A recent report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) found that 2,500 scientists secretly sponsored by the Chinese military have gone to study abroad since 2007, with the intelligence sharing “Five Eyes” countries (USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada – an intelligence alliance that highlights China as one of its “main intelligence adversaries”) being in the highest demand. The report also describes the practices of hiding the students’ military ties on their applications. Obscuring practices include naming fake academic institutions. In one case, the nonexistent Zhengzhou Information Science and Technology Institute has “produced” students who have published over 1,300 peer reviewed publications. These students have worked across sensitive areas, including cryptography, autonomous driving, and navigation technology. One factor often encouraging universities in these countries to accept students with suspect backgrounds is the scientific funding that comes with the partnerships.
Source: China Is Secretly Enrolling Military Scientists in Western Universities – Defense One
