Canadian research programs have been cleared of security risks posed by China, according to Chad Gaffield, the chief executive officer of U15, an association representing Canada’s top 15 research universities. He stated during his testimony at the House science committee that the measures implemented to mitigate security risks associated with Beijing “are working.” Gaffield emphasized that potential threats and attempts to influence are taken very seriously.
During the committee, Conservative MP Ben Lobb asked if Gaffield’s claims could be verified and if universities had reported cases of problematic research partnerships with China. Gaffield responded that he believed they have been managing the situation successfully.
Philip Landon, interim president of Universities Canada, stated that campuses share a “restricted entities list” of suspected foreign agents. He explained that federal funding would not be available to researchers associated with organizations on the list and conducting sensitive research in technology areas.
Despite these reassurances, some China watchers remain skeptical about Canadian universities’ vigilance when it comes to the Chinese regime. Former ambassador to China, David Mulroney, criticized the commitment to combat intellectual property theft by China, suggesting that more needs to be done.
A Globe and Mail report from January 2023 revealed that Canadian universities have been collaborating with top Chinese army scientific institutions. In response to concerns about Huawei’s affiliation with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), several U15 universities announced gradual reductions in their research collaborations with the tech giant. The federal government also banned Huawei from participating in the development of Canada’s 5G network due to security concerns.
Earlier this year, the federal government introduced stricter policies regarding funding for research involving foreign entities. Funding would be declined for projects associated with institutions tied to foreign governments posing national security risks.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service has cautioned academic institutions about the potential exploitation of research partnerships for espionage. There are concerns that intellectual property could be accessed by foreign agents from countries with adversarial interests, such as China or Russia.
While some experts express confidence in Canadian institutions’ readiness to address security risks linked to research partnerships with China, others remain cautious. Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a senior fellow at the University of Ottawa, highlighted the risk of Canadian university scientists unknowingly partnering with Chinese civilian scientists or engineers whose research is shared with the PLA. She emphasized that the PLA is not a friend to Canada.