China Power | Diplomacy | East Asia

Why Did China Sanction 2 High-Tech Institutions in Poland?

Beijing has offered no explanation for why these particular Polish entities were selected, but several recent developments are worth noting.

The main building of the Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

China has imposed sanctions on two Polish entities linked to the country’s defense and high-tech sectors. The move comes in response to the European Union’s 21st sanctions package against Russia. The latest EU measures targeted several companies from China and Hong Kong that are accused of supplying Moscow with technologies and components used in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

One of the Polish entities placed on China’s export control list is Wrocław University of Science and Technology (WUST), one of Poland’s leading technical universities with recognized expertise in satellite technologies, and space-related research. The other is Vigo Photonics, a high-tech manufacturer supplying components for the Polish Armed Forces as well as the Military University of Technology, Poland’s premier institution for military engineering.

This is not Beijing’s first move of this kind. In April, China’s Ministry of Commerce added seven European entities to its export control list in response to European measures targeting Chinese companies.

Responding to questions from the Polish Press Agency on July 27, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian emphasized that the decision was “a response to the EU’s erroneous move of listing and sanctioning Chinese companies” and stressed that “the measures do not target any specific country.”

Beijing’s decision to sanction WUST is particularly striking. The university participates in EU-funded projects on military drones and battlefield artificial intelligence. At the same time, it has been engaged in joint semiconductor research with Chinese universities.

“Wrocław University of Science and Technology is a poli-technical school with tradition and impact for regional and domestic Polish industry,” Krzysztof Karwowski, a researcher at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics, told The Diplomat.

“It is a leader primarily in advanced photonics and is the longest-established research center in this field in Poland, creates a number of engineering partnerships in Europe, and is the core of the Polish space industry: microsatellites and satellite optics for security.”

As for the implications of China’s move, Karwowski said it was “difficult to assess” at this point – “we will know them in the coming weeks.” 

He pointed out that WUST and Shanghai Jiao Tong University sealed a “partnership in the field of design and research on semiconductors” last year. “Given China’s activity at Polish academia, WUST may re-prioritize its collaborations in Asia, of which it has a number, to universities in India, Japan, or Korea,” Karwowski predicted.

The university’s inclusion on the sanctions list is puzzling, given its close scientific cooperation with Chinese institutions.

The other sanctioned entity, Vigo Photonics, specializes in manufacturing infrared detectors, building on research developed in cooperation with institutions such as the Military University of Technology. The company’s products are used across the energy, medical, railway, and defense sectors.

For the Polish Armed Forces, Vigo supplies infrared detectors used in unmanned aerial vehicles, precision-guided munitions, and self-guided weapons. Its components are........

© The Diplomat