Taipei City Council faced criticism after revealing it purchased a patrol robot dog made by Chinese company Unitree, which has ties to China’s military.

The robot, intended to help inspect pedestrian areas, uses cameras developed by a Taiwanese contractor, but opposition officials and commentators warned it could pose a national security risk by collecting sensitive data.

The council said the purchase was a one-unit trial and pledged to address security concerns before further use, while Taipei’s mayor confirmed discussions with the central government are ongoing, The Guardian has reported.