Welcome to today’s podcast. The Trump administration has announced it will “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.” Critics warn this heavy-handed move could harm American research. Former FBI agent Greg Milonovich cautions, “The overall number of People’s Republic of China students that actually pose some type of national security risk is relatively low compared to the number of students that will continue to support and further U.S. research.” Yet senior adviser Stephen Miller insists, “We’re not going to be awarding visas to individuals who have a risk of being engaged in any form of malign conduct in the United States.” With about 277,000 Chinese students here last year, authorities have long grappled with spotting those who might spy for Beijing. The FBI ran classified campus briefings and launched the China Initiative in 2018, leading to prosecutions but few convictions. Attorney Peter Zeidenberg calls it “a self-defeating and self-destructive strategy.” Experts say nuance is crucial to protect both security and American innovation.
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