphasizes that this situation poses real risks to national security by allowing potential espionage or operational disruption within the United States.
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