Canada names 85 Chinese research groups that ‘may pose’ threat to national security
The Canadian government is publicly naming 85 Chinese research institutions that “may pose” a threat to national security and sensitive research.
The list, published Tuesday afternoon, also includes 12 Iranian and six Russian organizations the Canadian government believes have ties to “military, national defence or state security entities.”
The listing is part of a push to secure Canadian research and development in sensitive industrial sectors — including advanced weaponry, aerospace and space technology, and quantum science and technology — from economic espionage and theft.
“While Canadian-led research is defined by its excellence and collaborative nature, its openness can make it a target for foreign influence, increasing the potential risks for research and development efforts to be misappropriated to the detriment of national security,” said François-Philippe Champagne, the federal industry minister, in a statement Tuesday.
Champagne’s office declined Global News’ interview request Tuesday, as the minister was travelling.
At a technical briefing Tuesday, federal officials said they don’t have a complete picture of how much Canadian research included people associated with the foreign institutions.
“In defining the list, there would be an understanding of risk factors and how they relate to Canadian institutions but also to international institutions,” one official, who was speaking on condition they not be named, told reporters.
Officials also could not say how much the new rules could cost Canadian research institutions, but noted there was also a cost to sensitive research being “exfiltrated” by foreign actors.
The listing — along with the designation of 11 “sensitive technology research areas” — has been in the
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