FBI Is Barring Chinese Academics From Entering US Because Of Spying Concerns

The J. Edgar Hoover Building of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is seen on April 03, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo credit: ERIC BARADAT/AFP/Getty Images)
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The FBI is reportedly barring some Chinese academics from entering the U.S. over their suspected connections to Chinese intelligence, The New York Times reported. 

At least 30 professors from China who focus their work on social sciences and experts on government policy have had their U.S. visas reviewed or canceled in the past year. The FBI reportedly believes that China is using visiting academics to spy on U.S. citizens.

The Trump administration has focused substantial efforts to crack down on intellectual property theft by China.

Read the full report here. 

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Notable Replies

  1. Is he also cracking down on chinese madams? what about chinese investors in Ivanka Inc.?

  2. Dear FBI,

    If you are really worried about the Chinese occupying the technology frontier, might want to figure out what is the issue. In the past century, the US could import brain power, but if you put Shanghai 15-year-olds up against New York 15-year-olds in academic performance, guess who gets creamed? It costs a lot to move farther into the technology frontier, and China is having to pay more and more as well. It is the same situation Japan faced after WWII, there was a lot of copying and ripping off of American products, until there wasn’t. We just bought the Japanese stuff because it was superior. Say in 30 years when we all have food synthesizers at home. Imagine the regard we will hold our neighbor when they lack the latest Chinese Canying 3000 Synth and use some old Amazon synth.

  3. Avatar for docb docb says:

    Best crackdown on the young and the shady madams of Asian descent…

  4. Avatar for paulw paulw says:

    This story sounds weird, because social scientist and policy types seem among the last academics you’d be worried about spying. Although I guess there is a chance they’re figuring out how to manipulate the current administration, and a close-up look would help them.

    Or (and this is likely way too “clever”) someone doesn’t want international academic sharing of information about life under corrupt oligarchies.

  5. We’re ok as long as they stay away from the rub-tug-chug-jug club for wealthy Florida golfers.

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