Chinese defense scholars urge study of Ukraine’s wartime information operations

Researchers at China’s National University of Defense Technology are urging the country’s military to study Ukrainian wartime communications as it develops new methods for information support during combat operations.

In a study reported by the South China Morning Post, scholars Lin Jiawei and Yang Qingqing argue that advanced technology alone is not sufficient. They maintain that success depends on tightly coupling information strategy with military operations, rather than treating messaging and battlefield action as separate efforts.

The researchers believe effective information campaigns should weaken the adversary’s sense of security, strengthen internal resilience among the population and armed forces, and win international support. They view these functions as central to modern conflict, where perception and morale can influence outcomes on the ground.

Their analysis points to a broader Chinese military interest in how Ukraine has combined conventional warfare with communications and information operations. The findings suggest Beijing wants to refine its own doctrine by observing how information activities are integrated into joint combat under the pressure of a large-scale, closely watched war.

The work frames wartime information support as a continuous operational task that must be planned alongside, not behind, kinetic action.