Thousands of Chinese nationals posing as students have been denied entry into the United States after revelations of espionage linked to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The scheme, first exposed in 2020, involved operatives being placed at American universities and research centers to steal intellectual property and sensitive information.
Experts estimate that 10,000 Chinese students in the U.S. may be Communist Party agents tasked with acquiring technology, health, and defense secrets. Recently, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) arrested two Chinese nationals tied to the University of Michigan for attempting to smuggle a toxic fungus into the country, an act described as “agro-terrorism.”
“The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals—including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party—are of the gravest national security concerns,” stated U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. The State Department has intensified its efforts to identify and block individuals with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or those studying in critical fields from entering the U.S.
