Pentagon Blacklists Chinese, Russian Entities Exploiting US Academic Partnerships

The Department of Defense has blacklisted select organizations in China, Russia and other countries for allegedly stealing sensitive defense research from U.S. academic institutions.

Universities in the United States receive funding from the DOD for various projects, which foreign academic partners can exploit to gain access to key defense information.

Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering and a speaker at a past Potomac Officers Club event, said in a press release that identifying such entities is part of efforts to protect federal research spending and critical technologies. The department warned U.S. academic and commercial sectors to exercise caution when engaging with the listed organizations.

Earlier in June, Shyu signed off on a new policy that mandated a conflict of interest and commitment review for fundamental research projects to be awarded by the DOD.

Congress directed the department to compile the list through the fiscal year 2019 defense budget. The White House and the Government Accountability Office have issued similar guidance, Defense News reported.