WASHINGTON (AP) — For many years, American and Chinese scientists worked side by side on cutting-edge technologies through open research, where findings are freely shared and accessible to all. But that openness, a long-standing practice for advancing knowledge, is raising concerns among some U.S. lawmakers.
They fear that China – now seen as the main challenger to US military dominance – is exploiting open research to catch up with the US in military technology and even gain an edge. And they call for action.
“For far too long, our adversaries have exploited American colleges and universities to advance their interests, endangering our national security and innovation in the process,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican and chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He has enacted legislation to place fresh restrictions on government-funded research collaborations with academics at several Chinese institutions that work with the Chinese military, as well as with institutions in other countries deemed hostile to U.S. interests.
The Chinese Communist Party’s House of Representatives special committee is emphasizing protecting American research, accusing Beijing of weaponizing open research by turning it into a “pipeline of foreign talent and military modernization.”
The growing concerns on Capitol Hill threaten to destroy two generations of close academic ties between the countries, even as tariffs and trade barriers drive the world’s two largest economies apart. The relationship has turned from commitment to competition, if not outright hostility.
“Foreign adversaries are increasingly exploiting the open and collaborative environment of U.S. academic institutions to their own advantage,” said James Cangialosi, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, which issued a bulletin in August calling on universities to do more to protect research from foreign interference.
In September alone, the House committee released three reports. They each targeted Pentagon-funded research involving Chinese scientists affiliated with the military; joint U.S.-Chinese institutes that train STEM talent for China; and visa policies that have allowed Chinese students with military connections to pursue doctoral degrees. programs at American universities. The reports recommend more laws to protect U.S. research, stricter visa requirements to vet Chinese students and scientists, and an end to academic partnerships that could be abused to bolster China’s military power.
Close connections between Chinese and US research
According to a report by private U.S. intelligence group Strider Technologies, more than 500 U.S. universities and institutes have collaborated with Chinese military researchers in recent years, helping Beijing develop advanced technologies for military applications, such as anti-jamming communications and hypersonic vehicles.
Despite U.S. government efforts in recent years to put guardrails in place to prevent such cooperation from boosting China’s military capabilities, the practice is still widespread, according to Strider, based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The report identified nearly 2,500 publications produced in 2024 through collaborations between U.S. companies and Chinese military-affiliated research institutes on STEM research spanning physics, engineering, materials science, computer science, biology, medicine and geology. While the number peaked at more than 3,500 in 2019, before some fresh restrictive measures came into force, the level of cooperation remains high, the report said.
This collaboration not only facilitates “potential illicit knowledge transfer” but also supports China’s “state-directed efforts to recruit top international talent, often to the detriment of U.S. national interests,” the report said.
Foreign countries can exploit American research by stealing secrets for apply in military and commercial environments, poaching talented researchers for foreign companies and universities, and recruiting students and researchers as potential spies, authorities say.
Fostering a climate of resilient academic research requires funding and long-term support. But stealing the fruits of that labor can be as basic as hacking into a university network, hiring researchers, or taking over the research itself. That’s why authorities say it’s so tempting for American adversaries looking to exploit U.S. institutions and research.
The Department of Homeland Security’s latest threat assessment report underscores concerns that American adversaries – and China in particular – are seeking to illegally acquire U.S. technology. Authorities say China is seeking to steal military and computer technology that could give the United States an advantage, as well as the latest commercial innovations.
The industry is looking for a balance
Abigail Coplin, an assistant professor of sociology and science, technology and society at Vassar College, said there are already guardrails in place for federally funded research to protect classified information and anything deemed sensitive.
She also said that open research cuts both ways and also benefits the U.S., and that restrictions could be counterproductive by discouraging talent.
“American national security interests and economic competitiveness would be better served by continuing — if not increasing — research funding rather than by imposing costly research restrictions,” Coplin said.
Arnie Bellini, a tech entrepreneur and investor, also said efforts to protect U.S. research could stifle progress if they go too far and prevent U.S. universities or startups from sharing information about fresh and emerging technologies. Keeping pace with China will also require major investments in protecting innovation, said Bellini, who recently donated $40 million to establish a fresh cybersecurity and AI research school at the University of South Florida.
Bellini said it was vital to promote research and development without revealing America’s secrets to its enemies. “It is now a reality in the U.S. that our digital borders are under siege – and companies of all sizes are rightly concerned,” Bellini said.
According to the Justice Department, about 80% of all economic espionage cases prosecuted in the United States involve suspected acts that would benefit China.
Some members of Congress have pushed to reinstate a Justice Department program created during the first Trump administration that aimed to investigate Chinese intellectual espionage. The so-called “China Initiative” ended in 2022 after critics said it failed to address the problem despite spreading racist stereotypes about Asian American academics.
