MPIWG Institute's Colloquium: Can We Trust Science from China?

Panellist: Joy Y. Zhang (University of Kent)
Introduced by Stephanie Hood (MPIWG), moderated by Anna L. Ahlers (MPIWG) and commented by Lisa Onaga (MPIWG).

Can We Trust Science from China? - Observations around the Ascent of a New Power Player
The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) rapid ascent in the sciences over the past two decades has been met with both fascination and fear. Some consider Chinese science to be shrouded by secrecy. For this camp, the alleged withholding of COVID-related data of the Wuhan Institute of Virology is but one latest example. Others see China as a rising superpower rebelling against Western dominance and biases. The recently terminated "China Initiative’" in the United States is emblematic of the narrative of intolerance and bias. How can we make sense of the conflicting interpretations of China? Do Chinese scientists trust each other? If global mistrust of science from China persists, what are the implications for China, and for international collaborations? More importantly, how can we create conditions to encourage accountable science in and with China? Focusing on China’s development in the life sciences, this talk helps to shed light on these questions.

The Q&A is not included because it is not recorded.

Music by:

[bossel]

"Who is it for?" The CCP has comprehensively answered that question: It's for the Chinese state. & that's why you shouldn't naively trust Chinese science or scientists working for Chinese institutions.