China ignores US fears with strategy to use civilian tech for military
- Beijing dialled down its mentions of the strategy to help modernise the armed forces but a new document offers some clues
- The policy has raised concerns in Washington that the programme will funnel US innovation to China
China will ramp up joint military-civilian efforts to develop cutting-edge technologies, according to the fine print of a new document that answers some of the big questions in the country’s long-term economic and security vision.
The strategy was launched in 2015 in an effort to get the private sector and state-owned military-industrial players to work together on dual-use technology to help modernise the country’s defence forces. Under the strategy, the private sector has been invited to help develop advanced maritime, aerospace and cyberspace technologies.
In April, the US announced new export controls on sensitive technology to Chinese companies, which will be enforced late this month. Last month, the White House also issued an order to block the visas of Chinese students and researchers deemed to have links with the fusion strategy.
