Executive Summary
This report by RAND Europe analyzes military-civil links across 50 institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), identifying 29 as consistent contributors to China's defense capabilities. It details six indicators of defense participation, highlighting defense funding and research collaboration as the most frequent linkages. The study reveals accelerating integration between CAS and China's defense research ecosystem, posing challenges for international collaboration.
Why It Matters
This document provides critical insights into the opaque military-civil fusion strategy within China's leading scientific institution, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which is vital for understanding China's defense modernization and managing technology transfer risks.
Key Takeaways
- 29 out of 50 CAS institutes consistently contribute to China's defense capabilities, categorized from 'Limited' to 'Core Defense Partners'.
Source evidence · PDF page 5
29 of 50 CAS entities consistently contribute to the development of China's defence capabilities
- Defense funding and research collaboration with defense entities are the most frequent indicators of military-civil links within CAS institutes.
Source evidence · PDF page 8
CAS institutes are classified on a spectrum from ‘Core Defence Partner’ to ‘Civilian Institute’ using a rules-based framework that combines six indicator scores, each ranging from 0 to 4. Across the 50 CAS entities analysed, two indicators — ‘defence funding’ and ‘research collaboration with defence entities’ — had the highest average scores.
- Research collaboration between CAS institutes and Chinese defense entities is accelerating, growing at an average rate of 10.5% annually between 2021 and 2025.
Source evidence · PDF page 20
Research collaboration between CAS institutes and defence entities grew at an average rate of 10.5% per year between 2021 and 2025. This signals accelerating integration between CAS and China’s defence research ecosystem.
Strategic Relevance
Understanding the extent and nature of military-civil fusion within the Chinese Academy of Sciences is strategically important for assessing China's technological advancements, identifying potential dual-use technologies, and informing policy decisions regarding international scientific collaboration and export controls.