China reviews US data curb impact
BEIJING: China is reviewing effects on the nation's scientific research after US President Donald Trump's moves to withdraw funding from some US agencies and halt publication of certain categories of data.
Several Chinese ministries and bodies had, in recent weeks, started assessing potential disruption to their work, and made efforts to determine the extent to which some activities had become reliant on data published by the United States, according to sources.
Agencies carrying out reviews include the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Meteorological Administration, Natural Resources Ministry and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Ministry.
One area of work facing potential disruption has been studies of coral bleaching in the South China Sea.
Chinese researchers had used a US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration product that published coastal water temperatures, which was decommissioned last month.
The move comes as Beijing and Washington had been working to get bilateral relations back on track, with negotiators agreeing on a framework to ease trade tensions and revive the flow of sensitive goodss.
But details are scarce and many issues remain unresolved, including China's massive trade surplus with the United States.
Reviews being carried out by the Chinese ministries would examine if domestic sources can replace the use of US data that's now unavailable, the source said.
Investigations are being conducted quietly to avoid giving the United States any potential bargaining chip.
Beijing had sought to reduce its dependence on foreign sources for critical technology and products.
Past US actions had only accelerated China's push for self-reliance, much like how US curbs on chip sales had spurred growth in the country's home-grown semiconductor industry. — Bloomberg
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