Escalating Science and Tech Rivalry, State Department Announces Plans to Revoke Chinese Student Visas

Rising tensions between the United States and China can no longer be siloed from campus. On May 28, the State Department announced its intention to “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.”

The decision, which compounds previous restrictions on Chinese students seeking to enter the United States, marks an escalation in Washington’s ongoing scientific and technological rivalry with Beijing.

State Department Announcement Follows Pause in Student Visa Interviews

The announcement — which did not specify which fields Washington would deem “critical” — was issued only days after the State Department announced a pause on all student visa interviews pending a review of social media screening practices. The decision builds on a 2020 Trump administration directive banning students associated with Chinese defense universities from pursuing graduate studies in the United States — a move that prevented nearly 3,000 Chinese students from studying the physical sciences, engineering, and computer science at American universities.

Along with revoking student visas, the State Department also announced plans to enhance screening of future student visa applications from China and Hong Kong, though it did not specify the scope of these new criteria. The United States placed visa restrictions on Hong Kong officials in May 2024 in connection to ongoing trials related to the city’s pro-democracy protests.

Chinese Students and Professors Face Growing Espionage Charges

The planned revocation measures come as Chinese students and professors have faced increased scrutiny over accusations of espionage — particularly as Chinese national security law mandates that Chinese nationals must cooperate with intelligence officials during their investigations. Earlier this month, the Stanford Review reported that agents likely associated with the Chinese Ministry of State Security have targeted Chinese students to provide intelligence related to scientific and technological research.

Washington has previously caught Chinese visa holders attempting to steal defense-related technologies. For example, in January 2024, a Chinese student allegedly flew drones over Newport News Shipbuilding. In August 2023, five Chinese students allegedly spied on Camp Grayling, a military site in Michigan.

Chinese Students Increasingly Contribute to American Innovation

Notwithstanding these threats, the proposed policy also threatens to disrupt America’s scientific and technological leadership during a period of intense competition with China. As federal research funding has declined over the past several years, Chinese students have remained a key engine of American scientific and technology leadership, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI).

American firms remain highly dependent on Chinese-born AI researchers — with the share of Chinese-born AI researchers working at U.S. institutions outpacing the share of U.S.-born researchers working domestically. This trend extends to America’s overall lead over China in basic science research — a gap that Beijing has long attempted to close via increased government funding for China’s higher education system.

Washington Must Balance Security Risks With Scientific Benefits

The United States must seek a careful balance between its efforts to counter Chinese espionage and to prevent Beijing from becoming a global scientific and technological leader. The State Department and the Department of Homeland Security should prioritize revoking visas from those credibly engaged in intellectual property theft or connected to China’s military industrial base. The two departments should also expand their screening efforts by restarting the China Initiative, which aims to prevent students and professors from diverting American defense technologies.

Nonetheless, the Trump administration should be careful not to undermine America’s advantage in AI and other critical technologies by targeting Chinese students who pose no clear danger and are actively contributing to the future of American innovation.

Jack Burnham is a research analyst in the China Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Jack and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Jack on X @JackBurnham802. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.