NASA-funded research helping China advance its space and military programmes: Report

A Congressional report has claimed that China's military may have received a boost from NASA-funded research to advance its military, space, submarine and surveillance programmes. The report presented by theRepublican members of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) stated that the US and Chinese institutes had jointly published more than 1,000 research papers with financial support from NASA.

The reportadded that dozens of people affiliated with China'sSeven Sons of National Defence, a group of universities with ties to the Ministry of Industry and Information, were involved in the research.

"Many of these papers also list Chinesegovernment funding. Most of these publications are from the last ten years, and around 140 of them are from 2023-24 alone," the report noted.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The report raised concerns about aNASA-backed fog study in the Chukchi-Beaufort Seas with China's Ocean University, which maintains a formal relationship with the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Navy Submarine Academy.

“The study’s focus on the Chukchi–Beaufort Seas, a strategic area for submarine operations, raises concerns about potential benefits to PLA Navy capabilities in navigation and stealth activities.”

Another study focused on satellite-derived sea surface temperature measurements with researchers from the Ocean University of China, the Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, and the China Academy of Space Technology—which is part of a Chinese state company that develops space satellites.

Watch | China, US, Race To Control Time On The Moon

'Lack of legal guardrails'

Notably,in the last decade alone, there have been 9,000 examples of research publicationsthat had received funding from the Pentagon or the US intelligence community, and had co-authors with ties to Chinese institutions.

The report warned that due to lack of legal guardrails around federally funded research, the knowledge gained had contributed to help China "achieve advancements in dual-use, critical, and emerging technologies like hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence, fourth-generation nuclear weapons technology, and semiconductor technology".

"The Chinese Communist Party is driving its military advancements through US taxpayer-funded research and through joint US-PRC institutes in China. We also must ban research collaboration with blacklisted entities, enact stricter guardrails on emerging technology research, and hold American universities accountable through passing the Deterrent Act,” said Chairman John Moolenaar

The Committee recommended implementingpost-award restrictions on collaborations with blacklisted entities from a foreign country of concern. Additionally, it argued for strengtheningoversight and enforcement of postsecondary institutions’ failure to disclose foreign gifts and contracts.

(With inputs from agencies)