The EU's strategic rebalancing of research partnerships with China

"In 2026, one of Europe's most ambitious scientific ventures, Horizon Europe , a seven-year, roughly €93 billion framework dedicated to research and innovation, underwent a quiet but significant transformation. What had once been an open invitation to researchers across the globe now carries a more guarded tenor. In critical areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum technologies, and biotechnology, organisations based in China are no longer automatically eligible to receive EU funding, a sharp deviation from earlier years when Chinese participation was possible,"

"This change is neither arbitrary nor purely technical. It reflects the culmination of years of negotiation and strategic signalling in Brussels. According to the European Commission's own international cooperation guidance , cooperation with third countries like China has always been conditional ; Chinese researchers may contribute, but they are required to enter as Associated Partners and often must bring their own funding where EU funding does not automatically apply."

"Yet the updated participation rules go further. In late 2025, the Commission codified conditions that essentially block Chinese institutions from receiving core Horizon Europe grants in sensitive clusters of research and innovation. In policy terms, the threshold for inclusion has shifted: European partners must now demonstrate that their collaborators are not owned or controlled by Chinese entities, creating de facto barriers for significant portions of bilateral work in cutting-edge fields."

In 2026 Horizon Europe altered participation rules, limiting eligibility for core EU funding in sensitive research areas. The seven-year, roughly €93 billion framework now bars organisations based in China from automatic grant access in fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum technologies, and biotechnology. The European Commission's international cooperation guidance requires Chinese contributors to participate as Associated Partners and often to bring their own funding. In late 2025 the Commission codified conditions that effectively prevent Chinese institutions from receiving core grants in sensitive clusters. European partners must now demonstrate that collaborators are not owned or controlled by Chinese entities, while cooperation continues in less sensitive areas under bilateral road maps.

Read at TNW | Eu