A bill to reduce the number of student visas available to nationals of the People's Republic of China until China removes certain restrictions on United States students pursuing postsecondary educational opportunities in China and to restrict the types of postsecondary study available to Chinese nationals in the United States to include sensitive topics with potential dual-use military application.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · December 17, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
The PRC Students Act would gradually reduce the number of Chinese student visas available to the United States each year by 50,000 until the number matches the estimated fewer than 1,000 American students currently studying in China, citing restrictions that U.S. students face there including travel limitations, censorship, and risk of detention. The bill also restricts Chinese nationals studying in the United States from enrolling in sensitive academic programs with potential military applications, including naval architecture, aircraft engineering, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. These restrictions would remain in place until China removes internal travel restrictions on U.S. students, provides them internet and research database access equal to what Chinese students receive in America, stops threatening exit bans and detaining U.S. students, and opens all Chinese universities to American students. The bill is based on findings that Chinese students and researchers have been accused of espionage and intelligence collection to support China's military development, while American students face significant obstacles pursuing education in China. Once Congress is notified that China has met these conditions, the visa reduction requirements would stop applying.
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