A recent study reveals hundreds of publications from Toronto universities collaborating with Chinese academic institutions linked to the military on sensitive research. A former intelligence officer said the ongoing partnerships signal an incentive gap in curbing such practices.
It noted that while collaborations with these Chinese military institutions may yield technological advancements, they also pose substantial security risks to Canadian institutions and national security as a whole. These concerns include potential intellectual property theft, the “dual-use” implications of transferring civilian technology for military purposes, and risks to reputation and academic independence.
LJ Eads, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer and co-author of the study, said there is increasing awareness in Canada and the United States about the necessity to disassociate from China.
“Everything that we’re talking about is this whole era of the great power competition. How do we start to disconnect [with China] where there’s dual-use technology implications or military technology implications?” Mr. Eads told The Epoch Times.
“Everything that they’re doing in our universities and in new technology, it’s going back into a system very organized to create dual-use applications for the military,” he said.
The FAU highlights the extensive involvement of the University of Toronto, mentioned nearly 400 times in the study, in research collaborations with Chinese military institutions. The Toronto Metropolitan University, formerly known as Ryerson University, is also deeply engaged in similar collaborations, according to the study.
The Epoch Times reached out to both the University of Toronto and the Toronto Metropolitan University for comment, but didn’t hear back by press time.
‘Band-Aid Fix’
Earlier this year, the federal government introduced stricter policies regarding funding for research involving foreign entities. It was announced that Canada’s federal research granting councils would decline funding for projects associated with institutions that have ties to foreign governments, posing a national security risk.However, the FAU study, which compiled Canadian research publications from August 2019 to August 2023, indicates persistent research collaborations in these areas between Canadian and Chinese institutions.
Mr. Eads also characterized these measures introduced by the Canadian government as a “band-aid fix,” emphasizing the absence of financial or penalty incentives for Canadian researchers to cease partnerships with China.
Talent Recruitment
Beijing’s global talent recruitment efforts are another key factor contributing to the ongoing collaboration between Canadian and Chinese institutions, said Mr. Eads. China’s extensive talent recruitment programs have raised increasing concerns from the U.S. government, with the FBI warning about their potential incentives for “stealing trade secrets, breaking export control laws, or violating conflict-of-interest policies.”Mr. Eads said that by providing “outrageous” financial incentives to attract international talent, China is pursuing a long-term geopolitical strategy. In contrast, authorities in Canada and the United States are more focused on short-term military build-up, which he believes could lead to the West falling behind in the future.
“They’re thinking the long game in talent recruitment and future wars and future dominance. We’re thinking the six-month plan: this is how many fighters we need, the defence enterprise needs this much funding. We don’t think about talent and expertise like China’s doing right now,” he said.
“I think talent in the near future, and these experts, is going to be more critical than a new [next-generation fighter]. And if you were to say that to the Pentagon right now, I think there would be massive disagreements because we’re still in this era of missiles, bombs, and fighters rather than [embracing] this idea of strategic hybrid warfare, where talent and expertise are big factors in that.”
