logo
Chinese military researchers seek to draw electronic warfare lessons from Ukraine jamming

Chinese military researchers seek to draw electronic warfare lessons from Ukraine jamming

When
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 satellite navigation signals were one of its first targets.
The jamming started with civilian navigation systems, but within less than two weeks, military bands had been targeted as well. All satellite navigation systems in the war zone, including the US GPS system, the European Union's Galileo, China's Beidou and even Russia's own Glonass, fell victim.
Western powers, led by the United States, immediately launched a counter-jamming mission to stall Russia's attempts, according to a paper by Chinese scientists.
While this did not receive a great amount of coverage at the time, some analysts have described it as the first major bout of electronic warfare between major military powers.
It also presented a golden opportunity for Chinese observers, particularly given that Beidou was among the systems affected.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

China urged to boost space solar power technology efforts
China urged to boost space solar power technology efforts

South China Morning Post

time2 hours ago

  • South China Morning Post

China urged to boost space solar power technology efforts

China has been urged to speed up the development of solar power in space to gain a stronger footing in the new energy sector and the space race. Ge Changchun, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, called in an article for a top-down strategy to speed up efforts to develop the technology and narrow the gap with the United States in sectors such as materials and precision control. Space solar power facilities are designed to be built and operated in orbit, where they convert solar energy directly into electricity before transmitting the power to Earth via microwaves or lasers. Unlike ground-based solar plants, space stations are not affected by the weather or nightfall. Solar radiation in space is also far more intense than on Earth, making the technology a more efficient way of continuously generating power. China's research in this field relies primarily on efforts by universities and research institutions, but Ge wrote in an article for China Science Daily that they 'lack the capacity to support such a vast, complex systems project'. Compared with the United States, which conducted solar energy transmission experiments as early as the 1970s, China was relatively late in developing space solar power.

China tourism sees upgrade in hospitality sector
China tourism sees upgrade in hospitality sector

RTHK

time7 hours ago

  • RTHK

China tourism sees upgrade in hospitality sector

China tourism sees upgrade in hospitality sector Domestic tourism is on the rise with the hospitality sector having to adapt to changes in tourist experiences. File photo: Xinhua China's tourism boom is pushing upgrades in its hospitality sector, with shifting travel preferences and growing popularity of digital technologies spurring hotels to embrace cultural integration, artificial intelligence (AI) and international management. In the first half of 2025, domestic tourist trips hit 3.285 billion, up 20.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Summer travel is set to accelerate, with an estimated over 2.5 billion trips, according to data from the China Tourism Academy. Hotel giants are feeling the heat. Jin Jiang Hotels, one of China's largest hotel groups, reported receiving more than 40.7 million guests in its Chinese hotels in July. In addition to the robust data, customers' hospitality demands are also changing. "Chinese travellers are no longer satisfied with just a bed for the night. They seek immersive, multifaceted experiences that turn hotels into hubs of exploration and engagement," said Qian Kang, vice president of Jin Jiang Hotels. Integrating hospitality services with culture, commerce, tourism, and sports has been identified as a major strategic opportunity for the hotel market in 2025, according to an industrial survey released earlier this year by hotel market observer HUAMEI Consulting Group. In Shanghai, Jin Jiang Radisson Hotels launched a culinary initiative, offering exclusive dining deals and immersive food tours. Jin Jiang Hotels China Region's AI voice system handles 70 percent of guest calls, resolving 86 percent of requests within 15 minutes, often coordinating with in-house robots for tasks like deliveries, according to Qian. (Xinhua)

China dependence poses existential risk to US universities
China dependence poses existential risk to US universities

