newly released report It calls on Canada to immediately end government-funded research cooperation with China in a variety of fields.
Some areas include advanced digital infrastructure technologies, advanced sensing and surveillance, advanced weapons, and space and satellite technologies.
“The safety and security of Canadians must be the Government of Canada’s top priority,” the report states, and lists 12 recommendations.
“While international cooperation is important to advance scientific knowledge for the benefit of humanity, it does not replace the need for governments to protect Canada’s national security and the safety and security of Canadians. ”
The report states that China’s behavior through foreign interference and espionage has become “increasingly assertive.”
“This is a sensible approach,” says Christian Leuprecht, a professor at the Royal Military College at Queen’s University. “The risks with China in many areas of research cannot be mitigated at all.”
The report was prompted by a 2019 incident at Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg in which two Chinese-Canadians were taken away and ultimately fired for a security breach.
Records submitted to Congress in February show that scientist Qiu Xiangguo and her husband, Keding Chen, downplayed their cooperation with Chinese government agencies.
The report recommends strengthening the security of laboratories and other government institutions.
“China has penetrated deeply into the entire research infrastructure of this country, stealing data, stealing and manipulating our research, stealing and illicitly appropriating our intellectual property,” Leuprecht said. said. “This is not a trusted partner.”
The report is currently under scrutiny, and the government will have to respond to the list of recommendations by March 2025, potentially thwarting existing restrictions on research cooperation between Canada and China.
“Are we going to stigmatize everyone because of the actions of two people,” said Jeremy Paltiel, professor emeritus of political science at Carleton University. “Are we trying to undermine these partnerships that can have positive outcomes for Canadians?”
Paltiel wonders how Canada can monitor China if all ties are severed.
“There is a risk in terminating all cooperation that we will not actually be informed about important new issues that we might have known about if the cooperation still existed,” he said. said.
You can read the full report here.
