Peer Watch

CBC News published an article about China's alleged interference in the political processes of other countries, featuring insights from Anna Puglisi, CSET Director of Biotechnology Programs and Senior Fellow, who explained the role of China's United Front Work Department (UFWD).

CSET Director of Biotechnology Programs Anna Puglisi testified before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission at a hearing on "China’s Challenges and Capabilities in Educating and Training the Next Generation Workforce."

Chinese AI Investment and Commercial Activity in Southeast Asia

Ngor Luong, Channing Lee, and Margarita Konaev
| February 2023

China’s government has pushed the country’s technology and financial firms to expand abroad, and Southeast Asia’s growing economies — and AI companies — offer promising opportunities. This report examines the scope and nature of Chinese investment in the region. It finds that China currently plays a limited role in Southeast Asia’s emerging AI markets outside of Singapore and that Chinese investment activity still trails behind that of the United States. Nevertheless, Chinese tech companies, with support from the Chinese government, have established a broad range of other AI-related linkages with public and commercial actors across Southeast Asia.

China’s Tech Money Is Now Radioactive

Foreign Policy
| February 2, 2023

A report by CSET's Emily S. Weinstein and Ngor Luong, was cited in an article published by Foreign Policy. This report focuses on the American investors who are primarily involved in investing in Chinese artificial intelligence companies.

CSET Director Dewey Murdick led a discussion with experts at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on multinational efforts to address challenges posed by AI.

Downrange: A Survey of China’s Cyber Ranges

Dakota Cary
| September 2022

China is rapidly building cyber ranges that allow cybersecurity teams to test new tools, practice attack and defense, and evaluate the cybersecurity of a particular product or service. The presence of these facilities suggests a concerted effort on the part of the Chinese government, in partnership with industry and academia, to advance technological research and upskill its cybersecurity workforce—more evidence that China has entered near-peer status with the United States in the cyber domain.

Counting AI Research

Daniel Chou
| July 2022

Tracking the output of a country’s researchers can inform assessments of its innovativeness or assist in evaluating the impact of certain funding initiatives. However, measuring research output is not as straightforward as it may seem. Using a detailed analysis that includes Chinese-language research publications, this data brief reveals that China's lead in artificial intelligence research output is greater than many English-language sources suggest.

China’s Advanced AI Research

William Hannas, Huey-Meei Chang, Daniel Chou, and Brian Fleeger
| July 2022

China is following a national strategy to lead the world in artificial intelligence by 2030, including by pursuing “general AI” that can act autonomously in novel circumstances. Open-source research identifies 30 Chinese institutions engaged in one or more of this project‘s aspects, including machine learning, brain-inspired AI, and brain-computer interfaces. This report previews a CSET pilot program that will track China’s progress and provide timely alerts.

Silicon Twist

Ryan Fedasiuk, Karson Elmgren, and Ellen Lu
| 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.

China’s State Key Laboratory System

Emily S. Weinstein, Channing Lee, Ryan Fedasiuk, and Anna Puglisi
| June 2022

China’s State Key Laboratory system drives innovation in science and technology. These labs conduct cutting-edge basic and applied research, attract and train domestic and foreign talent, and conduct academic exchanges with foreign counterparts. This report assesses trends in the research priorities, management structures, and talent recruitment efforts of nearly five hundred Chinese State Key Labs. The accompanying data visualization maps their geographical locations and host institutions.