US to Restrict Chinese Students' Access to Sensitive Technologies, Promote Indian STEM Students

The United States should welcome more Chinese students, particularly in the humanities, while limiting their access to sensitive technological fields, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell stated on Monday. This recommendation comes amid ongoing security concerns leading U.S. universities to restrict Chinese students' exposure to critical technologies.

Campbell emphasized that the U.S. faces a shortage of domestic students in STEM fields and needs to attract more international talent in these areas, preferably from India, a key security partner, rather than China.

For years, Chinese students have been the largest foreign student group in the U.S., with nearly 290,000 attending American institutions during the 2022/23 academic year. However, the deterioration of U.S.-China relations and fears of intellectual property theft have created an environment of suspicion and reduced scientific collaboration.

"I would like to see more Chinese students coming to the United States to study humanities and social sciences, not particle physics," Campbell remarked at a Council on Foreign Relations event.

Addressing the controversial China Initiative, which was aimed at combating espionage and intellectual property theft but ended amid accusations of racial profiling, Campbell noted that U.S. universities have carefully managed the involvement of Chinese students, especially in sensitive technological programs.

Campbell asserted that it is possible to restrict access to certain types of technology, highlighting that universities across the U.S. have already taken steps to do so.

Contrary to the notion that China is the sole source for increasing STEM student numbers, Campbell believes the U.S. should focus on attracting more students from India for technology and related fields.

He also pointed out that while maintaining some form of academic and cultural exchange with China is important, the current strain on such ties is largely due to actions by Beijing, which have made foreign executives and philanthropists hesitant to engage with China over security concerns.

(With inputs from Reuters)