US universities scale back ties with China amid pressure from Pentagon

After US universities were asked by the Department of Defense to cut review research cooperation with foreign institutions, universities in America have scaled back ties with Chinese universities. Pentagon argues that the move will prevent research output from leaking abroad. China objected the step as a move to block normal academic exchanges.

All 30 unnamed higher education institutions, part of initial research security audits, were issued “formal notifications” in August by the US Department of Defense.

“Universities are critical partners in executing a wide range of Department of War research programs, and the Department must therefore ensure that our research investments are well protected from foreign exploitation,” said Joseph Jewell, assistant secretary of defense for science and technology, in August.

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According to South China Morning Post, the review also covered partnerships with entities the department considered as national security risks. The list includes 130 organizations, including Chinese universities and institutions in Russia and Iran.

The American universities were warned by the Department of Defense of stopping federal research funding if they failed to abide by the instructions and fail to meet research security standards.

The first-round review of the universities led to more than 80 actions in connection with terminating partnerships. No specifics were given by DOD about which universities cut ties with which institutions. Though, seven universities, including Virginia Tech, were said to be taking swift action.

The monitoring of universities' overseas research collaborations is expected to continue after this first review.

China is protesting the move saying that US is limiting academic exchanges on the grounds of national security and "turning academic exchanges into a political issue." It argues that scientific research requires an open environment, and blocking normal exchanges will not only harm China but also US researchers and universities.