China urged to copy Pentagon’s hi-tech warfare project without US conflicts of interest

China has been urged to learn from a Pentagon project to assess future warfare but warned to avoid the potential conflicts of interest and other shortcomings of the US defence review.

Project Meridian, launched late last month, is designed to identify future battlefield requirements and prioritise investment, with a focus on areas such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, directed energy, robotics and biotechnology.

In an analysis published on Friday, the Beijing-based think tank Blue Army Open-Source Intelligence Research Institute suggested China should draw lessons from its assessment of different military domains, collaboration between military and civilian analysts and emphasis on linking technological development with operational requirements.