Trump admin finally cracks down on Chinese spy-students after years of universities selling out American security for Beijing’s cash.
At a Glance
- Trump Administration is revoking visas for Chinese students with CCP ties and those in “critical fields” related to national security
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the State Department and DHS will work together to identify and remove students posing security risks
- The program has temporarily halted all new student visa interviews and is developing enhanced social media vetting for future applicants
- Over 270,000 Chinese students currently study in U.S. universities, making China the second-largest source of international students
- Rep. Riley Moore’s “Stop CCP Visas Act” would codify the administration’s efforts to protect American intellectual property from theft
Closing the Campus Back Door to Chinese Espionage
While American universities have been busy counting their foreign tuition dollars, the Chinese Communist Party has been counting its intelligence assets strategically placed throughout our higher education system. After years of Beijing exploiting our open academic institutions as a pipeline for espionage and intellectual property theft, the Trump administration is finally slamming that door shut. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the State Department will partner with Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in sensitive fields that could compromise national security.
The administration has temporarily halted all new student visa interviews and is developing enhanced social media vetting protocols for future applicants. This move comes after numerous incidents of Chinese nationals on student visas being charged with espionage-related activities. Remember when American universities used to be places of learning instead of Chinese spy recruitment centers? Apparently, the Trump administration does too and is putting America first instead of university endowments.
American Universities: Selling Out National Security for Foreign Cash
The scope of this problem is staggering. With over 270,000 Chinese students currently enrolled in American universities, contributing billions to our higher education system, academia has become addicted to foreign cash. University administrators have been willfully blind to the security implications as they’ve built gleaming new facilities and padded their endowments with Beijing’s money. Is it any wonder these same institutions fight tooth and nail against any attempt to scrutinize their foreign student populations, even as evidence mounts of widespread espionage operations?
“The CCP poses an existential threat to the US” – Riley Moore
Representative Riley Moore’s “Stop CCP Visas Act” would codify what the administration is already implementing – halting the practice of issuing nearly 300,000 student visas to Chinese nationals annually. The bleeding of American technological and military research to our greatest geopolitical rival has gone on long enough. When universities like Harvard fight to maintain their 25% international student population in court rather than cooperating with national security concerns, it’s clear where their priorities lie – and it’s not with American interests.
China’s Predictable Tantrum
Naturally, Beijing is throwing a diplomatic fit over having its intelligence pipeline disrupted. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning complained that the U.S. “has unreasonably cancelled Chinese students’ visas under the pretext of ideology and national rights.” Translation: How dare America protect its own interests and national security? The same regime that won’t let Americans freely travel or work in China without extreme restrictions is outraged that we might apply some basic scrutiny to their students. The hypocrisy is as thick as the smog over Beijing.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, the U.S. State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.” – Secretary of State Marco Rubio
While judges have temporarily blocked some of the administration’s efforts regarding international students at Harvard, the larger policy push continues. Rubio has already revoked over 4,000 visas from foreign nationals charged with various criminal offenses, showing this administration is serious about who gets to benefit from American education and hospitality. President Trump himself cut to the heart of the issue when he stated simply, “I want to make sure the foreign students are people that can love our country.” Is that really too much to ask?
