when country A inserts itself into the affairs of country B, especially internal structures like the academic establishment, that is a material threat to country B no matter how you slice it. if enough influence is gained on the part of country A then it becomes an existential threat and so keeping these kinds of things to a minimum is an objectively high priority for any country that wants to preserve itself. There are no two countries that can trust each other completely because the global geo-political landscape is always changing and changing in unpredictable ways. what is absurd is your juvenile understanding of international affairs, history and game theory.