China boosts science, tech outreach to Global South as its US collaboration dips: analysts

“China is very heavily engaging with those countries,” said Caroline Wagner of the Ohio State University, noting Beijing has signed science and technology agreements with “dozens and dozens of countries”.

That development marks a “critical departure” from earlier years when China was primarily focused on the US, added Wagner, who formerly advised the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as a researcher at Rand, a public policy group.

She called for greater bilateral dialogue to preserve areas of scientific cooperation beneficial to the US.

Wagner’s comments came as the US State Department is reportedly shutting down its Office of Science and Technology Cooperation, which is responsible for negotiating and overseeing bilateral science and technology agreements.

The closure was slated for July 1, though the entity overseeing the office – the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs – did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation.