China and North Korea: the reasons for Japan’s tighter rules for access to tech at universities?

Tokyo plans to make overseas researchers dealing with sensitive technology divulge their funding sources, and more thoroughly vet students from abroad

It has not named which countries are being targeted by the regulations, but experts say there are concerns over data theft by Beijing and Pyongyang

Reading Time:3 minutes

Robotics, artificial intelligence, advanced electronics and chemicals are among the areas in which Japan is concerned about foreign efforts to obtain proprietary information. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 12:15pm, 30 Jul 2020Updated: 8:25pm, 30 Jul 2020

The Japanese government is tightening rules covering access to sensitive technology for foreign students and researchers at universities, and is threatening to withhold financial aid to institutions that experience leaks of secret information, particularly data with potential military applications.

Under new regulations proposed by the government, researchers will be required to divulge their overseas sources of funding when applying to conduct studies, while visa applications from foreign nationals who wish to study at Japanese universities will be more thoroughly vetted.

The move comes after Chinese scientist Tang Juan was charged with visa fraud in California for allegedly concealing her links to the Chinese military. Tang is charged with lying in her application to attend the University of California, Davis, and again in an FBI interview in June.

US officials summoned her for questioning after discovering images of her in military uniform and articles in Chinese media identifying her connections to the army.

In June, minister for science and technology policy Naokazu Takemoto said he would look into reports that Chinese students and researchers had helped illegally transfer technology from universities in the United States to China, adding that the outcome of the investigation would help to “decide how universities in our country should respond” to similar situations.

The Japanese government in mid-July adopted the Integrated Innovation Strategy 2020, which outlines future directions for research and includes for the first time the requirement that cross-border collaboration in research projects be more closely monitored.

A combination photo from a criminal complaint filed in US District Court shows two images of Tang Juan in military uniform. Photo: US District Court

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x