Now the Guardian newspaper is reporting that Imperial College, in London, is to shut down two major research centres that are currently sponsored by Chinese aerospace and defence companies in the latest move by a Western institution to cut ties with China where security is deemed to be at risk.
The Avic Centre for Structural Design and Manufacturing is a long-running partnership with one of China’s leading aviation suppliers, which has provided £6m for research into cutting-edge aerospace materials. The other is jointly run with Biam, a subsidiary of another state-owned aerospace and defence company. It has contributed funding of over £4.5m for projects looking at high-performance batteries and jet engine components.
While both have said that their focus is on civilian projects there have been growing concerns that they were being used to benefit the Chinese military.
According to Imperial both will be shut by the end of the year after the rejection of two licence applications submitted to the government’s Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU).
Earlier this summer the UK’s leading security agency, MI5, together with the FBI warned of the espionage threat posed by China to UK universities.
Both the US and the UK have been hardening their attitudes towards China of late, and this is just another step in blocking possible technology transfers from Western universities which could be deemed as a threat to security.
What a turnaround! Back in 2012 the then Conservative government was massively enthusiastic about welcoming Chine partners and money – now these collaborations are no longer going to be possible.
