Washington adds 130 institutions in China, Russia, and Iran to a blacklist for alleged theft of American technology

Washington, July 23 (KUNA) -- The U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) issued on Thursday a blacklist of 130 academic and research institutions based in China, Russia, and Iran, accusing them of engaging in the illicit transfer of American technology. The ministry stated in a press release that “entities listed in the updated blacklist are involved in activities of concern that increase the likelihood of misuse of U.S. government-funded research and development efforts.” It emphasized that “this illicit exploitation enables interference by hostile governments and threatens U.S. national security and scientific integrity.”

In this regard, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael said that through this measure, the ministry is reinforcing “its commitment to protecting taxpayer-funded research and preserving the integrity of the American scientific system.”

The ministry noted that, as of the current fiscal year, “funding for any research involving collaboration with any entity listed on the blacklist is prohibited, pursuant to Section 1286 of the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act, which aims to protect government-funded academic research from unjustified foreign interference.” It clarified that the ban applies to “conducting research in collaboration with any listed entity or using equipment belonging to them, and extends to all personnel working in those institutions.”

The Department of Defense recommended that “domestic researchers, academic institutions, and industry professionals exercise extreme caution when considering any collaboration or actions related to funding any institution on this list or sharing data with them.” It added that this step aligns with the ministry’s recent directives “imposing stricter requirements to protect fundamental research from malicious foreign influence and intellectual property theft.” (End) R.S.R./A.M.S.