<p>International cooperation on dual-use technology is believed to occur between/among states of similar regime types (e.g., democracy-democracy). If so, why does democracy cooperate with autocracy on sensitive areas? With qualitative evidence, this paper studies France–China cooperation on two dual-use technologies (i.e., nuclear technologies in the Cold War era and artificial intelligence). It argues that three factors–economic motives, comparable technological capability, and the lack of perceived threat–jointly shape cooperation on dual-use technology. It shows that Charles de Gaulle and Emmanuel Macron sought autonomy vis-à-vis the U.S. by cooperating with China. Regime types and security alliances mattered less for the cooperation, which cannot be fully explained by the literature. This paper complements the literature that emphasizes the constraints imposed on leaders by the structure, be it international or domestic.</p>