The Pentagon has added Fudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University to its Section 1286 list of institutions posing risks to US national security. The move extends restrictions to prominent civilian universities in China.
The updated list now covers 88 institutions in mainland China. It bars US Department of Defence-funded researchers from collaborating with the listed universities or using their equipment, with the restrictions taking effect in the 2026 financial year.
The Section 1286 list was created under the 2019 National Defence Authorisation Act. It identifies foreign universities and research institutions that the Pentagon says have engaged in activities posing risks to US-funded research and national security.
Those concerns include the transfer of sensitive technology or expertise, links to foreign military or intelligence bodies, and participation in state-backed talent-recruitment programmes. The list has previously focused on People’s Liberation Army academies and universities tied to China’s defence industry.