AllAfrica

time12 hours ago

  • AllAfrica

China dependence poses existential risk to US universities

In July 2025, the Trump administration paused export controls on advanced AI chips to China in an effort to restart trade talks. The decision drew criticism from national security circles concerned about China's expanding tech dominance. Yet a quieter and more enduring pipeline of technological transfer remains largely overlooked: America's elite universities. Institutions such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and Columbia are global beacons of research and innovation. Their mission statements reflect an ethos of internationalism and academic freedom. Harvard seeks to 'inspire every member of our community to strive toward a more just, fair, and promising world,' for example, and Columbia commits to 'advancing knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.' These ideals sound noble, and they often are, but they also create blind spots in a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape. Some of the most influential voices in academia have grown increasingly critical of America's global role. Columbia economist Jeffrey Sachs has argued that the US suffers from 'imperial overreach' and argues for a multipolar world where China plays a leading role. American University political scientist Amitav Acharya has, similarly, advocated a 'multiplex world order' that seeks to challenge America's global dominance. Even Princeton's John Ikenberry, often seen as a defender of liberal internationalism, has expressed concern that US unilateralism could unravel the very international order that America has helped build. These aren't abstract academic theories. They shape how universities approach international research and collaboration. In many elite institutions, the pursuit of knowledge is considered to be inherently global; an endeavor that should remain open, inclusive and free of political constraint. But as the boundary between civilian and military technologies grows fuzzier, particularly in fields like AI and quantum computing, academic openness can come at a cost. Such national security concerns are sometimes brushed aside by academia and are viewed as illegitimate, or even as reactionary or xenophobic. At the heart of this matter is money. Students from China and India compose more than half of the 1.1 million foreign students studying in the US. During the 2023–24 academic year, international students contributed more than $40 billion to the US economy. With annual tuition at elite schools often exceeding $60,000, these students fund research centers, laboratories, and faculty salaries. This revenue stream gives universities every reason to remain globally open, even if doing so occasionally creates tension between their priorities and national security. More significantly, many of these institutions maintain formal research partnerships with Chinese universities tied to state and military entities. Harvard, for instance, has collaborated with Tsinghua University, often referred to as China's MIT, on joint research on artificial intelligence, quantum physics, and biomedicine. While billed as academic exchanges, many projects in these fields relate directly to China's civil-military fusion strategy, whereby breakthroughs in science serve Chinese economic development as well as military modernization. These are not theoretical risks. They are playing out in real time. According to the Center for Security and Emerging Technology, about one-third of Chinese nationals who earn PhDs in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields in the US return home within five years. Many go on to work in high-priority sectors supporting China's strategic goals. Kai-Fu Lee, a Carnegie Mellon Ph.D., led Google China before founding Sinovation Ventures, an AI-focused firm closely aligned with Beijing's national objectives. Jie Tang, a Cornell PhD, now leads major AI research initiatives at Tsinghua. During my own fieldwork in China's aviation sector, I mentored two promising students, Kankan Xie and Jikuo Lu, through elite US graduate programs. One is now a professor at Peking University; the other works on AI at Meta but plans to return to China. Both were grateful for the opportunities they found in the United States but made clear that their long-term goals were to support China's national development. Faculty are not blind to this. Martin Widzer, who teaches at the University of Colorado Denver and at the International College Beijing, told me that many of his Chinese students were candid in their nationalist convictions. Several now attend elite US institutions, and many plan to return home, equipped with a world-class education and a strong sense of purpose. Even more concerning is the growing trend of academic self-censorship. Scholars who rely on access to China or funding from Chinese sources often steer clear of politically sensitive topics such as Taiwan, Xinjiang, cyber espionage and technology theft. A prominent China scholar declined to let me publish his comments, fearing that it could jeopardize his visa and access to archives. The pressure is real, and it is only growing. As China scholar Ming Xia has noted, this kind of self-censorship undermines academic independence. When faculty or institutions depend on partnerships with authoritarian states, they risk shaping their research agendas to align more closely with the priorities of their funders, conducting experiments based on what is deemed acceptable rather than on the pursuit of truth. This is not a call to end international cooperation. US science has thrived on open exchange. But universities must balance openness with strategic awareness and recognize how generosity can aid strategic rivals. Policymakers must adopt a tougher stance. Research that involves dual-use technologies alongside institutions in authoritarian states known for serious human rights abuses should be banned outright. Partnerships linked to foreign military or intelligence agencies must be suspended or ended immediately. The US should expand green-card access to foreign STEM graduates who have earned their degrees in the United States, to retain talent for American innovation and security. Moreover, increased federal and state funding for public higher education is essential to reduce universities' reliance on foreign tuition, which currently threatens national security and America's technological edge. Protecting our strategic interests allows no compromise. If the US is serious about maintaining technological leadership in the 21st century, we must recognize that the same institutions that are producing Nobel laureates and Pulitzer winners might also be accelerating China's military and technological rise. Derek Levine is a professor at Monroe University. He is the author of 'The Dragon Takes Flight: China's Aviation Policy, Achievements, and International Implications' and 'China's Path to Dominance: Preparing for Confrontation with the United States.' This article first appeared on The National Review and is republished with the author's kind permission.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store