Her ultimate goal
China has sent thousands of scientists, who have secret ties to its armed forces, to Western universities to set up a network of research collaborations with the ultimate goal of boosting its military's technological capabilities.
Some 2.500 researchers from Chinese military universities have spent time in foreign universities over the past decade, especially in the United States and Britain, many of them hiding their military connections, according to a new report by the Australian Institute for Strategic Policy (ASPI). the Australian Ministry of Defense, according to the Financial Times.
The main goal of the Chinese is the so-called "Five Eyes", ie the four English-speaking countries that cooperate with the US in matters of espionage and exchange of information (Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada). Over the past five years, Chinese researchers with ties to the Chinese military have made more joint scientific publications with British and American scientists than any other country.
The new report is expected to spark debate in Western countries about whether and how to curb high-tech exports to China with potential military applications.
Scientists sent by the Chinese military abroad have no ties to the military in their host countries, but focus on gathering knowledge that can then be used by the Chinese armed forces.
Computer science, artificial intelligence, navigation technology and aerospace are among these technologies of high interest. Often Chinese researchers arrange to do their doctorate at Western universities or to develop research collaborations with Western academics in such scientific-technological fields.