On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives approved a Republican bill that would significantly hinder collaboration between American and Chinese universities. Additionally, policymakers expressed interest in restrictions on other potential Chinese risks to US national security.
The bill, which would prevent US universities from receiving Department of Homeland Security funding if they “have a relationship” with certain Chinese universities, including those tied to China’s top science institute, advanced 266-153, with only Democrats voting against it.
It would need to pass the full Senate before it could be sent to US President Donald Trump for signing into law.
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The [ Chinese Communist Party ] does use programs like Confucius Institutes to increase their influence in the United States for bad reasons, according to Representative August Pfluger, the Texas Republican who is the president’s primary partner, on the floor on Wednesday.
Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, a top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, praised the invoice while also expressing concern about its probable excess.
House Democrats oppose any attempts to stop American and Chinese intellectual exchanges.
Pfluger’s bill comes in response to many legislative efforts to dissociate US-China’s educational cooperation due to concerns about national security.
In March, Representative John Moolenaar, the Michigan Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, sent letters to Stanford and five other universities seeking information about their policies on Chinese nationals.
Already, several US academic research giants, including the University of Michigan and Georgia Tech, have responded to pressure from lawmakers by announcing plans to sever partnerships with Chinese institutions.
Pfluger’s proposal had list a number of Chinese universities from assistance, including those that work for or support any security, defense, police, or intelligence organization in China.
The blacklist would also apply to Chinese universities that “purposely undermine” the US relationship with Taiwan as well as to any affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the country’s top institute for natural sciences.
The bill’s critics have expressed concern that it would have an impact on US-China partnerships that are unrelated to national security because it would apply to almost any Chinese university. For instance, Thompson joined 160 different Democrats in opposing a previous edition without a waiver approach.
The updated bill that was approved on Wednesday includes a waiver process that allows the secretary of state to free US schools that use “vigorous safeguards and enforcement protocols to observe the relationship” with Chinese institutions.
If the relationship is determined to be in the interests of national security or does not present a safety hazard to the US or its friends, the cancellation procedure may apply.
The Homeland Security minister would need to inform Congress and give a justification once a cancellation is granted.
The earlier version of the bill passed the full House in September but did not become law before the end of the congressional session in January.
Democrats who previously voted against the bill have said that the waiver was crucial to garnering their support this time.
Official Judy Chu, a California Democrat, claimed the bill would “impose an unreasonable” burden on colleges already under the Trump presidency.
” Colleges are expected to request a waiver from the same leadership that is consistently threatening their national funding and tax-exempt position,” she said on the House floor.
She continued,” The real objective of the legislation is to completely separate intellectual relations with Chinese institutions.”
US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also disclosed to a Home appropriations subcommittee on Wednesday that her agency was working on a national plan to restrict Foreign ownership of US land.
She claimed that the administration was working on regulations that would be released “in the following couple of weeks” to replace those that had already been put in place by many states.
Rollins continued,” We are building out the national solution,” adding that uniformity was required to strengthen existing rules across state lines. It is a matter of national security of the highest goal.
Since the first 20 states began to restrict international land rights in early 2023, frequently aimed at Chinese citizens or businesses, have passed laws in more than 20 states.
Rollins claimed that her office was working with administrators in state like South Dakota, Arkansas, and Virginia, where legislation have already been passed to prevent foreign enemies from purchasing agricultural area.
The laws must protect food supply chains and restrict international access to US military installations, according to supporters.
Critics of the laws warn that they could lead to discrimination and could violate legal protections. Numerous state are dealing with legal issues.
A Florida statute that bans many Chinese citizens from buying property near sensitive sites is under federal court review. Plaintiffs argued it violated equal protection and due process rights – and is pre-empted by federal authority over foreign investment.
Federal statistics indicate that Chinese companies own less than 0.03 percent of all privately held farm in the US. However, Rollins claimed that the security risks of certain sites outweighed the figures.
Working with the states to make sure they are getting the policy they need is of paramount importance, she said.
Representative Dan Newhouse, Republican from Washington state, referred to Chinese farmland acquisitions as” a really concerning trend” that had increased” substantially” over the past ten years.
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