A House of Commons committee is recommending that Ottawa cease research collaboration with China in sensitive sectors due to concerns about security breaches at Canada’s top biosafety lab.
One of the key recommendations is for the Canadian government to halt research collaboration with entities and individuals in China in specific technology research areas deemed sensitive, including robotics, life science technology, and advanced weapons development.
As of early 2024, Ottawa had already taken measures to address concerns about the theft of research and intellectual property by entities from China, Russia, and Iran.
Under the national security guidelines for research, researchers seeking federal funding are prohibited from having affiliations with certain named research institutions, the majority of which are based in China.
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The committee’s recommendation to end collaboration with China in sensitive sectors could have broader implications, but the impact on current research involving China has yet to be determined.
The Epoch Times reached out to the department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development for comment on the potential consequences but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Collaboration
Officials who testified before the Canada-China committee stated that there is no ongoing bilateral research collaboration between Canadian labs and Chinese counterparts or the Chinese government.
Health Minister Mark Holland expressed disappointment at the breakdown of relations with China, preventing further collaboration on important issues. He mentioned that some cooperation with Chinese scientists may still be happening through partnerships with the World Health Organization.
Following the release of documents related to the Winnipeg lab, which included security reports from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, it was revealed that scientists Xiangguo Qiu and Keding Cheng had their security clearances revoked in 2019 and were eventually dismissed in 2021 due to undisclosed ties to the Chinese government. Qiu assisted China in studying deadly pathogens, including providing samples to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in 2019.
MPs recommended adding the WIV to the list of research institutions of concern and addressing talent recruitment programs used by China to attract foreign scientists like Qiu.
The committee proposed additional measures to enhance security in Canada’s scientific activities, including restricting the transfer of dangerous pathogens to trusted laboratories only.
Furthermore, the committee urged Ottawa to explore legal ways to prevent individuals under investigation for national security breaches from leaving the country, referencing the case of Qiu and Cheng who left for China while being investigated by the RCMP.
The committee’s findings will be presented to the House, and the government is expected to provide a response.
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