The Dutch intelligence services AIVD and MIVD recently identified China as the biggest threat to the Netherlands when it comes to stealing high-quality knowledge and technologies. These concerns are well-founded and deserve attention and action. But they also contribute to a development that should concern us equally: the trend towards decoupling from China.
Universities and researchers find it difficult to gauge what can and cannot be done in the field of scientific cooperation. The academic environment in China has deteriorated further during the COVID years. Control by the Communist Party has become more forceful on all fronts, and Chinese policies raise ethical issues. This has led to universities and researchers avoiding cooperation, as revealed by a survey by newspaper Trouw last week.
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