About the Book
This book analyzes China’s foreign technology acquisition activity and how this has helped its rapid rise to superpower status.
Since 1949, China has operated a vast and unique system of foreign technology spotting and transfer aimed at accelerating civilian and military development, reducing the cost of basic research, and shoring up its power domestically and abroad—without running the political risks borne by liberal societies as a basis for their creative developments. While discounted in some circles as derivative and consigned to perpetual catch-up mode, China’s "hybrid" system of legal, illegal, and extralegal import of foreign technology, combined with its indigenous efforts, is, the authors believe, enormously effective and must be taken seriously. Accordingly, in this volume, 17 international specialists combine their scholarship to portray the system’s structure and functioning in heretofore unseen detail, using primary Chinese sources to demonstrate the perniciousness of the problem in a manner not likely to be controverted. The book concludes with a series of recommendations culled from the authors’ interactions with experts worldwide.
This book will be of much interest to students of Chinese politics, US foreign policy, intelligence studies, science and technology studies, and International Relations in general.
Table of Contents:
Preface Section I: China’s transfer venues 1. Chinese technology transfer—an introduction William C. Hannas and Huey-Meei Chang 2. Serve the motherland while working overseas Andrew Spear 3. China’s talent programs Jeffrey Stoff Section II: The system in operation 4. Foreign technology through commerce Karen Sutter 5. The myth of the stateless global society Anna B. Puglisi 6. Targeting defense technologies James Mulvenon and Chenny Zhang Section III: China’s worldwide transfer networks 7. Europe: a technology transfer mosaic Didi Kirsten Tatlow, Hinnerk Feldwisch-Drentrup and Ryan Fedasiuk 8. Technology transfer from Germany Didi Kirsten Tatlow, Hinnerk Feldwisch-Drentrup and Ryan Fedasiuk 9. Japan and South Korea William C. Hannas and Huey-Meei Chang Section IV: Case studies 10. Sino-foreign research collaboration Jeffrey Stoff 11. China’s access to foreign AI technology William C. Hannas and Huey-Meei Chang 12. The Impact of China’s policies Didi Kirsten Tatlow, Greg Walton and Anna B. Puglisi Section V: Technology in the shadows 13. The People’s Liberation Army and foreign technology Elsa Kania and Peter Wood 14. Foreign technology and the surveillance state Dahlia Peterson 15. The United Front and technology transfer Alex Joske and Jeffrey Stoff Section VI: Managing the transfer problem 16. Chinese students, scholarship and US innovation Anna B. Puglisi 17. Economic espionage and trade secret theft cases in the US James Mulvenon 18. Mitigation efforts to date James Mulvenon, Didi Kirsten Tatlow and Alex Joske Conclusion William C. Hannas and Didi Kirsten Tatlow
About the Author :
William C. Hannas is Professor and Lead Analyst at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA. Prior to this he was a member of the Central Intelligence Agency’s leadership cadre and a three-time recipient of its McCone Award.
Didi Kirsten Tatlow is Senior Fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin, Germany, and Senior Non-Resident Fellow at Project Sinopsis in Prague, Czech Republic.
Review :
"In today's contested world, it is vitally important for decision makers and researchers to have access to unfettered, apolitical analyses of otherwise highly politicized subjects. This book does that. It provides an insightful description of the nexus between technology and sovereignty, and undistorted analytical advice on issues that will reshape the global order in years to come."-- Daniel P. Bagge is Cyber Attaché of the Czech Republic to the United States.
"China is engaged in the most systematic, well-funded and comprehensive technology transfer strategy in history. There is no more important topic with implications for U.S. national security. This collection of expert perspectives is a must-read to place the current technology race with China in context."--Michael Brown is Co-Author of the DIUx Report and former Presidential Innovation Fellow.
“This volume is an essential handbook for everyone from the lay reader to public leaders. It brings together an incredible group of talent to break down this highly complex and misunderstood area. This is precisely the type of thoughtful engagement and research needed right now on this critical topic”--Kathleen Claussen is Associate Professor at the University of Miami School of Law, USA.
“Seventeen experts of the mechanisms and political motives behind the Chinese Communist Party's legal, illegal and grayzone technology transfer efforts present a profound analysis of the system's structure, mode of operation, scale, and its consequences for liberal open societies worldwide. Forcefully and convincingly, the book makes a strong argument that confronted with this particular challenge for global leadership, ignorance is harmful and remedying the situation is urgent.”-- Volker Stanzel is a scholar at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, and former German ambassador to China and Japan.
“The intentions and practices of the Chinese Communist Party are perhaps the most important things for policymakers and the general public to understand in today's world. 'Beyond Espionage' provides excellent insight into these issues and should be required reading for anyone involved with technology policy, economic policy or national security.”-- Mathew Turpin is former Director for China, U.S. National Security Council
"With meticulous research Bill and his fellow authors have made a sobering case for us to deal with the reality of China’s technology practices instead of seeing the kind of partner we wished or wish it to be. Whatever path we take forward from here, our chances of finding a reasonable outcome will be greatly improved if we ground our policies in the clear eyed view and understanding this work provides."--Stephanie O'Sullivan, former head of CIA's Directorate of Science and Technology, Associate Deputy Director of CIA, and Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, ODNI
"In today's contested world, it is vitally important for decision makers and researchers to have access to unfettered, apolitical analyses of otherwise highly politicized subjects. This book does that. It provides an insightful description of the nexus between technology and sovereignty, and undistorted analytical advice on issues that will reshape the global order in years to come."-- Daniel P. Bagge is Cyber Attaché of the Czech Republic to the United States.
