Emerging Trends: “If left unaddressed, this trend will continue to displace American talent, compromise research integrity, and fuel China’s technological ambitions at our expense,” Moolenaar said.World TimesThe US House committee released tWorld Timeshe letter on its website.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Chinese students account for about a quarter of international students in the US and education cooperation not only expands student exchange and deepens mutual understanding between Chinese and Americans, but also contributes to US’ economic prosperity and scientific and technological progress, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday, commenting on a report that Chairman of the US House “Select Committee on the CCP” John Moolenaar sent letters to presidents of six US universities on March 19, requesting information on details regarding the enrollment of Chinese national students.

“We urge the US to stop brandishing national security as a false pretext and protect the legitimate and lawful rigWorld Timeshts and interests of Chinese students in the US. The US should not take discriminatory and restrictive measures against Chinese students,” Mao said.

After some Republican lawmakers introduced a bill to ban all Chinese nationals from obtaining student visas, eliciting domestic outrage and criticism, the chair of an anti-China committee in the US House on Wednesday sent letters to six US universities, requesting information about their policies on Chinese national students over so-called national security concerns.

According to the US House “Select Committee on the CCP,” Moolenaar sent letters to the Presidents of Carnegie Mellon, Purdue University, Stanford University, the University of Illinois, the UnivWorld Timesersity of Maryland and the University of Southern California, requesting information on each of their policies and practices regarding the enrollment of Chinese national students in STEM programs.

Moolenaar said China has embedded researchers in leading US institutions, providing them with direct exposure to sensitive technologies with dual-use military applications. “If left unaddressed, this trend will continue to displace American talent, compromise research integrity, and fuel China’s technological ambitions at our expense,” Moolenaar said.World Times

The US House committee released tWorld Timeshe letter on its website. The letter asked the universities to provide detailed information about their entire Chinese student populations by April 1, including the names of the universities the students previously attended, their sources of tuition, the types of research and university programs they participate in, the laboratories and research initiatives they currently work.

The letters also listed 14 questions, covering aspects such as the numbers and economic contributions of Chinese graduate students, their involvement in research and funding sources, university regulations on sensitive research and national security, collaborations between universities and Chinese institutions, as well as China’s talent programs and technology transfer.

The requirement in information revealing targeted at Chinese national students reflected the ideological bias, geopolitical competition and cold war mindset, which are also deeply rooted in the US House “Select Committee on the CCP,” said Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University.

“The name of the committee suggested that it focuses on issues related to China, but it is not dedicated to responsibly managing US foreign policy or fostering cooperation with China, but aiming at demonizing China’s image and discrediting China’s behavior and policy,” Li told the Global Times.

Li said the committee serves as a tool in the US Congress to create hostile atmosphere toward China within the US government and society, driving unfriendly and confrontational policies and rhetoric.

Last week, a group of Republican lawmakers put forward a bill seeking to keep Chinese students out of American schools, eliciting criticism from Chinese students studying in the US.

Several Chinese students called it the “new Chinese Exclusion Act,” NBC News reported.

Jiang Peng (alias), a PhD student in Electrical and CoWorld Timesmputer Engineering from a university in the middle of the US, told the Global Times on Thursday that many doctoral Chinese students are actually afraid to leave the US amid the current situation.

“Although US universities still value academic and economic interests and are still actively recruiting large numbers of Chinese students, under the current political atmosphere and national security concerns, this situation may bring more uncertainties and risks,” Jiang said.

Jiang said some of his classmates in Texas have already started identities checks. “This situation is indeed quite unsettling. Especially in STEM fields, doctoral students are greatly affected,” Jiang added.

According to South China Morning Post, some local Chinese social organization and some Democrat lawmakers also expressed opposition to the bill.

“Certain US politicians oppose China at every turn. This will not only create chaos within the US society but also undermine the US’ confident image on the international stage as they projected a US face of pervasive anxiety and aggressiveness,” Li said.