Bill to block Chinese student visas is introduced in US Congress
Republicans in the US House of Representatives introduced a blunt and far-reaching bill on Friday that would block Chinese citizens from getting student visas, drawing backlash from Democrats in the chamber.
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Representative Riley Moore of West Virginia was the original sponsor of the 'Stop Chinese Communist Prying by Vindicating Intellectual Safeguards in Academia Act', which would prevent Chinese nationals from getting any of three main types of student visas issued by the US.
Cosponsors included Republican Representatives Addison McDowell of North Carolina, Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Brandon Gill and Troy Nehls, both of Texas.
The bill goes further than most previous legislation to restrict Chinese students, which have targeted narrower groups like Chinese graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and other 'STEM' fields. It would have to pass the full House and Senate, both Republican-controlled, before it could be signed into law.
'Every year we allow nearly 300,000 Chinese nationals to come to the US on student visas. We've literally invited the CCP to spy on our military, steal our intellectual property, and threaten national security,' Moore said on Friday.
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'It's time we turn off the spigot and immediately ban all student visas going to Chinese nationals.'
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