China's Commerce Ministry has called on the United States to "respect the facts" and immediately stop what it described as discriminatory measures against Chinese research institutions, CNA reports.
The statement on Friday followed US Department of Defense restrictions on research funding linked to dozens of Chinese universities. The department cannot fund any organisation that collaborates with institutions on its so-called 1286 list. Earlier this month a Republican lawmaker asked for 58 more Chinese universities and 62 technology laboratories to be added, many of them working on semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, according to a letter seen by Reuters.
The ministry said the US was pressuring American institutions to take sides and damaging normal scientific cooperation between the two countries, adding that the policy would end up holding back US technological progress. It said closer research ties served both sides' interests.
Source: CNA
