“China has developed into a successful scientific nation and is now a world leader in some areas,” says Professor Dr Joybrato Mukherjee, President of the DAAD.
“At the same time, the People’s Republic is a challenging partner in foreign science policy and is also seen as a systemic rival by the German government in its China strategy. Academic cooperation with China must take this differentiated reassessment into account: scientific cooperation with China must be shaped realistically. The DAAD therefore supports German universities in sharpening their own scientific interests, recognising opportunities and risks as well as developing or expanding clear review procedures and processes for existing or future cooperation.”
Not sure what working with China is the best idea, given their track record of retractions
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00733-5
Yea agreed and also if IIRC,scientists have claimed that the criteria for research cooperations were often unbalanced in retrospect, so that China benefited mostly. Quote source Politico ( sorry not the best):
The relationship is perceived, and I think rightly, on the European side as unbalanced,” Jean-Eric Paquet, the EU’s director-general for research and innovation, told an event held in September as part of the European Research and Innovation Days. “There is really, essentially, full access to Europe but very cumbersome and formally limited access to resources on the Chinese side.”