Living in the U.S., one thing you notice is that the Republican and Democratic parties always clash. They argue about taxes, welfare, the environment, and gun control almost daily.

However, when it comes to national security issues, both parties surprisingly speak with one voice.

According to today's news, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced strong measures targeting China.

They have decided to ban the import of new foreign humanoid robots and quadruped robots (robot dogs), as well as certain power inverters, into the U.S.

The justification is national security and cybersecurity. Today's humanoids are not just simple machines. They come equipped with cameras and microphones as standard, along with LiDAR, various sensors, AI, and cloud connectivity. They can navigate through homes, recognize faces and voices, and continuously exchange data over the internet.

From the U.S. government's perspective, if such products connect to overseas servers, it could lead to national security issues beyond just personal data concerns.

In fact, the FCC described this as a "measure to protect America's critical supply chains."

One noteworthy aspect of this measure is that it includes power inverters. Inverters are essential devices that convert direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) in solar power systems, energy storage systems (ESS), data centers, and home electrical equipment. While they may seem like simple electrical products, most modern devices can be remotely monitored and updated via the internet.

The U.S. believes that since these devices are connected to critical infrastructure, they need to preemptively block such security risks.

In fact, the U.S. has already expanded regulations on Chinese communication equipment, drones, semiconductors, electric vehicles, advanced AI semiconductors, and even Chinese AI models. Now, the scope has widened to include robots.

Interestingly, China currently dominates the humanoid market.

Some analyses suggest that it holds about 85% market share. In 2025, approximately 15,000 humanoids are expected to be shipped worldwide, with China's Unitree and AGIBOT each selling over 5,000 units. In contrast, American companies like Tesla and Figure AI are still at a few hundred units.

Experts believe that while this measure may protect U.S. companies from price competition, it won't significantly slow down China's technological advancement.

This is largely due to the vast domestic market in China and sufficient other export markets.

Of course, China has responded immediately. The Chinese Foreign Ministry criticized the U.S. for excessively interpreting national security to suppress its companies, stating that "protectionism will also harm American businesses and consumers."

Particularly with the upcoming summit between President Trump and President Xi Jinping scheduled for September, tensions between the two countries may escalate further.

Nowadays, refrigerators are connected to the internet, TVs are connected, and cars are always online. As we move toward an era where humanoid robots will take over household chores, those robots will learn about our home layouts, lifestyles, conversations, and family members. If there's a possibility that the data from such devices could be sent to overseas servers, it's understandable for the government to approach this cautiously.

In the future, U.S.-China competition is likely to expand beyond just tariff wars to include all advanced industries such as AI, robotics, energy equipment, and semiconductors.

We may soon enter an era where "which country made it" is less important than "which country's network it connects to."