Survey finds value in China research ties despite curbs

China-related collaboration is widely regarded as beneficial by Chinese-background researchers at Australian universities, even as more than half say research security policies have affected such partnerships, according to a major survey.

Key findings released by the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney showed that the researchers are concerned that current policies "do not adequately distinguish" research collaboration risks.

The institute drew on a recent survey of 109 Chinese-background researchers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, as well as interviews with 12 senior Chinese-Australian scientists.

Ninety-six percent of respondents agreed that collaboration with China "provides important benefits to Australia's research system", the institute said in a statement. Several interviewees said researchers in their fields are increasingly seeking access to Chinese expertise, research infrastructure and industrial capability, the statement said.

However, 57 percent of respondents reported having "avoided, changed, delayed or ended China-related collaboration because of research security policies, procedures or institutional expectations", the institute said.

Interviewees described how "anticipated scrutiny, administrative burden and uncertainty could discourage collaboration even without formal restrictions", it said.

Global frontier

James Laurenceson, the institute's director and coauthor of the survey findings, told China Daily that the data clearly show China now leads the world in many areas of fundamental research.

"For a country like Australia with a relatively small research innovation ecosystem, we must collaborate with the world's best to stay at the global science frontier," he said. "If we cut off collaborations with China unnecessarily, we are only hurting our own national interests."

Most respondents called for greater dialogue among government, universities and Chinese-background researchers, according to the institute.

Laurenceson said the impact on Australia-China partnerships and exchanges in academia and beyond "can only be negative".

Nearly two-thirds of respondents (62 percent) agreed that Australia does need policies to manage national security risks in international collaboration, Laurenceson said.

"The problem is that they also overwhelmingly perceived the risks associated with collaboration with China to be overstated and current guidance and policies to be unclear and not applied consistently," he said.

"What this means is that current settings are likely discouraging some collaborations that would not involve significant national security threats, while simultaneously costing the vitality of Australia's research innovation ecosystem."

The survey came as recent moves by Australian authorities to end two university-related arrangements with China, citing "national security" concerns, drew criticism for their negative impact on education exchange and partnerships.

In August, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian responded to a reporter's question about Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong's decision to "ask the Australian National University and the University of Queensland to terminate their collaboration respectively with Shandong University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences".

Wong's move followed the United States Department of Defense in July adding Shandong University to a blacklist of institutions "engaging in problematic activities".

Lin said China opposes abuse of the concept of national security to restrict and target normal international cooperation in education and research.

The Australia-China Relations Institute also found that 61 percent of researchers in the latest survey reported how "current research security debates had negatively affected their sense of belonging within Australian academia".

"Our findings suggest that uncertainty itself can have consequences, discouraging collaboration even where no formal restriction has been imposed," the authors wrote.

Laurenceson said unnecessarily cutting off collaboration with China will be another headwind to Australia's research innovation ecosystem. Other headwinds include research and development spending that lags well behind the OECD average.

"Despite differences between Canberra and Beijing in the geopolitical realm, Australia-China relations have, on the whole, been stable and mutually beneficial because there are so many other areas of ballast," he said.