US tightens visa rules for Chinese students; claims research being used by Chinese Govt

Shortly after US President Donald Trump warned of suspending visas of Chinese graduate students suspected of "conducting research on behalf of the Chinese government," United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that it will "not tolerate" China's attempts to illicitly acquire American technology and intellectual property. Amid rising tensions between the US and China, touted to be 'a cold war', Trump on May 29 issued a proclamation to block certain graduate-level and other Chinese nationals to enter the United States associated allegedly being linked to China’s military.  

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"The Administration is also committed to protecting our national and economic security. We will not tolerate PRC attempts to illicitly acquire American technology and intellectual property from our academic institution and research facilities for Chinese military ends," read the statement by Mike Pompeo. 

Read: Chinese Grad Students May Be Next Hit By US-China Tensions

The statement added the under the proclamation, entry of a China national on an F or J visa to study or conduct research in the United State will be suspended since the "individual’s academic or research activities are likely to support a PRC entity that implements and supports the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) “military-civil fusion” strategy." An exception has been announced for Chinese students seeking to pursue undergraduate study.

"This action will help safeguard U.S. national and economic security interests and the productivity and security of the U.S. research enterprise," read Pompeo's statement adding that US' concern was with the 'malign actions' of the Chinese Communist Party and specific individuals or with the Chinese people. 

"The graduate students and researchers who are targeted, co-opted, and exploited by the PRC government for its military gain represent a small subset of Chinese student and researcher visa applicants coming to the United States. We expect this new visa policy will contribute to an improved, open, and transparent environment in which the U.S. and Chinese scholars can engage with greater trust," concluded the statement. 

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