The Chinese party-state has managed to build an extensive network of scientists and scholars active in France by gathering them into associations that pose a potential risk to French national security.

By Probe International

July 14: Released to coincide with Bastille Day, a new study from the Prague-based NGO Sinopsis has found that talent recruitment strategies in France, conducted by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), are part of a broader project to acquire advanced knowledge and technology from abroad that may pose risks to the national security of France.

Authored by René Bigey, a retired China analyst based in Paris, the study is the first devoted to PRC talent recruitment in France to look at how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) utilizes French professional associations to pursue technology transfer and political influence.

Focused on a sample of 20 French-based associations claiming a membership of more than 10,000 in the industries of science and technology, the study’s findings suggest that these networks, embedded in the country’s top companies and research institutions, maintain close ties to the PRC party-state and its technology transfer apparatus. [See pg. 10 of the study, included at the end of this introduction, for a list of the associations sampled].

The existence of 71 talent-recruitment “work stations” operated by French-based entities on behalf of various PRC agencies, indicates a significant and coordinated effort to engage with the French scientific and technological community. Associations with close links to China’s party-state, especially its united front agencies, which are known for their role in advancing the CCP’s interests abroad, suggest these entities could be used for political influence operations.

One example given cites 4D China, a group aimed at fighting “misconceptions” about China in French society (with links to the associations included in this study), was co-founded by a senior expert at France Stratégie, a French agency advising the prime minister.

When leaders of these associations hold permanent posts in French research institutions, the potential for conflict of interest is heightened, in tandem with the transfer risk of sensitive knowledge and technology to China. In one case, the study notes a Nobel Prize winner in laser science was introduced to a Peking University advisory committee with ties to military technology.

Although these associations are registered in France and operate under the guise of legitimate partnerships, their activities and affiliations warrant scrutiny to ensure they do not undermine the national interest.

Study author René Bigey concludes it is essential for France and other countries facing similar issues to develop comprehensive strategies to protect their technological assets and national security interests. This may involve enhanced due diligence around foreign collaborations, stricter regulations on the transfer of dual-use technologies, as well as the development of measures to counter foreign influence operations that could compromise national sovereignty and security.