Over the past year, researchers at Microsoft Research Asia in Beijing have co-authored at least three papers with scholars affiliated with China’s National University of Defence Technology , which is overseen by the Central Military Commission.
While it is not unusual for US and Chinese scholars to conduct joint research, Microsoft’s work with the military-backed NUDT comes amid increasing scrutiny around China-US academic partnerships, as well as China’s high-tech surveillance drive in the north-west region of Xinjiang. “Many of these advanced technologies are dual-use, so they could also contribute to the PLA’s modernisation and informatisation drive, helping the Chinese military move closer to the 2049 goal of being a world-class military,” she added.