US-China University Partnerships Spark National Security Concerns

Congress report reveals federal funds aiding Chinese military tech development
By Newser.AI Read our AI policy
Posted Sep 24, 2024 3:15 AM CDT
US-China University Partnerships Spark National Security Concerns
China's President Xi Jinping, speaks at the opening ceremony of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.   (Greg Baker/Pool Photo via AP)

Federal funding of US-China academic collaborations has facilitated Beijing's development of critical technology with military applications, congressional Republicans assert in a new report. The US House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and the House Education and Workforce Committee's report, released Monday, highlights the national security risks posed by these partnerships, calling for enhanced safeguards and stringent enforcement. It notes that US tax dollars have indirectly supported China's advancements in fields like hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence, nuclear technology, and semiconductors.

This report is part of a yearlong investigation into the role of higher education in the technological competition between the US and China. Lawmakers are increasingly concerned about the potential for US research to be converted into military capabilities by China. American universities, known globally for their research excellence, do not conduct secretive projects but the report says their collaborative work with Chinese peers raises significant security issues. In response, the House has passed about two dozen China-related bills aimed at tech competition; these await Senate approval.

The report also flags joint US-China institutes as a covert means of transferring US technologies to China. Institutions like Georgia Tech and University of California, Berkeley, are distancing themselves from these partnerships amid security concerns. Georgia Tech announced it would end its involvement in the Georgia Tech Shenzhen Institute following accusations of trade secret theft by Tianjin University. Berkeley is winding down its partnership with Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, intending to relinquish all ownership due to research security concerns. Despite such measures, some universities like the University of Pittsburgh, mentioned in the report, have refrained from commenting. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X