Overview
- Investigators reviewed more than 4,300 papers published from June 2023 to June 2025 involving DOE-funded U.S. researchers collaborating with Chinese partners, with roughly half tied to China’s military or industrial base.
- At least 24 DOE-acknowledged publications involved the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics, and other collaborators included entities listed by the Pentagon as Chinese military companies.
- One cited case involved Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee co-authoring a 2023 study with China Electronics Technology Group Corporation on electronic conductivity.
- The report faults long-standing DOE oversight gaps and recommends standardized national-security risk assessments and interagency information sharing.
- The DOE said it would review the findings as China’s embassy rejected the allegations and U.S. scientists cautioned that sweeping restrictions could hamper competitiveness.