❓WHAT HAPPENED: Thousands of Chinese nationals posing as students have been denied entry into the U.S. following reports of espionage linked to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Chinese nationals, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the State Department, and experts such as Retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul E. Vallely.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Ongoing efforts, with recent arrests tied to the University of Michigan and broader visa denials at U.S. embassies worldwide.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals—including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party—are of the gravest national security concerns,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
🎯IMPACT: Heightened scrutiny of Chinese students and researchers, with a focus on those studying critical fields or linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
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.
While a court injunction currently prevents the deportation of students already in the country, the Trump administration previously ordered U.S. embassies to deny visas to new applicants. Tammy Bruce, a State Department spokeswoman, emphasized, “We use every tool that we have to vet and to make sure we know who’s coming in.”
Retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul E. Vallely warned that the Chinese regime carefully selects students bound for U.S. institutions, briefing them to report their findings to Chinese intelligence operatives. “It’s a very well-organized, very well-programmed operation,” Vallely explained. Nearly 300,000 Chinese students were studying in the U.S. during the 2023–24 academic year, including at New York University, where Barron Trump is enrolled.
Chinese infiltration was seen as early as 2021 when the Harvard Kennedy School collaborated with several CCP propaganda arms looking to influence Western organisations.
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.
