In The News

U.S. Think Tank Reports Prompted Beijing to Put a Lid on Chinese Data

The Wall Street Journal

May 7, 2023

CSET was among the think tanks mentioned in a Wall Street Journal story on China's recent tightening of restrictions on overseas access to open-source databases.

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A Wall Street Journal report on China’s recent tightening of restrictions on overseas access to open-source databases said the move was prompted in part by U.S. think tank reports that had alarmed Beijing. CSET was among the think tanks mentioned, based on its use of information from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) academic database and other open sources.

CSET Director of External Affairs Weil stated, “Like many other organizations and university libraries across the country, we were notified about changes to our CNKI access in March. This disruption is dismaying and a loss for the research community, particularly those who study China. But it will not discourage us from doing our work.”

Read the full article in The Wall Street Journal.

Silicon Twist

 June 2022

The Chinese military’s progress in artificial intelligence largely depends on continued access to high-end semiconductors. By analyzing thousands of purchasing records, this policy brief offers a detailed look at how China’s military comes to access these devices. The authors find that most computer chips ordered by Chinese military units are designed by American companies, and outline steps that the U.S. government could take to curtail their access.