7 August 2020

US-China research benefited Chinese military efforts

By Matthew Strong

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Cooperation between academics in the United States and Chinese universities with a military background benefited the modernization of China’s armed forces, a Hoover Institution report concluded Thursday (July 30).

“Global Engagement: Rethinking Risk in the Research Enterprise,” edited by historian Glenn Tiffert, found several issues overlooked during cooperation programs between an American academia guided by liberal values and a communist country like China. The study identified “diversions of U.S. research to PRC defense programs and weapons system development, which can undermine or eliminate U.S. military superiority,” as one of the key issues.

While only a limited number of cases had been reported, the Hoover Institution claims it has found more examples, showing that “U.S. scholars and research institutions have been contributing directly to the PRC’s military modernization.”


The authors recommended tougher oversight of international academic research programs, including taking a closer look at links between Chinese institutions and the Chinese military. Results of those investigations should also be shared with U.S. allies, as a similar phenomenon is also occurring in other countries, the study concluded.

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