Trends in U.S.-China Science and Technology Cooperation: Collaborative Knowledge Production for the Twenty-First Century?

This report was prepared for the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission by Dr. Richard P. Suttmeier, Professor of Political Science, Emeritus, University of Oregon. U.S.-China bilateral S&T cooperation has facilitated a complex government-to-government relationship consisting of roughly 30 agency-to-agency protocols and a number of sub-agreements in fields including nuclear safety, agriculture, energy, and environmental protection. The report details how China's engagement with the U.S. on S&T has played a major role in the development of Chinese technology, wealth, and power. In addition to examining a range of bilateral projects and cross-agency cooperative efforts, Dr. Suttmeier's report describes the differing objectives driving scientific cooperation in the United States and China. China uses S&T engagement as a component of a national strategy to build scientific capabilities. This has enabled the rapid development of China's S&T capabilities and threatens the United States' status as the world's leading scientific power. This report also identifies some national security challenges, including the transfer of sensitive technology through espionage and other means that have emerged in the context of bilateral S&T cooperation.