"China is engaged in the most systematic, well-funded and comprehensive technology transfer strategy in history. There is no more important topic with implications for U.S. national security. This collection of expert perspectives is a must-read to place the current technology race with China in context."--Michael Brown is Co-Author of the DIUx Report and former Presidential Innovation Fellow.
“This volume is an essential handbook for everyone from the lay reader to public leaders. It brings together an incredible group of talent to break down this highly complex and misunderstood area. This is precisely the type of thoughtful engagement and research needed right now on this critical topic”--Kathleen Claussen is Associate Professor at the University of Miami School of Law, USA.
“Seventeen experts of the mechanisms and political motives behind the Chinese Communist Party's legal, illegal and grayzone technology transfer efforts present a profound analysis of the system's structure, mode of operation, scale, and its consequences for liberal open societies worldwide. Forcefully and convincingly, the book makes a strong argument that confronted with this particular challenge for global leadership, ignorance is harmful and remedying the situation is urgent.”-- Volker Stanzel is a scholar at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, and former German ambassador to China and Japan.
“The intentions and practices of the Chinese Communist Party are perhaps the most important things for policymakers and the general public to understand in today's world. [This book] provides excellent insight into these issues and should be required reading for anyone involved with technology policy, economic policy or national security.”-- Mathew Turpin is former Director for China, U.S. National Security Council
"In today's contested world, it is vitally important for decision makers and researchers to have access to unfettered, apolitical analyses of otherwise highly politicized subjects. This book does that. It provides an insightful description of the nexus between technology and sovereignty, and undistorted analytical advice on issues that will reshape the global order in years to come."-- Daniel P. Bagge is Cyber Attaché of the Czech Republic to the United States
"China is engaged in the most systematic, well-funded and comprehensive technology transfer strategy in history. There is no more important topic with implications for U.S. national security. This collection of expert perspectives is a must-read to place the current technology race with China in context."--Michael Brown is Co-Author of the DIUx Report and former Presidential Innovation Fellow
"With meticulous research Bill and his fellow authors have made a sobering case for us to deal with the reality of China’s technology practices instead of seeing the kind of partner we wished or wish it to be. Whatever path we take forward from here, our chances of finding a reasonable outcome will be greatly improved if we ground our policies in the clear eyed view and understanding this work provides."--Stephanie O'Sullivan, former head of CIA's Directorate of Science and Technology, Associate Deputy Director of CIA, and Principle Deputy Director of National Intelligence, ODNI
'This book, while academic in style, is invaluable in that it documents just how that technology acquisition has aided China’s rise to power over the last decades. The collection of essays takes in hotbutton topics from overseas students and workers who spy for the motherland, to China’s obsession with AI, and the grey area of corporate technology transfer (helpful charts outline “legal”, “illegal” and “extralegal” transfers). Together, they form a mosaic that shows how China’s military and economic strength rests not insignificantly on the shoulders of others’ creative work.--The Wire (China)
'This book constitutes a must read not only for anyone involved in the security community but also for any interested reader looking for an answer to the following question: How does the CCP plan and successfully implement licit, illicit and gray zone transfer of technology?’ - Nathalie Vogel, UpNorth
'deeply researched and sophisticated volume'--Andrew J. Nathan, Foreign Affairs, May-June 2021
'This volume, jointly edited by Hannas (Georgetown Univ.) and Tatlow (German Council on Foreign Relations), presents 18 essays including reports by some 16 contributing authors with backgrounds in intelligence and defense on specific Chinese efforts to access foreign technology. These pieces primarily focus on an overview of the wide array of methods—both licit and illicit—and the diverse cadre of actors that China employs to gain access to non-native technology. Each piece reads as an intelligence brief, bristling with acronyms throughout and often rather light on extended exposition and analysis. Though acknowledging the value of openness in the pursuit of technological advancement and the severe challenges any potential mitigation efforts to deal with China’s technological outreach might pose, the clear thrust of all contributions is to focus attention on the importance of recognizing the real threats that China's efforts represent. ... Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students and faculty.'--D. Mitch, University of Maryland Baltimore County, CHOICE Feb 2022
'All in all, this book provides an excellent guide to the issue of technology transfer for policy-makers in nations across the liberally minded world. It is a comprehensive study of technology transfer structures and operations within and outside China, categorised and contextualised throughout the chapters by the contributing experts. The analysis extends across the continents, and across diverse sectors, ranging from trade, to commerce, cyber security, defence, and academia, putting a spotlight on the range of legal, illegal, and extra-legal (with little to no scrutiny) technology transfers that have taken place, with China as the beneficiary.'--Valentin Webber, Journal of Cyber Policy, April 2021
'This edited book by William Hannas and Didi Kirsten Tatlow provides a comprehensive account of state policy and mechanisms that help China acquire foreign technology by any means necessary. It builds on William Hannas’ earlier book – Industrial Espionage (2013) – with contributions by accomplished authors in their field that paints a thorough picture.'--Ankit Kumar, Asian Affairs, 53.1 (2022)
