Reports have surfaced of Chinese students being turned away at US airports despite holding valid student visas, and recent statements by senior US officials advocating reduced reliance on Chinese researchers indicate a heightened science and technology rivalry between the two nations.
Geopolitical tensions are cooling academic and student exchanges, which both sides aimed to restore post-COVID-19 but have virtually halted since then.
In January, China Science Daily, affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, published a detailed account on WeChat by a fifth-year Yale University PhD student, writing under the pseudonym Meng Fei. She described being detained at Washington Dulles Airport upon returning to the US in December to continue cell biology research. Meng Fei detailed interrogations in a “dim room,” body searches, and over 12 hours in solitary confinement before being deported to China with a five-year US entry ban.
Similar cases emerged, with Chinese students and scholars reportedly interrogated and forcibly deported from Washington Dulles and Dallas airports. In April, Chinese state media reported that US law enforcement attributed these deportations to strained US-China relations.
The Chinese embassy in Washington stated that over 70 Chinese students, possessing legal and valid documents, had been deported since July 2021, with over 10 cases since November 2023, prompting official complaints.
The exact number of incidents remains unverified as US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) does not disclose detailed refusal statistics at airports.
Recently, Chinese official media reported on four Chinese students with scientific and technical backgrounds traveling to the US for study and academic conferences. They faced harassment, prolonged interrogation in darkened rooms exceeding 10 hours, and were eventually repatriated to China. According to sources quoted by China Daily, US authorities focused on political affiliations like membership in the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) and research areas related to computers.
China Daily also noted that the US has subjected over 30 Chinese students in computer-related fields to unwarranted harassment, interrogation, and repatriation in recent years, although these figures are incomplete.
Many affected Chinese students are pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees at prestigious US universities, specializing in fields such as artificial intelligence, information science, network security, electronics, software engineering, and electronic information engineering — areas often linked to dual civilian-military use.
US academics observed that most affected Chinese students have ties to seven military-linked Chinese universities, termed the ‘Seven Sons of National Defence,’ included in US export control measures. However, a formal US policy explicitly barring students and researchers associated with these institutions has not been announced.
David Zweig, professor emeritus at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and author of “The War for Chinese Talent in America,” highlighted the Biden administration’s heightened emphasis on national security in determining student admissions. Zweig noted increased scrutiny by the State Department on Chinese student visa applicants based on their educational backgrounds.
US universities, while vetting applicants for academic integrity, do not vet based on national security criteria, according to Zweig. This tightening of scrutiny reflects a long-term escalation in US policies governing student admissions from China, with national security considerations at the forefront.
Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell hinted at potential restrictions on Chinese researchers, emphasizing a preference for Chinese students in humanities and social sciences over STEM fields. This shift has been interpreted as a pivot away from China towards enhancing educational ties with India in research and technology.
Denis Simon, formerly of Duke Kunshan University, expressed concern over Campbell’s remarks, noting a setback in US-China academic exchanges since the pandemic. Simon underscored the importance of rebuilding trust through educational collaboration, despite current challenges.
The securitization of higher education exchanges has intensified, with both the US and China viewing academic engagement through a geostrategic lens. This perspective has led to increased scrutiny and border controls on academic and student exchanges, potentially undermining bilateral trust and collaboration.
Brian Wong, assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong, highlighted the growing securitization of higher education exchanges, with both countries increasingly viewing educational interactions as potential national security threats.
Amidst these challenges, efforts to enhance US-China academic exchanges face transparency issues and uncertain regulatory frameworks. Negotiations continue on defining permissible areas of collaboration, with both countries striving to navigate restrictive policies while fostering productive educational exchanges.
Despite ambitions by Chinese leaders to attract 50,000 US students to China in the next five years, achieving this goal appears challenging amidst current geopolitical tensions and heightened scrutiny.
US-China relations in higher education and research, once foundational, are now fraught with complexities, with broader implications for mutual understanding and collaboration in academic and scientific realms.
