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Beijing: US must stop targeting Chinese students under pretext of ‘visa fraud’

Beijing says the United States needs to stop going after Chinese students in the name of national security and “visa fraud.”

A Chinese student was arrested by the FBI on charges of “intentionally concealing military education experience” and committing “visa fraud,” according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Three other students were also detained, interrogated and deported by US Customs and Border Protection without valid evidence or basis, it said.

Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday the US “has detained, interrogated and deported Chinese students without cause and trumped up charges against them.”

“This is wanton suppression and persecution motivated by political purposes. We firmly oppose it.”

Wang urged Washington to “stop going after Chinese students in the United States in the name of national security.”

The US claims it supports educational and other people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and welcomes Chinese students, he said.

But in fact, Wang added, the administration of President Joe Biden has been also restricting and thwarting Chinese students planning to study or do research in the country.

He said Beijing will take necessary measures to defend Chinese citizens’ lawful rights and interests and reminds its students heading for the United States to be mindful of such risks.

Current and former US intelligence officers have claimed Beijing is leaning on its scientists, business and students to infiltrate US universities and gain information, allegations Beijing has repeatedly denied.

In October 2021, the Justice Department charged four Chinese nationals with conspiracy. It claimed they worked to recruit university professors, federal law enforcement officers and state homeland security officials to work for the Chinese government as agents. 

The FBI agents spent nearly two years tailing the professor, but they were unable to find evidence of espionage, according to an agent’s testimony in court.


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