As tensions rise between the United States and China, the decades-long U.S.-China Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology, signed and renewed since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1979, is facing a renewal dilemma. Following two consecutive agreements to extend it for another six months, the agreement is set to expire next week.
Originally signed by then-U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping, the agreement aimed to promote cooperation between the two countries in the field of science and technology, becoming a symbolic pillar of U.S.-China relations over the past few decades.
However, with the escalating tensions between the two countries in recent years, negotiations for the renewal of the agreement have been repeatedly blocked, marking a further deterioration in bilateral relations.
Observers believe that the likelihood of a long-term extension of the agreement before the November U.S. presidential election is slim. Both major U.S. presidential candidates, Trump and Harris representing the Republican and Democratic parties respectively, have taken increasingly hardline stances against the Chinese Communist Party.
The Financial Times cited Vaughan Turekian, former science advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State and Executive Director of the Policy and Global Affairs Division at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, as saying that an agreement that went unnoticed five years ago has suddenly become the focal point of bilateral relations.
The agreement is typically renewed every five years, supporting cooperation in areas including energy, agriculture, civil industrial technology, and disaster management. However, since the agreement expired in August 2023, it has not been formally renewed. The two sides have only agreed to two consecutive six-month extensions, with the second set to expire on August 27, 2024.
A State Department spokesperson stated that the U.S. is “actively negotiating” the agreement to protect the participating institutions and researchers. Washington is not “anticipating the outcome” and takes a “pragmatic” approach to the challenges posed by Chinese authorities in scientific and technological cooperation and policies such as the integration of civilian and military research.
The spokesperson added that the U.S. has previously used short-term extensions to adjust the agreement’s content. For example, between 2016 and 2018, the U.S. renegotiated a provision to strengthen intellectual property protection.
However, as overall U.S.-China relations worsen, tensions in the technology sector are also intensifying. Critics, including bipartisan members of the U.S. Congress, point out China’s restrictions on data and lack of transparency in sharing scientific discoveries. For instance, both the World Health Organization and the U.S. government have criticized Beijing for inadequate cooperation in the investigation of the origin of the COVID-19 virus.
With the U.S. increasing restrictions on China in the semiconductor sector and concerns over alleged intellectual property infringement by Chinese authorities and the potential military applications of sensitive new technologies, divergences are deepening. U.S. security officials are also concerned that academic cooperation may provide pathways for Chinese espionage activities.