China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lodged a protest against a request from a US congressional panel demanding detailed information from six American universities about Chinese students enrolled in advanced science and technology programs, Al Jazeera reports.
The letters, sent on Thursday by John Moolenaar, the chair of the US House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, allege that Beijing is strategically placing students in top research programs to acquire sensitive technology.
In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning urged the US to “stop overstretching the concept of national security” and to “protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students” in the country.
Mao told reporters that Chinese students comprise approximately 25 percent of all foreign students in the US, contributing to the country’s “economic prosperity and technological development.”
US universities have increasingly relied on Chinese students as a crucial source of funding, as they often pay full international tuition rates.
However, the growing presence of Chinese students has raised concerns among lawmakers like Moolenaar, who accuse university administrators of compromising US research security in exchange for higher tuition revenue.
