ABSTRACT
Also largely in the shadows, China’s United Front apparatus is a nonetheless expansive system of government and party bodies that influences and mobilizes outsiders to serve CPC goals. The United Front system is coordinated by a member of China’s Politburo Standing Committee and has grown in prominence since Xi Jinping became the party’s general secretary. It is rightfully receiving increased scrutiny internationally over its political influence activities. However, there is little scholarship on the role of the United Front system in technology transfer mechanisms such as talent recruitment programs and entrepreneurial contests. This chapter helps initiate such a survey, explaining how the United Front system plays a crucial role in managing foreign experts and developing overseas groups involved in technology transfer efforts. These activities are illustrated by two studies of United Front figures who have been involved in industrial espionage cases.
