There are risks for multinationals,

There are risks for multinationals, to be sure. Many Chinese universities have strong ties to the government, whose prioritization of domestic innovation may discourage close and open work on advanced topics.
As LG’s Peng points out, though, those ties also mean that Chinese professors often pick up valuable information from government officials about changes in policy direction and market rules. Multinationals that make Chinese universities part of their innovation ecosystem are likely to gain earlier access to these insights, too