The relationship between the United States and China has long been characterized by a complex mix of cooperation and confrontation, particularly over trade and tariffs. A new report from the US Congress, however, has unveiled a startling dimension to this dynamic, suggesting an inadvertent flow of American funds to entities with direct ties to the Chinese military. The report by the House Select Committee on the CCP indicates that money from the. US Department of Defense (DoD) is reaching research institutions directly linked to China's armed forces.
Blacklisted Institutions Receive Aid
Perhaps the most alarming finding is that several of these institutions are on the US blacklist, meaning they're officially sanctioned and shouldn't receive any form of cooperation. Between 2023 and 2025, over 700 research papers were identified that received US funding and involved scientists from China's defense sector, while this situation underscores a significant lack of coordination among US agencies and weaknesses in the enforcement of existing laws designed to prevent such collaborations.
The Grave Implications of Shared Research
The report, aptly titled "A Fox in the Henhouse," emphasizes the severity of the issue. While some might argue that Chinese scientists can access research findings anyway, so what's the harm in co-authorship? The critical difference lies in shared research, where not just the final results but also methodologies, data, and experimental intricacies are exchanged, while this insider information can be incredibly valuable to the Chinese military, especially in sensitive areas like drone technology, cyber defense, and electronic warfare.
Direct Benefits to China's Military
As an example, in 2025, the US Navy funded. A project on "swarm mission planning," involving research based on drones and artificial intelligence. This research was a collaboration between the University of Texas and a Chinese university that has been on the US blacklist since 2001. Such collaborations provide China not only with the outcomes but also with a deep understanding of the entire research process, which can directly enhance its military capabilities, while ultimately, US taxpayer money is inadvertently strengthening China's military power.
