Pentagon orders university China partnership audits

The United States — United States Department of Defense has ordered 30 U.S. universities to audit their partnerships with foreign institutions, primarily Chinese universities and military training institutions, within two weeks or risk losing federal funding. The directive aims to protect taxpayer-funded research from theft and exploitation. The Pentagon did not publicly name the schools, but a U.S. official said they include Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University. The order follows the Pentagon's release of an updated list of 130 foreign institutions accused of activities that increase the likelihood of U.S. government-funded research being misappropriated, most of which are Chinese, including the University of Science and Technology of China and the China — Academy of Military Science, with some Iranian and Russian institutions also listed. The American Council on Education expressed concerns about the implication of wrongdoing without evidence. The action is part of broader Trump administration scrutiny of China's influence, including investigations by the United States — United States Department of Justice into Harvard University's scholarship practices. China opposed the politicization of academic exchanges.