China’s efforts to advance national innovation face difficulties in times of decoupling and de-risking. Together with Tai Ming Cheung, Director of the University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation and Professor at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at University of California, San Diego, and Jeroen Groenewegen-Lau, Head of the Science, Technology and Innovation Program at MERICS, Johannes Heller-John discusses China’s national innovation system, the threat of the militarization of science and technology, the role of science diplomacy and the importance of more clarity with regards to what does and what does not fall under national security.

The conversation was recorded during the conference on Chinese National Innovation and Techno-Industrial Eco-Systems, which was held on September 5 and 6, 2023 at MERICS in Berlin.