The money is channeled through a foundation based in Washington and a university competition.
Tl;dr
- Huawei secretly funds American research.
- Funds are channeled through an independent foundation based in Washington.
- The funding is not illegal as it is intended for research publication.
- Huawei’s support is aimed at generating innovative changes on a global scale.
A Chinese Technology Giant Secretly Financing American Research
Chinese tech titan, Huawei, may not be on the US whitelist, but that has not stopped it from funding research in the country. According to Bloomberg, the company funneled money through an independent research foundation based in Washington.
Funding to Foster Global Innovation
Despite the ban on American universities working with Huawei, the company continues its quest to “promote academic communication,” as stated by a Huawei spokesman to Bloomberg. Interestingly, participants in the research competition funded by Huawei were unaware of its involvement, thinking the money came from the Optica Foundation.
An Operation on the Legal Edge
While Huawei’s research funding may raise questions, it is crucial to note that this operation does not appear to be illegal. The research focus is intended for publication, an area outside the scope of the ban.
However, this does not stop some from questioning the ethical aspect of this initiative. “It is bad optics for a prestigious research foundation to anonymously take money from a Chinese company that raises so many national security concerns for the US government,” said James Mulvenon, a research security specialist.
Support Despite Restrictions
It is worth noting that Huawei has been entangled in a web of US restrictions in recent years. Despite this, the company continues to invest in research aimed at paving the way for innovative changes on a global scale. Only time will tell if these efforts were worthwhile.