Select Committee Sounds Alarm on CCP Robots Inside U.S. Institutions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sent a bipartisan letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr to warn of a growing national security threat posed by Chinese robotics firm Unitree. In an unprecedented display of total bipartisan unity, every member of the Select Committee joined in signing the letter.

The lawmakers write: “PLA-connected Unitree robots now operate within sensitive American institutions. With direct ties to Beijing’s defense apparatus, these systems have been utilized by law enforcement agencies, correctional facilities, and defense installations across the country. One commercial vendor alone plans to deploy 100 units in a state prison system, ultimately targeting 1,000 installations. Further compounding this risk, Federal Communications Commission equipment authorizations allow these devices to connect to U.S. telecommunications networks, potentially exposing critical infrastructure to remote surveillance and data collection by PLA-affiliated technology.”

“The Select Committee is gravely concerned about the national security threat posed by PRC robotics companies with ties to the People’s Liberation Army,” said Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi. “These robots are dual-use technologies being weaponized by our adversary and the PLA is actively exploiting these systems to enhance its military capabilities, blurring the lines between civilian and military use. We cannot allow our critical infrastructure or defense supply chains to be infiltrated by foreign companies aligned with hostile regimes whose goals are fundamentally opposed to our national interests and values.”

“The fact that PLA-connected robots are operating in U.S. prisons and even within Army operations should be a wake-up call," said Chairman Moolenaar. "These machines are not just tools—they are potential surveillance devices backed by the Chinese Communist Party. Every single member of the Committee—Democrats and Republicans—signed this letter because we all see the risk: Beijing is quietly embedding itself in our critical systems. We must act now to ban and blacklist Unitree before it’s too late.”

BACKGROUND

Unitree Robotics, a Hangzhou-based technology firm, is deeply linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) through military-civil fusion programs, PLA exercises, and CCP-backed investments. Despite these connections, Unitree’s quadrupedal robots—equipped with cameras, sensors, and embedded software – have already been deployed within sensitive U.S. institutions, including state correctional systems and military settings.

The Select Committee calls for the designation of Unitree under Section 1260H of the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act, identifying it as a Chinese military company. The Select Committee further calls for Unitree to be added to the Department of Commerce’s Entity List to restrict exports and partnerships, and to be included on the FCC’s Covered List to block use in U.S. telecom infrastructure.

Read the letter HERE.

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