Sign in Subscribe
Chairpersons

China's Military Ambitions Threatened by US University Partnerships

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party has released a new report revealing how U.S. universities are facilitating China's military ambitions through joint institutes and academic partnerships. The report identifies over a hundred risky academic partnerships with Chinese entities, posing a direct risk to U.S. national security. Chairman John Moolenaar and Committee on Education and Workforce Chairman Tim Walberg attribute these collaborations to the Chinese Communist Party's exploitation of U.S. education systems, citing legislation like the DETERRENT Act and the SAFE Research Act to protect the country from malicious foreign influence.

Key Takeaways:

  • Over a hundred U.S. universities have formed joint institutes with Chinese entities, posing a threat to U.S. national security.
  • The Chinese Communist Party has exploited U.S. education systems to facilitate its military ambitions, including through research partnerships.
  • Chairman John Moolenaar authored the SAFE Research Act to block federal STEM funding from universities and researchers collaborating with China's military and intelligence services.
  • The National Defense Authorization Act passed by the House includes the SAFE Research Act, aiming to end joint institutes and prevent tax dollars from aiding adversaries.
  • The report identifies three joint degree programs between U.S. universities and China's Seven Sons of National Defense, promoting China's military and defense-research forward.
  • A partnership in submarine engineering research between the University of Houston and Dalian Maritime University highlights the Chinese government's influence in research partnerships.
  • A dual degree in aircraft power engineering between Shenyang Aerospace University and Southern Illinois University Carbondale reveals the Aviation Industry Corporation of China's involvement in the research.
  • Protecting America's research security has been a long-term priority for the committees, with previous investigations documenting hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research funding aiding China's advancements in nuclear technology, AI, robotics, and quantum computing.

Statistics:

  • Over 1,400 research publications resulted from DOD-funded projects with Chinese partners, totaling over $2.5 billion in taxpayer funding.
  • Approximately 800 of the publications involved direct collaboration with Chinese military entities.
  • Over a hundred U.S. universities have formed joint institutes with Chinese entities, as identified in the new report.
  • Three joint degree programs have been established between U.S. universities and China's Seven Sons of National Defense.
  • More than 50 U.S. universities have entered academic partnerships with Chinese entities that pose a risk to U.S. national security.

Sources:

  • House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party (https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov)
  • "Joint Institutes, Divided Loyalties" report (https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/media/reports/joint-institutes-divided-loyalties)
  • Original press release (https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/media/press-releases/in-new-report-moolenaar-and-walberg-identify-more-university-partnerships-threatening-national-security)

Read more