Kathrine Frich
During Donald Trump’s second presidency, the relationship between Washington and Beijing has continued to deteriorate.
This has happened particularly in key areas like technology and innovation.
The latest dispute shows how that divide is now reaching the global scientific community.
Conference dispute
One of China’s leading scientific bodies has decided to boycott the prestigious NeurIPS conference, despite organizers softening earlier restrictions according to WP.
The event had initially announced it would reject research from institutions under US sanctions, citing a government list that includes several Chinese tech companies.
Although NeurIPS later apologized and revised the rules, the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) chose not to reverse its decision.
Growing divide
CAST has said it will no longer fund researchers to attend the conference and will also reduce the importance of NeurIPS publications in academic evaluations.
However, not all organizations in China are taking the same stance. The China Computer Federation accepted the organizers’ explanation and did not join the boycott.
According to Nature, the dispute is significant because China’s role at NeurIPS has been steadily increasing.
At last year’s conference in San Diego, the largest group of lead authors came from institutions based in China.
A 2025 study by Digital Science also found that China now produces the highest number of AI research papers globally.
Push for independence
Analysts say the boycott may reflect a broader strategic shift.
“This could signal that China is increasingly able to stand on its own two feet when it comes to advanced AI research,” said Rebecca Arcesati of the Mercator Institute for China Studies.
“It’s their way of showing that if Chinese talent isn’t appreciated and welcomed at such meetings, China will do more on its own,” she added.
Research from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute shows that US-China collaboration in key technologies has declined since 2019.
At the same time, China has been strengthening ties with other countries while focusing more heavily on self-sufficiency in AI.
Call for neutrality
Some experts have warned against politicizing science.
“This sends a clear message: science should not fall victim to politics. If NeurIPS wants to rectify the situation, one possible step would be to publicly reaffirm its commitment to academic neutrality,” said Yunji Chen, director of the State Key Laboratory of Processors in Beijing.
Sources: Nature, Digital Science, Mercator Institute for China Studies, WP.
