The United States has revoked more than 1,000 visas for Chinese nationals over security concerns. Affected are „certain Chinese PhD students and researchers in order to prevent them from stealing sensitive research or in any other way,“ said Chad Wolf, head of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) yesterday.
He accused China of industrial espionage and of misusing student visas to, among other things, steal research into the coronavirus. A U.S. State Department spokeswoman said the move will be taken as part of the U.S. response to China’s democratic restrictions in Hong Kong, announced by President Donald Trump on May 29.
China said in June that it is opposed to any US step in preventing Chinese students from studying in the United States, and urged the Washington government to do more to promote mutual exchanges and understanding. Around 360,000 Chinese nationals study in the US, which generates significant income for the universities.
