What Are China's Military Universities Up To This Week? (May 30, 2025)

The latest projects, partners, and publications of the Seven Sons of National Defense.

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What Are China's Military Universities Up To This Week? (May 30, 2025)

This week, I’ve returned to tracking the activities of China’s “Seven Sons of National Defense” universities across the web, documenting their recent partnerships, publications, and initiatives. These universities have deep ties to China’s military and defense sector, and some have been implicated in economic espionage operations. The U.S. government has labeled them as high-risk institutions, and their students have been barred from studying in the United States since 2020.

Yet, despite these restrictions, the universities continue to pursue partnerships with companies and institutions worldwide. Understanding their activities is critical for policymakers, academics, and businesses managing the reputational and security risks that come with affiliations to Chinese military-linked entities.

Keep reading to find out which Seven Sons university made a breakthrough in hypersonic jet propulsion technology, which one is pursuing high-level research projects in the EU, and which one got approved to open an AI school focused on “intelligent weapons.”