Armor, Explosives, and Robot Skins: Ten New Research Papers from U.S.-China Partnerships

Academic research with military applications.

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Armor, Explosives, and Robot Skins: Ten New Research Papers from U.S.-China Partnerships

This week, The Spy Hunter newsletter examines ten new research papers on cutting-edge technologies with civilian and military applications, produced through collaborations between Chinese military-linked universities and U.S. institutions. These papers were compiled from the Seven Sons of National Defence (国防七子) Tracker by Data Abyss. I highly recommend checking out their website for the latest information on ongoing projects between Chinese and Western organizations.

I selected these ten papers based on three criteria:

• They were published within the past month.

• At least one author is affiliated with a Seven Sons university and one with a U.S. institution.

• The research has clear military applications.

Why does this matter? After all, conducting academic research isn’t illegal, and scientific progress depends on collaboration between top minds worldwide. The results are published and accessible to anyone.

However, there’s a fundamental difference between simply reading a research paper and actively participating in its development. Researchers who publish on these topics gain hands-on experience, international recognition and influence as subject experts, and access to further funding. This is why dual-use technology research collaboration between Western and PLA-linked institutions is problematic — it funnels Western experts’ insights directly into the Chinese military ecosystem, thereby enhancing Chinese research capabilities before of the rest of the world can catch up. (This type of knowledge transfer has less of an impact going from China to the US. While many Chinese researchers are leaders in their fields, US academics that benefit from working with them are less likely to be plugged into the US military-industrial complex than a Chinese professor at a PLA-linked university.)

Highlighting these papers not only reveals the scope of these partnerships but also helps policymakers develop targeted strategies to mitigate risks, which include intellectual property theft, technology diversion, and the potential military use of scientific breakthroughs by the PLA. The research topics covered in these papers include advancements in bulletproof armor, explosives, robotics, radar, AI, cybersecurity, blockchain, and more—some of the most cutting-edge technologies shaping the future of warfare and technological supremacy. By understanding how this fundamental research is being conducted, U.S. institutions and lawmakers can help prevent the PLA from gaining a head start in integrating these discoveries into military systems.

Let’s take a look.