Hong Kong (CNN) A growing number of Chinese military scientists are using their research collaborations with Western universities to take their host country's expertise back home to improve China's own technology, a new Australian report claimed Tuesday.

The report, by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) , called out what it saw as a lack of caution among Western governments and universities in the face of an alleged concerted campaign by Beijing to advance the Chinese military using foreign technology.

"I just haven't seen any universities acknowledge the risk of this. They haven't really made that step publicly distinguishing between beneficial collaboration with China and cooperation with the Chinese military which may not be in our interests," Alex Joske, report author and ASPI researcher, told CNN.

The ASPI is a non-partisan think tank, partly funded by the Australian government.

Since 2007, more than 2,500 Chinese scientists with links to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) have traveled to work in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, among others, according to ASPI research.

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