US urged to end research cooperation curbs

The United States Department of Defense has recently blacklisted some Chinese research institutions, a step that, contrary to safeguarding national security as Washington claims, would instead hamper scientific exchanges between the world's two largest economies and undermine global innovation, officials and experts said on Wednesday.

"Washington has continuously overstretched the concept of national security, erected discriminatory barriers and 'politicized, weaponized and instrumentalized' scientific research cooperation," a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement, expressing "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition" to the US move.

These comments came after the Pentagon added several Chinese research institutions — including Fudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University — to its so-called "list of foreign institutions engaging in problematic activities" last Thursday.

The move hinders scientific research exchanges and collaboration between China and the US and runs counter to the global trend toward cooperation in scientific and technological innovation, the spokesperson added.

In unveiling the updated list of 130 academic and research institutions — 88 of which are Chinese — the Pentagon framed the move as an effort to curb what it described as unauthorized technology transfers to "foreign countries of concern".

Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the expansion of the blacklist to include more Chinese universities beyond those traditionally associated with the country's defense sector shows that Washington is broadening its so-called "de-risking" campaign against China.

"It will deal a blow to global innovation and make it increasingly difficult for affected institutions to sustain research partnerships with their US counterparts," he added.

Beijing is urging Washington to cease its groundless smears against Chinese research institutions, promptly correct its wrong practices, and provide the institutions with fair, just and nondiscriminatory treatment, the ministry spokesperson said.

"China will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese research institutions and help ensure normal scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation," the spokesperson added.

Echoing the ministry's call for normal scientific and technological exchanges, Cai Qingfeng, a professor at the School of Economics at Xiamen University in Fujian province, said that China and the US, as two major countries at different stages of development, should reject zero-sum thinking.

"The way forward lies in broader and mutually beneficial cooperation, which is essential to building a sound, stable and sustainable global economic order, as well as advancing scientific and technological cooperation," Cai said.