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China-Canada relations
ChinaDiplomacy

China takes aim at Canada’s move to block Chinese, Russian, Iranian research links

  • Chinese foreign ministry says policy is short-sighted and unwise, and that it politicises and weaponises technological cooperation
  • Ottawa will not fund tech research with ties to institutions linked to military, defence or security entities deemed to pose national security risks

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The move puts further strain on relations between China and Canada. Photo: Reuters
Jack Lau
China has hit out at Canada’s plan to stop funding sensitive research linked to certain Chinese, Russian and Iranian military and security institutions, saying it politicises and weaponises technological cooperation.
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“The relevant policy from Canada is short-sighted, unwise and harms another without benefiting itself,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday.

Ties between Canada and China have been strained in recent years, even after the saga ended over the arrest in Vancouver of a Huawei Technologies executive on fraud charges and the detention of two Canadians in China for suspected espionage. All three were released in 2021.
Ottawa in May expelled a Chinese diplomat accused of trying to intimidate a member of parliament, resulting in a tit-for-tat move from Beijing. Canada also opened an investigation in September into alleged election interference by China and Russia. Beijing denied the claim.

Ottawa announced on Tuesday that from spring, no government funding would go to sensitive technological research if any researcher involved was affiliated with, funded by or supported in kind by an institution linked to a military, national defence or state security entity deemed to pose national security risks to Canada.

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A list of 103 such institutions were identified, 85 of which are Chinese. Most are academies and universities run by the Chinese military, paramilitary, coastguard, police and the state security ministry, which oversees intelligence. Others include aerospace research and engineering institutions.

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