China’s Military AI and Biotechnology Directed at the United States
Soldiers in a brigade attached to the 83rd Group Army of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conduct virtual reality exercises. Photo: Screenshot from China Central Television
Soldiers from a brigade attached to the People’s Liberation Army’s 83rd Group Army are conducting virtual reality training exercises, according to footage aired by China Central Television.
A recent congressional report says China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continues to rely heavily on its military-civil fusion strategy, which integrates civilian research, commercial innovation, and academic institutions directly into military development. Military-civil fusion is a national policy designed to merge civilian and defense sectors to accelerate the creation of a world-class military.
Under this approach, Beijing aligns commercial technology with military requirements across sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, and quantum science. Chinese officials describe the strategy as a core element of national power and a key driver of long-term military modernization.
The report notes that China has sustained private-sector participation through state laboratories, funding initiatives, conferences, and industrial parks. This structure has contributed to rapid advances in artificial intelligence, including large language models that now support PLA cyber operations, command decision-making, and influence activities. AI systems are also enabling autonomous and unmanned platforms, such as drone swarms and “loyal wingman” unmanned aerial vehicles.
These developments increasingly intersect with China’s investments in quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum communications—technologies Beijing has designated as national security priorities. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has described quantum technologies as catalysts for industrial transformation. China is investing in post-quantum cryptography, military applications of quantum sensing, and both ground- and space-based infrastructure for a global quantum communications network serving civilian and military needs.
Quantum communications could strengthen nuclear command, control, and communications by providing hardened, interception-resistant links. Quantum sensing may also enhance anti-submarine warfare by enabling detection methods that do not rely on active sonar.
Semiconductor self-sufficiency remains another strategic priority. In 2024, companies including Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. and Huawei Technologies received significant local government funding to accelerate domestic chip production. While China continues to lag behind Western nations in producing the most advanced graphics processing units, it is pursuing alternative approaches, including nontraditional chip architectures and photonic components developed by state research institutes.
Domestic chip manufacturing supports military resilience by ensuring weapons production can continue under sanctions and by securing supply chains for missiles, drones, and radar systems. Alternative chip designs also allow China to sustain AI development while reducing reliance on Western hardware.
Beyond AI, the PLA is advancing biotechnology through military-linked medical and research institutions engaged in dual-use work. Key areas include synthetic biology, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), human performance enhancement, biomimetic robotics, and human-machine collaboration.
Brain-computer interfaces have entered expanded clinical trials, moving closer to operational use. PLA-affiliated institutions are increasingly partnering with industry to develop military applications. BCIs could allow neural control of weapons systems, drones, and other platforms, bypassing traditional physical controls.
When integrated into command-and-control systems, BCIs could enable faster decision-making, AI-assisted targeting, and reduced delays in missile launch authorization, potentially altering escalation dynamics during crises. Other applications include neural-controlled prosthetics and communications systems that are harder to intercept.
Human performance enhancement research focuses on improving endurance, cognition, and stress resistance in soldiers. These capabilities would benefit special operations forces, Taiwan contingency units, internal security forces, and strategic personnel such as missile crews, nuclear command staff, and space and early-warning teams.
Synthetic biology research carries both coercive and defensive implications. Dual-use work could enable population-specific biological agents or incapacitating tools, while also supporting rapid vaccine development, biological detection systems, and force protection during prolonged conflicts.
Biomimetic robotics research centers on systems modeled after animals or insects for surveillance and reconnaissance. Examples include insect-like drones, animal-inspired ground sensors, and platforms designed for urban or maritime infiltration. These systems support swarm tactics and distributed attack operations across air, sea, and land domains.
Human-machine collaboration integrates human cognition with AI-enabled systems. Military uses include allowing a single operator to control multiple autonomous platforms, improving situational awareness, and enhancing cybersecurity through neural monitoring to detect insider threats.
Together, these technologies support swarm warfare and anti-access and area-denial strategies by improving missile targeting, coordinating drone attacks, and enabling rapid adaptation during combat. Human-machine teaming is central to the PLA’s vision for unmanned and autonomous systems, including drone swarms, loyal wingman aircraft, and autonomous ground vehicles.
The report concludes that these systems shorten command loops between humans and machines, reduce reliance on traditional communications links, and complicate electronic warfare and interception.
The U.S. military is also developing AI-driven and autonomous weapons, suggesting future battlefields will be defined by speed and machine-driven decision-making rather than traditional combat experience. Whether real-world combat experience will remain a decisive advantage in such an environment remains uncertain.
The report argues that slowing China’s technological progress is critical. Measures include restricting access to advanced semiconductors, protecting sensitive technologies from espionage, and weakening the economic foundations that support military modernization. Targeted tariffs and trade restrictions remain among the tools available to constrain China’s ability to develop and scale these emerging capabilities.
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