By Jia Feimao | 2026-06-02

China has been gaining access to military-applicable technologies through years of research collaboration with Australian and New Zealand institutions, a new report says. Its findings raise concerns about national security risks embedded in academic partnerships.

Artificial intelligence research firm Strider Technologies said in a May report that since 2020, Chinese military-linked institutions have co-authored more than 6,000 research papers with Australian researchers, and more than 500 papers on science, technology, education and math (STEM) with New Zealand researchers.

These partnerships involve at least 80 Australian and more than 10 New Zealand institutions. The collaborating Chinese entities comprise military research units, state-owned defense enterprises, and universities belonging to the "Seven Sons of National Defense" -- a group of elite institutions overseen by Beijing's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and closely tied to the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

These universities, including the Harbin Institute of Technology, are already under U.S. sanctions for attempting to illicitly acquire American-origin technology and equipment to advance PLA modernization.

Dual use research

The report says the collaborations reflect a "state-driven strategy to achieve global leadership in science and technology." Research areas are concentrated in dual use fields with clear military applications, including artificial intelligence, aerospace, communications jamming, target tracking and swarm operations.

John Lee, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and former adviser to Australia's Foreign Ministry, told Sky News that while Australia has restricted cooperation with blacklisted entities, Chinese-linked institutions not on the list can still access the academic system. Under current Chinese law, the government or PLA may compel such entities to hand over research findings.

Lee said he had communicated with Australian researchers and university leadership about keeping their distance from PLA-linked institutions. "I can tell you that many of them simply didn't care. They were more interested in pursuing their narrower, institutional or personal career interests."

The report warns that some exchanges may function as covert channels "for influence, intelligence gathering, and technology transfer -- often under the guise of legitimate academic collaboration."

The report concludes that the collaborations "pose strategic risks that extend far beyond academia. They contribute directly and indirectly to the advancement of the PRC's military capabilities and its broader geopolitical ambitions."

Push for oversight

According to The Australian, China has overtaken the United States as Australia's largest research partner based on co-authored scientific publications, with Chinese researchers now accounting for a larger share of international collaborators on Australian research papers than those from any other country.

In response to these risks, Education Minister Jason Clare has blocked funding for 13 university research grants on national security grounds, citing concerns related to espionage, warfare, and dual use technologies that could be exploited by foreign militaries, while promising to enforce stricter regulatory oversight across the sector.

Clare said universities should engage in international collaboration "consistent with Australia's national interest and laws," and that the government expects all universities to "continue to strengthen protection for Australia's national security," including through the Universities Foreign Interference Taskforce.

Taiwanese national security analyst Chen Wen-chia told Focus that Chinese-linked institutions have for years absorbed critical technologies under a legitimate academic framework and converted them to military use. Chen said the risk lay not in any single technology transfer, but in the systematic accumulation of knowledge.

"The Five Eyes alliance relies on a high degree of information sharing. Structural infiltration risks in the Australian and New Zealand research systems will inevitably erode trust among member states," Chen said.