Germany plans to limit research cooperation with China

Germany's new China strategy warns that Beijing is viewing even basic research through a military lens. Germany therefore plans to withhold federal support for research projects where there is a risk of "knowledge drainage" to China, as well as promising that German academics will be better aware of the security risks of cooperation.

ScienceBusiness states that the strategy, published on July 14, is a compromise coalition document aimed at making ties with China less risky at the same time without a full secession, bringing Germany in line with the approach set by the European Commission earlier this year. In addition to the promise to cut federal support for knowledge-draining projects, the new "China strategy" also includes several attacks on Beijing over what Berlin sees as unfair one-sidedness in research relations: "The Chinese government is increasingly preventing access to civil society, media, research institutions, and government agencies. German research in China is increasingly thwarted by "censorship and administrative measures."

The United Kingdom is aware of similar risks. On July 13 the UK's Intelligence and Security Committee issued a wide-ranging report on Chinese influence in the UK, focusing in particular on the country's penetration of universities and the technology sector. More than 100,000 Chinese students are studying in the UK, and universities are coming under pressure from the Chinese government to restrict lectures attacking China on Tibet and other sensitive topics.

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