As early as 2019, sinologist and author Mareike Ohlberg drew attention to the ambitious advancement plans that China is quietly pursuing. Since Putin’s attack on Ukraine, awareness of the risks of scientific cooperation has also increased in Germany, she says star.
Woman Ohlberg, at the time of the publication of your book “The Silent Conquest” four years ago, you had to receive a lot of criticism for your position critical of China. Is it different now?
There was at least a partial rethink. Since 2019, I have been warning about the risks of cooperation with Chinese universities, especially the potential military use of joint research results. At that time I was told: “How can you, such a young person, pursue nationalist tendencies?” But that wasn’t the point at all. I wanted to fundamentally raise awareness that research at German universities is not blindly supporting the Chinese military.
When did the attitude towards this change?