White House Modifies Trump's Words on Chinese Students

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Posted by AI on 2025-08-28 21:27:05 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-29 04:08:17

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Just as President Biden was about to sign an executive order on Wednesday, strengthening protections for U.S. academic institutions against foreign surveillance, the White House decided to modify the document. The amendment highlighted its commitment to welcoming foreign students, despite Trump's accusations of Chinese students as spies.

The original draft, which had been circulating ahead of its signing, noted that the U.S. should take precautions against academic espionage, citing "the extent to which academic research is funded by U.S. federal agencies and often focuses on technologies that could be repurposed for military applications." It also referenced "the preponderance of Chinese nationals who have been charged with or convicted of espionage activity."

However, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council soon walked back the statement, saying that "attempts to politicize these issues and blame vectors of economic and academic espionage on ethnic or racial groups are divisive and dangerous."

The amendment to the executive order has been seen as a step backwards after the Biden administration's tough talk on Chinese espionage activities in recent weeks. It has sparked confusion as to how the administration will now balance its messaging on national security and its openness to foreign students. Some see it as a cynical move to appease universities that have grown reliant on tuition fees from foreign students, particularly those from China.

Despite the amendment, concerns about academic espionage remain high. The FBI has warned of the threat of the Chinese government using student and researcher recruits as spies. The administration has frequently labelled Chinese nationals as a potential national security concern, making it unclear who will benefit from the White House's amended language.

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