The Chinese government has launched an ambitious national strategy that breaks down all barriers between civilian and military research—raising enormous challenges for universities, private companies, and countries around the world.
Through a strategy called “civil-military fusion,” the Chinese Communist Party is taking advantage of the freedoms that drive innovation and is stealing third-party technology, said U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo at a conference on Silicon Valley innovators on January 13. Almost all of the nearly one thousand open FBI investigations into intellectual property theft are linked to China, he added.
“Under Chinese law, Chinese companies and researchers must—let me repeat, must—share technology with the Chinese military under penalty of law,” Pompeo stated.
Here are some reasons why the U.S. is concerned:
Concealment of Military Affiliations
Dozens of scientists from the People’s Liberation Army of China have concealed their military affiliations in order to travel to Australia, Canada, the United States, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. These Chinese researchers work at foreign research centers to conduct research in sensitive areas such as hypersonic missiles and navigation technology, according to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a think tank in Canberra.
The Chinese military has also sent 2,500 scientists to foreign universities since 2008, ASPI revealed in an October 2018 report. The U.S. and the U.K. received about 500 of these researchers, while 300 were sent to Australia and Canada, and Germany and Singapore received approximately 100.
“Some of those traveling abroad have actively used false identities to disguise their military affiliations, claiming to belong to non-existent academic institutions,” ASPI said.
Exploitation of the West’s Open System
U.S. Senate investigators concluded that China is exploiting the transparency, reciprocity, and merit-based competition that has driven American research for decades. “These values promote a free exchange of ideas, encourage the most rigorous research outcomes, and flourish to ensure that researchers benefit from their intellectual capital,” according to a Senate report published on November 19, 2019.
“China unfairly uses the American research and experiences it obtains for its own gain,” Senate investigators stated.
For example, in 2019, China National Nuclear Corporation, which operates China’s civilian nuclear power plants, was added to the U.S. government Entity List for its efforts to acquire advanced nuclear technology from the U.S. and divert it for military use in China.
The listed entities are suspected, based on specific facts, of engaging in activities that pose a risk to U.S. national security.
There is a distinct difference between China’s civil-military fusion strategy and the policies of other nations. Many countries, including the United States, leverage the civilian sector to advance military modernization. But the United States and partners around the world have ensured, through international agreements, that dual-use technology will not be diverted for military use.
The civil-military fusion strategy does exactly the opposite.
Risk of Compromising Core Values
Pompeo, in his remarks in Silicon Valley, warned that the theft of research by the Chinese Communist Party supports not only the Chinese military but also its increasingly repressive policies.
“Even if the Chinese Communist Party assures you that its technology is limited to peaceful uses, you must know that there is a huge risk,” Pompeo stated. “We need to ensure that American principles are not sacrificed for the sake of prosperity.”
Source: share.america.gov