In Depth: Decades-Old Research Pact Survives China-U.S. Tensions

While some argue that new ‘guardrails’ could hinder collaboration, others say that these changes will have only a limited impact on the development of fields like AI

The U.S.-PRC Science and Technology Agreement, first signed in 1979, was one of the first agreements signed between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China following their establishment of diplomatic ties.

After a nearly 16-month delay, China and the United States announced in mid-December that they had renewed a longstanding deal to facilitate science and technology exchanges between the world’s two largest economies.

Prior to this, the Agreement Between the U.S. and China on Cooperation in Science and Technology — referred to by Washington as the U.S.-PRC Science and Technology Agreement (STA) — had been expired for over three months, following two six-month extensions.

The five-year agreement signed in Beijing on Dec. 13 introduced amendments to address emerging issues such as data security, in the first major overhaul to the 45-year-old pact. Insiders said the delay in renewing the agreement was caused by negotiations on the exact wordings of the changes.