Lawmakers Demand Answers On Chinese Student Access To Sensitive US Research

Members of Congress are asking top universities to explain how Chinese nationals have gained entry into U.S. science and technology programs — and Beijing is not happy about it.

Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, who leads the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, recently sent letters to six major universities. The letters sought detailed enrollment figures, funding sources and research access related to Chinese students. Moolenaar warned that China is leveraging U.S. education to get closer to dual-use technology with military applications.

Among the schools contacted were Stanford, Purdue and Carnegie Mellon, where researchers from China have taken part in federally funded projects. According to Moolenaar, this participation is part of a broader strategy by the Chinese Communist Party to acquire American innovation and outpace the U.S. in defense and global influence.

China’s Foreign Ministry fired back, accusing Congress of politicizing student exchanges. Spokeswoman Mao Ning said Chinese students contribute to the U.S. economy and science and called for an end to what she described as discriminatory policies.

A separate bill introduced by Rep. Riley Moore of West Virginia would go further, halting student visa approvals for Chinese nationals entirely. That legislation — known as the Stop CCP Visas Act — has already drawn criticism from Chinese advocacy groups and students.

The FBI has pointed to organized recruitment efforts by Beijing under programs such as the Thousand Talents Plan. These initiatives encourage students and researchers to bring American-developed technology back to China, sometimes without disclosing their foreign affiliations.

Universities have come under scrutiny in recent years for accepting large sums of foreign money without proper disclosure. The letter from Moolenaar asked for details on foreign donations as well as background on students conducting work in sensitive fields.

In January, the University of Michigan announced it was cutting ties with a Chinese institution following an incident involving five Chinese nationals discovered near a restricted military area. That decision followed a six-month internal review.

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