China’s new tech war warriors, study on jamming Starlink signals: 7 science highlights

From a chief scientist’s detention to a revealing DNA discovery, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting

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Harbin Institute of Technology. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 3:00pm, 3 Dec 2025Updated: 3:45pm, 3 Dec 2025

We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.

1. China’s new tech war warriors: PhD graduates without a thesis

China’s top defence university is piloting a scheme that allows PhD students to graduate with a product or design instead of a thesis in an effort to solve “bottleneck” engineering problems amid the tech race with the United States.

2. Chief scientist at China’s top warship-building research institute detained

Reports say Guo Wei may only have a high school qualification. Photo: Handout

Guo Wei, the chief scientist at China’s Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, has been detained as part of an investigation into alleged academic misconduct and misuse of state research funds, according to local media reports.

3. China team simulates large-scale electronic warfare against Musk’s Starlink

Satellites that will form part of SpaceX’s Starlink constellation await release into orbit from a Falcon 9 rocket on May 24. Photo: SpaceX

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