Subterfuge and self-deception in Sino-German science diplomacy: The case for autocracy competence

From a normative point of view, German academic cooperation with China should be interculturally informed and open-ended. However, the authoritarian shift under Xi Jinping (2012–) poses a major challenge to German science diplomacy. Germany's current approach normalises China's political system by downplaying systemic rivalry. Unconditional engagement risks involuntary technology transfers and restricted academic freedom. Reviewing recent science diplomacy documents, we identify numerous blind spots and maladaptive learning among other shortcomings, and propose autocracy competence for navigating current collaboration challenges. Our analytical framework Amnesia Reflexivity Matrix – integrating cognition, psychology, social systems, and cybernetics – reveals cognitive and systemic barriers in Sino-German science diplomacy and beyond. Through conceptual analysis (Part 1), empirical study (Part 2), actionable reform measures (Part 3), we propose the Autocracy Competence Framework to implement institutional remedies such as state-mandated risk assessments and engagement with autonomy-seeking Chinese scholars. This ensures ethical collaboration, preventing normalisation of authoritarianism while fostering mutual benefits.