The US is planning to cancel the visas of thousands of Chinese graduate students and researchers whom the Trump administration believe to have direct ties with China's military.
The latest move to restrict Chinese students was first reported by The New York Times on Thursday, citing two sources, including a current US official and another individual who was briefed on the administration's internal discussions.
The targeted students are those studying in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas, due to an alleged technology-theft threat. But there was no direct evidence that pointed to wrongdoing by those students, US officials reportedly told the Times.
The visa cancellation could impact 3,000 to 5,000 Chinese students and researchers, and some of those affected might be working on important research projects, according to the report.
In the past few years, some senior officials in the Trump administration have portrayed Chinese studying in the US as a threat to national security. Some Republican lawmakers introduced bills that would require more reporting from colleges, universities and laboratories about funds from China, and also prohibit students or scholars with ties to the Chinese military from entering the US.
Three Republican lawmakers unveiled a new bill, the Secure Campus Act, on Wednesday to prohibit Chinese nationals from receiving visas to the US for graduate or postgraduate studies in STEM fields.
Since 2018, the Trump administration has imposed restrictions on Chinese students, including reducing the validity of visas for Chinese students and scholars in certain "sensitive" fields. The restrictions have caused widely reported visa delays and denials and prolonged visa checks for Chinese students.
Many universities have reported declines in Chinese enrollment the past two years. The universities have come under increasing pressure from the FBI and other federal agencies to confront the accusations of intellectual property theft of government-funded research.
If the Chinese students in the US lose their visas, and those in China will not be allowed to return, the impact would be damaging to the students as well as the US colleges and universities, said Stanley Kwong, an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco.
Source: China Daily
