U.S. Labs Using Chinese Military Supercomputers in Pentagon-Funded Research, Sparking National Security Fears

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – U.S. national laboratories and Pentagon-funded universities are reportedly using Chinese supercomputers in ways that jeopardize American national security, according to The Washington Times.

L.J. Eads, a former Air Force intelligence analyst and current China security expert, uncovered connections in more than 100 scientific studies published between 2016 and 2024, revealing that American researchers had been utilizing China’s TianHe-series supercomputers based in Tianjin and Guangzhou.

The TianHe systems, operated by China’s national supercomputer center, were cited in research papers authored by scientists at Argonne, Oak Ridge, and Los Alamos National Laboratories—all of which are engaged in highly sensitive defense projects, including nuclear weapons development.

The supercomputers are tied to the People’s Liberation Army and Chinese ministries blacklisted by the U.S. Commerce Department.

“These systems serve as critical infrastructure for the PLA and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in advancing military technology, hypersonic weapons and AI-driven defense capabilities,” Mr. Eads said.

China’s Guangzhou and Tianjin supercomputers have supported PLA projects including hypersonic missiles, nuclear weapons, satellite surveillance, cyber warfare, and strategic war gaming. Other research aided by these systems includes genetic analysis and aerospace studies with potential military applications.

According to Mr. Eads, 25 U.S. university studies and 77 national lab papers referenced Chinese TianHe supercomputers, raising serious security concerns.

“The involvement of supercomputers known for their military affiliations in China raises significant security concerns about the inadvertent transfer of sensitive nuclear technologies,” he said.

Eads warned that such use heightens the risk of hacking, malicious code insertion, and undermines U.S. export controls.

“By collaborating with Chinese supercomputing centers on the Department of Commerce’s Entity List, U.S. researchers effectively circumvent the restrictions designed to limit the PLA’s access to advanced computational power, undermining core U.S. foreign policy objectives,” he said.

Key Pentagon entities linked to Chinese supercomputer use include the Air Force and Army Research Labs, Naval Research Lab, DARPA, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and Air Force Materiel Command.

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