Key points
- Educational cooperation supports US economy, scientific progress: China
- China has access to sensitive technologies with dual military uses: US Committee
- Chinese students hope US degree will help them secure a good job
ISLAMABAD: In response to US House “Select Committee on the CCP” chairman John Moolenaar’s letter on Wednesday to six US universities seeking information about Chinese students due to alleged national security concerns, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on Thursday that Chinese students make up about a quarter of all international students in the US.
She emphasised that educational cooperation between the two countries not only creates exchange opportunities and fosters mutual understanding but also supports the US economy and scientific progress, benefiting both sides, according to Global Times.
Moolenaar, according to the committee, had sent letters to the Presidents of Carnegie Mellon, Purdue University, Stanford University, the University of Illinois, the University of Maryland, and the University of Southern California, requesting details on their policies regarding the enrolment of Chinese national students in advanced STEM programmes and their involvement in federally funded research.
Sensitive technologies
Moolenaar argued that China has allegedly placed researchers in prominent US institutions, granting them access to sensitive technologies with dual military uses.
He warned that if this issue is not addressed, it could lead to a loss of American talent, damage research integrity, and aid China’s technological ambitions at the US’s expense.
In response, Mao urged the US to avoid overextending the concept of national security and to genuinely protect the rights of Chinese students, opposing discriminatory and restrictive measures against them.
Most Chinese students in US undergraduate programmes pay full tuition, making them a crucial funding source for many universities.
While many return to China after graduation, hoping a US degree will help them secure a good job, foreign science and engineering PhD holders, including those from China, are more likely to stay in the US for postdoctoral work or employment, according to ABC News.
