China expresses displeasure over inclusion of several of its academic institutions on US sanctions list

Beijing, July 29 (KUNA) -- China expressed its deep displeasure and firm rejection on Wednesday of the United States’ decision to place several of its academic and research institutions on a sanctions list, deeming the move a politicization of scientific cooperation and its use as a tool of pressure. In a statement carried by the Xinhua News Agency, China’s Ministry of Commerce said that the United States continues to expand the concept of “national security,” erect “discriminatory barriers,” and politicize scientific and research cooperation, turning it into a weapon that hinders scientific exchange between Beijing and Washington and runs counter to the trajectory of global technological innovation. The statement came in response to the U.S. Department of Defense’s (Pentagon) announcement last Friday updating “Section 1286 List,” which comprises foreign academic and research institutions barred from receiving U.S. government funding earmarked for military research initiatives, under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. According to media reports, the United States added 130 academic and research institutions in China, Russia, and Iran to what is known as the “Section 1286 List,” citing links to national security risks, including China’s Xi’an Jiaotong University. (End) S.L.Q./M.N.F.